I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 521 Parents meeting (15)

"Drake," Vlad Jr. said, trying to keep his voice composed, but the effort was visible in the way he straightened his collar a little too precisely and adjusted his tiny cuffs as if preparing for a formal inquiry.

"Hehe," Drake laughed shamelessly, covering his mouth with both hands as if that could somehow undo the damage he had already caused. "Sorry! I told your secret!"

A few of the parents chuckled softly, the warm sound rippling through the room like gentle waves. Alpha Ryker’s lips twitched upward despite himself, and even Lady Isadora’s eyes held a glimmer of amusement.

Pyrra leaned forward warmly, her expression shifting from playful to sincere in an instant. "Congratulations, Vlad Jr. You did very well."

Vlad Jr. turned toward her politely and inclined his head in that small, practiced bow that somehow still looked natural on him despite his young age. It was the kind of gesture that spoke of centuries of tradition distilled into a single motion. "Thank you," he replied calmly, though the faint color rising on his ears betrayed his true feelings.

Alina stepped closer, holding the final gift box in her hands. It was slightly larger than the others, wrapped neatly with a darker ribbon that matched the subtle elegance of the moment. The paper caught the soft light as she walked, and she could feel several pairs of eyes following her progress across the room.

She stopped in front of him.

"Congratulations, Vlad Jr.," she said warmly, her voice carrying none of the formal distance of a teacher and all of the genuine affection she felt for this tiny, serious boy who tried so hard to be proper all the time.

"Thank you, Teacher," he said, his voice respectful but carrying genuine happiness beneath it, like sunlight trying to peek through carefully drawn curtains.

She handed him the box carefully, and when he accepted it with both small hands, she reached up and gently rubbed his head. Her fingers tousled his perfectly styled hair just slightly, messing up the elegant part he had clearly worked hard on. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

It was a small gesture. Simple and unremarkable.

But it broke through the last layer of his formal composure completely.

His eyes lit up instantly, a brightness he could not hide no matter how hard he tried. His carefully constructed mask of noble elegance cracked wide open, and for just a moment he looked like what he really was, a little boy who had done something good and been recognized for it. He lowered his gaze quickly, looking down at the gift in his hands as if trying to steady himself against the flood of happiness threatening to overwhelm him.

The faint pink on his ears deepened into a warm rose that spread to his cheeks.

He held the box carefully, almost protectively, like it was the most precious thing he had ever received.

He did not speak again. He did not need to. The way his fingers tightened slightly around the ribbon, the way his lips curved into the smallest and most satisfied smile, the way he held the box against his small chest like a treasure, it said everything that words could never capture.

He felt very happy.

And Alina, standing there watching him try so hard to stay elegant while clearly melting inside from joy, felt her own heart swelling with pride.

Alina slowly walked back to the front of the room. For a moment she just stood there, looking at them, All of them and then she grinned lightly, unable to help herself.

"All students worked very hard," she began, her voice warm and full of genuine emotion that she did not bother to hide. "This was their first exam of their whole lives."

The babies shifted proudly in their chairs, small chests puffing out, little faces bright with anticipation.

"I am feeling so proud of them," she continued, her eyes moving slowly across each small face, making sure every single one of them felt seen and appreciated. "Each one did what they could do. At this age, children are supposed to be playful. They are not supposed to remember everything perfectly. They are supposed to make mistakes. They are supposed to laugh and get distracted and ask silly questions about why the sky is blue or whether clouds taste like cotton."

Drake sat straighter in his chair, his tail giving an enthusiastic wag.

Boo nodded solemnly like she was describing him specifically, his little ghost hands folded in front of him in an approximation of good behavior.

"But even with all of that," she said softly, her voice dropping to something more intimate and sincere, "they are super smart. They tried their best. They improved every single day. They listened when I explained things. They helped each other when someone was struggling. And they are well behaved, most of the time anyway."

The parents’ expressions softened collectively.

Lady Isadora smiled gently, her beautiful eyes holding a new softness as she looked at her little son.

Queen Serafina placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder and squeezed gently, her elegant face carrying an expression of quiet satisfaction.

Aine looked like she was about to cry from happiness for absolutely no reason at all, her eyes glistening as she clutched her cub’s hand.

Dante watched Alina silently from the back, but his dark eyes carried that same quiet approval he had shown before with some another complex emotions.

Before the moment could settle too long and become something peaceful and calm, the peace was inevitably shattered.

"Teacher, what is our rank?" Drake asked curiously, leaning forward so much his chair nearly tipped over completely. His tail wagged furiously behind him, thumping against the chair leg.

"Yes yes! Tell me my rank too, Teacher!" Boo said happily, already floating slightly above his seat in anticipation, his sparkly shirt catching the light and throwing tiny rainbows across the ceiling.

Felix closed his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. "Chaos incoming," he muttered to no one in particular.

Alina chuckled softly, the sound warm and genuine. "Sure," she said, lifting the list again and letting her eyes scan down the carefully written names.

She glanced down, then looked up with a small smile.

"So, fourth place is...."