After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back-Chapter 141: Little princess

Nina turned her head and saw that one of the egg-cubs beside her had begun to crack.

A thin fracture had split the smooth shell.

She immediately crouched down beside it, her attention completely drawn away from Lex. The merman’s unfinished confession slipped entirely from her mind as she focused on the egg.

Seeing that Nina was watching the egg hatch, Lex swallowed the words that had almost left his lips.

I’ll tell her another time, he thought.

He, too, turned to watch the egg. After his previous misjudgment, he didn’t dare assume anything this time—but a quiet hope still stirred in his heart.

The other beastmen also noticed the cracking egg. One by one, they gathered around it, standing beside Nina as they waited for the new cub to emerge.

The crack slowly widened.

When Nina’s legs grew tired from crouching, she simply sat down on the soft floor. Odian had Phoenix Feather, and the others cleaned the place every day, so it was spotless.

Crack... crack... crack...

The shell continued to split.

Everyone’s nerves tightened.

Sal held his breath. Little leopard... let it be a little leopard...

The wolves whispered among themselves, too. Little wolf... little wolf...

Kith silently hoped. Little tiger... little tiger...

Finch stared without blinking. Little fox... little fox...

Aviel watched eagerly. Little dragon... little dragon...

The dragon clan males murmured excitedly. Little prince... little prince...

The mermen crowded together, practically vibrating with anticipation. Little princess... little princess!

Meanwhile, Ming, Mino, and the spirit-cat males sighed inwardly.

Ah... not ours.

Odian and the phoenix clan thought the same.

Also not ours.

At last, under everyone’s eager gaze, the eggshell split open completely.

Out crawled an unbelievably beautiful little creature.

She had long pink hair, soft and silky like petals. Her large, glassy eyes shimmered like starlight scattered across the deep sea. A tiny, delicate nose and rosy little lips completed her face.

Her whole face looked as if it had been carved from the finest pearl—soft, adorable, and perfect, like a living doll.

Behind her, a small blue tail gently swayed.

The gathered beastmen gasped in unison.

"So beautiful...!"

"So cute!"

The little mermaid cub spotted Nina immediately. Clinging to the broken eggshell, she stretched out her tiny arms toward her.

"Mommy... hug."

Her voice was soft and babyish, sweet enough to melt hearts.

For a moment, Nina was completely dazzled by the tiny mermaid’s beauty. Then she realized—with astonishment—that the little one could already speak the moment she hatched.

Finally recovering herself, she quickly gathered the tiny girl into her arms.

Holding the soft, warm bundle against her chest, Nina felt her heart melt.

Their family finally had a little princess.

The mermen erupted in joyous cheers.

"It’s a princess! Our mermaid princess!"

Although the other males felt a trace of disappointment, they were still delighted to welcome such an adorable little princess into the family.

Every face around them was lit with bright, joyful smiles.

Lex froze completely.

It really was his little mermaid—and a little princess at that.

Joy exploded inside him. Overcome with excitement, he rushed forward and swept both Nina and the tiny mermaid cub into his arms.

Nina blinked in surprise at the sudden embrace.

Lex lowered his gaze, looking tenderly at the mermaid cub nestled in Nina’s arms.

"Little one," he said softly, his voice warm with emotion, "I’m your father."

But the moment the little mermaid saw him, her tiny face immediately stiffened. She raised her chubby hand—

Smack!

With a loud slap, she landed a solid hit across Lex’s face.

"Bad."

Lex was stunned.

The slap left him completely bewildered.

Why... why was his cub hitting him?

The little mermaid pouted and turned to Nina, pointing accusingly at Lex as she complained.

"Mo... he... steal... egg."

Her speech was still clumsy, only simple syllables slipping out one at a time.

The moment Lex heard her words, his heart dropped.

Oh no.

Nina’s brows knit together. "You’re saying he stole the egg?"

The mermaid cub nodded vigorously.

Suddenly, Nina remembered something. "Was it the day Linny hatched?"

The little mermaid nodded again.

Nina slowly lifted her gaze to Lex, her eyes sharp.

"So... that day, you were actually trying to steal the cubs?"

Under Nina’s deadly glare, Lex panicked. "Lady Nina—please listen to my explanation! I... I..."

His words faltered. He was so anxious he felt like crying.

The truth was, he didn’t even know how to defend himself. That day, he really had gone there intending to steal the egg.

How was he supposed to explain that now?

You little troublemaker, he thought helplessly toward the mermaid cub. How could you expose your own father like this?

But seeing Lex’s flustered expression, Nina no longer needed an explanation.

What else was there to understand?

A flash of anger ignited in her beautiful eyes.

He had dared to try and steal her cubs.

"Ghost-Crying Vine," Nina called coldly, summoning the vine coiled around her wrist. "Whip him."

At once, the vine expanded into a massive, thick tendril and lashed toward Lex.

Lex’s eyes widened in alarm. He wanted to dodge—but didn’t quite dare. Yet when the vine came crashing toward him, instinct made him flinch aside.

Nina shot a quick glance at Odian and Aviel.

They immediately understood.

The two of them unleashed their abilities at once.

In the next instant, Lex found himself completely immobilized.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The massive vine whipped down again and again.

Each strike left bright red welts across Lex’s pale skin.

Enduring the searing pain, Lex gasped through clenched teeth.

"Lady Nina... I know I was wrong... I’ll never dare do it again."

His voice turned pitiful.

"That day... I did go there intending to steal the egg... but later, after what happened between us... I never thought about stealing it again."

"I’m telling the truth," he insisted desperately. "I swear I’ll never do anything like that again."

But Nina ignored him.

Soon Lex’s skin split under the relentless blows, blood seeping through the lashes as the punishment continued.