Sung Hyun

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"When facing a dilemma you can't escape, sometimes overthinking eliminates the most unfavourable choices. Must they be the better ones in the end?"

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"Ya! Come back here! How dare you measly scum bump into me?!" He barked.

Sung Hyun pulled her straw hat down. Her fingers held onto the hat, limiting her eyes to a small peripheral vision but successfully hiding her face.

Picking up the pace as she felt the strangers footsteps behind her loom closer.

She wasn't scared. Simply, it was nothing more than to avoid meaningless conflict. Fear being an almost alien emotion to her. In her 18 years of life, she's always been the stronger one. Not physically, but instead mentally. And with her skillful strategic fighting style, she was almost invincible.

The sword in the scabbard hanging on her waist, once unsheathed, would become an extension to her hands.

An arm wraps around Sung Hyun's neck robbing air from her lungs as she struggled to get out of his grasp. She felt him lean closer to her with his strong arms holding her neck in place she couldn't sneak a peak at him.

"You think you can just run away?" he cooed into Sung Hyuns ears, a hint of amusement in his husky voice.

Struggling to breathe as she tugged on his arms, "Hey! Let me go!" She managed to plead in between breathes. 'You bastard if you let me go you're dead!' she spat, holding back her thoughts till she can escape from him. She kept struggling, tugging on his arm and tapping on it but to no avail.

He snickered, "Who are you to bump into me and just walk away? You need to be punished!" Sung Hyun could feel the muscles in his forearms tense for a second, "Yah! Do you even know who I am?" he questioned. The veins of his forearms pulsating.

Not able to acumen well; Her words come out as challenging. "Do I look like I even care to know?" She spat with the little air she managed to steal back.

The arm around her neck tightened, making her regret using up her last breathe to ridicule him. She stood up on the tips of her toes, thinking that will help her breathe but that didn't help her much. She tapped on his forearms frantically admitting defeat.

A wide grin formed on his face, satisfied at Sung Hyun's reaction. He loosened his grip just a little to allow her some air.

"F-fine, I, I care..." she muttered, losing all hope of overpowering him in the situation.

He nodded in approval, "Good that you're starting to understand." he asserted still refusing to let go of her.

"Get back up or I'll hurt you!" someone growled in the distance. His words echoing throughout the street; stealing all eyes.

The stranger's arm loosened around Sung Hyun's neck. Feeling air rush into her lungs which gave her a little more vim. She pushed his arm up sliding her way out of his grasp. Taking few steps forward before looking back to peek at the stranger.

He was handsome. His long silken hair tugged into a topknot. The manggeon around his head indicated his higher class. Fierce brown eyes. His facial structure screamed that of a noble of this time.

He almost seemed to forget the person in front of him. Looking past Sung Hyun.

She shakes head, adjusting her satgat. 'What are you thinking about pabo!' She muttered to herself as she lightly slapped her cheeks trying to regain her composure.

Her chocolate eyes followed the direction from which the commotion came from.

Seemingly endless lines of men and women. All tied up and beaten. Their clothes covered in dust and dirt. Blood, sweat, and tears covered their whole bodies as they kept being dragged away. Each one had ropes tying them to the ones in front and behind them.

Weak defenceless people were always the easiest to be taken as slaves.

A concubine and eunuch tribute sent to the king most probably. That's all they are to their king. Sung Hyun shook her head, disappointed at the world she's been born into. The wealthy almost always had everything their way at the expense of the poor.

At the back of the line was a little girl on her knees, hay and twigs tangled up in her braid, struggling to obey the palace soldiers command. Her face not visible to Sung Hyun, instead she could see her trembling back. How could they take her as a possible concubine? It's utterly vile and repulsive.

Her agonizing pleads urged Sung Hyun to somehow easy her mental pain. Sung Hyun's brows drew together, 'How can I witness this without helping the poor child?!' her heart howled at her, begging for a way to help the little girl.

Sung Hyun's didn't have the time to strategize. She hated being impulsive, her heart always won over her mind. Though this idiosyncrasy of hers warranted no regret. At least to Sung Hyun. Regret comes from the heart so she always liked to please it first.

One hand on the scabbard as the other grabbed the handle of her father's sword. The etching on the handle found comfort in her palms. Sung Hyun tightened her grip on the swords handle which awaited it's master to unsheathe it.

She could count at least 7 of the palace men around the tribute of people. They would outnumber her in seconds. Her mind presented all the rational reasons why she shouldn't run into this death trap but her feet had a mind of its own. She picked up the pace.

"She's only a little girl, please let her go!" A familiar voice wailed, Sung Hyun stomach dropped at just the thought of who it maybe. Her lungs demanded more air. All the muscles in her body tensed and her eyes land on a female. She wore a white hanbok, torn in places and covered in dust and dirt. Sung Hyun could see her side profile. Her heart dropped to the depth of her stomach.

Her mother is a tribute.