Forever Rose ✓ k.th

Prologue

Romania, 2nd of January Year 1839

A rather horrendous than fortunate day welcomes a boy named Taehyung, mischievous and effervescent poor citizen currently living underneath the rules of the king. Today he has to barter the meat he hunted from the woods to gain silvers and pay for his family's debts.

This is his everyday routine as he is the only male child that his mother has. His scoundrel of a father died because of his idiocy right after his mother gave birth to his seventh sister. Not to mention that his father is the cause of all the miseries he encountered in his life. The only thing that he is holding onto right now is his family who is counting on him.

"Got you a lot today," He addressed to the old lady utilizing the stall he always worked for. "I got you a deer and a bore." He arranged the flesh of the animals he caught on a wooden table.

His hands and clothes soaked in blood after bearing it for a mile on his shoulders. The old grumpy lady threw his payment on the ground unmannerly. He sighed before picking all the silvers up. Forging a smile to the lady, he counts the heavy things in his hand and perceived that she still owes him one more silver.

"I believe you miscounted my payment for today?" He looked up at the woman and in return, he received a glowered look from her.

"The demand for the trading of meats is apparently inflated," The woman explained. "That is all I can give you right now."

"Oh, alright then." Disappointment washes all over his face. He thinks he deserved more. Hunting a deer and fortunately seizing a wild bore out of nowhere doesn't usually happen in a day, and yet, he has been deprived again.

He promised the family of Micherechi that he will give him five silvers yet he lacks one more. Making his way towards the mansion of the clan that his family owes, he stumbled upon an alley where the crowd is all lined up to see what's happening.

Taehyung being his impertinent self, he squeezed his way in between people who are much bigger and powerful than him. "What is happening here?" The moment he reached the front he asked a rather odd-looking guy that seems to be knowledgeable about the current situation.

"It is a sword fight. An obscure man suddenly sorted an outrageous event to obtain fifteen golds." The man sounded enthusiastic.

"Golds? As a prize?" Taehyung was eager to know more. "What is the pursuit of this battle?"

"You have to kill your opponent."

Taehyung tipped his head on the side and ambiguity rushes all over his body. Thinking about the reward, he came to a realization that getting ahold of those gleaming bars of gold will end his woebegone life. He could even make his family's life much more pleasant.

"How can you enter?" He strengthened his posture even more because of the people unintentionally pushing him from the back.

"You have to pay a fee. Are you interested to join, lad?" The old man looked at Taehyung like he is deducing whether he will survive the fight or not.

"I am," Taehyung naively smiled. "What is the fee?" He questioned while he endures the throbbing pain he is receiving because of the nuisance happening at the back.

"Anything valuable. So, are you joining the duel?" The old man asked back and the young boy nodded fervently at him.

He used the silvers he got from his morning barter at the market as payment. According to the old man, the rules are simple. Kill every contender you will face and when you became the last man standing out of all the challengers, you win fifteen gold bars.