It takes about a week by train from Salt Lake City to San Francisco.
I brought a deck of cards in case I got bored.
Plus, the train has various facilities for First Class passengers, so I thought I wouldn’t be as bored as I expected during the train journey…
…or so I thought.
“I’m bored…!”
I ran out of things to do after just a few days.
“I’m bored—! I’m so bored—!!”
“……”
Even as I rolled around on the bed like a child and shouted, Emma, sitting on the sofa, didn’t even glance at me and kept reading her book.
So, I deliberately approached her and pleaded.
“Emma! I’m bored!”
“……”
“Play cards with me, huh?”
When I shoved the cards in front of her face as she was reading, Emma frowned and replied.
“…You’re not even good at it. Why do you want to play card games?”
Truth be told, over the past few days, I’d played several one-on-one card games with Emma.
And… I hadn’t won a single time.
“It’s not that I’m bad, it’s that you’re too good. I’ll win this time, so come on.”
“Let me be clear. It’s not that I’m good—it’s that you’re bad.”
“……”
“I’ve never seen anyone as bad at cards as you, Boss. Don’t get too into it and embarrass yourself. Just never play cards again.”
After being told by Emma that I was bad, I felt stubborn and wanted to play even more.
But Emma, equally stubborn, refused and suggested I read instead.
“…How about reading a book like me?”
Emma had been carrying a book with her throughout the entire trip, except when she played cards with me.
I checked what book she was reading.
<Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare>
…A true classic among classics.
Even people in the 1800s considered Romeo and Juliet a classic, yet Emma was reading it with such excitement.
Ah… could it be…?
“Emma? Is this your first time reading it?”
“Yes, I found it on the shared bookshelf in the common room. It’s really interesting.”
I had a feeling, but it seemed like this was indeed Emma’s first time reading Romeo and Juliet.
Thinking about it, Justice Town is such a remote place that there’s not a single bookstore or library.
If Emma had lived there her whole life, it’s no wonder even a classic like this was new to her.
‘No wonder she’s been in such a good mood these past few days.’
Emma’s face was glowing as she read Romeo and Juliet, clearly enjoying it.
Pile.
Next to her, there was a stack of other books she planned to read after this one.
‘What’s so great about Romeo and Juliet anyway? But… I kinda want to mess with her.’
Maybe it was because the train ride was so boring.
Or maybe I was a little hurt that Emma refused to play cards with me.
I felt like ruining Emma’s pure, happy expression.
So, I…
“Emma, you know… Romeo dies in the end.”
“…!”
I dropped a bombshell in her ear as she was halfway through the book.
“Not just Romeo, Juliet dies too.”
“……”
“Here’s how it happens…”
I was about to explain the exact details of how they died, but…
“Juliet takes a sleeping potion, and later Romeo sees it and… AHH—!!”
THUD—!
Before I could finish, Emma threw the book she was reading at my face.
At that moment, Emma’s face was calmer than ever, but I could instantly tell she was furious.
“…Get out.”
Emma let out a sigh to calm herself, then coldly snapped at me.
“…Haha, Emma. This is our room. Where am I supposed to…?”
I tried to smile and defuse the situation, but…
THWACK! THWACK!
“…I said get out.”
“AHH—! W-Wait! Emma! I’m sorry…! OW—!”
There was no calming Emma down after I spoiled the story.
As Emma relentlessly threw hardcover books at me, I had no choice but to flee the room.
SLAM!
“…Ugh.”
Now barefoot and kicked out of the room, the only place I could go was the common room reserved for First Class passengers.
Bow.
The staff bowed as soon as they saw me, and I flopped onto the common room sofa.
“Ah… I’m so bored…”
I wished there was someone to talk to, but the common room was empty except for me.
There were quite a few other First Class passengers besides Emma and me, but I had no idea where they were or what they were doing.
Despite being extremely bored, I had nothing to do, so I just sat there, shaking my leg nervously and staring out the window.
Maybe I looked pitiful.
“Sir.”
“…?”
The staff member who had greeted me earlier approached politely.
“If you’re feeling bored, would you like to join the other gentlemen?”
“Other gentlemen?”
“Yes, all the gentlemen in First Class are currently gathering at the bar to socialize.”
“Huh? There’s a bar here?”
“It’s behind the dining car. Shall I guide you?”
I thought I’d explored all the train facilities over the past few days, but apparently not.
A bar sounded perfect—I could chat with people and have a drink. Two birds with one stone.
