Chapter 97

Before Noah arrived.

Even though it was late, Emma couldn’t sleep for a long time, reminiscing about her earlier meeting with Noah.

“Ah, right. Congratulations, Emma. Joe said you’re the most beautiful woman in this town.”

The most beautiful woman in the town.

[Next, I will kill the most beautiful woman in this town.]

That was Zodiac’s next target.

Emma quickly realized.

That Joe was actually the real Zodiac.

From the start, the clever Emma had considered the possibility that Joe might be Zodiac.

The fact that Zodiac was originally one of the residents of Justice Town, and that the Zodiac serial killings had occurred throughout Utah.

When you put those two together, the only person who fit was Joe.

So, even after learning the truth that Joe was Zodiac, Emma wasn’t that shocked.

However, what worried Emma was Noah.

Noah usually showed no remorse when killing outlaws…

But just now, Noah seemed different from usual.

Seeing Noah’s eyes filled with exhaustion, as if he was deeply blaming himself…

“…It’s not your fault, Boss.”

Emma couldn’t help but hug him.

She felt so sorry for him, seeing him in pain… his sadness resonated with her.

“I think… I like the Boss more than I thought.”

At first, it was just the novelty of feeling love.

Next, she only hoped that he felt the same way about her.

When he built a wall towards Emma, she felt a strong urge to climb over it.

So, she flirted with Noah in ways she hadn’t before.

Then, what about her now?

‘I always want to be with the Boss.’

Not just now, but even when she becomes a wrinkled old lady, she wants to stand by his side.

Being by his side… whenever he sheds tears, she wants to wipe them away and hug him.

Not just touching him… or mixing bodies…

But sharing his surname, forming a family with him…

And bearing his child.

Emma recalled the contents of [Romeo and Juliet] she read on the San Francisco-bound train six months ago.

When she first read the book, she found it interesting and envied the passionate love, though she couldn’t understand it.

Back then, Emma didn’t know the feeling of love.

But now, she thinks she understands it a little.

Django and Josephine.

The two who were once targets for Noah and Emma, she now understands why they chose to leave America while loving each other.

Love is a tragedy, but it’s worth it.

Love is something you might regret someday, but you can always smile when you recall the feelings and memories.

She wants to have that kind of love with Noah.

It might sound strange to say “have”…

But she wanted to have Noah and give him everything of hers.

Thinking so, Emma lay down on the bed… and just as she closed her eyes.

Knock knock.

“Emma.”

“…!”

As if their hearts were in sync, Noah came to her house late at night.

Startled, Emma, upon hearing Noah’s voice, threw on a jacket and went outside.

“…Boss?”

But Noah’s attire was strange.

He was dressed thickly, as if going somewhere, and behind him, No Name and Bonnie were standing, each carrying luggage.

Seeing this, Emma felt uneasy and asked.

“What brings you here at this hour…”

“……”

Noah hesitated for a moment before answering.

“I’m leaving the village today.”

“…What?”

“It’s sudden, but that’s how it is. I probably won’t be coming back to Justice Town.”

“…Ah.”

Emma’s unease became reality.

She had thought that such a day might come.

After all, Noah had appeared in the village four years ago out of nowhere.

It wouldn’t be strange if he disappeared without anyone knowing.

But for it to be now…

Noah must have come to say his final goodbye to Emma.

‘I don’t want this…’

If he leaves like this, she might never see Noah again.

Emma couldn’t let Noah leave like this.

‘Should I grab his pants leg… or kneel and beg him to take me with him.’

Swish-.

Then Noah reached out his hand to Emma.

It seemed like he was offering a handshake as a final gesture of thanks before parting.

But…

“……”

“……”

Strangely, Noah just held out his hand and couldn’t easily continue.

‘…Huh?’

Feeling something was off, Emma raised her head…

“……”

She could see that Noah was making a similar expression to hers.

And then Noah’s next words.

“Do you want to come… with me?”

“…!”

Noah seemed surprised himself, his eyes widening.

That reaction meant he hadn’t originally planned to ask Emma to come with him.

But why did Noah, without realizing, ask Emma to leave with him?

Emma recalled the moment she shared her first kiss with Noah.

Unlike the sweetness described in books… it was suffocating and her mouth was wet that day.

‘…Sorry.’

Noah ultimately pushed Emma away… but in that moment, Emma could see in his eyes that he wanted her too.

Perhaps…

Noah still harbors similar feelings for Emma.

It might just be Emma’s personal wish…

But the thought that Noah might like her made Emma smile.

Emma found [Romeo and Juliet] very entertaining.

It was the first book she read after the Bible…

But also because she saw herself in Juliet.

Juliet was a noble lady from a prestigious European family.

