I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 527 Guardian

After the classroom tour slowly wound down, parents began leaving one by one. The powerful rulers who had once filled the room with quiet intensity now stood at the doorway exchanging polite farewells. Children hugged each other goodbye, promising to meet tomorrow with the kind of genuine excitement that only children could feel about school.

The energy in the room had shifted from formal to warm, and Alina stood near the entrance, seeing each family off with the same gentle smile she had worn all morning. It felt natural now, this role of hers. Welcoming. Familiar. Right.

"Thank you for coming," she repeated sincerely to each parent who passed.

Queen Serafina gave her a graceful nod, her elegant fingers resting lightly on Luna’s shoulder. "Thank you for taking such care with our daughter."

Alpha Ryker offered a short but respectful acknowledgment, his wolf eyes holding genuine appreciation. "You run a good classroom."

Lady Maris smiled warmly as she guided Kelpie toward the door, her aquatic eyes gentle. "We will see you tomorrow, little tide."

Aine waved dramatically with all nine of her golden tails swaying behind her, and whispered loudly, "We will discuss cub’s greatness at home extensively," which made Felix immediately hide behind his father’s sleeve in embarrassment.

Count Vladimir inclined his head with dignified approval while Lady Isadora gave Alina another soft, elegant smile that somehow conveyed centuries of appreciation in a single glance.

Drake nearly tripped while saying goodbye because he was still talking excitedly about "top from bottom mathematics" and waving his arms around, and Boo floated backward out the door while waving both hands, calling out, "Sir Santo wait for meeeee! I am coming! Do not leave without your ghost!"

Sir Santo had left calmly several minutes earlier, serene as ever, his golden eyes unreadable as he had glanced back once toward the classroom before disappearing down the hallway.

Gabriel had appeared near the end of the meeting, standing by the hallway with mild curiosity, but the moment he saw Sir Santo beside Boo, his expression had changed completely. Alina had noticed it briefly but had been too occupied with farewells to ask.

Now, with the hallway finally quiet and the last footsteps fading away, Alina returned to the staffroom. The cheerful voices and laughter still echoed faintly in her memory, but the physical space was empty and still.

The moment she stepped inside, the tiredness hit her properly. It washed over her like a wave she had been holding back all day. She sank into the chair near her desk, letting out a long breath she had not realized she had been holding for hours. Her shoulders dropped heavily, and for a second she simply stared at nothing, letting her mind go blank.

"Lina?"

She looked up.

Gabriel was standing near the doorway, his usual easy expression completely gone. His face was serious in a way that made her straighten instinctively in her chair. This was not casual Gabriel. This was something else.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

She blinked, slightly startled by his tone, then nodded slowly. "Yeah... what is wrong? You look so serious. Did something happen?"

He stepped further inside and closed the door gently behind him, the soft click of the latch feeling somehow significant.

"I just want to ask... what was Sir Santo doing here with Boo?"

His voice was not accusing. It was genuinely confused. Shocked, even. As if he had witnessed something impossible.

Alina tilted her head, confused by his confusion. "Boo said Sir Santo is his tower sponsor. He brought him to the parents meeting." She smiled faintly as she remembered Boo proudly presenting him like a game show prize. "He was actually very patient with him. Listened to all his nonsense about ghost politics and banana plushies."

Gabriel stared at her.

"How is that possible?" he asked slowly, each word carefully measured. "He is a royal priest. An angel. How can he associate with ghosts? Ghost towers and temples are... they do not mix."

Alina’s brows shot up toward her hairline.

"What? He is an angel?" she repeated, sitting straighter in her chair. "I thought he was a ghost too. Or something ghost adjacent. He seemed so calm with Boo."

"No," Gabriel shook his head immediately, firmly. "Not even close. He is not just an angel. He is one of the high-ranking temple priests. One of the most powerful holy figures in the supernatural world. He rarely leaves the sanctuary unless it is for major rituals or important political matters."

She blinked rapidly, processing this information.

"Then why would he..." she trailed off, genuinely confused now.

"That is exactly my question," Gabriel muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Sir Santo was never interested in social affairs. He does not sponsor anything. He does not mentor anyone outside temple circles. And definitely not ghost tower projects. Ghosts are literally the opposite of everything he represents."

Alina replayed the meeting in her mind. Sir Santo’s calm smile. The way he answered Boo seriously. The way the other adults had looked shocked when he entered. The way Dante had stood up slowly, watching him.

"He did not seem uncomfortable," she said slowly, thinking back. "He actually looked... fond. Like he genuinely enjoyed Boo’s company."

Gabriel frowned deeper, his brow furrowing. "Fond?"

"Yes," she insisted gently. "He listened to Boo’s childish nonsense like it was the most important political speech of the century. He nodded along. He smiled. He even called Boo curious instead of annoying."

Gabriel let out a quiet breath, staring at the floor for a second as if trying to piece together a puzzle that refused to make sense.

"That makes no sense," he murmured. "He does not even attend royal gatherings unless he is specifically summoned. Why would he voluntarily sponsor a ghost tower child?"

Alina crossed her arms loosely, leaning back in her chair and considering the question.

"Maybe he just likes Boo," she suggested lightly. "Boo is very likeable. In an exhausting way."

Gabriel gave her a look.

"Sir Santo does not ’just like’ things," he said flatly. "He does not do anything without purpose. Every action has meaning. Every association has weight."

She laughed softly, the sound strange in the suddenly serious room. "Well... Boo has that effect on people. Maybe Sir Santo is not immune."

Gabriel did not laugh.

Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful now instead of shocked. He was turning something over in his mind.

"Did he say anything strange?" he asked. "Anything that stood out?"

Alina thought for a moment, replaying the conversations. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"No," she answered honestly. "He just said not to treat him like a priest here. That he came as Boo’s guardian. Nothing else really."

Gabriel’s expression shifted again.

"Guardian," he repeated quietly, the word hanging in the air between them.

She suddenly felt a small chill creep up her spine despite the warm room.