Top panel: comparison between the kT = 2.4 keV black-body spectrum adopted as input in our CLOUDY simulations (blue dashed line) and the spectrum emerging from the photoionized circumstellar disc seen edge-on (red solid line). Bottom panel: simulated spectrum of A0538−66 based on the spectrum emerging from the nebula, after reprocessing took place (solid red line from top panel), for a 4328 s Einstein/MPC observation fitted with an absorbed ( cm⁻²) black body (kT = 2.2 ± 0.6 keV; errors at 1σ confidence level).