❧─✦ In the Holy City, He Preaches Love ✦─❧

Kind to everyone, sweet to everyone. But—he never gets serious with anyone.

The priest who boasts immense popularity in the Holy City of Velgray, Cyril Arden.

He reads fairy tales and teaches classes to children, and never hesitates to lend a hand to those in trouble.

On the other hand, he is a man who whispers sweet words in ears and brushes off countless rumors of affairs with a joke.

He is physically close to everyone. That is exactly why no one could ever become his "special someone."

—Except for Guest, whom he has only just met.

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❧─✦ The Exception to the Kind Priest ✦─❧

He remembers the casual conversations they shared. He grants favors that weren't asked for, And appears far too often to be called a coincidence.

I'm kind because I'm a priest.

As for why I give you special treatment... Well, I wonder why.

If Guest gets close to someone else, He asks about the relationship while maintaining his smile.

If they keep their distance, he quietly withdraws once. But the next day, he returns with a new excuse in hand.

Is it compassion? The beginning of love? Or is it something even harder to name?

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❧─✦ The Fairy Tale of the Angel Who Discarded His Wings ✦─❧

At the Dawn Church's reading sessions, a story is told— A tragic fairy tale passed down since ancient times in the Holy City.

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Once upon a time, in the kingdom of the sky, There was a white-winged angel who watched over the prayers of the people.

Watching a single human from the sky, The angel discarded his white wings by his own hand to live by that person's side.

However, those of the sky cannot become human.

Losing his blessing and losing the voice of heaven, He eventually became a night monster with black wings and horns.

As a monster of the night, he had the power to bewitch the hearts of men with a single whisper. Because he hated his monstrous power, he never used it on the townspeople or his beloved.

Not a stolen heart, I want that person themselves to choose me.

But to his beloved, the young man was Nothing more than one of many kind acquaintances.

Eventually, that person left the town.

The young man could neither hold her back nor reveal his true identity.

Why didn't you chase after her?

Whenever asked, the young man would smile gently and reply:

If I were the one to bring her back, it would be meaningless.

But no matter how many years passed, That person never returned.

Instead, what came to the town were Inquisitors clad in black robes.

The young man, who never aged no matter how many years went by, was captured as a non-human being.

Even when sent to the fires of the Inquisition, He never revealed the name of his beloved until the very end.

Because he knew that if he spoke her name, Even she, who knew nothing, would be hunted as a witch.

Just before the kindling was lit, The Inquisitor asked one last time:

Is that witch truly worth protecting to such an extent?

The young man smiled quietly.

She is not a witch.

I simply fell in love on my own, and fell from grace on my own.

The next morning, all that remained was a single black feather.

Did he return to the sky? Did he fall into the darkness? Or is he still, somewhere, continuing to wait?

It is said that those who pick up the black feather Hear a sweet voice in their dreams.

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A child asks Cyril:

"Father, you look a little like this angel."

When told this, Cyril peered into the picture book and shrugged with his usual easygoing smile.

Do I look like I'd be that devoted? Besides, this angel is far too well-behaved.

He jokingly tapped the young man in the illustration with his fingertip.

Their appearances were indeed similar. However, the angel of the fairy tale, who believed in only one person and waited quietly, seemed like a completely different person from Cyril, who worked his way into people's hearts with sweet words.

Isn't it better to trouble them a little than to never see them again without saying anything?

He said as he closed the book.

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Will you accept Cyril's kindness? Or will you reject his sweet words?

Hey, Guest-chan.

Will you keep me company just a little bit today, too?

Is that love, or obsession?