For Mona, losing in other areas might be acceptable, but she absolutely cannot admit defeat in her most cherished astrology—unless her very spirit is truly broken.
Lucian doesn't know her thoughts, but he's never thought himself superior to Mona. After all, Lucian knows his ability isn't prophecy but rather high-level observation.
They're not even competing on the same track, so what's there to compare?
That said, Lucian warmly welcomes Mona's challenges and her efforts to learn.
Mona refuses to accept defeat in any aspect, so whenever she loses, she agrees to fulfill one of Lucian's requests.
This is free labor from a beautiful girl—why let it go to waste?
If others knew Lucian had Mona cooking for him, giving him massages, or grinding materials, they'd think it's such a waste!
Why not have her do some astrology for you? Her readings are accurate!
Oh, right—she's not as good as you. Never mind, then. No wonder you're treating her like a "maid."
Mona, surprisingly, doesn't mind being treated like a maid. It's not because she enjoys being mistreated, but rather… how should I put it?
Lucian covers her food and lodging, and she gets to "steal" some of his techniques. The money she saves can go toward buying more books and instruments—what a deal!
The prophecy books she's holding now were all given to her by Lucian for free. Free stuff is always great, and it's put her in a much better mood for reading the story.
In the story, Mona is muttering complaints to herself, grumbling about people asking her for divinations.
[Mona: "Once people found out I could do astrology, they started bombarding me with questions."]
["When will my missing son return?"]
["Does that person really love me?"]
["Will I ever recover?"]
All sorts of questions—about family, lovers, themselves, every type imaginable.
Back then, Mona lacked social experience. She told them the truth, revealing the results as they were.
Most people treat astrology like a "placebo," hoping to hear the answers they want.
Unfortunately, astrology isn't a psychological comfort pill. When faced with negative outcomes, most people can't accept them.
The sad truth is, confident people don't ask questions. Those who do ask already suspect the outcome will be grim—and, as expected, few ever receive good news.
Because, if a missing son could be found, he'd likely be talking to the police.
If someone didn't feel unloved, why would they ask if they're loved?
If a doctor could cure them, why would they ask an astrologist instead of a physician?
This honest divination was destined to fail!
So Mona's words hurt those who asked, and in turn, they hurt her.
["Astrology is just a scam!"]
In the illustration, the walls in front of Mona tighten, the gaps between them shrinking.
["Stop joking around!"]
The walls continue to close in, the lights dimming, the oppressive atmosphere growing heavier.
["I want to be alone. Can you leave right now?"]
The gap narrows to barely enough for one person to pass through, and even the ceiling presses down. The lights fade, with only the glow of the stars still illuminating the scene.
In reality, Mona doesn't speak or show any expression. She silently reads on.
["Their disappointed expressions turned into blades piercing me."]
In the story, Mona steps through the gap. Before her lies a towering cliff, and she leaps off.
["I foresaw it, but it still hurts… like falling into an abyss."]
Those words perfectly match Mona's current mood in reality. She foresaw the story's contents, but it still stings.
The difference is, now she no longer feels like she's falling into an abyss. She's come to terms with it, and she has friends now.
If she were to fall into an abyss, there'd be plenty of people ready to pull her back up.
Mona's gaze shifts to Lucian, Fischl, and the others.
Fischl, noticing her look, hurriedly averts her eyes.
Looking back at the illustration, it depicts an unknown space where malicious rumors and slander transform into "stars" attacking Mona.
[Xinyan, gently: "Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. Do you need a hug?"]
She's so warm that Mona's face flushes. Mona's the type who gets flustered when shown care or comfort, unsure how to respond.
The good news is she no longer needs comforting. Both in the story and in reality, Mona has moved past that time—she's no longer affected.
In simple terms, she's numb to it now. No matter what ordinary people say, she doesn't care anymore.
Don't underestimate this numbness. Many astrologists couldn't handle it and ended up abandoning astrology altogether.
The pressure of public opinion is terrifying, capable of keeping someone in a constant state of anxiety. Not everyone can withstand it.
[Mona: "But I'm a genius, so of course I can do what others can't."]
In the illustration, Mona's smile is brimming with confidence. Truly, those who face life and its setbacks head-on are remarkable in their own right!
Paimon and the Traveler agree, so they start praising Mona.
[Mona, loving it: "Good, good, keep the compliments coming!"]
It feels like Mona's the type who'd love being patted on the chin while being praised.
Unfortunately, before they can shower her with more compliments, they need to continue exploring the secret realm. The praises will have to wait.
[Mona: "Once we deal with the issues in this area, I'll give you all a chance to praise me to your heart's content."]
In the illustration, Mona turns her head with a tsundere huff, but her eyes sneakily open a bit, stealing glances at everyone before quickly looking away.
Readers laugh: Fine, thank you for being so reasonable. We'll praise you to the skies later.
She really wants to be praised! She's so adorable!
Question Arnold, understand Arnold, become Arnold, surpass Arnold!
Mona, what kind of spell have you cast on me?! How can I be thinking about you 24 hours a day, 1,440 minutes, 86,363 seconds?!
Mona blushes a bit, this time out of embarrassment.
Wanting praise in the story is no big deal—after all, it's with close friends.
But now? Lucian's written this story for the whole world to see!
Great, now the entire world knows Mona's a praise-hungry tsundere girl!
She'll never get married, waaah!
In truth, Mona's only slightly embarrassed. Even if the whole world sees her near-whiny words, she's mostly fine with it.
It's the reactions of those close to her that matter—she's long grown used to what others think.
Still, there's a bit of blushing. It feels like having a private chat with a best friend partially exposed.
That aside, Mona's more focused on the illustrations. The starry sky in them is breathtakingly beautiful.
The stars in the sky are sparse, completely unlike the usual starry night.
Instead, the sky is filled with "vortices" glowing and swirling in the air, seemingly formed by gathered stars.
Yes, it's like the starry sky in Van Gogh's paintings—something Teyvat's people rarely see. Those who love such beauty are instantly captivated.
Thankfully, Lucian captured these scenes in his illustrations, or it would've been such a pity.
After admiring the scenery for a while, the group steps through the gate, leaving the dream realm and returning to the island. The island has changed, with a new pool appearing right beside them.
Readers: Fischl, take a look at this! Your book made everyone search high and low, but Mona's pool is delivered right to our side.
Look at how considerate she is!