Summoned by Mistake, Wanted by Demons, Feared by Humans

[Demon King' pov: Late Night in Her Study ]

A lone candle flickered on the desk, its dim light illuminating the stacks of parchment scattered before her. Reports from the war front. Political requests. Tedious matters that should have held her full attention.

Yet her thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.

Kaito…

She exhaled slowly, tapping her fingers against the desk. A summoned human appearing in her domain was already an anomaly, but this one was something else entirely.

At first, she considered eliminating him. The safest, simplest choice. Yet the moment she laid eyes on him, something felt... off.

Not in the usual way humans were 'off.'

Summoned heroes typically had a presence—an aura of divine authority, an unnatural confidence, or at least some desperate drive to prove themselves. But he lacked all of that. His magic was unrefined. His presence was muted.

And yet, the air around him felt unpredictable.

Chaotic.

Like an unshackled variable in an already unstable equation. He wasn't a hero, but he wasn't some weak fool either. Not strong. Not weak. Just… dangerous in a different way.

That alone was enough to make her hesitate.

She rubbed her temple, letting out a quiet chuckle. "Hah… I almost feel bad for the humans."

Because if he had landed in their kingdom instead—

What a disaster that would've been.

A summoned hero is expected to be noble, disciplined, or at least useful. But this one? His first reaction upon arriving in another world wasn't awe, fear, or determination.

No. He had looked around, sighed heavily, and muttered something under his breath. Too quiet for her to hear at the time, but the sheer exasperation on his face had been priceless.

That alone told her everything she needed to know.

If the humans had gotten him, what then? Would he have followed their orders? Obeyed their king like a loyal pawn?

…No.

More likely, he would have caused absolute chaos in their ranks. Not out of malice—no, that would have been too simple. But because his very existence seemed to resist order.

He'd mock the wrong noble. Accidentally seduce a princess. Say something sarcastic and somehow start a war.

And when the kingdom finally realized he was a walking disaster, they'd panic, try to control him… and fail miserably.

The thought alone was amusing.

Hah… Maybe I should thank whatever idiot botched that summoning ritual.

She smirked, shifting her gaze back to the documents before her. The humans had their 'hero.' She had this. A chaotic, unpredictable fool who might just shake the world in ways no one expected.

And for now?

She would watch.

Let's see where this goes.

---

[ Kaito's pov ]

The heavy wooden door clunked shut behind him. A metallic click followed—undoubtedly a lock.

Kaito let out a slow, exhausted breath.

"Well, that happened."

He glanced around. The so-called prison was… weirdly nice. A massive bed with dark red sheets. A stone fireplace, still burning. A desk, a bookshelf, and even a cushioned chair by the window. It had the aesthetic of a villain's lair, but in terms of comfort?

Yeah, this is basically a luxury suite.

If not for the fact that he was, y'know, being held captive by a literal Demon King, he might've been impressed.

Kaito slumped onto the bed, arms spread out as he stared at the ceiling. His mind replayed the series of increasingly ridiculous events that led to this moment.

He got summoned.

Almost enslaved.

Then claimed by a Demon King like some rare collectible.

And now? He was stuck in a high-class demon Airbnb with no clue what to do next.

"…Is this a hostage situation, or am I a guest? Because I feel like I skipped the briefing."

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to process it all. He didn't know much about the rules of this world, but one thing was certain—he was not where a summoned hero was supposed to be.

Which meant two things:

1. The people who actually summoned him were probably freaking out right now.

2. The Demon King didn't just kill him, which meant she had some reason for keeping him alive.

Neither of those facts were particularly reassuring.

Great. Just great. I didn't even get the standard isekai tutorial. Where's my old man mentor? My goddess? My free legendary sword?

He exhaled sharply, sitting up. Panicking wouldn't help. He needed to figure out his situation. What did he know?

✔ He was in the Demon King's castle.

✔ He wasn't in a dungeon, but he was locked in.

✔ She didn't see him as an immediate threat. (Or she was just toying with him. Either option sucked.)

✔ He had no clue what his abilities were or if he could even fight.

"…Yeah, I'm totally f***ed."

Kaito let himself fall back onto the bed, rubbing his face.

Okay, think. The smart move was to gather information. Observe. Figure out what the Demon King wanted. And most importantly?

Not die.

With a heavy sigh, he rolled onto his side, staring at the flickering fire. He had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but one thing was certain.

This world was not going to give him an easy start.

Kaito clenched his fists and let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"So this is how it ends… Trapped in a demon castle, awaiting an uncertain fate. My dreams of a normal, peaceful life… gone."

He wiped away a nonexistent tear.

"If only… if only I had one last wish before I met my cruel demise…"

He paused, then sat up, raising a finger as if he had just realized something.

"...Actually, wait. Is room service a thing here? Because if I'm going to die, I'd at least like a proper meal first."

Silence.

Then he flopped back down with another fake sob.

"Fate is truly cruel… No harem, no riches, no grand adventure… Just a single guy, alone in a fancy prison, ranting to himself. How tragic."

Then, suddenly, an image popped into his head.

What if his brother found out about this?

Oh no.

Kaito sat up immediately, wide-eyed. He could already hear the mocking voice in his head.

— "Wait, wait, lemme get this straight. You got summoned to another world… and instead of becoming a legendary hero… you got captured by the Demon King?"

— "Bro. BRO. Are you for real? You're telling me you got isekai'd, and your first achievement is becoming a hostage?!"

— "Man, at least get a harem first! What are you doing??"

Kaito groaned, covering his face. "Oh god, he'd never let me live this down…"

Forget escaping. If there was one thing he had to ensure in this world, it was that his brother never, ever found out about this.

Ever.

With that new, deeply disturbing thought in his mind, Kaito let out one last sigh and rolled onto his side.

