I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 363 Happy Memories

He cleared his throat, a tiny hint of awkwardness slipping into his voice. "Help me too," he said quietly. "Click some photos of us... and the babies... and the scenery. Like the ones you took. They were... very good."

His tone was calm, but his eyes were a little too steady, as if he was pretending this was not a big deal. Alina nodded with a soft smile. "Of course."

She picked up his phone and immediately noticed it felt brand new. Smooth, untouched corners. No scratches. It almost looked unused.

She tapped the screen. There was no password, not even a simple pattern.

Just an open home screen that looked cleaner than the phones displayed in stores.

Her brows lifted slightly in surprise, but she said nothing and opened the gallery to see how he stored photos. Her suspicion was instantly confirmed.

His gallery had almost nothing. No random screenshots. No selfies. No saved memes. Not even a cluttered folder of forgotten downloads.

Just a few lonely albums.

One was entirely black.

Black images. Maybe shadows. Maybe his pocket touched the screen. She couldn’t tell.

Another album contained only a handful of group photos that she had sent to the group chat.

There were a few pictures of Sable and Lucien eating meat, both of them messy, carefree and adorable. One video showed them chasing each other in the hallway.

And that was it.

Alina stared at the screen for a moment. For someone so powerful, so respected, so feared, his phone felt lonely. A phone with no memories inside it. No joyful clutter. No random silly recordings.

The photos she sent were the only brightness in the gallery.

Her throat tightened gently before she spoke. "Sir, you barely use this phone."

Dante looked up at her with a calm expression. "I do not require it."

"But you have no photos," Alina murmured before she could stop herself.

Dante paused, looking slightly confused. "I have photos. Look."

He gestured at Lucien and Sable’s messy eating pictures with genuine pride, as if having three pictures meant his gallery was rich with memories.

Lucien crawled over and peeked at the screen. "Dad keeps only important pictures."

Sable nodded solemnly. "Only the best."

Alina looked at Dante again, the faintest smile touching her lips. "Then let me help you add more."

Dante’s eyes softened, calm and deep. "I would like that."

She lifted his phone and turned it toward the river. Then toward the blossoms. Then toward the boys playing with Legos. Then toward Dante, who blinked at the camera with an unexpected expression.

She captured everything.

Memories he never bothered to keep for himself, but suddenly wanted because she was the one taking them.

Alina stood up slowly, brushing the shawl off her lap so it would not slip, and held Dante’s phone carefully between her hands. "Okay, let me take one of all three of you," she said with a bright, encouraging smile.

Lucien immediately straightened his back.

Sable adjusted his tiny legs and folded his hands.

Dante sat upright like he was attending a royal portrait session.

The sudden transformation made Alina blink.

One moment they were laughing and building Legos.

The next moment they were sitting perfectly still, staring at the camera with absolutely no emotion.

They looked exactly like they were taking a government ID photo.

Alina stared for one second, two seconds, then she burst into a soft laugh.

"Oh no, not like that," she chuckled, lowering the phone slightly. "You all suddenly look like someone forced you to take passport photos."

Lucien blinked innocently. "This is how Dad taught us to sit for photos."

Sable nodded, his little face serious. "Emotionless. Straight back. No movement. No smiling. Dad says it shows discipline."

Dante looked mildly offended. "I did not say it like that."

"You said, a ruler does not smile for cameras," Lucien repeated in a deep imitation of Dante’s voice.

Alina covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. "Oh my goodness."

"And you said," Sable added, sitting straighter and deepening his voice again, "we sit like stone."

Alina stared at Dante.

Dante looked away as if he had suddenly discovered something fascinating in the river. "I was teaching them to look presentable."

"They look like prisoners," Alina whispered dramatically.

Lucien’s eyes widened. "Prisoners."

Sable gasped. "Teacher called us criminals."

"No, not criminals," Alina hurried, laughing. "Just stiff."

Dante cleared his throat. "Then what pose should we do."

Alina blinked. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Dante had just asked for a pose.

She lifted the phone again, trying not to melt at how adorable this situation was.

"Smile," she said gently. "Just smile naturally."

Lucien instantly gave the brightest sunshine grin. He looked adorable.

Sable smiled too, and his shadows formed tiny heart shapes behind him like excited decorations.

Dante tried.

His lips moved slightly.

Very slightly.

Alina squinted. "Sir, that looks like you are in pain."

Lucien whispered loudly, "Dad does not know how to smile."

Sable added, "Dad only smiles in heart."

Dante stared at both of them, his expression returning to a perfect straight line. "I can smile."

Alina giggled. "Then show us."

He tried again.

It was a little better.

Still stiff.

Still awkward.

Still very Dante.

"Sir, think of a memory that makes you smile," Alina suggested.

And Dante immediately smiled, remembering this present moment, how Sable had opened up with Alina, how Lucien loved talking to her without needing to maintain his usual disciplined mask. Dante knew Lucien had a childish heart, but the Nightshade Court never accepted such softness. Dante had taught him how to maintain a perfect mask for the outside world while keeping his inner child safe.

Alina smiled when she saw the genuine smile finally appear on his lips. "Perfect. That is enough."

She lifted the phone, and at last she took the photo.

A father sitting tall and elegant.

Two little boys grinning with pure joy.

A blanket scattered with petals and toys.

A river glowing like silver glass behind them.

Black blossoms falling like soft night snow.

She looked at the picture and felt her heart melt.

They looked adorable and unexpectedly wholesome.

She smiled at the screen, her cheeks warming. "This is beautiful." She walked over to Dante and sat down beside him, holding the phone so he could see it. Her shoulder brushed his lightly as she showed it to him, waiting for his reaction with a small, quiet smile.

Dante leaned a little closer to look. He did not smile, but a soft warmth crossed his eyes when he saw Lucien and Sable looking so bright and happy in the picture.

"Perfect," he said softly.