I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 441 Ice-cream (2)

Alina looked down at her boys. "What flavor would you like? Chocolate or vanilla?"

Lucien pondered this with great gravity. "Chocolate," he declared after a moment, decisive.

Sable hesitated, his eyes fixed on the rich brown swirl depicted on the menu. "Chocolate looks... yummy," he whispered, as if sharing a secret.

When the cones were handed over, towering, fragile things, Sable froze. He held his as if it were made of glass and moonlight, staring at the perfect swirl. It was bigger than he’d imagined, and a faint, cold mist seemed to breathe from it. He leaned forward and gave it one very careful, experimental lick. His whole body jolted.

"It’s cold!" he gasped, his eyes flying up to Alina’s, round with shock and delight.

Lucien was more prepared. He took a thoughtful taste, his eyes blinking rapidly at the unfamiliar sensation. "...Cold," he confirmed, his voice measured. Then he licked again, more deliberately. "But good," he amended, a hint of pleasure breaking through his serious tone.

Alina laughed, the sound as light and sweet as the air around them. Her heart felt impossibly full, watching them discover this simple, universal joy. Dante watched them too, something unreadable yet profoundly soft shifting in his gaze, especially when a tiny melt of chocolate threatened to escape down Sable’s wrist and Alina swooped in with a napkin to catch it.

He glanced at her, noticing the way she kept her hands folded, her eyes carefully tracing the path of a distant bird, deliberately avoiding the joyful chaos around the ice-cream truck as if it were a magnet trying to pull her gaze. A small, knowing smile touched his lips.

"You didn’t want one?" Dante asked, his tone casual but his eyes watching her closely, missing nothing.

Alina’s cheeks warmed instantly, a soft pink blooming beneath her skin. She shook her head a little too quickly. "No, it’s okay," she said, her voice dipping into a shy mumble. She gestured subtly toward the crowd. Almost everyone holding a cone was a child, with parents standing by, smiling or calling out warnings. It made her feel strangely conspicuous, as if wanting an ice cream for herself at her age was a little silly, a little too indulgent. She lifted her eyes and offered a bright, deflecting smile instead. "Let’s just go inside the park."

"Wait," he said suddenly, his hand coming to rest lightly on her arm to stop her. There was a new note in his voice now, something low and almost playful. "I want one for myself."

Alina blinked, surprised. She watched as he turned and walked right up to the truck, his tall, broad-shouldered frame looking entirely out of place yet completely at ease amidst the stream of excited children. He ordered a single scoop of vanilla in a crisp sugar cone. When it was handed to him, he paid the vendor with a nod and turned back. He didn’t seem to notice the few amused glances from nearby parents. He just walked back to her, his expression calm as ever.

They moved into the park together, side by side, the boys already darting ahead like released butterflies, drawn to the colorful swings and slides. They found a quiet bench beneath a sprawling oak tree, its dappled shade cool and peaceful. Sable and Lucien, having devoured their chocolate ice cream with awestruck speed, were already on the swings, their soft, happy laughter weaving through the warm air.

Dante settled onto the bench beside Alina. He didn’t eat the ice cream right away. Instead, he shifted slightly toward her and held the cone out, his gaze steady on her face. "Here. Have a bite."

Alina looked from the perfect white swirl up to his eyes, startled. Her fingers twisted together in her lap for a second before she nodded, a shy smile tugging at her lips. She leaned in carefully and took a small, delicate lick. The cold burst of sweet vanilla flooded her senses, and a genuine, surprised smile broke through her reserve. "Mmm," she hummed, sitting back. "Thank you."

He didn’t look away from her, not even for a second. His eyes held hers, warm and intent.

Then, slowly, as if it were the most natural movement in the world, he shifted closer on the bench. His arm slid around her waist, drawing her gently against his side. The contact was firm and warm, solid and sure, as if her waist had been made to fit the curve of his arm. "It’s fine," he said, his voice a quiet rumble near her ear. "We’ll share it."

Her heart gave a wild, fluttering leap against her ribs. Feeling brave, she leaned in and took another, slightly bolder lick. The ice cream was already beginning to melt in the afternoon sun, a tiny trickle forming at the base of the scoop. She was just pulling back when he leaned in too. His head dipped, and he took a bite from the exact spot she had just licked, his lips brushing the cold surface. The sheer, simple intimacy of it, sharing a single cone, taking turns so casually, sent a wave of heat crashing over her. Her face felt like it was on fire, her chest tight with a warm, dizzying sweetness that had nothing to do with the dessert.

Then—

"Awaaa."

A tiny, awestruck sound made them both turn.

A little girl, no more than three, stood before them. She had a riot of blonde curls tied up in a lopsided ponytail, and her cheeks were smeared with what looked like strawberry jam. She wore tiny denim overalls over a bright yellow shirt. Her eyes, a startling shade of blue, were fixed not on their faces, but intently on the ice cream cone in Dante’s hand. She stared with the absolute focus of a scientist observing a rare specimen.

Dante looked at her, his expression softening into open amusement, one eyebrow lifting. "What’s wrong, little one?" he asked, his voice gentler than Alina had ever heard it.

The girl slowly lowered her hand, pointing a chubby finger directly at the ice cream cone in Dante’s hand. "You got the white one," she announced solemnly.