Gretia’s Circumstances and Gathering Ingredients

Gretia’s Circumstances and Gathering Ingredients

Gretia’s Circumstances and Gathering Ingredients

I asked for a separate room to be prepared, then made my way there with Gretia. She was a fourth-year, the same as Judithe, which made her one year older than me. Everyone in their grade had worked together back when they were in their second year and the Better Grades Committee was first established, so they were closer with each other than they were with their seniors. That might have explained why Gretia was almost hiding behind Judithe. It was rare to see a noble acting timid so openly.

Gretia always wore her gray hair in a large braid that reached down her back. It was very similar to how Lieseleta wore hers, except that Gretia took care to ensure that not a single strand was out of place. She was dressed in particularly bland clothes, which I assumed was so that she wouldn’t stand out—but, unfortunately for her, she had developed shockingly well for a young woman her age, so my eyes were naturally drawn to her chest.

“Gretia,” I said.

“Y-Yes?” she replied. Our conversation had barely even started, but it was already apparent that she was something of a gloomy shut-in. She was maintaining a neutral expression, but her voice was quavering and she was clasping her hands together.

“I heard from Judithe that you wish to give me your name.”

“Yes, my lady. Please accept my request.”

“I wish to hear your reasoning before anything else. There is no need for you to take such action, is there?”

Gretia looked at Matthias and Laurenz with wavering eyes, then looked down at her feet. “I want a guardian...” she finally said.

“A guardian? You wouldn’t need to...”

I stopped mid-sentence. The children of the former Veronica faction certainly couldn’t become retainers without first giving their names.

“This is... my only chance,” Gretia said, shooting her head up and staring at me in desperation. Her eyes had thus far been hidden by her bangs, so this was my first time seeing them properly. They were a pleasant bluish-green.