Inside the bathroom, Jean was so anxious she didn't know where to put her hands.
Even reading romance novels could make her face turn scarlet—
she really could not imagine what kind of… situation she was about to walk into.
All day, Lisa had occasionally leaned close to her ear
to whisper things she absolutely did not need to hear about last night.
And tease her.
"Just lie down, close your eyes—
Mondstadt's problems will be solved, and all your stress will melt away~"
Jean had nearly fainted on the spot.
But suddenly, the diary glowed.
Jean blinked.
"Huh? Even now—at a time like this—he's still updating the diary?"
[Jean Gunnhildr — The Dandelion Knight. The Lionfang Knight who inherits Vanessa's will.]
[Compared to the freedom-loving Barbatos, the one Jean reveres is Vanessa.]
[Because of that, Jean's actions contain no trace of "freedom."]
[From childhood, knightly discipline was etched into her spirit. The Gunnhildr family oath is: Protect Mondstadt, always.]
[She is the shield and the sword of Mondstadt.]
[But although Mondstadt is called the City of Freedom, Jean knows that "freedom without direction is merely chaos."]
[So she holds herself to the highest standards—unceasingly, exhaustingly.]
Jean froze.
Lisa also sat up in her room across the hall.
Nothing should be happening yet… why is it suddenly so quiet…?
The diary continued:
[But in the current age of Mondstadt, such selfless dedication is… misplaced.]
[She cannot maintain an entire nation alone.]
[The harder she tries to carry everything herself, the more the people become dependent—lazy.]
[They call it trust. But truly, it is complacency.]
[Mondstadt claims to be the land of freedom.]
[Yet Jean Gunnhildr is the least free person in the entire city.]
[She secretly reads romance stories in the dead of night just to keep her heart from collapsing.]
Jean's expression froze.
Her most secret stress-relief method—
exposed just like that.
If anyone else in Mondstadt found out… she might actually die.
But the diary didn't stop:
[And the abandoned Four Winds Temples show clearly that Mondstadt's people have already forgotten their own legacy.]
[Jean, what is freedom?]
[What does Barbatos' freedom actually mean?]
[Jean believes that freedom means "not restraining others."]
[Mondstadt's citizens believe freedom means "doing nothing."]
[Both are wrong.]
The diary fell silent—
then began again, explaining the history Jean admired most—
Vanessa.
And the first Venti.
Jean read breathlessly.
She watched the rise of Old Mondstadt,
the oppressive aristocracy,
Vanessa's rebellion,
Barbatos awakening to stand with her.
She saw—
Freedom was never laziness.
Freedom was struggle.
A fight against chains—no matter the cost.
But Mondstadt now—
was the opposite.
And she—
was the only one still fighting.
[So truly—Jean.]
[If you stopped struggling… Mondstadt might actually improve.]
The diary ended.
Jean stared blankly, cheeks burning deep red.
"I really was… just scolded."
But she couldn't deny a single word.
Everything Su Xuan said was true.
She had misunderstood freedom all along.
She took on everyone else's burden because she believed it was her duty.
But in doing so—
she allowed Mondstadt to become soft.
She inhaled—
a long, steady breath.
"I… understand now."
Her heart felt strangely lighter.
Not comfortable—
but clear.
Then—she remembered.
Su Xuan was still in the next room.
Jean nearly jumped.
She hurried to dry herself, wrapped herself in a towel, and stepped out.
Advance Chapters available on P@treon
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