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

Chapter 191: Failure after failure

Early the next morning, Ilan began to make his move.

Bare-chested, he wore a flamboyant, high-slit animal-skin skirt studded with gemstones. With every step, the slit shifted enough to expose half his backside—an ostentatious display he clearly believed to be charming.

Just as Nina stepped out of the cave, he approached her, holding a small white wildflower. His expression was thick with affected charm.

"Little female," he said, voice syrupy, "I went into the mountains at dawn to find this flower for you. Other males only give those gaudy, vulgar blooms—but I believe this pure white suits your elegance and purity."

In truth, he had plucked it casually on his way over.

But to him, females were simple—say a few sweet words, and they’d lose their bearings. Who would care where the flower came from?

As he spoke, he subtly widened the slit of his skirt, deliberately showing off his long—if somewhat underwhelming—frame.

Ilan was tall and slender, his proportions slightly off with a longer torso and narrower shoulders. Though he had some lean muscle, it lacked presence. His fox-like eyes carried a hint of frivolity, far from the natural allure that Finch possessed.

Nina’s expression turned awkward.

"...Sorry. I don’t like white flowers."

Sal immediately saw through him and let out a cold laugh.

"A worthless wildflower growing all over the mountain—and you think it’s worthy of Nina?"

Even Yanai and the others, still kneeling, cast sharp, hostile glances.

The flowers they picked for Nina were always carefully chosen.

And this Ilan dared to bring something so common—just to deceive her?

At that moment, Dian arrived too, carrying a basket of freshly caught seafood.

He shoved past Ilan without hesitation.

"Exactly. That kind of trash isn’t even fit to be stepped on by Sister Nina."

He set the basket down eagerly, his face lighting up.

"Sister Nina, I caught a lot of seafood this morning—everything you like. What do you want to eat? I’ll cook it for you!"

He had already learned a few dishes and was eager to show off.

Nina glanced at him.

He wore a light, gauzy top that clung to his body, damp from water, outlining his smooth, well-defined form. The fabric was sheer enough to reveal pale skin beneath, with just enough coverage to make it subtly enticing.

Standing beside him, Ilan looked not only unimpressive but downright tacky.

Sal stepped forward, giving Ilan a once-over.

"Tch. With that scrawny, childlike frame, you’d better cover up properly. Don’t embarrass yourself."

Compared to Sal’s tall, powerful build, Ilan fell completely short.

"You—!" Ilan flushed with anger.

Still, he forced a pitiful look, holding the flower out toward Nina again, but she didn’t even glance at it.

Instead, she looked into the basket.

It was filled with shrimp, crabs, and other seafood—each one impressively large, even bigger than king crabs she remembered.

It looked... very appetizing.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Let’s make shrimp for breakfast. We’ll save the crabs for lunch."

"Alright!" Dian beamed. "I’ll cook it for you soon, Sister!"

He shot Ilan a disdainful glance, exposing him without mercy.

"That flower? There’s a whole patch of it right outside the cave. No effort—and still lying through your teeth."

Then he turned back to Nina instantly, his expression bright and warm.

"Sister Nina, don’t believe those scumbags’ sweet talk. They’re the fakest of all."

"Nina, that’s not what I meant—" Ilan tried to recover.

But at that moment, Mino returned, carrying a large bouquet of beautiful flowers.

"Nina," he said gently, "we’ve used up the phoenix bellflowers, so I picked these fragrant blossoms this morning. They smell strong, help with sleep, and repel insects. I’ll use them to scent the cave tonight."

He handed her two flowers.

"You can carry these for now—they’ll keep insects away."

Nina accepted them and took a light breath.

"They smell wonderful!"

"Fragrant blossoms usually grow on cliff faces," Odian added casually. "And they’re quite rare, aren’t they?"

His gaze flicked toward Ilan, full of unmistakable disdain.

"They’re not too hard to find," Mino said lightly. "Just takes a bit of searching."

