After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back

Chapter 170: Choosing a destination

"Help me, and I won’t say a word," Lex whispered.

Dian shot her an annoyed glare, his cheeks puffed with frustration. "Fine. I’ll think of something."

Ugh. Stupid brother. The worst.

A long while passed.

"Well? Did you come up with anything yet?" Lex urged, unable to hide her impatience.

"How could it be that fast?" Dian replied, exasperated. "You need to figure out why Nina is angry first. Otherwise, how are you supposed to apologize if you don’t even understand what you did wrong?"

"I don’t know!" Lex groaned, her mood sinking. "If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you for help."

If he had any clue, he would’ve already gone to apologize himself.

"There wasn’t anything unusual in what you said yesterday," Dian said, frowning as he thought it through. "If Nina’s upset, it’s probably related to that female you broke off your engagement with."

"I thought so too," Lex admitted. "But I didn’t even say anything! Could it be that Nina looks down on me because I was previously engaged? Or... does she think I’m irresponsible? That I’m just... a terrible male?"

The question had been gnawing at him the whole time. He’d never made a good impression on Nina to begin with—now it must be even worse.

"Nina doesn’t even like you, so why would she bother looking down on you?" Dian said bluntly. "But thinking you’re terrible? Yeah, that’s definitely possible."

The words struck like a knife.

"Alright, I get it," Lex muttered, wincing. "You don’t have to rub it in. Just help me figure something out."

"Hmph. I am thinking," Dian huffed. "First the cause, then the solution."

And so the two of them sat together, picking apart every possibility, searching for an answer in the quiet of the night.

By midnight, the world around the stone house had fallen into deep silence. Only the distant, occasional roar of wild beasts broke through the stillness, echoing faintly across the darkness.

That night, Nina was once again dragged into a nightmare.

It was the same dim, suffocating little room.

But this time, there was someone else.

A figure cloaked in black stood in the shadows, their face completely hidden beneath the hood.

"Go and take more of the young female’s heart-blood. This isn’t enough."

The voice was hoarse and chilling, laced with a sinister darkness that seemed to seep into the air itself.

"We’ve taken so much already. It’s still not enough?" Leah replied. "What if she dies from it?"

"You brought her here yourself, and now you’re worried about whether she lives or dies?" the cloaked figure sneered.

"I just don’t want trouble when I go back," Leah said coldly.

"Don’t worry. She won’t die. Take a little more. It will be finished soon."

"...Fine."

Leah stepped forward again, bone needle in hand—

The scene shifted.

Leah disappeared, and the black-cloaked figure approached Nina instead.

"Young one... you are the purest-blooded Divine Deer beastkin I’ve found in all these years."

He lifted a piece of black stone, his voice trembling with eerie excitement.

"What I’ve created with your blood... is nothing short of perfection."

Nina stared at the pitch-black face beneath the hood—featureless, unfathomable—and shrank back into the corner, trembling with fear.

The cloaked figure stepped closer to Nina, the darkness around him seeming to thicken with every movement.

"Don’t be afraid," he said, his voice low and rasping. "I’m not like your foolish parents. I know how to cherish a treasure like you."

He placed the black stone in front of her.

From within it, thin strands of shadow began to drift outward—wisps of black mist curling and twisting in the air.

A bone-deep chill surged toward Nina.

Then, within that suffocating darkness—

A pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened.

***

Nina jolted awake.

Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs, each beat sharp and frantic. She gasped for breath, dragging in air as she fought to steady the terror clawing up her chest.

"Nina, what’s wrong?" Odian’s voice was close, laced with concern as he took in her pale face. "Another nightmare?"

He reached for her hand, his grip warm and grounding. "Don’t be afraid. It was just a dream."

"Odian..." Nina’s voice was still unsteady. "That black stone Yanai gave you before—can you show it to me?"

Odian paused, then took out the stone. He kept a careful distance between it and her. "It’s infused with dark witchcraft. Don’t touch it."

Nina stared at it.

It looked so similar.

And yet... not the same.

"The one in my dream looked like this," she murmured. "But darker. Somehow... deeper. Colder."

