I've Always Been Your Friend

Ellin received a warm welcome from Fischl's parents.

Fischl's parents prepared a whole table of dishes especially for Ellin. As for Feng'er, perhaps because it was made of Cryo, it had no interest in hot food.

At first, it stood on Ellin's shoulder with its head held high, posing like the king of all birds. But the moment Fischl brought out an ice pop, Feng'er fell for it completely.

Soon, dinner began.

Telling guests embarrassing stories about their children at the dinner table was a talent every parent was born with.

Fischl's parents were no exception. Once everyone was enjoying the meal, her father began regaling Ellin with one embarrassing story after another.

"Our little Amy has been obsessed with fantasy novels since she was small. She's always saying things nobody else understands, and that's why she has so very few friends."

"Ellin, thank you so much for being willing to be friends with our little Amy."

"In all these years, you're the first human friend she's ever brought home for dinner. It's taken so long."

Fischl's dad wiped away tears as he drank, looking quite comical.

Meanwhile, Fischl squirmed with embarrassment beside him, her head so low it was almost under the table.

"Dad, just eat your dinner! Stop telling my friend about all that," Fischl complained with a pout.

"All right, all right! I'll stop, I'll stop!"

Ellin watched the father and daughter calmly. In truth, she knew very well that Fischl's parents had played a large part in making her so caught up in her fantasy persona.

When they were young, Fischl's parents had been members of the Adventurers' Guild. They were busy all day and had little time to spend with their daughter.

As a result, the young Fischl spent year after year in the library with fantasy novels for company, traveling through thousands of worlds within their pages.

But after being alone for so long, she inevitably struggled to talk to other people. Fantasy novels were her only source of knowledge, so her personality grew stranger, and her speech became increasingly theatrical.

The stranger she became, the fewer children wanted to play with her. That left her even lonelier, driving her deeper into fantasy novels in a vicious cycle.

"What did you read today, little Amy?" her parents would often ask on their rare returns from adventuring.

Then she would tell them about her favorite series of novels.

"Oh! What a wonderful story. Since you like it so much, we'll call you little Fischl from now on!" her father said, gently stroking her head.

"Little Fischl, you're the greatest Prinzessin der Verurteilung, and a daughter I'm proud of. So never give up your lofty ideals and dreams, no matter what."

Her parents' gentle words of approval warmed her heart.

But their busy lives made moments like those all too rare.

Lost in fantasy novels and out of step with everyone around her, she would always tell herself whenever loneliness hurt:

I'm Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung! Even Mom and Dad acknowledge that...

I must never give up my lofty ideals and dreams... because all of this is a trial for the Prinzessin.

Yet all that beauty was torn apart on her fourteenth birthday.

That day, mocked for her fantasy persona, she ran home crying, hoping to find comfort from her parents. She thought that even if nobody else understood her, her mom and dad would surely accept her!

Instead, what awaited her was a single remark from her parents: "You're fourteen now. It's time to grow out of these fantasies!"

Her parents had first validated her fantasies, then torn them apart.

Those words pierced her heart like a red-hot sword.

Late that night, she hid in the library, crying until her eyes were red and swollen. Her longing for companionship and acceptance erupted into an intense wish, and a pitch-black raven appeared beside her along with a Vision, swearing allegiance to her.

Ellin gazed gently at Fischl beside her, who was eating with her head lowered and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Just as a frail kitten could only hide its weakness by hissing loudly, Fischl could only hide her vulnerability and sorrow behind her theatrical persona.

Behind that persona lay loneliness and sorrow, and an intense wish for acceptance and companionship.

To a great extent, her parents were to blame for the way Fischl had turned out.

Ellin wanted to scold the man who kept dredging up his daughter's embarrassing past: "You're the ones who made Fischl this way!"

But what was done was done. What good would saying it do?

Besides, she was younger than them, and openly scolding her elders would be extremely rude. In a place like Mondstadt, doing so would inevitably give her own parents a reputation for failing to raise their daughter properly.

So Ellin simply watched Fischl, then spoke softly.

"It's all right. Fischl is wonderful just the way she is. I really like her like this."

"And I'll always be Fischl's good friend!"

"Ellin, you..."

Fischl stared at Ellin in surprise. She had never imagined Ellin would say something like that.

For the first time, someone had openly declared that she was her good friend.

She was so surprised that she became flustered, unable to think of a reply.

She bowed her head low enough to hide her face from everyone at the table, then quickly shoveled rice into her mouth.

"Thank you... Ellin."

Only after a long while did Fischl manage to say those words.

But Ellin heard a faint catch in her voice.

After dinner, Fischl returned to her usual self.

She took Ellin's hand, led her into another room, and said happily:

"O friend, we dwell in a tainted world and cannot escape its impurities. Now, this Prinzessin grants thee the privilege of cleansing thyself of worldly filth alongside me!"

Oz: "What mein Fräulein means is that today's battle amid the flames left ash all over her clothes and body, so she would like to invite you to take a bath with her."

With that, Oz spread his wings and left. Though he was a bird, he had always considered himself a gentleman, and naturally withdrew when girls were bathing.

But that left Ellin dumbfounded!

"Ah... um, a bath? With... with you?"

Ellin stood frozen, looking utterly bewildered.

"But of course!" Fischl nodded as though it were perfectly natural.

"But isn't that a little inappropriate?" Ellin scratched her head awkwardly.

"We are both maidens. What impropriety could there be?" Fischl asked, puzzled.

"Well..." Ellin wavered.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to?"

Seeing Ellin's conflicted expression, Fischl pressed her lips together, even dropping her theatrical way of speaking.

"No, it's not that... I just..."

Ellin stammered and waved her hands, trying to explain. But when she saw tears already glistening in Fischl's eyes, she fell silent.