Jimin was an orphan. He had never seen his parents as a child, so he probably was an orphan.
He was a slave as well. A brand on his shoulder marked him as such, and at that time, he was called slave ninety-five.
— Slave ninety-five, try again.
Jimin was trained in a famous assassins' guild from an early age. At that time, there were perhaps hundreds of slaves of similar age who were trained like him. A dozen of children would die a day from the harsh training, and a dozen more would be brought in to replace them. With such a quick turnover, he could never remember the boy sleeping next to him.
However, he was not a slave at the assassins' guild from the start.
The earliest memory he had was of being a slave to a little girl. And that little girl had a sociopathic curiosity.
— How hot would it be if I put this cigar on your body?
The girl's favorite pastime was to have her servants hold him while she pressed the hot end of a cigar against his chest. She always smiled when she saw him writhe in pain.
—I told you that my shoes must always be polished. Did you forget that?
— I-I never heard that order...
— Talking back really will get you into trouble.
The young lady always hurt Jimin for his mistakes. At first he thought his punishments were dispensed unfairly, but later he realized that she did this purely for entertainment. She would abuse him even if she did not have the reason to do so—she simply enjoyed his look of resentment.
— These bugs are so gross. Hmmm...I wonder what they taste like?
Dozens of bugs were forced down Jimin's throat.
— How dare you glare at me like that? Lock him up in the shed and don't give him food for three days!
Whenever something went wrong for the girl, she would take out her anger on Jimin. There was little chance he could escape this life.
One time, she pressed a hot cigar on his skin as usual, and him, thrashing from the heat and fear, tore the girl's new dress.
The sound of her dress being ripped was louder than thunder to his ears.
— Kkyaaa! How dare you ruin my dress?
The girl wailed and went to her father to complain, her cheeks dripping with tears. The father ended up buying the girl a new dress with the money he received from selling Jimin to the assassination guild.
That was the last of the most comfortable slave life Jimin ever remembered.
While he suffered vicious abuse from the little girl, he never felt the threat of death as closely as he did in the assassinations' guild. Each day was like walking on thin ice, and the slightest slip-up could spell doom. Young boys weren't very useful; they weren't good for hard labor, and they took up a lot of time and food before they reached adulthood. As a result, young male slaves were considered cheap and relatively disposable. The cost of treating injuries for slaves was deemed too expensive for the guild, and the instructors were cruel and pitiless.
Jimin knew he had to follow the instructor's words, or else he would die. It wasn't an exaggeration, and more than once a boy came back as a cold body.
And so, Jimin did everything the instructor told him to do to survive.
— From now on, only one in seven of your group can escape from here alive. There will be no food until there is one left.
At that time, Jimin lived without thinking. He only moved when the instructors told him to move, and killed when they told him to kill. He was simply an empty puppet that moved on command, and it never occurred to him that something was deeply wrong with this life.
As time went by, Jimin grew older and gradually began to draw attention for his outstanding skills. Against all odds, he graduated from his hellish training, then began to take assignments from the assassinations' guild.
[Baron Koldeu's butler. Male in his 30s. Make it look like a natural death.]
Mission complete.
[Top government official of Haruk. Male in his 50s. After his death, retrieve his confidential documents.]
Mission complete.
[Viscountess Brica. Woman in her 20s. Make it look like she was assaulted by burglars.]
He never failed. As a result, he received the highest number of assignments from the guild.
Jimin's last mission was this.
[The Crown Prince of Ruford Empire. Kill by any means and methods.]
Only the elite talents were selected to attack the barracks where Jungkook was sleeping. There were about twenty assassins in total, and with this number, a high-rank noble would die without even the birds and mice noticing.
Jungkook wasn't too old at the time, and therefore wasn't classified as a difficult opponent. If the assassination was successful, the reward would be so high that many people were assigned to the mission to guarantee its success.
Jimin, the youngest of them, took his surveillance role outside the barracks and readied himself for any enemy backup.
The rest of the team drew out their weapons and slipped into the barracks where Jungkook was sleeping.
