After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back-Chapter 100: Fishing

Odian picked up a piece of meat and placed it gently into Nina’s bowl. "Alright. Tomorrow we’ll go catch fish."

"Mm." Nina nodded, thoroughly satisfied as she finished the meat in her bowl.

That evening, Nina bathed the cubs.

Each of the three little ones had their own small basin, while the egg babies shared a large one.

Odian was carefully washing one of the eggs, while the others bobbed up and down in the warm water, floating and sinking as they played happily.

Kith was bathing Yinny, who obediently cooperated.

Finch stood nearby, holding a bottle of body wash, watching Nina. "Nina... may I bathe Didi?"

He felt rather dejected. Didi still wasn’t very close to him. At most, he would allow Finch to feed him—but Finch hadn’t even been allowed to hold him yet.

He deeply regretted being harsh the first time they met.

Nina gently stroked Didi’s head. "Didi, are you willing to let him bathe you?"

Didi glanced up at Finch, tilting his small head thoughtfully.

This stinky fox has been behaving pretty well lately... Perhaps I’ll generously allow him the honor of bathing this noble little fox.

Didi looked at Nina and gave a slight nod.

Finch’s eyes lit up instantly. He hurried over and crouched beside Didi. "Don’t worry, Father has been watching carefully and learned how to do it properly. I’ll wash you nice and clean."

Didi turned his little face away. Hurry up. Less talking.

Finch held Didi’s soft body in his hands, his heart melting completely.

He washed him with utmost care.

Nina smiled faintly and picked up a soft little brush to clean Linny’s scales.

Linny pointed at a bottle of milk-scented body wash. "Mother, Linny wants the milky one!"

"Oh? So Linny likes milk scent?" Nina laughed and squeezed some into her palm before gently lathering him.

Linny sprawled comfortably in the basin. He loved when Mother washed him.

Outside the cave, Aviel watched the scene with yearning in his eyes.

He wanted so badly to go inside and bathe Linny alongside Nina.

And that little brush looked wonderfully comfortable. If only she would brush him like that too...

Watching Linny, he suddenly felt a twinge of envy.

He wanted to try it as well.

***

Once all the cubs were clean, Nina and the others dried them with soft beast hides. Kith used his ability to help dry them faster.

Freshly bathed, the cubs smelled sweet and felt impossibly soft. Nina couldn’t resist hugging them again and again.

Finch crouched beside Didi, who had just been dried. "Didi... may Father hold you for a moment?"

Didi looked at him, then took a small, proud step forward.

Fine. Since you bathed this noble little fox, I’ll allow you to hold me—for a moment.

Finch’s face bloomed with joy. He carefully picked Didi up, his heart swelling with emotion.

After all this effort... he could finally hold his own cub.

He nearly shed tears of fatherly hardship.

Being a father was not easy.

***

After playing a while longer before bed, Nina cuddled her fragrant, soft cubs and drifted happily to sleep.

Kith waited until she was asleep before quietly sitting up.

The moment he moved, Finch also rose. They exchanged looks in the darkness.

Kith: Why are you up?

Finch: Whatever you’re doing, I’m doing too.

Kith sighed and slipped quietly out of the cave.

Finch followed.

"Separate directions," Finch whispered.

"Mm."

One tiger, one fox—each ran off into the night in opposite directions.

***

After they left, Odian opened his eyes as well. His brows furrowed slightly.

Damn it. Those two rivals had found another chance to impress her.

He looked at Nina.

But he couldn’t leave. He had to stay and protect her. Her safety mattered most.

Outside, Aviel saw Kith and Finch leave. He turned to the dragon warriors.

"You stay here and protect the little female and the cubs. I’ll step away for a while."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty," Pado added quietly, "catch plenty. Don’t lose to the others."

Aviel shot him a glance.

How did he know?

"...Mm."

He gave the cave one last look before flying off into the night.

***

Dawn soon tinged the sky with pale light.

Kith glanced at the brightening horizon and quickened his pace.

He returned to the cave entrance just as the phoenix warriors were waking and beginning to prepare breakfast.

Relieved, he gently set down the stone vat he had been carrying on his back.

Ridan approached curiously. "Kith, why are you carrying a vat so early?"

He peered inside. The vat was filled with water—and fish swimming vigorously within it.

"You went fishing last night?"

"Mm. She said she wanted fish. I thought she might eat sooner this way. We might not encounter a river on the road today," Kith explained.

Ridan was impressed. Kith truly cared about Nina.

Their priest hadn’t even formally paired with her yet—things were looking dangerous.

No sooner had Kith returned than Finch appeared, also carrying a large vat of fish.

Ridan clicked his tongue. "Finch, you too?"

"Mm."

Ridan stared at the two vats of lively fish.

Their priest had many rivals indeed.

Before he could finish processing that, Aviel descended from the sky and produced a large beast-skin sack from his storage space.

He emptied it into a stone vat.

Unlike the others, his fish were all dead.

Kith cast a casual glance and said coolly, "Fish begin losing freshness soon after death. They won’t taste as good. It’s better not to give them to Nina."

Aviel frowned slightly.

He had traveled far, and the fish had indeed been dead for some time. The taste would not compare to live fish.

If he was giving something to her, it should be the best.

He hadn’t considered that detail.

The dragon warriors silently sighed.

This round... their king had lost.

Aviel was just about to remove the fish when Nina stepped out of the cave.

She looked at the several vats in surprise. "When did you all go fishing?"

"Last night," Kith replied. "You said you wanted fish, so I hoped you could eat some sooner."

"These are all from you?" she asked.

"This vat is mine," Kith said, pointing. "That one is Finch’s."

He glanced toward Aviel’s. "Those dead ones were caught by that dragon male."

Nina looked at them, her heart complicated.

Just because of a casual remark from her, they had gone fishing in the middle of the night?

They looked travel-worn, as if they hadn’t slept at all.

She glanced at the vats.

There were so many fish—it could last several days.

Though with so many mouths to feed, they might finish them.

Still, transporting live fish would be troublesome.

"Then we’ll cook fish this morning," she decided. Looking at Aviel’s vat, she added, "Let’s cook these dead ones first."

"Little female, they’re not fresh anymore. You shouldn’t eat them," Aviel said quickly.

"It’s fine," Nina replied calmly. "You stored them in your space, didn’t you? They haven’t spoiled. They’re still edible."

Aviel felt a quiet warmth rise in his chest.

In the end, they cooked that entire vat of fish for breakfast.

This time, Nina invited Aviel and the dragons to eat with them—after all, he had caught the fish.

She also learned his name: Aviel.

The dragon warriors were overjoyed.

They had finally earned a place at the table.

After breakfast, they set off once more.

They had not gone far when, from somewhere ahead, the frightened cries of a female rang out through the air.