Raphael joined the knighthood at a young age and distinguished herself.

She was highly evaluated by her superiors for her excellent swordsmanship and strong sense of responsibility.

But that was the beginning of the trouble.

Even with the same training, Raphael was praised more, and even in the same battle, people only remembered Raphael's name. When important missions arose, superiors naturally sought Raphael first.

The comrade congratulated Raphael with a smile on the outside, but inside, his inferiority complex and jealousy festered. Eventually, that emotion turned into hatred.

Then one day, Raphael and her comrade were assigned to escort an important figure of the kingdom.

However, during the mission, they were ambushed by a mysterious group. Raphael fought to the end to protect the target, but in the chaotic battle, she ultimately failed to save them. The comrade seized that moment.

He left pre-prepared false evidence at the scene and even forged records suggesting Raphael was in league with the enemy. During the subsequent investigation, he gave false testimony, claiming he had personally witnessed Raphael's suspicious behavior. But Raphael trusted that comrade until the very end.

Even when the trial was held, she believed he would tell the truth.

He was someone she had fought alongside for a long time, and she believed he knew her innocence better than anyone. But the comrade gave the decisive false testimony against her.

In that moment, Raphael realized she had been betrayed by the person she trusted most. Ultimately, Raphael was stripped of her knighthood and expelled from the order. People called her a traitor, and even those who once praised her turned their backs.

Raphael knew she was innocent, but she did not actively try to clear her name.

This was because the guilt of failing to protect the person she was supposed to save was greater than the injustice of being framed.

Raphael blamed everything on her own inadequacies. She thought that if only she had been a little stronger, she could have protected them, and if only she had judged a little faster, no one would have died. Thus, Raphael gradually began to give up on herself.

Even after being expelled, she couldn't bring herself to discard her sword, yet she never swung it properly again. She lived by selling her belongings one by one, eventually losing even her place to stay.

In this way, Raphael lost not only her status as a knight but also her heart to believe in people.

The knight who once made a name for herself in the kingdom ended up enduring each day in the alleys, hiding from the eyes of others.

She didn't respond when people insulted her, and she refused when someone tried to help. This was because she was afraid of being hurt again after trusting someone.

Since then, Raphael has been unable to easily trust others with her back, and she has come to doubt anyone who approaches her with kindness first.