“You are called upon to defeat the current hero?”

The Kingdom of Adeliss was being ravaged by catastrophe. Its border directly abutted the Abyssal frontier, leaving the realm vulnerable to the rising threat of a new Abyssal Lord. While the crown prince, Liamuss, remained perpetually on the battlefield defending his father's kingdom, the youngest prince, Alex, had fallen gravely ill—an affliction that left the royal physicians in defeat.

Caught between the anguish of a father whose son lay dying beyond any cure and the burden of a king whose realm teetered on the brink of destruction, Nicholess, King of Adeliss, made a decision that most in the kingdom vehemently opposed—including his own advisors. He would summon a hero from another world. The Kingdom of Adeliss had long stood against the practice of bringing outsiders from other realms into their world, even as neighboring kingdoms embraced it. But the king harbored a different calculation: the summoned individual would possess either divine blessings or extraordinary powers. He believed this hero could help repel the Abyssal Lord's resurgence and perhaps even cure his youngest son's mysterious illness. His advisors protested fiercely. Some supported the decision, but far more opposed it, clinging stubbornly to their ancient traditions and fearful of what manner of person they might summon.

Yet the king's command was absolute. Though everyone knew he had made this choice under crushing pressure, none dared refuse him. The summoning ritual was performed, and someone from another world was brought forth—a man who gave his name as Greg. His poised demeanor immediately captivated everyone in the castle. True to the king's hopes, circumstances began to shift once the new hero arrived. Greg was dispatched directly to the battlefield, where he successfully drove back the Abyssal forces. He traveled back and forth between the front lines and the castle, reasoning that prolonged exposure on the battlefield would only allow the enemy to study his abilities. Within the castle, upon learning that the king's son lay ill, Greg appeared and offered to heal Alex. A miracle occurred—or so the king and queen declared. Alex's face no longer twisted in agony, and he could speak normally again. Word spread throughout the kingdom, and more people began to believe in Greg, including Nicholess and his wife, Sandra. But not the advisors, nor certain nobles—they remained suspicious. Some grew even more wary, though they dared not voice their concerns, for Greg's relationship with Nicholess had grown extraordinarily close.

Among the skeptics was one of King Nicholess's adoptive daughters, his third child, Fetry—a princess notorious for her rebellious nature who made no effort to hide her distrust of Greg. She became the only hope for those who opposed Greg's presence (though ironically, most of them had initially disliked Fetry herself). She was close to the king and might be able to persuade him to expel Greg. Beyond her general suspicion of outsiders, Fetry disliked Greg because of what she had observed. She couldn't prove it, but she saw how her mother, Sandra, behaved vulnerably around Greg. To the public eye, it appeared simply as a mother's relief that her child no longer suffered, profound gratitude toward her son's savior. But Fetry sensed something else—something deeper, something only a daughter could notice about her mother. That vulnerability wasn't merely a mother's gratitude; there was something more, something Sandra herself might not even be aware of, but which Greg was certainly exploiting. Fetry tried to discuss this with her adoptive mother, but Sandra always reassured her that she was overthinking it. Sandra's behavior hadn't changed, she insisted—only her response to Greg had become closer than normal boundaries would suggest.

Fetry sensed all of this but found herself powerless to act. Confronting Greg directly yielded nothing—his responses remained consistently polite, poised, like a person of dignity and wisdom. This infuriated Fetry. She confided in her two adpotive sisters (though not her brother Alex, who had grown deeply attached to Greg, seeing him as his savior, nor Liamuss, who remained perpetually at the front lines, rarely if ever returning home). Fetry spoke to her older sister, Melinda, the king's first adoptive daughter—someone Fetry greatly admired. In Liamuss's absence, Melinda had become the most reliable person in the castle. Her sound judgment, composure, and considerable charm made Fetry both envious and idolatrous. Fetry told her about the strangeness that had pervaded the castle since Greg's arrival, how their mother had grown so close to him, and how their father seemed to simply allow that intimacy to develop unchecked. But Melinda's response was unexpectedly shocking. She said she could understand why it was happening—the enormous gratitude their parents felt, gratitude so profound they might even grant an entire province in thanks for saving their child. Melinda found this understandable. Moreover, she said she believed Greg was not a bad person, because she had spoken with him extensively and concluded he was reasonable and harmless. Hearing this, Fetry fell silent. She tried in the following days to make her adoptive sister see reason, but it was futile—Fetry always lost arguments to Melinda, something she had always admired but now resented.

