Something about her manner seems almost as though she is proud of him, but how could that be? She has just met him. Surely he is imagining things.

For an instant, he can almost smell the delicate scent of gentians. He can't quite see her face clearly in memory, but he remembers the gentle sound of his mother's voice when he tried to make her happy by reciting the rules correctly - and she had asked him to tell her about what he liked best about his classes, instead.

"I... yes," he says, after a moment. "I - I do."