I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

They would call it weakness. A contamination.

They would say she didn't belong here—that her softness was dangerous, that her warmth threatened everything the demon legacy stood for. They'd demand her removal from the kindergarten without a second thought.

Maybe even ask him to apologize… for allowing it. For not stepping in. For standing silently in the shadows while a human taught demon-borns how to feel.

But Dante…

He didn't feel like stopping it.

In fact, he liked what she was teaching.

And maybe that's what unsettled him the most.

Because once upon a time, not so long ago, he had agreed with every word the elders would now speak.

He had been cruel.

Ruthless. Sharp as a blade and just as cold.

To him, kindness was always a flaw. Emotions were liabilities.

And mercy? A soft illusion that only fools entertained.

He had lived by those rules. Breathed them. Ruled by them.

Until Lucien came into his life.

And without even knowing it, that small boy with his stubborn eyes and silent grief had started to chip away at the armor he'd worn for years.

Now… because of Lucien…

He was beginning to understand.

That kindness wasn't weakness. That morality wasn't a fantasy. And that patience—true, steady patience wasn't a waste.

Because there's a truth the demon courts had long forgotten:

You only begin to understand the value of gentleness…

when you finally have someone in your life you'd rather protect with it than rule without it.

***

After the kindergarten classes finally ended, Alina let out a long breath of relief as the last student disappeared through the gates. The day had been exhausting.

She made her way to the staffroom, her steps slower than usual, and pushed open the door to find Gabriel already inside, leaning casually near the window with a warm cup of coffee in hand.

"I heard what happened," he said gently, looking up as she entered.

Alina gave him a tired smile, setting her bag on the table with a soft thud. "Yeah… it was a bit of a mess."

Gabriel walked over and pulled out a chair for her. "So what exactly happened?"

She sat down and quietly explained—about Boo disappearing, Lucien's reaction, and the way everything had unfolded afterward. Gabriel listened without interrupting, nodding slowly as she spoke.

"They're still so young," he said after a moment, his voice calm. "They all need more care than they let on."

Alina nodded in agreement, though her thoughts were elsewhere. A quiet worry lingered in the back of her mind.

She had raised her voice at Lucien today. Not harshly but enough that it had surprised even her. And now, as everything settled, a single uneasy thought remained.

If Dante finds out… will he be angry?

After her long day at the kindergarten, Alina finally returned to her small house.

She placed her bag down, changed into her soft pyjamas, and walked slowly to her bed.

The moment her head touched the pillow, a soft sigh escaped her lips.

But sleep didn't come.

She turned.

And turned again.

Her eyes kept drifting toward the cabinet in the corner of her room. The way the shadows stretched across the floor made it look like something was moving—even though she knew it wasn't. Her heartbeat picked up for no reason. She tucked the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

She felt silly.

She was a teacher at a magical academy. She handled tantrums from dragon baby, lectures from demon lords, and helped ghost baby drink water.

And yet—

She was a little scared.

A little too aware of the dark tonight.

Her eyes lingered on the corner again, then she pulled the blanket higher.

"…You shouldn't be scared, Alina," she muttered to herself, her voice small in the quiet room. "You know how cute ghosts are…"

She hugged her pillow tighter.

"Boo is the cutest ghost … He drinks water and hugs me and calls me teacher…"

Her lips twitched into a sleepy smile.

"So… you really shouldn't be scared of any other ghost…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes finally closed, her body relaxing, her thoughts softening.

And somewhere between whispering to herself and the rustle of the wind outside, she drifted off—quietly, gently…

Into a dreamless night.

****

The next morning...

Alina woke up early, the sky still a pale shade of blue outside her window. She stretched, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and got right to work. Her little house was quiet, still tucked in the hush of dawn. She gathered the clothes she'd worn the past few days and began washing them by hand in a plastic tub near the sink.

After rinsing and wringing them out, she carried the bundle through the small wooden door that opened from her living room straight into the backyard. The grass was cool under her bare feet, and the soft morning breeze brushed against her skin as she stepped toward the old clothesline already strung up between two wooden poles.

One by one, she hung the damp clothes—pinning them carefully so they wouldn't fall. Her eyes lingered on the yellow dress for a moment—the one that wasn't hers. She needed to return it as soon as possible.

She got ready quickly after that, tying her hair back into a loose braid. A simple outfit, her usual bag, and one last check of her schedule.

She made a quick stop at the staffroom, where Gabriel was already sipping his tea. They exchanged a few words—mostly about the weather, the children, and a strange dream he'd had but something else tugged at Alina's attention.

Across the room, Professor Hobb was staring at her.

Not kindly.

She caught the look and raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion. But instead of saying anything, he turned away, his jaw stiff.

What's his problem now? she thought, blinking once.

Just then, she also noticed Miss Kelly seated nearby, flipping through her thick pile of lesson books. Her face was tight, lips pursed in quiet irritation as if something in the pages wasn't going the way she wanted.