Nina frowned slightly. "If they’re that rare, don’t go looking for them anymore."

"It’s nothing," Mino replied softly. "The cave can smell a bit. With these, you’ll rest better."

Anything that made Nina more comfortable was worth it.

"Still, just use ordinary fragrant flowers next time," Nina insisted. "No need to go to such trouble."

Mino shook his head. "If it’s for my mate, it should be the best. I’ll dry some later so they last longer."

"Exactly," Dian added with a smirk. "Sister Nina deserves the best. Not like certain males picking worthless weeds."

Ilan’s face burned with humiliation. He quickly tried to salvage his dignity.

"Nina, even if it’s not rare, I chose it carefully. It represents my sincere feelings."

Mino’s gaze sharpened as he looked at the flower in Ilan’s hand.

"This thing is ugly, smells bad, and attracts insects. Look—the petals have already been eaten through. And you dared bring it to Nina? What exactly were you thinking?"

Ilan lowered his head—and sure enough, there was a small hole chewed through one of the petals.

His face flushed red with shame.

"I... I didn’t mean... I’m sorry!"

He quickly hid the flower behind his back and left in embarrassment.

He had only picked it casually. Who would have thought... he’d make such a fool of himself?

Nina let out a soft laugh.

These males... when it came to this kind of "competition," they were surprisingly fierce.

At least it saved her the trouble of saying anything herself.

Still, her gaze flicked thoughtfully in the direction Ilan had left.

That one... definitely has ulterior motives.

***

On the third day, Ilan returned—this time carrying a piece of animal hide, clearly trying once again to win favor.

He held it out to Nina with a practiced smile. "Nina, this hide is of excellent quality. I’d like to give it to you."

This time, he thought, it should work.

This was the finest hide in his storage—parting with it had cost him dearly.

The hide Nina wore might look decent, but surely it couldn’t compare to his.

She had grown up neglected—there was no way she had ever seen something this good.

This time, she would definitely look at him differently.

...At least, that was what he believed.

What Ilan didn’t know was that everything Nina wore was dozens—if not hundreds—of times more valuable than what he held.

He simply lacked the knowledge to recognize it.

Just then, Kith approached with a new pair of shoes.

"Nina, it’s getting colder. Change into something warmer."

He gently guided her to sit, then knelt on one knee and carefully helped her change her shoes.

Ilan hurried forward again.

"Nina, this hide is really good. Why don’t you feel it?"

Kith glanced at it casually and scoffed.

"This rough thing? I wouldn’t even use it for Nina’s shoe soles—it’s too stiff. Take it away. How could something like this be worthy of her?"

Ilan’s expression stiffened.

Unwilling to accept defeat, he stepped forward and grabbed Nina’s shoulder, but the moment his fingers brushed her clothing, his eyes widened in shock.

This texture...

It was unbelievably fine.

Before he could react, Sal’s hand clamped down on his wrist. A sharp pain shot through him, forcing him to let go instantly.

Sal’s gaze was like a blade. "Touch her again—and I’ll break your hand."

Ilan clutched his wrist, not daring to argue.

This male... was stronger than him.

He couldn’t win.

At that moment, Taru arrived, carrying two cloud fox fur cloaks.

"Nina, Finch asked me to bring these to you. It’s getting cold—keep warm."

Ilan’s pupils shrank.

Cloud fox fur?

And Finch was giving something like that to her?

Compared to that, the hide in his hands looked even more worthless.

And now that he thought about it, Nina’s own clothing... was probably just as rare.

No wonder it felt so refined.

His grip tightened around the hide. Then, once again, he retreated in humiliation.

On the fourth day, Ilan returned yet again, this time with a collection of jewelry.

But before he could even present them, Aviel casually brought out far superior pieces.

Once more, Ilan was completely overshadowed.

Once more, he left in embarrassment.

Hilan pulled him aside. "Well?" he asked calmly. "Another failure?"