Chapter 250: Chapter 250 Crown (2)
"Don’t worry, sweetheart, no one’s stealing your crown," Alina reassured Sable, then leaned down to Luna with a smile. "And you, little wolf, don’t have to sulk. How about we make something for you too?"
The moment Luna heard that, her ears perked, her tail wagging even harder. She lifted her head proudly and gave a short, satisfied bark as if she had just won the battle.
Sable sighed and muttered shyly, "Teacher... she’s bossy."
Alina laughed, stroking Luna’s soft head. "She’s not bossy, she’s just... spirited. But both of you are special to me."
That made Sable’s cheeks pink again, while Luna leaned her entire wolf body against Alina’s lap with a smug look, as if to say, See? I win too.
Alina tilted her head and smiled softly. "Sable, can you help me pick some flowers and grass for Luna’s crown too?" she asked gently, already imagining how the little wolf would look with blossoms nestled between her ears.
But before Sable could even answer, Luna leapt off Alina’s lap in a blur of gray fur, her tail flicking like a banner of determination. She ran straight toward the bushes, her small paws scattering leaves as she sniffed and pawed through the greenery. Alina and Sable exchanged a puzzled look. "What is she doing?" Alina whispered with a chuckle, while Sable only shrugged.
Moments later, Luna came trotting back proudly, her mouth full of bright yellow flowers. She dropped them right into Alina’s lap with a huff, as if to say, See? I don’t need anyone’s help. Her golden brown eyes sparkled with satisfaction, her ears standing tall as though she had brought back the rarest treasure.
Sable blinked in surprise, then quickly bent down and started pulling up strong, thick blades of grass to weave with the flowers. He carefully handed them to Alina, his shadows curling faintly around his fingers as if even they wanted to help.
Together, teacher and student began weaving. Alina hummed softly as her fingers worked, and Sable leaned close, watching with wide, curious eyes, occasionally passing her another stem or petal. Luna sat proudly before them, her fluffy tail sweeping the ground in excitement, her wolf form unusually still as she waited for her crown.
At last, Alina placed the finished crown of yellow flowers and green grass gently between Luna’s pointed ears. The little wolf froze, then lifted her chin high, parading in a circle as if she were royalty. Her braid had undone when she shifted, but with the flower crown resting on her head, she looked like a wild princess of the forest.
"Beautiful," Alina whispered with a smile.
Luna puffed her chest with pride, but when she glanced at Sable, who was still holding his own crown carefully in his small hands, something softened in her golden eyes. She padded closer and bumped her shoulder gently against him, a silent gesture of approval.
Sable’s cheeks flushed pink, his little mouth parting in surprise. He gave a small nod, clutching his crown tighter as though it had suddenly become even more precious.
Alina watched the two of them with warmth filling her chest.
She was admiring how pretty Luna looked when a small voice piped up behind her.
"Teacher... crown for Boo too?" Boo floated closer, his little ghost hands clasped dramatically. "If Luna has crown and Sable has crown, Boo also must be royal, otherwise how will Boo get respect??" He twirled in mid-air, puffing out his tiny chest as though already wearing one.
Alina chuckled. "Oh, Boo. You really want one too?"
"Yes!" Boo declared proudly. "But Boo’s crown must be shinier, so ghosts in ghost world cannot laugh at Boo!"
Before she could answer, Drake immediately jumped towards them, shouting. "Teacher! Teacher! No fair! If Boo gets a crown, I want one too! Mine should be the dragon king crown, with big flames and maybe gold sparkles!" He stomped his foot and pouted, looking like he might breathe fire if denied.
Vlad Jr. rolled his eyes dramatically. "Honestly. What is this obsession with crowns? Still..." he raised a single finger, looking quite princely. "If you are making crowns, Teacher, I expect mine to be elegant and worthy of nobility. Red roses only. And perhaps silk ribbons if you can manage."
"Ribbons??" Alina laughed, shaking her head. "This is a garden, Vlad Jr., not a craft shop!"
"Unacceptable," Vlad Jr. sighed, as though suffering greatly.
And then chaos broke loose.
"I want one too!" Rocky blurted out suddenly, raising his hand. His cheeks flushed pink. "B-but make it strong, Teacher. If it breaks... I’ll turn into a rock out of shame."
"Me too!!" Kelpie shouted, water droplets flying everywhere as his excitement spilled over. "Make mine with water lilies! Yes, yes, a water crown for water boy!"
Soon every baby was shouting at once:
"Crown me!"
"Teacher, don’t forget mine!"
"Add two flowers to mine, Teacher!"
"NO, three for me!"
Alina stared at them, wide-eyed, as the children suddenly began rushing about the garden like tiny wild animals. Some grabbed handfuls of flowers, others yanked long blades of grass, and within minutes there was a pile of plants heaped in front of her lap.
The grass was taller than Boo.
The flowers nearly buried Rocky when he tried to climb on top of the pile.
Alina sat cross-legged on the grass, absolutely surrounded, her lap overflowing with greenery. She pressed a hand to her forehead, laughing helplessly. "Oh dear... what have I started?"
The babies stood around her in a half-circle, bouncing on their toes or fluttering in the air, their eager little faces shining with expectation.
"Teacher, faster!" Drake demanded, his tail flicking impatiently.
"Don’t rush her!" Vlad Jr. snapped. "Royal crowns require craftsmanship!"
"Craftsmanship??" Boo gasped dramatically. "Teacher, just throw flowers on my head—I’ll accept anything!"
Even Luna, now proudly wearing her yellow crown, gave an approving nod and padded closer as if to supervise the proceedings.
So Alina sighed, tucked her hair behind her ear, and got to work. One by one, she wove crowns for each of them.