I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 435 Uncomfortable babies

Elite Mall, 9:37 AM

The moment they stepped through the glass doors, the wave of sound hit them. Music poured from hidden speakers, blending with the hum of distant conversations, the squeak of stroller wheels, and the echoing footsteps on perfect polished floors. It was like stepping into a river of noise and movement. A sea of people flowed past them, strangers in every direction, talking, laughing, rushing by.

Sable’s small hand, which had been holding Alina’s sleeve, tightened immediately. His little fingers twisted the fabric into a knot. His wide eyes jumped from one strange face to another, from flashing store signs to towering potted plants, never resting, a little lost. His chest felt strangely tight. Lucien, standing close to Dante, didn’t reach out or cry. He just went very still. His small shoulders drew up stiffly near his ears, and he looked down at his own shoes, as if the shiny floor tiles were the only safe thing to see. They had never been in a place so full of life, so crowded, and it was only natural to feel a little swept away by it all.

Alina noticed it right away. She always noticed them. Without even having to think, she bent at the knees, her white dress pooling softly around her, and gathered Sable up into her arms. She settled him high on her hip, against the curve of her shoulder, where he could bury his face in the warmth of her neck if he needed to. At the same moment, Dante crouched down. A simple, smooth movement, and Lucien was up in his arms, lifted as easily as a feather. One strong arm cradled him securely, holding him close. The moment they felt that familiar hold, that safe lift from the ground, both boys softened. Sable’s tense little body sagged against Alina’s chest. Lucien’s head came to rest on Dante’s shoulder, his hand coming up to fist gently in the soft cotton of Dante’s shirt.

They made their way to the escalator, Alina stepping on just a half-step behind Dante. The metal stairs carried them upward with a soft, mechanical sigh. Dante leaned his head toward her, his voice a low murmur meant only for her ear. "It’s a lot for them," he said, his eyes checking Lucien’s pale, quiet face.

"I know," Alina whispered back. Her hand moved in slow, gentle circles on Sable’s back, a steady, calming rhythm. "So many people all at once. It’s their first time."

The babies were silent, soaking in their safety. Sable’s cheek was pressed to Alina’s shoulder, his eyelashes fluttering against her skin. Lucien held onto Dante’s shirt, his small fingers holding the fabric like an anchor in the strange, noisy sea. Around them, the mall buzzed and glittered, a world of its own. And slowly, a quiet kind of attention began to turn their way.

People looked. Then they looked again.

A woman carrying shopping bags slowed her walk, her eyes following them. A pair of teenagers by the railing leaned their heads together, whispering. An older couple smiled, nodding to each other. It was hard not to look. The man was so tall and solid, carrying the child with a natural, protective ease that seemed to quiet the air around him. The woman beside him, glowing in her simple dress, held her own child with such tender closeness, her cheek occasionally brushing the boy’s hair. And the children themselves were so quiet and beautiful, like little angels resting in the safest place in the world.

To anyone watching, they painted a perfect picture. They looked like a young family. A mother and a father, out with their two small sons. They moved together in unspoken harmony, a unit of four, belonging completely to one another. It was a sight that made the heart ache a little, in the sweetest way.

Alina didn’t see any of it. Her entire world was the warm weight in her arms, the feel of Sable’s steadying breath against her neck, and the solid, reassuring presence of Dante beside her. Dante noticed nothing but the feel of Lucien’s trust, the slight weight of him, and the woman at his side. The stares, the whispers, the way people subtly made room for them as they passed—it all meant nothing. It was just background noise.

They stepped off the escalator slowly, the noise of the mall still buzzing around them like a restless tide, and Dante let out a quiet breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His grip around Lucien adjusted instinctively, protective, steady, his sharp gaze sweeping the area as if calculating escape routes rather than shops. Crowds had never bothered him in a threatening sense, but the sheer disorder of it all irritated him deeply.

"Where should we go first?" Dante asked at last, his tone calm but edged with faint impatience. "Any idea?" It was obvious he wasn’t used to places like this, and even more obvious that he didn’t enjoy them much.

Alina noticed immediately. Unlike him, she was used to holiday rushes, noisy corridors, people bumping shoulders, voices overlapping without apology. It barely fazed her. She smiled softly, patting Sable’s back in a slow, reassuring rhythm, grounding both the child and herself. "I’m kind of excited to shop for the babies," she said warmly. "Clothes, shoes... maybe something fun they can wear outside."

Dante nodded without hesitation. "Yeah," he agreed simply. If it made her happy, if it made the boys comfortable, then that was enough reason.

She turned her head slightly, checking on Lucien first, her voice lowering instinctively, gentler than the noise around them. "Lucien, are you okay?" she asked, hazel eyes searching his face.

Lucien nodded right away. He looked calmer now, his earlier stiffness gone, his small body relaxed against Dante’s chest. The steady rise and fall of Dante’s breathing and the familiarity of his scent had done their job.

Alina’s smile deepened, relief soft in her chest. Then she leaned closer to Sable, her lips brushing near his ear as she whispered, "And you?"

Sable slowly lifted his head from her shoulder, his cheeks still a little pink, but his eyes brighter now. He looked at her seriously for a moment, then nodded with quiet determination. "I’m okay too," he said, his voice small but sincere. After a pause, he added shyly, "I want to do shopping with you."

Alina’s heart warmed instantly. Her smile spread wider, genuine and unrestrained as she kissed his temple lightly. "Of course," she said softly. "We’ll shop together."

Dante watched the exchange from the side, something unreadable flickering briefly across his expression. The irritation he’d felt toward the crowd dulled, replaced by a quiet sense of rightness as he looked at the three of them. Lucien secure in his arms. Sable safe in hers. Alina standing between chaos and calm as if she’d always belonged there.

"Alright then," Dante said at last, adjusting his hold and angling his body slightly to shield them from the flow of people. "Let’s start with the kids’ section."