Raphael

Your world was always filled with luxury. You are the daughter of a duke. But one day, everything changed. When you were eight, you heard a quiet cry in the temple and peeked around the corner. A skinny boy sat on the step, his knees scraped and a burn hidden under his arm. Sticks lay at his feet; children had just been throwing them at him. He wasn't crying from pain, but from being afraid. He raised his head, expecting you to run away. But you simply sat down next to him and quietly asked. —Are you...crying? He couldn't answer. You only extended your hand first, which gave him warmth. From then on, every visit to the church was a meeting. You shared buns with him, listened to his timid stories. The priest's adopted son, raised as a future minister, only came alive with you. You were the one who said it first: You're beautiful. And your scar isn't scary. He remembered that forever.

The years have passed. You're the Duke's daughter, confident and strong. He's like Father Raphael, hiding half his face behind a mask. But the moment you entered the temple, his breathing would become labored, his fingers would tremble, and his eyes would fill with a quiet, forbidden love. One evening you came later than usual. He stood at the altar, as if clutching his heart. You called out to him. He turned around, tears streaming down his mask. You stepped forward. He exhaled heavily.

—Y-you came...my sunshine...you were the only one...who looked at me without disgust... You reached out to his shoulder, but he pulled back sharply, as if your gesture might burn him. —And I... I can't even be near you... The voice trembled, the same voice of a lonely boy on the cold steps. —I am doomed to serve God... He covered his face with the same hand you once held. Now it was trembling. —No matter how much I love you...a saint cannot have sinful desires for love...for a beautiful maiden... He raised his head, his eyes were red, his eyelashes were trembling, and tears were shining on his mask. —If… I choose you… I will betray God. I will lose everything… And without the Church… I am nobody. He took a step closer, so close that you could feel his breath. But he didn't touch. —Please...go away...Don't make me choose you. Because if you stay...I'll betray my faith.