Ava, the little girl

"Let them use their table. I ordered more tables in case more people came. Giving one to them won't matter much," the man with the little girl said.

"Come, Mom, let's go home." Elen pulled Elena's hand, then without even looking at the man or the manager, they started walking out.

"Hey, Dad said he will give you a table, why are you leaving?" the little girl called out to Elen, who was walking away.

Elen paused, his eyes still wet. He wiped his eyes and turned around. Looking at the little girl, Elen said in a resolute tone, "We are not beggars who need others to give us something. My mom bought that cake with the money she earned working day and night. Don't make it sound like your dad is doing charity." After that, Elen and Elena walked out.

Looking at the limping Elena and the little boy holding her hand, the girl's dad smiled. "What a strong boy,"

he then said to the restaurant manager in a frosty tone ,"Don't worry, I will surely talk with your superiors about your service today. You can start packing up."

The manager was sweating buckets, but he didn't dare say a word.

The man rubbed his daughter's head and said, "Did you see that boy earlier? He is a true man. Although he is small, he has a strong backbone."

"You mean he is like that knight who will come to save the princess when she is in danger?" the little girl asked with shining eyes.

The man laughed.

-----

Outside the restaurant, back to Elen and Elena.

"Sorry, dear, Mom ruined your birthday," Elena said through teary eyes.

"Don't cry, Mom. If you hug me, that is the biggest gift I can get," Elen said with a smile.

Elena's heart melted at her son's words. She squatted down and hugged him tightly.

"Mom, can you answer one of my questions?" Elen asked while hugging Elena.

Elena let go of him and nodded.

"Will Dad really come to see us for my next birthday, or are you lying to me?" Elen asked.

Elena had told Elen whenever he asked about his father that he was working in a place outside the human world and would come to see him on his birthday. But during each birthday, his father would have some important work to do and couldn't attend his birthday.

"You see, Mom, that man who pushed you was so respectful toward that little girl's father. If I also had my father there, he wouldn't have pushed you, right?"

Elena touched her son's face. "Will you hate Mom if I tell you the truth?"

Elen shook his head.

"Your father left me even before you were born. He won't come to see you. All this while, I lied to you," Elena said with teary eyes.

"Does he not like Elen?" Elen asked.

"I don't know," Elena said while caressing his cheeks.

"Mom, is Dad a bad person?" Elen suddenly asked. This was a question Elena had not expected.

"What are you saying? He is not a bad person. Your mother is not worthy to have your father as my husband; that's why he left. He is not a bad person," Elena tried to correct him, but it was too late. A shadow had already formed in Elen's heart.

"Like those people from the restaurant, Father also thinks Mom and Elen are not worthy, right?" Elen asked again. It was hard to believe that these were the words of a 6-year-old boy. Elen had a sharp mind from a young age.

Even Elena was left silent before Elen's words. Like he said, Raven left her because she was just a slave in his eyes.

Seeing his mother remain silent, Elen hugged her and said, "Don't worry, Mom. You have Elen and Elen has you. That's enough. I won't ask for Dad anymore. If he didn't want you, Elen also doesn't want him."

Elena smiled. The last 6 years with her son were the most fulfilling life she ever had. Although she had gone through many hardships, a smile from her son was enough to make it all worthwhile.

Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, after the birthday party of the little girl was over, she, her mother, elder brother, and father were chatting among themselves.

"Since you are 6 years old, from tomorrow onwards you have to go to school. I have arranged everything with Grandpa. You will be attending the Imperial Academy from tomorrow," her father suddenly said.

As soon as she heard this, the little girl's expression changed. "Ayooo... my stomach is hurting," she started to clutch her stomach in pain.

But the funny thing was that all three people around the table only looked at her with no intention of helping.

"Stop it, Ava. You used the same trick more than a hundred times," Ava's mother scolded with a smile.

Realizing her trick had failed, Ava sat back properly and asked in a defeated tone, "Must I really go?"

Ava's father nodded.

"Then I will go to the school that blue-eyed boy is going to. I won't go to the Imperial Academy. Grandpa always scolds me for eating sweets. I won't go to his school," Ava said with a huff.

"Wait, why do you want to go to that boy's school?" her father asked with a frown, his fatherly instincts throbbing nonstop, warning that his daughter was about to be taken away from him.

"Didn't you say he is like that knight who comes to save the princess? So I want to study at the same school as him. Is there a problem?" Ava asked innocently.

"No problem. I just suddenly feel that I have dug my own grave," Ava's father said with a hand on his head.

Her mother and brother were trying their best to hold in their laughter.

"Hey, why are you laughing? Are you making fun of me?" Ava asked with a pout.

"No...no... little princess," her brother said with a smile. "You are missing an important point. They are not rich people. Maybe he won't be going to an arcane academy and chooses to attend a public academy. What will you do then?"

"Impossible, knights have to be warriors, so he will definitely go to an arcane academy," Ava said confidently.

"Your father is just spouting nonsense, dear. Just listen to Mom and go to the Imperial Academy. I will buy you a lot of chocolates as a reward, okay?" Ava's mother asked with a smile.

"No... I won't go to any school then," Ava said resolutely.

Ava's mother shot a murderous look at her father, who scratched his head with an awkward smile. "I just felt that boy is extraordinary. Who would have thought that things would reach this point... wait, I will ask someone to investigate that boy. If he is attending an arcane academy, then it's okay. I will get a seat for you there. But if he is attending a public school, you will have to obediently go to the Imperial Academy. Is it okay?"

Ava thought for some time and then reluctantly nodded, "Okay."