It was strange—both were black, and by all logic, there should’ve been no visible difference. But she felt it. The one in her dream had been darker in a way she couldn’t explain.

"This is a medium often used by dark witches when casting spells," Odian explained. "The stronger the magic, the more refined the medium. Higher-grade materials have greater purity."

He studied her expression. "Maybe you saw it before, and your mind just carried it into your dream?"

Nina shook her head slowly. "No... it didn’t feel like that."

Her fingers tightened slightly against his sleeve.

"That dream felt real. Like something I actually lived through."

She leaned into his arms, seeking the comfort of his warmth.

"Odian... let’s leave this place."

A quiet unease had settled deep in her chest, refusing to fade. Every instinct told her to get away—far away.

Odian’s arms tightened around her without hesitation. "Alright. I’ll have everything prepared tomorrow."

He gently smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, his touch soft and careful. "Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"I’m not sure yet," Nina said, her voice softer now. "Let’s discuss it with Sal and the others tomorrow."

"Okay." Odian glanced at the dim light outside. "It’s still early. Try to get some more rest."

"Mhm."

Nina buried her face against his chest and closed her eyes.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on her now, pulling her back under.

Odian stroked her back in slow, steady motions, and gradually, the tension left her body. Her breathing evened out, and the lingering fear quietly dissolved into the night.

***

The next morning, Nina shared the decision at the breakfast table.

"Nina, you’re leaving the tribe?" Rosen asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes," Nina replied with a small nod. "I want to go. Rosen—why don’t you all return to Sea-Blue City?"

Rosen looked young enough that calling her "aunt" felt strange, so Nina had settled on something gentler—more familiar.

"Then... where will you go?" Rosen asked.

She hesitated.

She didn’t want to return to Sea-Blue City.

And she didn’t want to be separated from Nina, either.

She liked Nina—liked the little ones, too—and she was especially fond of the food their family made.

"I haven’t decided yet," Nina said. "I want to discuss it with my mates first before choosing."

Rosen’s eyes lit up instantly. "Nina, why not come to Sea-Blue City with us? I’ll give you the best palace along the shore."

Their Sea-Blue City wasn’t just beneath the waves—there were grand residences on land as well.

"Yeah, Nina!" Dian chimed in eagerly. "Come to Sea-Blue City! It’s beautiful, it’s safe, and there’s so much delicious seafood."

There was no way he could bear to part with her. If she refused to go, then he’d simply follow her wherever she went.

He had already made up his mind—he was sticking with Nina.

"Yes, Nina, come with us!" Jiro added.

Nina hesitated.

Seeing that, Rosen quickly pressed on, her tone persuasive but warm. "Nina, Mimi is still so young. Being near the sea would be much better for her. The ocean is rich in marine energy—it will help her grow stronger. And as a member of the sea clan, she should become familiar with the ocean anyway."

Nina turned her gaze toward the little one in her arms, her thoughts lingering on Rosen’s words.

Then she looked up at Odian and the others. "What do you think?"

"What Rosen said makes sense," Odian replied. "The seaside would indeed benefit Mimi’s growth."

He paused, then added gently, "But you don’t need to overthink it. Go wherever you want."

Nina shifted her gaze to Sal.

"I’m fine with anything," Sal said simply. "Wherever you go, I’ll go."

Where Nina was—that was home.

"And you, Kith?"

"I’ll follow your decision," Kith said without hesitation.

Nina fell silent for a moment, weighing everything carefully.

Then, at last, she made her choice.

"Alright. Let’s go to Sea-Blue City."

They had no fixed destination anyway—so they might as well choose what was best for Mimi.

"That’s wonderful!"

Rosen threw her arms around Nina in delight. "When you arrive, I’ll make sure you’re treated like royalty. As long as I’m there, you’ll be able to walk through Sea-Blue City without a single worry."

Dian and the others were just as thrilled.

With their destination decided, Odian and the rest immediately went to pack.

Meanwhile, Nina took the little ones and Sal to bid farewell to Aina and Chief Karo.

—

On the other side of the tribe, Lina found herself unbearably bored.

With nothing better to do, she wandered aimlessly through the residential area, passing time as she went.