Chapter 46 - We'll Definitely Meet, Even if it's Late

First, starting with the oldest letter...

Rip.

Emma neatly opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.

And while checking the envelope one last time, she found another strange point.

It doesn't say where this letter came from.

Besides that, there was no stamp attached, and even the recipient's address wasn't written.

Then how was this letter delivered here...?

There were many strange points, but Emma decided to read the letter for now.

「To Kid.

Kid, how are you? As for me... I'm not doing well.

I can't sleep at night, probably because my sleeping place has changed.

When darkness comes, I sometimes feel tormented by the emptiness in my heart, and I deeply regret the past, thinking, 'I shouldn't have done that back then.'

Among those, what comes to my mind is only you.

So I'll write often.

Fortunately, I get along well with the friends here, so I think I can send you a letter once a week.

Of course, I don't know if this letter will reach you...

I'll try to have the kids deliver the letter to you.

I want to see you again soon.

April 26, 1871.

– JJ, who only thinks of you」

"...What is this."

Emma tilted her head as soon as she finished reading the letter.

That was because...

Doesn't this look just like a love letter sent to a loved one?

Boss... did he perhaps have someone he promised love to?

…

Crumple.

And then he tried to seduce me asking to eat together and drink together?

Emma's face, which was always cold like a stone statue, started to crack slightly.

Feeling an inexplicable irritation rising, Emma continued reading the next letter.

The sender sent letters weekly as promised in the previous letter.

「To Kid.

Kid! How was your day today?

Did you sleep well? Are you eating well?

I've adapted well and am living quite well in my own way.

The food, though poor, suits my taste, and I'm sleeping well now too.

I've always been quick to adapt, hehe.

In the end, the kids couldn't find you.

I miss you, Kid.

Where on earth did you go? Did you leave San Francisco completely?

If you left San Francisco, did you go back to New Mexico?

Or did you leave America altogether?

The kids are still trying, so maybe they'll be able to find you again someday.

I truly miss you.

Let's definitely meet again someday.

May 3, 1871.

– JJ, who only thinks of you」

It seemed this letter sender “JJ” was in a situation where they couldn't leave their place.

They said they'd try to find where Noah was by sending “the kids”, but it seemed they couldn't find him in the end...

Well, though Justice Town had quite a few people passing through, it was still a backwater among backwaters.

It wouldn't have been easy to find Noah living quietly as a bounty hunter in a small town without even a library or hospital.

Also, who was this letter sender, and who were “the kids” mentioned in the letter?

Emma had opened the letters curious about Noah's past, but even after opening two, she couldn't find any particular clues.

Noah was surely sleeping now, intoxicated by the painkillers.

Emma hesitated whether to return to Noah, but...

I should read a few more just in case.

She soon reached for other letters.

As time passed reading the letters...

Emma, who initially intended to read just a few, ended up reading dozens in one sitting as it became quite interesting.

But Emma found it difficult to find specific clues about Noah's past in the other letters too.

The letter sender “JJ” only wrote about how their mood was today, their condition, what they did, and that they missed Noah.

Of course, there were things she learned.

Namely, that the letter sender “JJ” liked Noah very much.

JJ's handwriting was very elegant and pretty.

Above all, their affection for Noah was deeply felt.

Were they childhood friends with the boss? They first met at age 6?

Based on the information in the letters and the handwriting, Emma imagined JJ as a beautiful woman in her early 20s with thin, slender fingers.

Setting aside his personality and looking objectively at just his face, Noah was handsome... no, honestly very handsome...

Noah and JJ were probably a well-matched couple.

...But why am I thinking like this?

Emma imagined herself standing next to Noah instead of JJ and was startled...

Slap.

She hit her own cheek.

It seemed she had such an absurd imagination after reading someone else's love letters.

Anyway, it didn't seem like she'd find Noah's past that she wanted even if she read more letters...

So Emma put down the letters, making that the last one.

Hmm, it seems the boss hasn't been here for a very long time, does he know about the existence of these letters?

And as she turned around, wondering if she should tell Noah about the existence of these letters...

"Hmm...?"

The envelope of the next letter caught Emma's eye as she was about to leave the room.

Originally, the other envelopes...

…had phrases like [From JJ to Noah] written on the outside along with the date the letter was written.

But just this next envelope...

"Nothing's written on it."

No phrase or date was written.

All the other letter envelopes showed a unified appearance, but this one alone had nothing written on it, so it stood out.

Should I check just that one last one?

So Emma reached for the letter envelope with nothing written on it.

Since it was between March 1, 1872, and March 15, 1872, Emma could tell this was a letter written on March 8, 1872.

And...

Rip.

"...Huh?"