— Aaaaaagh!
A terrible scream split the air.
At first, Jimin thought it was Jungkook's voice, but then he soon realized several people were screaming. Sensing something had gone awry, Jimin fled towards the barracks. At that moment, he thought that the plot had been leaked and an ambush had been waiting for them.
When he arrived at the scene, however, there was only one person. The young man's hair, darker than the night sky, fluttered in the wind as he looked at his enemies with cold, pale blue eyes.
Jimin was staggered by that single look. It was not an emotion that could be described in words, but he understood why that young man was a prince. Jungkook was different from the others, and at first sight Jimin knew he was superior to anyone.
What was immediately urgent, however, were the black scales on the young man's right arm. Jimin watched as Jungkook used that monstrous arm to grab a man and tear him apart. He moved quickly and efficiently, as if from practiced experience.
— A monster!
About half of the men were quickly disposed of, and the rest lost their nerve and began to flee. Jungkook lunged after them, while Jimin was the only one from the group who pulled out his sword. At that moment, Jungkook's blue eyes flashed in the night as he whirled at Jimin.
— ...You're not running.
Jimin still didn't know exactly what Jungkook meant then.
And so, they began to fight each other to the death. Jungkook was the strongest opponent Jimin had ever faced. He fought like his life depended on it, but in the end, he was forced to suffer a defeat like the other assassins.
— Haa, haa.
Jimin's heaved in his last breaths. He felt the cold, scaly touch of Jungkook's hand on his neck and knew it was over. His eyes closed as he awaited the final blow...no pain came.
He opened his eyes. Jungkook was staring straight at him. Jimin spoke in a rasping voice.
— Kill me quickly.
— I'm curious to know, so answer me before you die. Did you intentionally buy time to save your colleagues?
Jimin didn't notice that the rest had fled while he was fighting Jungkook. The other assassins had seen the prince's terrifying strength. Jiminalready knew that they would abandon him, but it didn't matter as he wasn't fighting to save them.
He looked up at Jungkook with his emotionless gray eyes and replied.
— If I fail the mission anyway, I will die. I didn't see the purpose in running.
— But everyone who ran away from me will live just a little longer.
Jungkook's words were not wrong, and since all the assassins here were the best from the guild, it was likely that he couldn't kill all of them anyway.
Jimin hadn't even considered that. It was ingrained in him since he was a young boy that failure meant death. He lived a life without any other driving purpose, and Death was simply a constant companion.
This was the moment now. Jimin spoke in a weakened voice.
— What does it matter to struggle just to live a little longer?
— It doesn't. I was just trying to save your colleagues by killing them painlessly...but I change my mind.
For some reason, Jungkook gave a dark grin.
—I think I'll be the one damaged if I kill someone who already wants to die.
Jungkook released his choke hold from Jimin's neck, who coughed and heaved in a rasping lungful of air.
—You're my hostage until I find and kill all the men who ran away.
Jungkook then took Jimin's right arm and crushed it with his hand.
The sound of bones twisting and cracking sounded in the air.
— Aaaaahh!
Jimin screamed as pain rocketed through his body, and he looked up with unseeing eyes. Jungkook then spoke in a deeper, more commanding voice than before.
— Consider this an informal punishment. I won't kill you, but I'll give you pain that will make you wish you were dead.
Jimin repeated the words in his head. Jungkook was insane...
That was Jimin's first meeting with the Crown Prince.
Jungkook kept Jimin as his hostage after that, and Jimin spent his time studying the prince. The fact that Jungkook was brutal and intelligent was an understatement. He was a man of towering charisma. True to his word, Jungkook hunted down the rest of the fleeing assassins and killed each of them. He had no intention of sparing those who intended to slit his throat.
As Jiminsaw his comrades die, he too felt his time left in this world was numbered. But he didn't feel sorry for himself. He just waited until it was his turn next.
