Chapter 5 A PRINCESS AND A QUEEN 👑

A Princess and a Queen

Mera was Elara's constant companion throughout her pregnancy-and even during childbirth, Mera was by her side. That night, she gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Nathara. Even though she wanted to erase Nathan from their lives, and despite the child not bearing his surname, Elara still wanted her daughter to have some connection to her father. The first syllable, "Natha," came from Nathan, and "ra" from the last syllable of her own name. She had been hurt, and she knew their relationship was full of bad memories. But for some inexplicable reason, a part of her felt that a connection between her daughter and her father should remain-even if Nathan didn't even know about her.

"I think heaven really answered my prayers-Elara's child inherited everything from her. She literally has a baby girl," Mera said joyfully, carefully holding the infant.

It wasn't just Mera there, but the entire Lhuillier family. They rushed to her private hospital room after she gave birth. Mera handed the sleeping baby to Mr. Lhuillier, who smiled slightly as he looked at his granddaughter.

"My little angel," he murmured softly.

"She looks like Elara, sweetheart," said Mrs. Lhuillier with a tender smile, gazing at the baby. "Oh, it reminds me of her when she was a baby."

"So the little Lhuillier brat will finally have her own child," Louesi commented.

Mera laughed. "Oh, Elara wasn't that spoiled of a brat compared to Shiela," she replied jokingly.

"Shut up, asshole. You only found out she had a child because of me," Shiela retorted irritably.

Elara was amazed as she watched her family warmly welcome her daughter-without a trace of abandonment, unlike what Nathan had done to her when she was pregnant.

"Are you planning to stay longer here in Paris, Elara?" Mr. Lhuillier asked as Shiela gently lifted the sleeping Nathara into her arms.

Elara watched as Shiela approached Louesi, who immediately went to see his niece. She was amazed-the coldhearted Louesi seemed to melt in front of the baby.

"I'm enjoying my time here in Paris, Dad," Elara replied.

She remembered the real estate business she'd started-all driven by her desire to build a new life. But now that Nathan was out of her mind, she started thinking of other things.

"Maybe I'll be interested in joining the family business when Nathara is four or five. Maybe I'll start working then," she said.

Louesi and Mera looked at her, both taken aback. Finally, Elara was thinking about the family business. Elara had never been pressured to take on any position in the company because she was the youngest. She could live in luxury without lifting a finger. But now...

"Well, that's good to hear! You'd have a good position in the company," Mr. Lhuillier said enthusiastically before turning to his wife, who was also smiling.

"Take your time. You should be resting for now. Just focus on your baby for a while. She needs your full attention," Mrs. Lhuillier said.

"You should stay at our house for a while, Elara. I really wouldn't mind helping you with your baby. I think I would love taking care of her," Sheila suggested.

Five Years

Five years passed, and Nathara grew into a beautiful child. Her family visited often, and Mera made sure to play with her. Nathara even called Mera "Dada."

"Did you enjoy the amusement park?" Elara asked softly while brushing her hair. Nathara was squatting on the bed like a frog in her pajamas after her bath.

"Yes, Mommy! Thank you for taking me there," Nathara replied happily, lifting her head before bending down to kiss her mother.

Elara smiled as she let her daughter kiss her cheek. Nathara grew up very kind and always expressed gratitude-something Elara taught her, and which she seemed to have naturally adopted as part of her personality.

"Did you also like the princess story you watched earlier?" she asked.

Nathara covered herself. "Yes..."

"Which... only her mother?" Elara pointed out.

Nathara nodded. "And the others have fathers, but I don't."

Elara stroked her daughter's hair. "Because there are princesses without fathers, and that's normal. Sometimes things happen that we can't control, so some princesses don't have kings."

Nathara nodded again, intently listening to her mother.

"Like you. You don't have a father, but you have a mother. You're different from other children who have fathers, but remember, that doesn't mean you're alone or lacking in your life. In a castle, there might not be a king, but it's still a castle. And if there's no queen, it remains a castle because there's a king."

Nathara smiled. "I have a beautiful castle even without a king-or a father-because I have a queen, my mother."

Elara smiled and stroked her daughter's cheek. "Yes, baby. And I'll make sure your castle is beautiful, not just in appearance but in happiness. A queen can do the things a king does. If the princess wants a happy family, I will give her that happy family."

"I have a happy family, Mommy," Nathara replied happily. "I may not have a king, but a queen is enough, because I know you're the best. You make the princess happy. You make the castle beautiful. I have a happy family."

Elara felt a pang in her heart. It was hard to explain the absence of a father to her daughter, not because there was anything wrong with the child, but because some fathers couldn't stand up to their responsibilities.

"You are perfect, like a real princess, baby. You may not have a king, but that doesn't mean you're not a princess. You still are-and will always be a princess."

Nathara smiled and nodded. "I want to be a princess, Mommy."

"Oh, you're the cutest princess in the Lhuillier castle."

Nathara giggled as Elara smiled, content with how intelligent her daughter was in understanding things. She was a bright child, and in many ways, she reminded Elara of Nathan. She inherited traits from her father.

"But I'm curious, Mommy."

"Hmm?"

"What happened to my king? What happened to the queen's king?" She tilted her head and looked at Elara with curiosity.

Elara fell silent for a moment. She knew this question would come, but she didn't expect it now.

"Do you remember the wicked witch?"

Nathara nodded, her expression changing instantly.

"The King and Queen also encountered a big problem-like the witch in the stories. That's why they parted ways. As King, he didn't fulfill his duty as King to the Queen. So he left his throne."

Nathara relaxed her shoulders. "The King had no choice, because the witches were bad, and they had powers, Mommy."

Elara smiled and stroked her daughter's cheek. "Yes, that's right. And it's not the princess's fault that the King left. There are things we can't control, because sometimes, there are those more powerful than us-like witches."

Nathara pondered. "But all stories have happy endings, right? The King will fight the witch, and he'll return to the castle."

Elara smiled. "Well, that could happen too. But what if he doesn't come back? Would you be sad?"

Nathara looked silently at her mother, seemingly thinking and imagining the story they were creating.

"If the Queen is sad, I hope he comes back. Because if the Queen is sad, the princess is sad too. But if the Queen is happy without the King-like you said, there are castles ruled only by Queens-then the princess is also happy. Her family is happy because Mommy is happy."

Elara was speechless. She didn't expect her daughter's answer.

She was moved to tears. Despite all the pain Nathan had caused, despite his abandonment, she knew that finally, there was someone in her life who would never leave her-no matter what.

"The princess will stay in the castle with the queen, Mommy," Nathara said in her small voice, as if making a promise she would never break.

Her love for Nathan may not have blossomed, but somehow, she found true and unconditional love-from her princess.