What kind of character is a “Northern Grand Duke”?
At some point, they became a staple of Korean fantasy creations, usually depicted as cold powerhouses with black hair and black eyes.
If a Northern Grand Duke appears in a romance genre, he is almost certainly the male lead. If shifted to a modern setting, he would occupy the position of an arrogant but talented third-generation chaebol.
So, why am I suddenly rambling about this nonsense?
‘Because I suspect this world is inside a comic book!’
I clearly remember how I ended up here. I remember the exact moment my consciousness faded and my memory cut off right after I opened a comic book.
If this truly is a world inside a comic book, shouldn’t I consider the clichés of such works?
‘It’s rare for someone as significant as a Northern Grand Duke to appear as an extra.’
He is definitely a major character. That means he’s someone I must pay close attention to.
As someone who used to devour novels and comics like a madman, I pride myself on being well-versed in almost every cliché… but there was one fatal problem.
‘The genre of this world is definitely a mystery.’
I have no idea what role a Northern Grand Duke would play in a mystery story.
‘Surely he isn’t the male lead of a romance.’
What role should he be seen as? The culprit? A victim who is wrongly accused? The mastermind?
“Why do you suspect Grand Duke Kallan?”
At the detective’s question, I set aside my delusions for a moment and listened.
First, I needed to gather information.
“There are two main reasons why I suspect the Grand Duke,” Charlie explained, counting on his fingers. “First, the timing of his activities.”
“The timing?”
“The period when the new Taylor John copycat—hereafter referred to as Taylor John—was committing murders coincides almost exactly with the time the Grand Duke stayed in the capital.”
“Hmm…”
The detective let out a low groan.
“It’s true… the active periods of the new Taylor John have been quite irregular.”
“Yes. There were times when he was quiet for several months, and other times when he committed several murders in a single week. However, by some coincidence, the Grand Duke was always staying in the capital during Taylor John’s active periods. On the other hand, during the long stretches where no murders occurred, the Grand Duke was staying in the Northern Grand Duchy.”
“Were there no exceptions?”
“Based on our investigation so far, none.”
“It seems… certainly suspicious for it to be a mere coincidence.”
“There is something even more suspicious.”
Charlie finished counting his fingers and spoke solemnly.
“It is the successive deaths of the Grand Duchesses.”
“Wait, did you say Grand Duchesses — plural?”
I cut in, doubting my own ears.
“Since when did the Empire recognize bigamy?”
Does the Northern Grand Duchy even allow polygamy?
“It’s not like that. Let me explain.”
Charlie flipped back a few pages of the desk calendar on Detective Beren’s desk. He tapped the word “April” with his finger.
“In April of this year, the Grand Duke held a wedding with his first wife, Miss Crimson.”
“Ah, I remember that,” the detective muttered. “Weren’t people whispering because he got married at such an ominous time?”
“There is an old saying that a June bride has many children and a May bride has much luck, but an April bride has many tears. It’s nothing more than a superstition, but in this case, the superstition turned out to be true.”
Charlie shook his head as if it were a tragedy.
“The new bride died only 3 days after the wedding ceremony.”
“But wasn’t that an accidental death? That’s what I heard.”
“That was the official story. They say she unknowingly ate unfamiliar northern food, and it turned out she had a fatal allergy to one of the ingredients. When the body was transported back to her family home, it was so swollen that even her parents had trouble recognizing her.”
It sounded like a tragic accident, but another possibility came to mind. It was because I had just heard the theory that the Grand Duke might be Taylor John.
“If the body was damaged to that extent, it would be difficult to tell even if she had died from another cause.”
Charlie snapped his fingers as if that were exactly the reaction he wanted.
“Who knows what really happened? The North is a distant place, after all.”
“Tsk, stop talking like a gossip monger and get to the point. So? Surely you don’t suspect the Grand Duke based on just that?”
Charlie pouted and flipped the calendar forward three pages.
“In July, a mere 3 months later, the Grand Duke remarried. However, the second bride also died less than 1 week later. This time, it was an accidental death caused by a rockfall. They said they couldn’t even recover the body in its entirety. The shock was so great for the bride’s family that they couldn’t even hold a proper funeral.”
“The body was damaged again.”
“Exactly. It’s a bit too coincidental.”