Thinking it was better than sitting here doing nothing, I nodded.
“Yeah, let’s check it out.”
“Very well, please follow me.”
And so, I followed the staff member to the bar located behind the dining car.
Just before we arrived…
“Alright, once we pass through this door…”
“Wait.”
I stopped the staff member.
“Sir…?”
Swish—.
I rummaged through his pocket.
There was a pistol inside.
“It’s been bothering me since it popped out earlier.”
“Ah…”
Checking if the other person has a gun. It was a professional habit of mine.
When I asked, the staff answered without much hesitation.
“Well, there’s always the chance of train robbers or Indians attacking. All the staff are armed like this.”
“Oh, really?”
Well, just because we’re on a moving train doesn’t mean we’re completely safe.
Indians, not fully integrated into civilization, still attack people, and bold outlaws sometimes form groups to rob moving trains.
Understanding that, I nodded, and the staff smiled as they opened the door to the bar.
I gave the staff one last glance…
Thud.
And stepped inside.
Inside the bar, aside from the bartender, there were three men sitting at a table.
They looked middle-aged to elderly, all dressed in expensive clothes and smoking cigars.
They seemed to be other first-class passengers.
Swish—
As I entered, all eyes turned to me, and the staff who had guided me introduced me instead.
“This is the last gentleman from first class. He was alone, so I brought him here.”
“Oh!”
“Welcome!”
“Then, sir, please enjoy your time.”
The staff who guided me left, and I approached the gentlemen welcoming me.
“Please, sit here.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The rich-looking men, clearly happy to see a new face, welcomed me warmly instead of being territorial.
“Nice to meet you. Just call me Noah.”
“Alright, Noah. Welcome.”
“Haha, having a young friend here really livens up the atmosphere.”
Given their age, the wealthy men called me “Noah.”
I subtly observed their expressions.
They looked relaxed and kind, so they didn’t seem like bad people.
And most importantly…
“We were about to play cards. Would you like to join?”
Pile—
A stack of money next to the three men.
I could smell it.
Just like William, the scent of real wealth…!
“I’d be honored to join, hehe.”
“Haha, we’re playing Hold’em, so bring your money and sit down!”
After hunting outlaws, gambling is my next favorite thing.
‘Let’s aim for $100,000 in Hold’em today.’
With a big smile, I sat down, planning to clean out these innocent-looking rich men.
—
Shiver.
Thud.
“…Damn it.”
Emma, who had just finished reading *Romeo and Juliet*, couldn’t hold back her anger and threw the book onto the bed.
…Damn it, just as the boss said, both Romeo and Juliet died.
“Ugh…”
For Emma, who had spent her whole life in Justice Town, books were incredibly precious.
The only book she had ever read was the Bible.
So, William Shakespeare’s *Romeo and Juliet* was like a whole new world to her.
She had been so engrossed, even empathizing with Juliet, only to have the ending spoiled…!
“Ugh…! Ugh-!!”
Thinking of Noah again, Emma vented her anger by repeatedly hitting her pillow.
Only after her passionate outburst did she realize her own state.
‘…I’m really angry.’
Before meeting Noah, her life was like a calm lake.
No waves, no ripples…
The life of a country girl, whose only goal was to find a decent man and start a family.
But after meeting Noah, things began to change.
…Of course, not all the changes were good, and sometimes Noah was so annoying she wanted to punch him.
Still, Emma’s life now was much better than before.
“…Is the boss gone?”
Remembering that, Emma decided to forgive Noah.
She had thrown a book at the face of the boss who had hired her, so she was in the wrong too.
So, she decided to go apologize to Noah.
But…
“…He’s not here.”
Noah wasn’t in the common room where she thought he’d be.
As Emma tilted her head, about to look elsewhere…
“Ah, are you looking for your husband?”
“…Huh?”
The staff in the common room recognized her and spoke up.
“Your husband is in the bar right now.”
“Ah…”
It seemed the staff mistook Noah and Emma for a couple.
Emma was about to shake her head and say no when…
Thud.
‘……Huh?’
Emma froze for a moment as she properly faced the staff.
Emma’s job was assisting Noah, the bounty hunter.
She had memorized all the wanted posters and personal information Noah had collected to help him.
So, she knew.
“Ma’am, shall I guide you to the bar where your husband is?”
“……”
Jackal Neori, 33 years old, dead or alive, $260.
Crimes: 2 counts of murder, 6 counts of robbery.
The staff in front of her was an outlaw.
