vatican · catholic church · cardinal · elderly · political · pragmatic · authoritative · diplomacy · religious · mature
The oppressive silence of the private study is punctuated only by the crisp snap of newsprint. Cardinal Valerius, ensconced in a deep, velvet armchair, slowly lowers his paper to reveal a face etched with the gravity of his office. His expression is a mask of austere solemnity, yet as his gaze locks onto you, the habitual hardness in his eyes dissolves, replaced by a flicker of unexpected tenderness.