“…Taylor John always leaves a mark on the body,” the detective said, sounding deep in thought. “Long lacerations carved with a special blade. That is Taylor John’s trademark. In other words, if you get rid of those lacerations, you can’t be sure if it was Taylor John’s crime.”
“…!”
In both deaths, the bodies were severely damaged.
To the point where, even if there had been lacerations on the body, there was no way to recognize them.
‘It wouldn’t be strange for Taylor John to target someone like a Grand Duchess.’
They said Taylor John targets beautiful, prestigious women from the upper class. A woman high-born enough to marry the Northern Grand Duke would more than satisfy those conditions.
Generally, serial killers tend to be impulsive. If the Grand Duke’s true identity was Taylor John, it wouldn’t be strange if he couldn’t resist and murdered his wife.
‘But after he came to his senses, he would have felt the need to clean up.’
Taylor John was a serial killer active in the capital.
If it became clear that a Grand Duchess had been murdered by Taylor John in the Grand Duchy, the range of suspects would narrow down instantly.
So, what if he late-term damaged the body to erase his own traces?
‘…Does that not make sense?’
“The circumstances are indeed very suspicious,” Detective Beren said with difficulty. “But we cannot investigate the Grand Duke right now.”
“Why not?!” Charlie shouted as if he couldn’t understand.
“Is Taylor John roaming the streets right now?”
“No. Taylor John is currently in a dormant period.”
“If it’s as you said, the Grand Duke must be in the North right now. Isn’t that right?”
“…That is correct. Grand Duke Kallan is currently in the North.”
The detective snorted as if to say, “There you go.”
“The North is far. It’s difficult to get there, and even if we go, we would stand out too much.”
‘Well, it’s not like the 21st century where traveling is common.’
A group of people going all the way to the North for no apparent reason when they aren’t even merchants would become a topic of conversation. Rumors would surely spread, and the Grand Duke would be on his guard.
“Besides, even if we went all the way to the North, would the Grand Duke even meet us?”
“I think you’re right, Detective,” Charlie replied dejectedly. “Now that I think about it, it would be even scarier if the Grand Duke did meet us. If he really is Taylor John, there’s no way he’d let us return alive.”
“Exactly. So let’s wait.”
The detective’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“Once the Grand Duke comes up to the capital, we will monitor him closely. When he prepares for his next murder — that will be our chance to act.”
It was a reasonable proposal.
I was nodding at the detective’s words when it happened.
“Um, about that next murder…” Charlie started hesitantly.
“What is it? If you have something to say, speak up.”
“Well, actually… I heard the Grand Duke’s third bride will be departing for the North soon.”
“……What?”
My eyes widened as I stared at the desk calendar.
Before Charlie touched it, the date marked on that calendar was definitely October.
‘Good lord. He took his first wife in April and she died, took his second wife in July and she died, and now he’s taking a third wife in October?’
This was an issue regardless of whether the Grand Duke was a killer or not. Holding three weddings in 1 year? Is he an animal or a human?
I stood there in shock for a long time before suddenly shouting.
“Wait! Isn’t that third bride in danger?”
“The, the probability of that is high…”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” the detective shouted, clutching his head. “Why are you only telling us that now!”
The detective poured out insults at Charlie before firing his anger in every direction.
“What on earth was that third bride thinking, agreeing to a marriage like that? Didn’t she find it strange that two predecessors died within a year?”
“Well… it seems the bride, Miss Marie Menzel, isn’t very keen on the marriage. It appears her father, Baron Menzel, is the one pushing for the union.”
“What kind of…!”
“I don’t know the details, but the Menzel family is only a Baronial house. Perhaps he doesn’t want to miss the chance for his daughter to become a Grand Duchess?”
At Charlie’s words, I clicked my tongue involuntarily.
‘Does he plan to satisfy his greed by gambling with his daughter’s life?’
But that wasn’t all.
“However, it seemed Miss Marie Menzel truly did not want the marriage. Actually, a few days ago, she ran into the police station and even requested protection. She said she thought her husband-to-be might be Taylor John. That was why the investigation into Grand Duke Kallan started in the first place.”
“You, since a moment ago, why!” The detective screamed as if his chest were about to burst from frustration. “Why do you keep delaying the most important parts until the very end!”
“I-I’m sorry!!!”
