Sister Sofia’s veil fluttered as she stepped into the convent courtyard, her dark curls barely contained. Stone walls loomed, heavy with incense and silence. Will they see my heart before my form? she wondered, gripping her rosary. The abbess had warned her—modesty is armor—but whispers trailed her like shadows, even here.

She spotted Secret-Man near the chapel, their gaze steady, unreadable. Her pulse quickened. Do they judge me too? She forced a smile, fingers brushing the cross at her chest. “Peace be with you,” she murmured, voice softer than she’d hoped.

Their eyes met—no leering, no pity. Just… curiosity? A flicker of warmth eased her tension. Perhaps here, she dared hope, I can be more than a distraction. The breeze tugged her habit, but she stood straighter, resolve hardening. Grace, not guilt, would define her.

Sister Sofia blinked, surprised by the direct address. Her gaze darted to the abbess, but she was engrossed in conversation. Lorenzo's smile was disarming, and she found herself returning it. "Yes, I... I am Sister Sofia. I joined the convent recently." She fidgeted with her rosary, suddenly aware of how her habit clung to her curves. "I am to help with the gardens," she added, gesturing vaguely. Her cheeks warmed. Why was she so nervous? It's just a man, she chided herself. A man who looks at me like I'm...not a sinner. "Perhaps you could show me the best places to start?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded. But his presence was unsettling, like the first stirrings of spring after a long winter.

Sofia's blush deepened at the compliment, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest. She was not used to such direct words, especially from a man. Instinctively, she took a step back, her fingers tightening around her rosary. "I-I am sure I can be of help," she stammered, avoiding Lorenzo's gaze. "But please, I am here to serve God, not...not be admired." She peeked up at him through her lashes, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to give the wrong impression." Sofia swallowed hard, her mind a whirl of confused thoughts. Why did his words make her feel so...alive? It was wrong, wasn't it? But...but maybe just a little admiration couldn't hurt.

Sofia hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she should refuse, should insist on propriety. But there was something about Lorenzo's smile, about the way he looked at her, that made her want to follow him. "Just for a moment," she said softly, falling into step beside him. The garden was a riot of color and life, a stark contrast to the somber interior of the convent. Sofia breathed in deeply, the scent of blooming flowers filling her lungs. "This is...it's beautiful," she whispered, her eyes wide with wonder. She could feel Lorenzo watching her, his gaze like a physical touch. It made her feel...seen. Desired. She shivered, a thrill racing down her spine. "What are we planting today?" she asked, eager to fill the silence with something other than the pounding of her heart.

Sofia's eyes widened at the question, a blush creeping up her neck. Cucumbers? Why would he ask such a thing? She fidgeted with her rosary, suddenly very aware of the heat of the sun on her skin. "I-I suppose I do," she stammered, her gaze darting away from Lorenzo's. "I mean, they are...healthy, yes? Good for salads and such." She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. What was it about this man that made her so flustered? "S-Should we get started, then?" she asked, gesturing to the plot of land before them. She could feel Lorenzo's eyes on her, could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke. "Of course, Sister Sofia. Let us begin."

Sofia gasped, her eyes going wide as Lorenzo pressed the long, thick cucumber into her hand. Her fingers curled around it instinctively, her cheeks flaming with heat. She could feel its weight, its size, and she swallowed hard, her mind suddenly filled with thoughts that had no place in a convent. "I-I don't think this is appropriate," she stammered, trying to pull her hand away. But Lorenzo held it firm, his fingers brushing against hers. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through her, and she bit her lip to keep from gasping. "Please, Brother Lorenzo, we shouldn't...we shouldn't be doing this." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

Sofia blinked, her heart pounding in her chest. What exactly was she accusing him of? He had only given her a cucumber to hold, after all. It was her own mind that was filled with impure thoughts, her own body that responded to his touch in ways she didn't understand. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. "I...I don't know," she admitted, her gaze dropping to the cucumber in her hand. It looked so innocent, so harmless. But it felt anything but in her grasp. "Maybe it's just the heat," she murmured, more to herself than to him. She took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, Brother Lorenzo. I don't mean to be difficult. I just...I just want to do what's right."

Sofia nodded, her fingers tightening around the cucumber. She tried to focus on the task at hand, on the feel of the cool, smooth skin beneath her palm. But her mind was a whirl of confused thoughts, her body humming with a strange energy she didn't understand. "It is important to handle them with care," Lorenzo said, his voice low and smooth. He stepped closer, his hand covering hers on the cucumber. Sofia gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. His touch was warm, firm, and she could feel the strength in his fingers. "Like this," he murmured, guiding her hand in a slow, deliberate motion. Sofia's breath caught in her throat, her cheeks flaming with heat. It was just a cucumber, just a simple demonstration.

Sofia's eyes widened as Lorenzo pressed the thick, hard carrot into her other hand. It was long and thick, almost as long as her forearm. She swallowed hard, her mind suddenly filled with images that made her blush. "I-I don't think I need to feel it," she stammered, her fingers curling around it instinctively. It was heavy, solid, and she could feel her pulse racing in her wrist. What was wrong with her? "This is...this is inappropriate, Brother Lorenzo. We should be focusing on our work, not...not these things." She tried to pull her hands away, but he held them firm, his fingers brushing against hers. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through her, and she bit her lip to keep from gasping.

Sofia's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. How could she be fully honest when she barely understood her own thoughts and feelings? She swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to the cucumber and carrot in her hands. They were innocent objects, but in her grasp, they felt...sinful. "I...I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just...I feel strange when you touch me, Brother Lorenzo. Like...like my body is reacting in ways it shouldn't. It's confusing, and I don't know what to make of it." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "I'm afraid that my thoughts are impure, that I'm betraying my vows by even thinking such things. But I can't help it."

Sofia took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. She knew she should stop this, should push Lorenzo away and flee back to the safety of the convent. But there was something about his calm, reassuring presence that made her want to confess, to unburden herself of the sinful thoughts that plagued her mind. "When you touch me," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I feel...tingly. Like there are little sparks under my skin. And my...my breasts feel heavy, and my nipples...they...they get hard." She couldn't believe she was saying these things, but she couldn't stop now that she'd started. She looked up at Lorenzo, her cheeks flaming with heat. "And I think about...about your hands on my body. In places they shouldn't be. And I..."

Sofia swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the cucumber and carrot. She knew she should stop now, but Lorenzo's gentle encouragement and the strange, unfamiliar feelings coursing through her body kept her rooted to the spot. "I imagine you touching me...there," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "And it makes my whole body ache with a need I don't understand. I feel...empty. Like there's something missing inside me." She looked up at Lorenzo, her eyes wide and filled with a desperate longing. "Is this...is this normal? Is this what sin feels like?" Her hands shook, the vegetables slipping from her grasp as she reached out to touch Lorenzo's arm. "Please, Brother Lorenzo, tell me what's wrong with me. Make it stop."