"...Nah, but for real, I hope they at least serve breakfast here."

And with that, he closed his eyes, awaiting whatever nonsense awaited him in the morning.

---

[ Midnight ]

Kaito lay on the unfamiliar bed, staring at the dark ceiling of his prison. It had been one hell of a day. Abducted, thrown into demon territory, "claimed" by a literal Demon King, and now locked in a fancy but suspiciously comfortable room.

He closed his eyes.

(Just sleep. Worry about everything tomorrow.)

Then—

CREEEAAAK.

His blood ran cold.

The door… was opening.

Very. Slowly.

His body tensed instinctively. His mind raced through worst-case scenarios—assassins, torture, maybe some eldritch demon beast sneaking in to devour him in his sleep—

SHADOWY FIGURE.

(Nope. I'm dead. This is it.)

Kaito forced himself motionless, trying to breathe evenly. If it was some kind of predator, maybe playing dead would—

CLINK.

Something metal? Not a weapon—something softer? He risked opening one eye, just barely.

The shadowy figure… was a maid.

…A terrified-looking maid, clutching a food tray like it was a shield.

(Wait… SHE looks more scared than me?)

Kaito slowly sat up, heart still pounding. The moment he moved—

The maid flinched.

(…I just survived an encounter with a Demon King, and yet SHE'S the one afraid of ME? What kind of messed-up world is this?)

To break the awkwardness, he forced out a weak chuckle.

"Y-you know, sneaking into a guy's room at midnight with food? That's kinda suspicious."

The maid visibly stiffened. Her sharp crimson eyes darted around, as if expecting him to pounce any second.

"I-I'm just delivering your meal! Please don't attack!"

Kaito blinked.

(…Attack? What the hell does she think I'm gonna do? Bite her?)

He raised his hands slowly, like a hostage negotiating with his captor. "Lady… I don't even know where I am. What exactly do you think I'm gonna do?"

She hesitated, then gripped the tray tighter.

"Demon King-sama said you're… um…" She trailed off.

"I'm what?"

A pause. Then—

"…Unpredictable."

Kaito just stared.

(…That's just a fancy way of saying we have no idea if this guy's dangerous or just an idiot.)

His heart finally started to slow down, the initial terror shifting into exhausted disbelief.

"Right. So, what, you guys think I'll just randomly explode if I don't eat?"

The maid hesitated—then nodded.

Kaito dragged a hand down his face.

(…I hate that I genuinely don't know if they're wrong.)

"Fine. Let's test that theory."

With exaggerated slowness, he picked up a spoonful of soup. The maid tensed.

He ate it.

…Nothing happened.

Kaito sighed dramatically. "Damn. Guess I stay human for now."

The maid exhaled sharply, looking like she had just survived a life-or-death encounter. Then, without another word, she bowed, turned, and bolted out the door.

Kaito stared at the empty doorway.

Then at his soup.

Then back at the doorway.

Then back at his soup.

"…What the hell just happened?"

---

[ Maid's POV ]

Veyna took a deep breath. Her hands trembled as she clutched the silver tray.

(Just deliver the food. Don't make eye contact. Don't let him talk too much. And whatever you do—DON'T make him angry.)

Her fellow maids had been whispering all evening. The new guest was a human, yet claimed by the Demon King herself. That alone was bizarre enough. But the rumors…

"He's not a normal human."

"He survived the Demon King's grasp. Without a scratch!"

"The way he spoke to her… without fear? He must be insane."

"No, he must be dangerous. She wouldn't keep someone useless alive."

(If he's dangerous, then why am I the one delivering his food?! Where's that idiot guard who was supposed to come with me?!)

Veyna swallowed hard as she approached the door. She hesitated.

(What if he's not asleep? What if he's just… waiting? Watching the door? What if—)

She shook her head. No. Stop it. Get this over with.

CREEEAAAK.

As soon as the door opened, she saw him—sitting upright in bed, staring directly at her.

Her soul nearly left her body.

(No no no no no—why is he awake?! Why is he just staring like that?! Does he already know I'm here?!)

Her grip on the tray tightened as she forced herself inside. Her instincts screamed at her to RUN.

He moved. She flinched.

(Oh gods, he's going to attack—)

"Y-you know, sneaking into a guy's room at midnight with food? That's kinda suspicious."

…What?

Veyna froze. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn't that.

His voice was tired, almost annoyed. He didn't seem hostile—but wasn't that worse?! He was too calm! Like he knew she wouldn't dare challenge him!

She blurted out the first thing in her panicked mind. "I-I'm just delivering your meal! Please don't attack!"

…Wait.

Why did she say that?! That sounded like she was accusing him! What if he took offense?!

Kaito blinked. He looked confused.

"…Attack? What the hell do you think I'm gonna do?"

Veyna bit her tongue. She couldn't tell him the truth!

('Oh, you know. The castle staff thinks you might be an unpredictable monster in human skin, and I was told to avoid angering you at all costs.')

Instead, she awkwardly shifted and muttered, "Demon King-sama said you're… um… unpredictable."

He just stared at her.

Then, to her horror, he smirked. "Right. So, what, you guys think I'll just randomly explode if I don't eat?"

Veyna didn't know how to answer that.

So she just nodded.

Kaito's face dropped into his hands. "…I hate that I don't know if you're wrong."

She watched in fearful silence as he picked up his spoon. Slowly.

(Oh gods, this is it. What if something happens? What if the moment he eats—)

He ate it.

Nothing happened.

A long pause.

Then, he sighed. "Damn. Guess I stay human for now."

…Was that a joke? Did he just joke about being something else?!

Veyna didn't wait to find out.

She turned, bowed quickly, and sprinted out of the room like her life depended on it.

Because, for all she knew—

It did.