I didn’t shield him from the detective’s wrath. That man, who was like some vile broadcast producer, deserved a scolding.
A long while later, the detective finally calmed down. He gasped for breath and asked, “So? What happened? Did they decide to protect Miss Menzel? Don’t tell me the police handed her over to that Grand Duke bastard?”
“N-no. There wasn’t even any time to do anything,” Charlie excused himself. “Immediately after, Baron Menzel showed up and dragged Miss Menzel away. He said his daughter had lost her mind due to pre-wedding depression.”
“Pre-wedding depression?” the detective snorted. “There’s no way she’d believe her husband-to-be is a murderer for a reason like that.”
“I-I thought so too…”
“The bride might be in a very dangerous situation right now.”
“Most likely. There must be a reason why she came to believe her husband is a killer.”
There were only two possible scenarios.
‘Either she experienced something herself, or she witnessed someone else being targeted.’
In other words, she was either a victim or a witness.
Either way, her safety could not be guaranteed.
“We must find and protect Miss Marie Menzel immediately.”
At my words, the detective nodded heavily.
***
Roughly 1 hour later.
‘Is this the Menzel manor?’
I was standing alone in front of the manor gates.
[I agree with you entirely, but the police cannot protect her.]
This was because Detective Beren had refused to accompany me, saying those words. Well, I understood.
‘Given the police’s behavior so far, it’s best not to get involved with them.’
There was a suspicion that a collaborator of Taylor John existed within the police force.
If the police got involved in this, then in the worst-case scenario, they might end up delivering Miss Menzel to her husband-to-be and murder suspect.
So, it was time for a free detective to step up.
“Let’s see… is there a gap I can use to break in?”
I shielded my eyes from the sunlight and scanned the area in front of the main gate. Two guards stood there with watchful eyes.
What was unusual was their guarding behavior.
They were clearly standing guard diligently, but they frequently turned around to carefully inspect the upper floors of the building behind them.
‘Perhaps the purpose of such tight security isn’t to protect the inside from the outside…’
But to prevent another “accident” like before?
‘If that’s the case, Miss Menzel must be on the second floor.’
In any case, breaking in through the main gate seemed impossible.
I circled the mansion from a distance.
The manor was surrounded by a wall. The space between the building’s outer wall and the fence was quite wide at the front and back, but the sides were almost touching the fence.
‘If it’s this much…’
I gauged the height of the wall and took a few steps back.
Then, I ran, leaped up, and hooked my cane onto the top ledge of the wall.
*Clack!*
The handle of the cane caught the ledge.
I pulled myself up and was able to stand on top of the fence frame.
“Ha, basic.”
Feeling a bit of pride, I looked around.
The window on the second floor of the building came into view. The windowsill was wide, and there seemed to be enough space to step on.
‘I think I can get up there.’
Just as I was about to jump toward the window…
“Eek!”
A sharp scream came from beyond the window.
‘Oh no! Was someone watching?’
Startled, I ducked, but it was too late.
‘Dammit, I should have waited!’
Because it was so bright outside during the day, I couldn’t see the inside of the window clearly. Even so, what were the odds that someone would be standing right in front of that specific window?
As I struggled with what to do…
I heard the voice again.
“You’ve come to save me!”
“…?”
Something about the tone of the voice was different than I expected.
‘Come to think of it, that scream earlier… sounded less like fear and more like…’
Before I could fully grasp the situation.
*Creak!*
The window swung wide open.
“I knew you would come! Please, come in!”
Somehow, the theatrical tone felt surreal.
“Um… are you Miss Marie Menzel?” I managed to compose myself and ask.
I didn’t fully understand the situation yet, but if it was the voice of a young woman welcoming an intruder, she was the only one I could think of.
“Yes, that’s right! You’re here to save me, aren’t you?”
“Yes. That’s correct, but…”
“Grab this and climb over the window!”
A rope was lowered from the window.
‘…? Why was this prepared?’
I was full of questions, but did I have a choice? I did as I was told and climbed toward the window using the rope.
‘Climbing like this makes me feel like Rapunzel.’
Climbing a rope without even knowing the identity of the person who lowered it. Who was waiting for me up there — a princess or a witch?
Lost in useless thoughts, I climbed the rope and finally landed safely on the windowsill. At that moment…
I froze in place.
“Um… