Chapter 241: Chapter 241 She is great
Rocky buried his face against his desk. "I can’t do it... my brain will explode."
Kelpie splashed water droplets on desk, pouting. "But if there’s no reward, why would anyone write answers for fun?"
Vlad Jr. leaned back with a sigh so heavy it sounded like heartbreak. "The cruelty... the sheer cruelty of asking a prince to lower himself to scribbling."
Luna groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You’re all acting like babies. It’s just writing words—we do that every day," she said, trying to sound like an adult.
"Writing every day is one thing," Drake argued, puffing his cheeks. "But when Teacher calls it a test, it suddenly feels ten times scarier!"
Alina bit her lip to stop from laughing, her eyes sparkling as she looked around at the chaos. "So... you all know what a test is after all. You were just pretending."
The babies froze, caught red-handed.
Boo raised his hand sheepishly. "Maybe... just a little pretending."
Drake quickly nodded. "I only pretended because Rocky told me to!"
Rocky gasped, horrified. "Nooo! Don’t drag me into this! I was only pretending because Vlad jr. said tests are a royal punishment!"
Vlad Jr. flipped his hair with fake dignity. "I never said that... I merely implied it."
The whole class burst into giggles, their act ruined, and Alina finally chuckled too. "Alright, little actors. No monster, no curse, no punishment. Just a small test to see how smart you’ve become. And I already know you’ll do well."
The babies exchanged glances, their cheeks flushing with embarrassed smiles.
Drake raised his hand again. "Teacher... can we at least get snacks after?"
Alina laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, Drake. There will be snacks after."
The classroom erupted with cheers, as though they had just won a great battle.
Once the giggles died down, Alina clapped her hands again. "Alright, before we even think about tests, let me tell you all a story. It’s about a very small ant. Smaller than even Boo’s finger."
Boo gasped loudly and wiggled his tiny finger. "Impossible! Nothing smaller than me exists!"
The class burst into laughter, and Alina smiled, continuing. "This little ant was small, but he was very brave. Every day he carried crumbs back to his home. The crumbs were bigger than him, heavier than him, but he never gave up. He kept walking, step by step, until he reached his home."
Drake’s eyes widened. "Teacher, did the crumb fall on his head?"
"Once, yes," Alina said with mock seriousness, "but he shook it off and tried again."
Luna crossed her arms, pretending to be tough. "Hmph. That’s easy. If I were an ant, I’d carry two crumbs at once."
Kelpie laughed so hard he nearly toppled out of his chair, sending water splashing everywhere. "No, no! You’d eat both crumbs before you even made it home."
Luna’s ears turned red as the class burst out laughing again.
Alina chuckled softly. "The ant didn’t complain, didn’t quit, and didn’t eat the crumbs before reaching home. And do you know why?"
"Why?" the babies chorused together, leaning closer.
"Because," Alina said warmly, her eyes sweeping over their little faces, "the ant wasn’t just carrying food for himself. He was carrying it for his whole family. Even though he was small, he thought of others first. And that is what made him brave."
For a moment, the room was quiet, the babies’ eyes wide and thoughtful.
Then Rocky raised his hand shyly. "Teacher... if we do tests, is it like... us carrying crumbs?"
Alina smiled proudly, her heart swelling at the innocent connection. "Exactly, Rocky. Tests are your crumbs. Small things that feel heavy sometimes, but when you finish, you’re not just helping yourself—you’re making your family proud too."
The babies all gasped as if she had just revealed the greatest secret in the world.
Drake flopped dramatically onto his desk. "Fine, fine... I’ll be the brave ant. But I’m telling you, if I faint, someone carry me home!"
Boo spun once more, arms out like a tiny hero. "I’ll carry Drake! With my disco spin power!"
The whole class dissolved into giggles again, their worries about the test already fading into excitement.
"She is great." That was Dante’s only thought as he looked into the magic mirror, its surface shimmering with the scene unfolding in the classroom. Alina stood there with her gentle smile, guiding the children with patience, her voice weaving warmth into every word.
Dante’s crimson gaze lingered longer than he intended. Normally, he preferred watching from the shadows, his presence hidden but always near. Yet today, work bound him to his office, and the mirror was his only window. Still, it was enough. Her laughter carried through the magic mirror as if reaching directly into him, unsettling the cold walls of his chest.
He leaned back in his chair, his tall frame draped in the weight of his cloak, but his eyes never wavered from her reflection. Every movement she made, every glance she gave the children, stirred something he couldn’t name.
Yes, she is great. Perhaps more than she even realizes.
***
The children were still giggling, Boo spinning in a half-dizzy circle while Drake pretended to faint across his desk. Alina clapped her hands, her smile warm. "Alright, little ants," she teased, "enough crumbs for today. Now, science class! Everyone, take out your notebooks!"
A loud chorus of groans filled the classroom.
"We don’t want to write!" Drake shouted angrily, raising his little fist like a protester leading a march.
"Yes, yes! We don’t like writing!" Boo agreed immediately, puffing his cheeks as he slammed both hands on his desk for emphasis.
Luna crossed her arms and nodded furiously, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Teacher, we don’t want to write!!" Felix added with great drama, his red eyes flashing faintly as if ready to summon some magical excuse to escape.
Alina tried to keep a straight face, but her lips twitched at the sight of so many exaggerated expressions. The whole room looked like a tiny rebellion had broken out, complete with pouty faces and stubborn glares.
She tilted her head, hands resting gently on her hips as she scanned their stubborn little faces.
Her teacher’s smile widened, soft but mischievous.
"Why are you all so stubborn when it comes to writing? Every single time I ask you, it’s the same chorus of groans and protests." She let her words linger a moment, her eyes twinkling as if she found their rebellion amusing rather than troublesome. "I don’t even give you homework every day... should I start giving you some, hmm?"