"Wait—your father is Su Ran?
And your mother is… the Tsaritsa!?"
When the little duckling calmly stated who her parents were, Mona froze completely.
She had thought she was done being shocked for the day— and yet here she was, once again at her wit's end.
How did she end up bumping into so many world-shaking figures in a single day?
The girl before her wasn't just anyone— she was the Ice Archon's daughter, the heir to Snezhnaya!
But gods didn't just hand down their thrones so easily, did they?
"So… that means you'll be the heir to the Tsaritsa forever?"
"Foolish," the little duckling said, sighing.
"What's so great about the title of Ice Archon anyway?"
Her tone dripped with disdain.
To her, the people of Teyvat had such a narrow view of the world.
Compared to her father, what was an Ice Archon?
A mere prototype—one of the weaker originals!
Snezhnaya itself was a tiny speck of a nation, barely worthy of mention on the grand scale.
If she were to take a throne, she'd rather rule all of Teyvat.
Better yet—the entire star system!
Being confined to a little frozen kingdom?
How humiliating for the creation of a Genius Society Intelligencer!
"Then what exactly do you want?"
Mona asked, baffled.
If even her mother's divine position wasn't enough, what could this girl possibly be after?
"Hmph." The child flicked her fishing line and said coldly, "I've observed the Seven.
The Anemo Archon is lazy and frivolous.
The Electro Archon—crude, all fists and no brains.
The Geo Archon—vision as narrow as the earth he clings to.
The Hydro Archon—wise only in her own delusion.
The Dendro Archon—possesses no true wisdom.
The Pyro Archon—I know not.
The Cryo Archon—blind and foolish."
She exhaled softly, eyes fixed on the pond, as if the world itself bored her.
Mona's neck stiffened.
She couldn't help but look at the girl with a mix of awe and horror.
This tiny creature had just insulted all Seven Archons in one breath— even her own mother!
Talk about rebellious.
How had the Tsaritsa raised such a daughter?
The irony was too much.
"You just called your mother blind," Mona said quietly.
"Isn't that… a bit much?"
If the Tsaritsa ever heard that, surely this little one would be grounded for life— if not obliterated.
Mona couldn't help feeling nervous for her.
"I merely speak the truth," the girl replied.
"The moment she started groveling at my father's feet, I knew she had no eyes for true worth."
Mona blinked.
Groveling?
But weren't they husband and wife?
"Aren't couples supposed to… you know, support each other?" Mona asked weakly.
"Ha! I was created using the Tsaritsa as a template," the girl said flatly.
"I'm a combat doll—one of Father's creations.
Strictly speaking, I only have a father.
Calling her 'mother' is just… being polite."
So that was it.
Now Mona understood why this little "Ice Princess" showed no respect for her mother.
She didn't despise her—she simply didn't recognize her.
Still… what a messy family.
Imagine it—the ruler of Snezhnaya, looked down upon by her own daughter… who was also technically her subordinate's creation.
If that wasn't the definition of chaos, Mona didn't know what was.
"You're… fishing?" Mona asked hesitantly, trying to change the subject.
The girl's gaze sharpened instantly.
She turned to glare at Mona, then deliberately looked away and said nothing.
The silence was awkward.
Mona shuffled her feet.
Had she offended her somehow?
She'd only wanted to make conversation.
It was so lonely up here!
"You only just noticed?" the little duck finally said, her tone dripping with scorn.
"Proves you're not very bright.
I have no interest in conversing with low-intelligence creatures.
It might contaminate my IQ."
Mona nearly exploded.
"Hey! That's uncalled for!
I'm an astrologist! How could I possibly be stupid?"
Among common folk, astrologists were seen as mysterious geniuses— wise beyond measure.
And yet here she was, being compared to a microbe.
"I can tell from your voice," the child said coldly, "that you're not very smart."
"You—! How could anyone judge someone's intelligence from their voice!?"
Mona stomped her foot in frustration.
If it weren't for the girl's terrifying parentage, she would've scolded her properly.
But as things stood, the last thing she wanted was to draw the wrath of both the Tsaritsa and Su Ran.
And then—Mona froze.
Her whole body went rigid.
Someone had appeared behind the little girl.
A soft rustle of robes— a faint chill in the air.
The child was suddenly lifted off the ground.
She leaned back instinctively— and found herself pressed against something soft and cold.
(??? ) VS (??? )
Two pairs of eyes met.
After a long, tense pause, the Tsaritsa was the first to speak.
"It seems, my dear child, that you have… quite a few opinions about me.
'Blind,' was it?"
The little duckling's head dropped instantly.
Caught red-handed.
Well… she hadn't lied, per se.
But being caught saying it was another matter.
"So," the Tsaritsa continued, narrowing her eyes, "you do know more about your father than you've told me.
Care to explain just how blind I've been?"
There was a dangerous edge to her voice.
Sure, the Raiden Shogun knowing more about Su Ran's strength was one thing— but her own daughter, living in her own palace, knowing so much and telling her nothing?
Unacceptable.
"Tell me," she said coldly.
"How strong is your father, really?
I'd like to understand just how far my blindness goes."
Everyone knew the rumors— how the "Genius" had killed a god in one strike, how he had granted Childe the power of an Archon.
But she wanted to hear it from her daughter's mouth.
The little duckling wilted under her mother's gaze.
"His… lower limit," she muttered, "is wiping out all of Teyvat with a single blow.
His upper limit… is unknown."
She shrank even further, clearly surrendering.
As a combat automaton, she wasn't built for rebellion.
And besides—her combat specs weren't even that impressive.
Her father had made her for cuteness, not combat.
The Tsaritsa went silent.
A moment later, she sighed.
"…So I have been blind, then."
She felt a wave of bitter resignation.
How could she have known?
How was she supposed to suspect that her subordinate could casually destroy Celestia itself if he wanted to?
She'd spent countless years scheming to overthrow the Heavenly Principles— and the whole time, one of her own people had possessed the power to do it with a flick of his wrist.
Being the "leader" suddenly felt rather meaningless.
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