Emma was a poor orphan from the American countryside.

Outwardly, they were very different…

But Emma thought Juliet, oppressed within the confines of nobility, was similar to herself, unable to escape the confines of the countryside.

In the novel, it was Romeo who reached out to Juliet.

Perhaps Emma too… after more than 20 years…

Over the years, she might have been waiting for a Romeo to take her away from Justice Town.

Although the man before her was different from the white horse-riding Romeo from the novels…

He was a troublemaker riding a black horse.

Unlike the just and chivalrous Romeo…

He was a stingy miser who only cared about money.

But Noah was definitely Emma’s Romeo.

Snap.

Afraid Noah might pull his hand away, Emma quickly grabbed his hand and held it tight.

Then, with a sly smile, she replied.

“Okay.”

“……”

“Let’s… go together. Boss.”

Originally, Emma’s dream was to leave Justice Town and travel the world freely.

And recently, her new dream was to always stay by Noah’s side.

But now, those two dreams were about to come true at the same time.

[Romeo and Juliet] ended in tragedy, but their story was just beginning.

Emma smiled happily, hoping this story would have a happy ending.

…Even though she had no idea what Noah was thinking inside.

**

After accepting my proposal to leave together, Emma came out packing her things with the happiest expression.

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

I knew better than anyone what Emma wanted from me… but I couldn’t give it to her.

The moment I gathered a million dollars… I would have to leave her behind in this world.

I felt like trash.

Then, a voice echoed in my heart.

‘When was I ever not?’

…Right.

…Come to think of it, ever since I entered this world, I had never not been trash to the NPCs.

Just like how I treated others…

I was destined to remain trash to Emma.

“Boss.”

“…Yeah?”

But Emma, unaware of what I was thinking, asked with an innocent face.

“Where are we going after leaving Justice Town? You didn’t tell me earlier.”

“Where to? Hmm…”

“…You haven’t decided yet?”

“I’ll figure it out now.”

I muttered to myself, pondering where to go… where our destination should be.

If we went east of Utah, there would only be more desolate wastelands.

But further east, there was the fertile Mississippi River, and even further east, the core of modern America.

Cities like New York and Chicago were already developing at a pace rivaling the modern era.

‘There, we could live a much more prosperous life.’

If America wasn’t to our liking, we could take a ship to Europe.

Crossing the Atlantic, London and Paris were just a stone’s throw away.

If Western Europe wasn’t appealing, we could head to a quiet Mediterranean village.

In any case, heading east offered endless possibilities.

Fulfilling Emma’s dream of traveling the world might ease my guilt of using and abandoning her.

Perhaps I could even make money more easily and leave this game sooner than if we stayed in the West.

‘Then let’s go east…’

But then…

“Pfft.”

“…?”

Emma chuckled as she watched me ponder our destination.

Tilting my head in confusion, Emma smiled and said,

“Boss. Do you remember what I told you before?”

“…What you told me? What?”

“That, knowingly or unknowingly, you always look to the west.”

“Ah.”

Right, I remember Emma saying that.

She said I always seemed to gaze westward, knowingly or unknowingly.

…Back then, I just laughed it off.

But now, even though my mind was set on the east, my body was still facing west.

Compared to the prosperous east, what was in the west?

Desolate wastelands, countless outlaws, uncivilized Indians, and dangerous beasts.

The worst gang members trying to kill me and crazy resistance fighters who believed they could rebuild the fallen Confederacy.

It was a complete mess, but…

After living here for 17 years, it was the most comfortable and familiar place to me.

“……”

At that moment, I realized that no matter where our exact destination was, I wanted to head west.

Maybe I had already become someone who couldn’t live anywhere but the West.

So, I asked Emma first.

“Emma, I haven’t decided exactly where to go yet… but would it be okay to head west?”

“Anywhere is fine, as long as I’m with you, Boss.”

With Emma’s answer, I turned the horse’s head westward.

Noah’s life began in the West.

It was only right to end it in the West.

For 17 years, I had always been a fugitive.

First, I fled from New Mexico, then from San Francisco, and now I was trying to flee from Justice Town.

And in the end, I would flee from this game.

In the well-fed East, they often called the West a paradise for fugitives.

They say there’s no paradise where you flee, yet they call the West a paradise for fugitives.

Which of these contradictory statements is true?

Still, I hoped the latter was right…

“Let’s go west, Emma.”

“Yes!”

We galloped westward.

‘Goodbye, Justice Town.’

As we rode through the vast darkness, the past four years of life in Justice Town flashed through my mind like a panorama.

At the same time…

The memories of 17 years in this damn Western game also passed by.

It had been a long time.

Now, it was time to see the ending of this damn game.

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