“WHAT IS THIS?!”

Kael’s mouth fell wide open.

He rubbed his eyes furiously, staring again at the letter he held in his hands.

After picking up Porshe from the pet boarding place, Kael had gone straight home.

He was impatient, eager to see just what kind of letter he had received from the person who was to be his new pen pal.

It wasn’t as though he had never exchanged letters with anyone before.

But the thrill of not knowing the identity of his correspondent was what made Kael so excited.

His heart thumped wildly.

A new person to tell about himself.

A new person to share his daily life with.

A new person who might even share secrets with him.

Just imagining it all curved a bright smile across Kael’s lips.

Hehe.

With a light step, he entered his cottage after placing Porshe into the pen in the backyard.

He scattered feed and poured water for Porshe with all his heart.

So much so that he forgot to prepare his own dinner that evening.

He could have stopped at one of the eateries on the way back, but common sense had slipped away, the letter tucked carefully among his belongings in the backpack had taken over all his thoughts.

“Did I see it wrong?”

Or maybe the letter had been slipped into his bag by mistake, a mix-up from when he had rushed out of his home in such a hurry.

[Hi.

Nice to meet you?

<001-348-12>

Forget Me]

The letter’s contents were as meager as Kael’s wallet would have been if he hadn’t managed to—well, borrow—some money from his father’s safe.

In other words… almost nothing.

“Uwah, this person, seriously…”

For a moment, Kael even doubted his ability to read.

It was so unbelievable that his mind seemed to freeze, struggling to process the neat row of words on that pristine sheet of paper.

Not even ten words…

Half-hearted, he thought.

If they weren’t serious about joining this event to make new friends, then they might as well have skipped it altogether!

All his excitement had been wasted, he had even skipped dinner for the sake of this letter.

He hadn’t even tidied his room yet.

Of course, there was someone his father had hired who came once a week to clean.

Kael usually only tidied up a little himself, arranging his things to his liking.

And since he had run away on his own, he hadn’t brought along any servants to help with the household chores.

For now, the person hired by his father was enough.

Though Kael wasn’t sure, if his father ever found out he was living there, would he still keep paying that person’s wages?

“It seems this person doesn’t quite grasp the idea of written communication.”

Kael tapped his finger against the armrest of the cushioned wooden chair.

He was deep in thought.

What kind of reply should he give to the sender of this letter?

“Alright. I’ve decided.”

His excitement surged back.

“Let’s answer it like this!”

A sheet of paper already lay on the table.

And the pen he would use was ready.

At first, he had wanted to show off a little, reply with his most elegant calligraphy.

But he changed his mind.

Instead, he would pour all his excitement into this letter tonight.

The sharp-tipped black pen was left aside.

Fortunately, whether by coincidence or not, he had a desk well-stocked with writing tools and other supplies.

He reached for a red-ink pen.

Leaning forward, Kael bent over the paper. With his legs swinging back and forth, he began scribbling word after word.

His lips moved, murmuring each line as he wrote.

The crackling fire in the hearth kept him company, warding off the night’s chill.

The next day, Kael’s excitement still hadn’t dimmed.

He greeted the friendly elderly couple next door as he passed them while closing the gate.

Finally, he arrived at the nearest branch post office.

◇◇◇

“A threatening letter.”

That was exactly what it looked like, a threatening letter.

No wonder Evelyn had felt uneasy the moment she spotted a letter from an unknown sender among the pile of mail she had received.

Every word was written in capital letters, from top to bottom, the whole page drenched in red ink.

It was so long that Evelyn’s head spun, nausea welling up.

She nearly ripped the lifeless paper to pieces.

Thankfully, she already knew why the letter had found its way to her address.

“Is this… revenge?”

Such diligence.

All at once, Evelyn felt her pity multiply a hundredfold.

Her own half-hearted letter had earned her such a long reply.

If it had been her, she would have ignored it outright.

Why bother exchanging letters with someone who clearly wasn’t invested?

“Is it possible they’re truly that happy, just from exchanging letters…?”

A twinge of guilt pricked Evelyn.

After opening and checking the letters from her youngest brother and from headquarters, she stretched out on her bed. Until her next transfer, she was determined to enjoy her days off to the fullest.

The ‘threatening’ letter lay beside her.

She had only skimmed it at first.

But after a short rest, her body shifted, and her hand reached for the so-called threatening letter.

Leaning back comfortably against the headboard, Evelyn narrowed her eyes and began tracing the words one by one.