SSS Hypnosis: I Made the Heroines Beg for Forgiveness-Chapter 22: WDYM? Miyabi?

Benedict pushed open the towering dark red door, the hinges letting out a soft creak.

He stepped into the room, a place he knew better than anywhere else. His bedroom.

The faint scent of sandalwood and old books lingered in the air.

Moonlight poured through the wide windows, casting a silver glow across the polished wooden floor and the neatly arranged antique furniture.

Without wasting a second, Benedict walked straight to the large, inviting bed at the center of the room.

He threw himself onto the mattress, the plush pillows and thick blankets wrapping around him like a long-lost embrace.

With a single motion, he grabbed another pillow and pressed it over his face, as if trying to shut out the world, to muffle the whirlwind in his head.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOTTT!" His scream came out muffled beneath the pillow.

Just moments earlier, in the living room, his system had popped up with a notification, prompting him to choose a method to tame the heroines.

There was the Pure Love route. The Stealing route. Even the Abduction route. The most reasonable option? Pure Love.

But then, there it was. The last one on the list.

[Make The Heroines Beg for Forgiveness Route]

A bizarre, twisted path that instructed him to tame the heroines by making them regret everything.

It sounded absurd. Outright cruel.

And yet... his right hand had slowly moved toward that option on its own.

He was sure, it had to be the influence of the real Benedict. He tried to stop it, reaching with his left hand to pull it back.

But his left arm was gone.

And so, his right hand pressed the button, freely.

Now he was locked into one path. No turning back.

"Make... them... regret... it..." A quiet whisper echoed inside his head, gnawing at what was left of his sanity.

"CAN YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?!" Benedict shouted, muffled once again by the pillow. At least no one else could hear.

He tossed the pillow aside and stared up at the ceiling. His whole body was limp, his face showing an exhaustion that no rest could fix.

When he finally closed his eyes, something strange crept over him. A sensation, crawling across his missing left arm.

It felt like hundreds of ants marching across flesh that no longer existed. Dry, itching.

He instinctively tried to scratch it. But of course, it wasn't there.

"Kkhhh!"

What the hell is this?! Why am I feeling an itch in a limb that's already gone?! The Cyclops destroyed that arm, so why is it still itching?!

He tried scratching his neck instead, desperate for relief. Useless. The itch was in the left arm.

Dammit! Is this what they call phantom pain?! I didn't think it would be this brutal!

His crimson eyes flared open.

[SSS Hypnosis activated – Target: Benedict Veritas]

"Stop feeling itchy!" Benedict commanded through clenched teeth. He couldn't take it anymore. There was no way he'd fall asleep like this.

Just as he spoke, the itch vanished, snapped away as if it had never existed.

Finally... peace.

He closed his eyes again, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and exhaled. Living with one arm still felt unnatural... but he just needed to hold out for one more month. It would grow back.

But just as sleep began to take him, the sound of the door creaking open pierced the silence.

His eyes flew open on reflex, and he sat up straight, turning toward the door.

Seriously?! Who the hell is it now? It's already past midnight!

Standing there in the doorway was a maid, with green hair and glowing violet eyes.

Her gaze instantly dropped from his face to his body—specifically, his missing arm. Her eyes widened in shock. Both hands flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"Young Master! What happened to your arm?!" she cried out.

She rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulder and inspecting the blackened wound where Alice had cauterized the flesh.

"Miyabi?" Benedict blinked. He hadn't expected her.

Why didn't she knock?

Then it hit him. He'd hypnotized Miyabi into believing they were close friends.

Of course... her behavior had changed because of that.

"W-Who did this to you?! Young Master, tell me! Who hurt you?!" Miyabi demanded, voice trembling.

Ever since Benedict's disappearance three days ago, Miyabi had been on edge. She'd bitten her nails raw imagining the worst possible scenarios.

What made it worse? Lord Percival didn't even seem to care.

That fury had only fueled her. She asked everyone she could, but all she got were jeers. People claimed Benedict had probably run off to some brothel.

Miyabi had beaten more than one of them bloody for saying that.

In the end, she stopped asking. She searched alone, in dangerous forests, dark caves, places no maid had business going. All just to find him.

And now he was here.

But... his left arm was gone.

Benedict felt uneasy as she gripped his shoulder, Miyabi's worry had morphed into something darker. Something desperate. Her violet eyes shimmered with a strange intensity.

"This happened during training, Miyabi," Benedict said softly. "I fought a monster. Took it down. Lost my arm in the process, but... at least I won."

He gave her a faint smile, gently patting her head.

"Y-You were training? But why? Why would you do that, Young Master? You know I'm here, right? I can protect you. You just have to rely on me!" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Heavy...

"I don't want to be seen as weak anymore, Miyabi," Benedict whispered. "And I'm tired of hearing those rumors..."

Miyabi lowered her head.

"Those rumors again... I swear, I'll kill whoever keeps spreading those lies." She muttered the words like a curse.

"...Now, can you let me rest?"

Miyabi clenched her fists. Her eyes lit up with resolve. Then, suddenly, she dropped a nuke out of nowhere.

"Young Master! Take off your clothes!"