I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 335 - 334 Important?

Alina had almost forgotten Dante was walking with them, mostly because he had been so quiet, watching the children pick things, following the group like a silent guardian, until he suddenly stepped a little closer to her.

"Miss Alina," he asked softly, puzzled, "you are not liking anything here?"

She blinked up at him, surprised by the question. His expression was calm, but there was a faint crease between his brows, as if something about her silence truly bothered him.

"Well... everything is pretty," Alina said with a small smile.

"So why are you not picking anything?" Dante pressed gently. "I already covered everything."

He had spoken with King Corvus earlier, agreeing that if the children bought anything, he would settle the payment altogether. King Corvus had kindly offered to let Class D take things for free, but Dante disliked accepting gifts without giving something back, so he insisted. King Corvus had no choice but to accept, knowing Dante’s stubbornness.

Alina lowered her gaze, pretending to check if the children were nearby. "I... my human currency wouldn’t work here," she murmured, avoiding his eyes as she watched Drake and Boo argue over which stall to visit next. People passing by were stopping to stare at the adorable group of babies, their curious expressions full of warmth.

She tried to keep her attention on them, pretending not to notice Dante’s gaze but she could feel Dante’s presence beside her like a shadow, impossible to ignore.

"Miss Alina," he spoke, "that is not what I asked."

She froze.

Her fingers, which had been smoothing her dress nervously, stilled. She finally looked up, and the moment her eyes met his, the breath caught in her throat.

He was watching her so carefully, as if every small expression mattered. The faint crease between his brows deepened just a little, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"You are part of this trip," he said, eyes steady on her. "You should enjoy it fully. Not stand aside as if you don’t belong here."

Alina swallowed, her throat tightening. "It’s not that, sir... I just..."

"You thought your currency was useless here," Dante said quietly, cutting in before she could repeat the excuse he already knew was coming. He understood her too well by now. He only wished she would shop as freely as the children, without hesitation or worry. "So you avoided even looking seriously at anything."

Her cheeks warmed.

He wasn’t wrong. She didn’t want to seem greedy. She didn’t want to burden him. She didn’t want to look foolish in a place where everything felt magical and expensive and foreign.

"I just... I didn’t want to take advantage," she whispered, twisting her fingers together. "You already brought us here, sir. I don’t want to trouble you more."

Dante stared at her for a long moment, something unreadable passing through his eyes, something almost like disbelief that she could think that way.

"Miss Alina," he said finally, voice firm yet gentle, "you are their teacher. My children’s teacher." His eyes softened, almost imperceptibly. "You think offering you a few things from a fair is trouble?"

Alina’s heart fluttered.

He stepped a little closer, the cold underwater light tracing the sharp lines of his face, turning his dark attire into something deeper, darker, almost royal.

"You deserve to take something for yourself," he murmured. "Not because of currency. Not because of rules. But because you are important here."

Her breath faltered.

Important?

Her?

She opened her mouth to respond, but he gently lifted one hand and pointed toward a nearby stall, a delicate setup decorated with soft ocean flowers and glowing seashells. Beautiful jewelry shimmered inside, faint light moving inside the pearls like tiny galaxies.

"Go," Dante said quietly. "Choose something."

"Sir, I..."

"Choose," he repeated, softer now. "Something you genuinely like. Don’t refuse me again."

His voice carried no pressure, no authority, just a quiet sincerity that made her heart skip a beat.

For a moment she could only stare, stunned by the unexpected warmth behind his calm words.

Then she nodded slowly, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

"Alright," she whispered. "I’ll... I’ll look."

Dante’s eyes relaxed, the faintest curve touching his mouth, not exactly a smile, but close enough to make her heartbeat quicken.

"Good," he murmured.

And as Alina stepped toward the stall, stealing glances at the shiny jewelry, Dante remained where he was.

"Teacher, you want help?" Drake suddenly appeared beside Alina, his head tilting back as he looked up at her with wide eyes. He stood near her and kept glancing between her and the jewelry stall with a seriousness that didn’t match his chubby cheeks at all.

"Of course, Drake," Alina said, her lips curving into a soft smile. "Can you help teacher choose something nice?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Drake straightened proudly, as if she had just handed him the most important mission in the world. His tiny chest puffed out, wings twitching with excitement, and instead of grabbing the nearest shiny thing like he usually did, he looked around with a determined little frown.

"Hmm..." he hummed, placing his hands behind his back, inspecting each necklace with exaggerated care.

An older sea otter woman behind the counter laughed warmly, her whiskers bouncing. "This little one looks very promising," she said, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Indeed he is," Alina replied, watching Drake with so much affection that her heart felt warm in her chest.

Drake instantly blushed, his cheeks turning a soft rosy pink as he pretended he didn’t hear the compliment. He leaned closer to the display, scanning through the shells, pearls, sea glass pendants, and glowing stones. For a moment, he bit his lower lip, thinking so hard that his tail curled and uncurled in an adorable way.

He finally tapped a necklace, simple, delicate, shaped like a small silver droplet with a faint glow inside it, as if it held a tiny moonbeam. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t overwhelming. It was soft, beautiful, and elegant, exactly her style.

Alina’s eyes widened in gentle surprise. "Drake... how did you know this would be my choice?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Alina’s heart softened. She had already paused on that very necklace earlier, admiring it quietly from the corner of her eye while Drake inspected each piece with such serious care.