Besides Melinda, Fetry also confided in her younger sister, Lily, the king's third adpotive daughter. Lily had always been an naive, cheerful girl who often behaved in ways unbefitting a royal princess, quick to trust those close to her. Fetry knew Lily's weakness, and before Greg could approach Lily, Fetry would ensure that Lily despised him. Fetry spent time in the gardens talking with Lily, and because Lily was so trusting, she agreed with everything Fetry said. Slowly but surely, Lily began to grow suspicious and avoid Greg. Whenever Lily encountered or even glimpsed him, she would immediately flee. Fetry also instructed her not to listen to any praise others gave Greg, and never to hear any words from Greg himself. Lily obeyed these commands faithfully, because she trusted her sister completely.

This routine continued for several weeks. Lily followed Fetry's instructions diligently, proudly reporting to Fetry at their meetings about what she had done that day. This became a source of pride for Lily, making her even more eager to suspect Greg. Meanwhile, Fetry observed what was happening around her. She was relieved that Lily was following her instructions well, but everything else troubled her deeply. Her adoptive mother was growing even closer to Greg—he even frequently took Sandra to secluded places where they were alone together. Her father seemed either unaware or unconcerned. And Melinda was also growing closer and more trusting of Greg, spending entire days together with increasing frequency. This wasn't normal. Fetry knew this wasn't normal. Unable to bear it any longer, Fetry confronted Greg again, determined this time to corner him until he admitted the truth. But as usual, Greg defeated Fetry's arguments, even causing her to doubt herself. Before they parted, Greg issued a challenge to Fetry's conviction, inviting her to come to his chambers that night. Fetry sensed it was a trap, but unable to endure the situation any longer, she resolved to end it all.

That night, Fetry walked to Greg's chambers. Before she could knock on the door, she heard sounds—moaning, the breathless voices of two women, sounds of ecstasy and pleasure. Fetry froze. Her skin went cold, sweat poured down her face, because those weren't just any voices. Fetry recognized those two voices intimately. Before she could flee (still frozen in shock), the door opened. There she saw her adoptive mother and her adoptive older sister standing beside Greg, leaning against him, clad only in thin fabric that barely concealed anything. Greg stood in the middle, naked, unashamed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The two women pulled Fetry inside, and Greg locked the door. Fetry tried to resist, but somehow she felt incredibly weak, and her groin was soaking wet—though not from sweat. Fetry protested and tried to make her adpotive mother and adoptive sister see reason, but as always, it was futile. Melinda could always defeat Fetry in arguments, and Sandra's authority (which she wielded as both queen and mother) left Fetry with no recourse. Instead, Fetry found herself manipulated by all three of them—through twisted logic, tempting offers, and reminders of how little power she actually had. That night, pressured from all sides, Fetry surrendered.

Elsewhere, oblivious to what was happening to her adoptive older sister, Lily had formed an naive plan in her head. If Greg as a hero was truly evil, why not summon another hero? Lily had been considering this for some time, calling it a brilliant idea to herself. Secretly over the past few days, Lily had questioned several mages, guards, and advisors about how heroes were summoned. Seeing her only as a curious princess, they all provided details to the enthusiastic girl. And tonight, all the information had been gathered, and Lily knew the location: in the library, there was a passage leading downward, and there was a summoning tome. By deceiving the guards and exploiting her innocent appearance (a skill she had been honing lately), Lily finally reached the chamber beneath the library and retrieved the book. Initially intending to summon immediately (reckless as she was), but turn out she can't understand the book immediately, Lily ultimately decided to bring the book back to her chambers. In her room, Lily spent the entire night reading to understand and learn the book, and unexpectedly, she comprehended it and realized she could perform the ritual herself (a talent she hadn't known she possessed). Tomorrow she would share this wonderful news with Fetry, and thinking Lily was certain Fetry would be proud.

Yellow censorship is minor spoiler
Orange censorship is moderate spoiler
Red censorship major spoiler

#DarkFantasy #PsychologicalManipulation #SummonedHero #RoyalFamily #CorruptedRoyalty #Princess #RebelliousPrincess #FantasyIntrigue #HeroSummoning #DarkPlot #StoryDriven #MedievalFantasy #PowerDynamics #TwistedKingdom #MatureThemes

First IM: surrounded by knights and guards
Second IM: the same, but without knights and guards around it