As soon as she opened the envelope and took out the letter, Emma could immediately tell that the letter was completely different from the others.

That was because...

The elegant handwriting from before was gone, replaced by scribbled writing as if agitated, with traces of erasure in many places and a complete mess.

Emma swallowed dry saliva once and read the letter.

「To Kid.

Noah, Kid, Noah, Kid.

Are you doing well?

Do you remember what day it is today? Of course you remember!

If you recall what day it is today, I hope you'll understand that I'm not feeling well.

Actually, I'm not feeling well today and couldn't sleep well.

...No.

No no no no no.

Actually, I haven't slept properly for the past year.

I'm sorry.

The food suiting my taste and making new friends here were all lies.

I... have only thought of you here.」

"..."

Even just reading up to the middle content, the condition of the letter sender JJ was clearly different from other letters.

Why is only this letter different?

Emma decided to finish reading the letter for now.

「Kid.

Noah.

Kid.

Noah.

...Dokgo-young.」

"...Dokgo-young?"

In the next paragraph, JJ wrote names sparsely as if in pain.

What stood out among them was the name Dokgo-young.

"A person's name? Or a place name..."

It was an unfamiliar naming.

It could be an Indian tribe name or an animal name.

「Last year... why did you do that?

March 8...

Thank you, Kid!

Thanks to you, I had an unforgettable birthday.

...

...You should have killed me too.

If you had killed me too, I wouldn't be suffering like this.」

From the next paragraph, traces of curses towards Noah that were later erased with a ballpoint pen appeared.

After wandering on the letter paper for a while like that, JJ soon regained their senses and conveyed their last words to Noah in the next paragraph.

「Kid! I met the kids after a long time yesterday.

The kids said they still haven't found you!

The kids can't find you and I'm trapped here.

But you know what, Kid! Remember this!

I'll come find you again.

I'll definitely come, even if it's late.

I hope that day comes soon.

So—」

"Emma."

"...!"

Just as she read that far, a voice calling her was heard from behind.

"...What are you doing?"

"...Boss, why aren't you sleeping?"

It was Noah, who she thought would surely be sleeping.

Noah was looking at Emma reading the letter with suspicious eyes, though his eyes were drowsy due to the painkiller's effect.

Emma was in trouble.

If she was caught secretly reading letters sent to Noah, he would surely be very angry.

But...

"...What are those things behind?"

"...Pardon?"

It seemed Noah didn't know what these letters were at all.

"These are letters sent by someone named JJ for 3 years while you were in Justice Town. You really didn't know?"

"...What?"

Noah's expression changed at the mention of JJ, and he strode over and snatched the letter Emma was reading.

And soon, seeing Noah's face as he read the letter...

...Huh?

...Emma couldn't help but flinch.

Is it because the painkiller's effect hadn't worn off and his wounds hurt too much?

Or is it because the painkiller's effect was too strong and his mind was strange?

Noah looked like someone gritting their teeth and holding back tears.

At this, Emma was somehow reminded of what Django had said.

— Mr. Noah. We are all the same humans.

It was a funny thing to say, but right now, to Emma's eyes, Noah...

"Damn. This is why I didn't want to come to this fucking San Francisco."

…looked like the same human as her.

One who felt pain when hurt and shed tears when sad...

The same human.

"..."

So Emma was about to leave the room to give Noah time to sort out his feelings alone...

...Wait.

Realizing an important fact she almost forgot, she asked Noah:

"...Boss, didn't you say no one knows the location of this villa?"

"..."

At Emma's question, Noah let out a small sigh and answered, "...To be precise, there's no one who knows left in San Francisco. But why?"

"Then who put those letters here?"

"...!"

The letters were being delivered here exactly at one-week intervals up to recent dates.

In fact, that wasn't the only strange point.

"And I couldn't tell you earlier, but this place... isn't it very clean for being abandoned for years? As if someone is cleaning regularly..."

These all pointed to one fact.

Contrary to Noah's words that no one knew the location of this place, someone knew the exact location, managed it, and delivered letters every week.

"..."

Realizing this, Noah's expression frowned.

And soon...

"...!"

"...What's wrong, Boss?"

Noah raised his eyes like a startled cat and flinched.

Having been with Noah for 3 years, Emma could understand what Noah's reaction meant.

"...Ah fuck. Speak of the devil..."

"...Is someone coming here now?"

"Yeah, quickly clean up our traces. Hurry!"

Someone is coming here now.

Noah immediately tidied up the first aid kit and blankets, and Emma restored the letter envelopes and placed them neatly.

Just as they barely erased their traces and Noah and Emma hid in the same wardrobe...

Creakkkkkk—

The sound of the villa's door opening was heard from outside the room.