Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 292: Choosing Silence

Electra’s POV

By the time Irina, Roxana, and Penelope were finally done scrubbing and sweeping every inch of the courtyard, the sun was already dipping behind the rooftops, the sky had that pink tint it only ever got right before dinner, and my stomach was already making embarrassing noises.

We were supposed to head back to our rooms, but Roxana, with dirt still smudged across her cheek, had looked over at us and said, "Honestly? I’m starving, and I’m not walking another step unless it’s toward food."

No one argued, and not even Penelope, who was usually the first to suggest a bath before a meal, and as for me? I didn’t say a word, I just followed them.

It had been a long day, and all I really wanted was to sit down, eat something warm, and maybe, maybe, feel normal for five minutes. Then I’d go back to my room and check on Seraphina.

She’d still been unconscious when I left earlier, and though I knew she was alive, and I knew she was recovering, I couldn’t help the twist in my chest every time I thought about her.

She hadn’t opened her eyes, not once, and I honestly missed her so much, and I hated not knowing when she’d come back to me, but for now, dinner.

Of course, I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that simple, because the moment we stepped into the dining hall, the noise dropped, like—instantly.

It was the kind of silence that wasn’t natural, and not just casual curiosity or a pause between conversations. This was deliberate, like every single girl in the room had been waiting for the exact moment we’d walk in, or rather, I walked in.

Roxana kept walking like nothing was happening, her tray already halfway loaded by the time the rest of us even got to the food line. Irina, being Irina, glanced around with an arched brow, clearly daring anyone to speak. Penelope tried to act normal but kept fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves, and me? 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I kept my eyes forward and pretended not to notice the stares, but oh, I noticed.

I could feel it in my skin, the way everyone’s gaze tracked me, head to toe. The way the whispering started again, low and fast, behind hands and over half-filled cups.

Normally, I would’ve loved it, soaked it up, maybe even yelled at someone just to make them retract out of fear. I’d always thrived on attention and ruled this place by being the loudest, the boldest, and the most dangerous girl in the room, but today?

Today it just felt suffocating because I didn’t know what kind of attention it was.

Were they staring because they were afraid of me again, or because they pitied me? Because I’d fallen ill and nearly died? Because I’d looked weak for the first time in years? Because the mighty Electra Vale, the terrifying princess of Elmeria, had been reduced to a shivering mess in an old bunker?

Were they scared, or were they laughing at me?

I grabbed a tray and moved quickly, picking out food I wasn’t even sure I wanted. The smell of roasted vegetables and baked potatoes filled the air, but my appetite had already vanished.

By the time we made our way toward our usual table, I stopped dead in my tracks. Irina let out a sharp breath beside me, Penelope blinked in confusion, and Roxana actually cursed under her breath.

There they were, Yuna and Iris, seated at our table.

Our table.

The one everyone knew was sacred territory, officially claimed and thoroughly understood.

It was ours, and had been for years, and yet there they were, bold as anything, sitting there like they belonged.

Yuna leaned back slightly in her chair, a spoon between her fingers, twirling it like she was bored. Iris didn’t even acknowledge us, she just kept eating, cutting into her food like she hadn’t just stepped into a personal declaration of war.

A few other girls were at the table too, but the second they saw me standing there, they scrambled to their feet and slipped away in silence.

Smart of them.

Irina was the first to speak. With an irritated scoff, she folded her arms and stepped forward. "Get up," she snapped. "Unless you’ve both gone brain-dead, you should know this table isn’t for people like you."

Yuna didn’t flinch. She just rolled her eyes and picked up her cup, sipping casually like Irina wasn’t even talking, while Iris didn’t even look up.

"Don’t annoy me," Irina added, her voice sharper now.

The tension in the dining hall doubled, and I could feel the way everyone had started watching us again, forks halfway to mouths and conversations dying mid-sentence. The entire room was waiting, waiting for me to explode, and waiting for Electra Vale to remind everyone exactly who she was.

Because normally? I would have. One flick of my fingers, one sharp word, and they’d have been scrambling from that table so fast they’d leave crumbs in their wake. Iris especially, I’d have put her face-first into the nearest wall just for the audacity, but right now?

Right now, I felt like I had exactly one ounce of energy left, and I needed it to make it through dinner without collapsing.

I was tired.

Physically, emotionally, and in every way, so I didn’t have the strength to pick a fight, not tonight.

Roxana, though, had no such restraint. Her fists clenched at her sides as she stepped forward, eyes locked on Iris like she was already deciding which direction to tackle her from.

"Say the word," she muttered to me. "And I’ll drag them off that table myself."

I raised a hand slowly, stopping her mid-step. "No," I said simply.

Roxana blinked. "What?"

"We’re not doing this," I said. "Let it go."

Penelope’s head turned toward me, eyes wide, and Irina’s mouth parted, like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

Even some of the people watching nearby straightened up in surprise, like their favorite show had suddenly been canceled mid-episode.

I ignored them all, and just for a moment, I let my eyes meet Iris’s. She was still eating, but I knew she could feel me looking.

She lifted her gaze just barely, those cold, unreadable eyes flicking up, and for a second, I thought I saw the corner of her mouth twitch, not a smile, but a challenge.

I held her stare a moment longer, and then I laughed dryly, almost to myself, and turned away.

"Come on," I said to the others. "There’s another empty table over there."

I didn’t wait for their response. I just walked away, and after a beat—stunned into silence—they followed.

We sat down at a smaller table near the center of the room, and although it was not nearly as convenient, and far too exposed for my taste, it was empty.

Roxana slammed her tray down, still fuming. "I can’t believe we just let them get away with that."

Irina crossed her arms. "You feeling okay?"

Penelope looked at me cautiously, almost like I’d been replaced by a clone, but I didn’t answer right away.

I just picked up my fork and stared at the food on my plate, suddenly very aware of how tired my hands felt and how heavy everything was.

"I’m not weak," I said softly. "I’m just... tired."

None of them said anything, so I looked up and met their eyes, one by one.

"If I start something, I have to finish it, and right now? I don’t know if I can. So I’m not giving them the satisfaction."

Roxana looked away first, biting her lip, Irina leaned back in her seat, arms still folded but no longer tense, and Penelope gave a light nod.

"Besides," I added, stabbing a piece of potato, "these fools don’t deserve a show from me just yet."