Gretia

Gretia (グレーティア, Gurētia) is a mednoble apprentice attendant from Ehrenfest.

Gretia's eyes are a pleasant shade of bluish green. Her hair is gray and usually worn in a single braid down her back, with bangs long enough to completely hide her eyes while she looks down. She generally wears very plain clothes, giving Rozemyne the vibes of a gloomy shut-in trying to avoid standing out. For a girl her age she has an unusually well developed chest.

Gretia is exceptionally shy and timid for a noble of her rank. On her first interaction with Rozemyne she practically hides behind her class-mate Judithe.

Gretia was born in the temple to a secret romance of a blue priest and shrine maiden of mednoble descend. When her mother showed signs of her pregnancy their secret affair became public and she inquired about the possibility of her and her lover's families taking them back in so they could marry, but was only mocked for making a request so far above her station. Eventually her family did take her and her newborn daughter in, but considered her a disgrace and confined her to a side building. Before as a shrine maiden Gretia's mother received money and gifts, traveled around for rituals, was with the man she loved and had loyal gray priest attendants, but in the noble estate she was effectively a prisoner who only ever saw displeased guards, leading to some resentment toward her daughter and regular, mumbled complains about how much better her life was before giving birth to her daughter.

While living in the side building Gretia was brought up to become a servant. However when the purge happened and the consequent mana crisis hit the duchy, her family tested Gretia's mana and found it of a suitable level for a mednoble. At her baptism she became the daughter of her uncle and his first wife. From the very beginning they were very clear about their intentions to marry her off for political gains and outright called her a tool to her face, never showing her even a trace of warmth or affection. Her brothers even went a step further refusing to even call her by her name and always calling her only "temple girl". When her womanly features began to set in, they upped their bullying by calling her a cow over her above average chest-size. All this neglect and verbal abuse has caused Gretia to actually look forward to the day when she would be married off, even if it was to a man old enough to be her father.

When Gretia learned of the political purge of the former Veronica faction and how the children would be spared, even if the parents were put to death, she was secretly happy. The thought of being taken away from her abusive family and serving the compassionate Saint of Ehrenfest felt like the gods themselves had intervened and deliver her from her suffering. Having to give her name was a small price to pay for this salvation.

A day after the archducal couple visited the dormitory for a meeting with Professor Hirschur, Lord Wilfried informed the students of the current state of the purge. Only the five students who's parents were executed were still required to give their names, while the other children would be either able to return to their families right away, or live in the castle dormitory until the criminals finished their sentence of menial labour. While it is not yet clear whether Gretia's father will receive any punishment, he did escape the death sentence at least for now.

Where the other children are greatly relieved about their family's survival, for Gretia comes as very unwelcome news, since it is pretty much the worst-case scenario for her. She had seen her father struggle with being unable to refuse the orders of those higher in the faction's hierarchy than him, form which she is sure that even though he was doing as he was told he was surely involved with a serious crime against the duchy. As the daughter of a convicted criminal any marriage prospects she might have had before would surely evaporate, resulting in her family most likely being ready to accept even the most desperate proposals which would only lead to more suffering for Gretia.

Seeing no other way to have even a chance at happiness Gretia approaches her class-mate Judithe to tell Lady Rozemyne that despite not being required to, she still wishes to give her name to her. Rozemyne is surprised about this and takes Gretia to a meeting room to hear her reasoning. There - under the privacy of sound-blocking magic tools Gretia tells Rozemyne about her birth in the temple and her traumatic past. Even after Rozemyne tells her about what it means to be name-sworn and the demerits to be bound to her specifically, Gretia still wishes to go through with it. She had already done her research and even before talking to Rozemyne was well aware that she would be completely signing away her life to Rozemyne. But to Gretia signing her entire life away and even serving her for the rest of her life without ever getting married was preferable to returning to the neglect and abuse of her family. She wishes for nothing more than to be completely cut off from them, just like Rozemyne did for Roderick. Seeing the determination and desperation in her eyes, Rozemyne accepts.

The next Earthday nearly the entire student body of Ehrenfest goes to the gathering spot together and Gretia is able to acquire all the materials she needs to make her name-swearing feystone.