And yet, Jimin felt a certain pleasure at seeing Jungkook destroy the assassinations' guild as well, the place where he was forced to train and survive in his childhood. Only later did he realize that the satisfied feeling in his gut was vengeance against those who had made him suffer. Jungkook had disposed of almost all the guild members, and there were only a few runaways left.
One day, Jungkook spoke to him in a nonchalant tone.
—Considering the brand on your back, you must have been a slave. How did you become an assassin?
There wasn't anything for Jimin to hide, so he briefly explained how he once served an abusive young girl, and how he had accidentally tore her dress. After that, he was sold to the assassins' guild.
Jungkook smiled as if he found amusement in that story.
But that night...
Jungkook took him back to the mansion where he served as a slave. He never realized how much resentment he held for that place. The young girl was older now, and was in an important position at the head of the family. Jimin had a good idea what Jungkook intended for him.
Jungkook unshackled Jimin's chains for the first time since he captured him, then threw a sword at him.
Jimin looked on suspiciously, and Jungkook replied in a flat voice.
— What are you doing? Not taking your revenge.
For the first time, Jimin did not hate spilling blood with his own hands. The world had changed a little after Jungkook captured him. He had lived as a puppet for years, but now he was beginning to understand what it was like to be alive.
On the way back from taking his childhood revenge, Kuhn asked him a question.
—Did you bring me here because of my story?
— No. The weather was nice and I wanted to go out for a night's stroll.
At Jungkook's vague answer, Jimin smiled for the first time.
—What's your name?
— Slave ninety-five.
—No, you don't have a name other than that?
—...
He gave no answer, so Jungkook spoke again.
— If you don't have one, choose something you like. It's hard for me to call out to you otherwise.
Jimin thought for a moment, then answered without difficulty. It was a word he had heard before.
— Then call me Jimin.
— Jimin? That's too unsophisticated. Why that name?
—I've heard it before. Somewhere it means light...
There was nothing more inappropriate for him than the word light. However, whenever he was locked in a dark room, he would look up towards the sun. Jimin had had dreams about that warm, shining light.
—Very well, Jimin...it sounds good. Do you have a surname?
— Isn't that too much for a slave? Do I need a surname?
— Choose or else I will.
Jimin swallowed a swear, and spoke the first word that came into his mind.
—Then I'll take Kasha.
—Kasha? The surname of the family that owned you?
—Yes. It's where my memories started anyway.
— You are an odd one ....
Jungkook didn't say anything more about Jimin's decision. As they wandered through the streets at night, Jungkook spoke up once again.
— Jimin Kasha.
— ...Yes.
— Would you like to serve me?
Jimin, who was walking behind Jungkook, stopped. Jungkook glanced back at him and spoke in a casual voice.
— You're not a slave. You will be an employee. I will give you titles and a salary according to your ability.
—... Are you being serious?
— Haven't you seen me so far?
Jimin was convinced by those words. Jungkook was a man who didn't know how to joke.
For him, a former slave, this was an extraordinary opportunity. There was no reason to hesitate, but he found himself unable to give a prompt answer. Jungkook stared at Jimin for another moment and then walked forward again, speaking without looking back.
— If you don't want it, go now. There's nothing more I have to say.
There was not a shadow of doubt of the path Jimin had to take. There was no guild to return to. He had believed that his life would be over sooner or later, but Jungkook seemed to have no intention of taking it.
Jimin's internal debate did not last long, and he caught up to Jungkook's retreating back.
— I owe you my life. I'll pay you back.
— Very well.
It was the beginning of the two men's journey down the same road, and Jimin served only Jungkook since then. He hadn't the smallest regret for living and breathing for Jungkook. He didn't need much, other than a single phrase at the end of every mission.
— Thank you.
That was all the reward in the world.
Jimin returned to the Crown Prince's palace and stood in front of Jungkook's office. Roseanne's tears tugged at his heart, but he forced himself to simply walked forward.
He knocked on the door, and a voice came from the room in reply.
"Come in."
Permission granted to him, Jimin opened the office door and stepped inside. Jungkook looked surprised to see him, and he gave a curt bow.
"I've returned."
Where he belonged.