But Fischl still had to pretend to be angry—after all, she couldn't lose in terms of momentum.
She plopped down heavily, hoping to make a loud thud, but there was barely a sound. So, she stomped her feet, practically announcing to Lucian and Mona that she was very upset.
Mona and Lucian, in perfect sync, lowered their heads to the book, pretending not to notice.
This prophecy book was just too prophetic. Tsk, it was truly a case of prophecy upon prophecy!
It seemed that while Mona hadn't learned Lucian's foresight after spending time with him, she'd picked up a bit of his demeanor.
Back to the story: the group in the tale rescued the Night Raven Knight. In gratitude, it revealed the password to open the door ahead.
["Let my subjects be free, unbound by ancient laws."]
This password, well, how to put it? As expected of a Mondstadter. The original Mondstadt rebelled against the old laws of Old Mondstadt, didn't it?
Venti was delighted. "Not bad, my kid's got it going on!"
Venti smirked teasingly, glancing at Zhongli as if to say, "Jealous, huh?"
Zhongli ignored him, still focused on the story.
Venti then looked at Ei and Makoto, giving a gentle smile. Ei ignored him.
Finally, Venti turned to Focalors. Focalors, sensitive to stares, looked up, puzzled. What was that expression on the Anemo Archon's face? Was he having a facial cramp?
Venti felt dejected. Why wasn't anyone jealous of him for having such a great kid? Oh well, back to the book.
The group in the story felt a bit embarrassed to say the password, but luckily, they had Paimon, the "Mouth of the Gods," who had no such qualms. She boldly spoke the password, opening the door.
After the door opened, a new narrated story began:
["The Grand Scribe, the lords, and the loyal Night Raven Knights ascended the high tower, swearing allegiance to Her Highness the Prinzessin, kissing the hem of her deep purple gown, and taking pride in it."]
The illustration showed Fischl sitting on a windowsill, holding a rose, one leg clad in black stockings crossed over the other. The perspective was from below, looking up, giving her a true queenly aura. (2022 Birthday Art)
Some Fischl fans among the readers exclaimed that they'd indeed take pride in this and wanted to swear allegiance too!
But why kiss the hem of her gown? Shouldn't it be a hand-kissing gesture? Or, for deeper subservience, kissing her shoes? What was this gown-kissing setting?
This was Fischl's biography, entirely her creation, so did she add this detail because she didn't want people kissing her hand?
In any case, everyone understood: this biography was, at its core, a tale from the perspective of the subjects praising Her Highness the Prinzessin, aka Little Amy.
No wonder she and Mona were such good friends—they both loved being praised.
In the story, the group didn't find Fischl at the top of the tower but did discover a book. The narration they'd just heard came from its contents.
The story seemed unfinished, leaving them curious about what came next.
When they closed the book, the illusion shifted, transforming into a relatively ordinary but cozy room.
Fischl had a bad feeling. Her expression grew heavy, her body first chilling, then suddenly heating up, her face flushing red-hot in an instant!
The room was empty, but voices echoed within.
[Young Fischl: "Greetings, esteemed 'Empress of Condemnation.'"]
[??? : "Little Amy, dear, Mommy made fried pork cutlets and Fisherman's Toast. Come eat while it's hot."]
And there it was—now not only everyone present but all of Teyvat knew the name Little Amy.
But it was a good thing, because everyone agreed: that name was just too adorable!
Fischl always called herself a Prinzessin, acting like a "noble," yet her real name was "Little Amy." This was the charm of contrast!
A world where only Little Amy was hurt was achieved. At this moment, her ears were redder than ever.
Little Amy: "My head… it's all dizzy…"
If Yoimiya heard this, she'd probably tease, "You're about to grow taller!"
[Young Fischl reminded: "Ahem! Mother…"]
[Her mother played along: "Oh, oh, look at me, forgetting again. Ahem! Prinzessin of Condemnation, dost thou know it is now lunchtime?"]
[Her father suddenly appeared, saying: "Oh—! The scenery outside is so enchanting. Prinzessin, Empress, would you two care to join me, the 'Emperor of Condemnation,' for a picnic?"]
Well, well, their whole family was "Condemnation Something-or-Other"—a full-on Condemnation clan.
Some of Fischl's avid fans wondered, "So what am I? The 'Consort of Condemnation'? Or the 'Prince of Condemnation'?"
Ahem, setting those folks aside, most readers focused on how Little Amy's family was so supportive of her.
Parents so willing to play along with their child's chuunibyou game—or rather, an advanced version of playing house—wasn't this a heartwarming story?
It seemed Little Amy's experiences weren't as tumultuous as Kazuha's or Xinyan's.
But could Little Amy's chuunibyou personality be the result of her "upbringing"?
Little Amy's parents were actually reading the story too. Since it was about Fischl, even if they weren't usually interested in prophecy books, they'd still take a look.
At this moment, they exchanged a smile, though a bit embarrassed to be seen by the whole world…
But they also felt nostalgic. It seemed that since Little Amy grew up, they hadn't played these games with her in a long time.
For a moment, it was as if they were back to when Little Amy was small.
After reading Xinyan's story, they'd changed some of their views. Little Amy just enjoyed being this way—why force her to change?
Their Little Amy was exceptional, and these quirks didn't make her "immature."
In the story, after hearing the family's conversation, the group was mostly surprised by Fischl's real name, "Little Amy," finding it utterly adorable.
Then, in unison, they turned their gazes to Mona. Both of you have long names—could Mona have a cute real name too?
Mona firmly refused. "I am Astrologist Mona Megistus! Stop trying to steal my spotlight!"
Sure, they were good friends—close enough to share a room or even a bed—but she wasn't about to change her name for that!
As Little Amy's good friend, the Mona in the story had a hunch that things weren't so simple.
Right now, Little Amy was still young, so her parents naturally indulged her.
It's normal for kids to love playing "house," but what about when she grew up? Would they start thinking she was "childish"?
The group in the story wanted to see what Little Amy was like when she grew up, but when they opened the door to leave, they found themselves back on the beach.
[Paimon, surprised: "Wow, we're back!"]
[Then, realizing, she waved her hands frantically: "No, no, wait! Why are we back? The story's not finished yet!"]
As expected, Paimon had a heart for gossip. Many of her and Lumine's adventures stemmed from her curiosity.
And now, with her curiosity cut off, she was practically scratching her head in frustration.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Mona: About Cute Names
"I refuse!!!"