[Hypnosis deactivated]
"Wahhh!" Miyabi gasped as the effect of Benedict's hypnosis finally wore off.
Benedict narrowed his eyes as he watched her shout. The pink glow in her eyes had vanished, replaced by her natural violet hue.
Miyabi looked at Benedict—strangely enough, the fear she had just moments ago was gone. Instead, there was a strange warmth… a feeling of closeness?
"Miyabi?" Benedict asked, pretending as if he hadn't just hypnotized her moments earlier.
"Benedict…" she whispered, her voice gentle and her eyes smiling.
Benedict? Not 'Young Master'? Must be the lingering effect of the hypnosis. She probably sees me as a close friend now.
"Yes, Miyabi," Benedict replied with the same soft tone.
Miyabi's lips parted slightly, her expression a mix of confusion and faint worry. She reached out and gently touched Benedict's cheek, brushing it with her fingers.
"W-why is your cheek red, Benedict? It looks like... someone slapped you."
Benedict flinched slightly at her touch. The gesture—so natural and caring, caught him off guard.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through his mind. A woman kneeling down to gently brush his cheek when he was just a child.
His mother. A maid. The only person who'd ever shown him love… before she died.
A tear rolled down Benedict's cheek. He didn't know why. Was it his own emotion... or the original Benedict's?
"Mom…" a soft whisper slipped out beside Benedict's ears.
There was no mistaking it. The real Benedict must've remembered his mother just now. That's probably why this wave of emotion hit him.
"O-oh, this?" Benedict quickly wiped his cheek and forced a grin. "I just slapped a mosquito that landed on me."
He lied. Of course, he remembered exactly who had slapped him earlier—Miyabi.
Still worried, Miyabi suddenly wrapped both her arms around Benedict's head and, without warning, pulled him into a hug—his face buried right between her breasts.
Benedict's eyes shot wide open. He couldn't move. Her arms were like iron clamps.
"Mhmfmfhm!" he tried to speak, but his voice was completely muffled by her chest.
Miyabi stroked his hair gently, as if comforting a child. For some reason… it made Benedict feel strangely safe.
But soon, he started running out of breath. With a desperate struggle, he finally managed to break free.
She looked at him with a slightly disappointed pout, as if sad to let go.
What the hell is wrong with this girl? Is this how she treats all her "close friends"?
"Miyabi… who am I to you?" Benedict asked, genuinely curious what she now thought of him.
She beamed brightly, hands behind her back. "You're Young Master Benedict! My one and only best friend in the whole world!"
Only one? That explains a lot. No wonder she acts like this—she's never had a single friend before.
"Do you have any other friends besides me?" he asked again.
"Nope! Not a single one," she replied cheerfully.
Benedict couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her. How could someone so kind, warm, and… beautiful… be this alone?
He shook his head quickly.
Focus, Benedict. Stick to the plan. You've got an academy to prepare for.
"I see… Miyabi, don't you have any other tasks? You've been here for over ten minutes," he said, needing some space to think.
Miyabi's eyes trembled. "A-am I being kicked out, Young Master? Did I do something wrong?"
Benedict raised an eyebrow, then sighed. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying—if someone sees you here for too long, people might start talking again. I'd rather not fuel any more weird rumors about me, and I bet you don't want that either."
Miyabi let out a little "ahh" as understanding dawned on her.
She gave a small bow and bid him farewell, turning to leave the room.
Benedict sighed again.
Well… at least I've got one ally on my side now. Judging from that hug, she's got insane physical strength too. Damn, my cheek still stings from that slap.
He walked to his desk, opened the drawer—and stared at a pile of multicolored women's underwear.
Seriously… what the hell is wrong with the Veritas family? What did the original Benedict do to deserve this kind of hatred?
He clicked his tongue, scooped up the underwear, crumpled it into a ball, and casually tossed it out the window. The wind scattered it all over the place, but he didn't care.
He returned to the bed and sat down, then called out mentally:
"System."
[Yes, Master.]
"Show me my Main Quest again."
[Understood.]
Main Quest!
Objective: Steal the Heroines from the Protagonist and tame them into becoming yours.
Heroines Tamed: 0/5
Completion Reward:
1x Wish Ticket – Allows you to make any wish, including returning to your original world with high luck and full health.
Failure Penalty:
Death. Your existence will be erased completely. No one will remember you. Your soul will suffer in eternal darkness, forever.
Note: The system will occasionally provide hints and strategies to help tame the heroines.
Benedict rubbed his chin.
"Can you give me a list of the heroines I need to tame?"
[Alright, one moment, Master.]
The golden text vanished, slowly replaced by a new set of names.
Heroines from The Chronicle of Enzo:
Rafaela: The Protagonist's first friend at the academy. She helps her mom at a bakery and makes delicious cookies.
Marisol Aurelia: Benedict's fiancée. Currently hates his guts.
Serena Violet: A quiet healer with incredible potential. May become the next Saintess.
Sierra Nightsong: A cold girl who loves stargazing.
Elara Valor: A battle-hardened girl from a renowned family of weapon masters.
Benedict thought for a moment. Time to pick his first target.
Serena? Sierra? Elara? Nope. Those three can wait—they're only accessible once he's at the academy.
That leaves Rafaela and Marisol.
What about Marisol?
"Maybe… but…" Benedict muttered to himself.
Winning over Marisol would be insanely difficult. She already hated him from the start—all because of those damn fake rumors.
Ugh! Why are people in this world so quick to believe rumors? It's like modern-day fake news, but worse.
Alright then. Decision made.
My first target will be…
Rafaela!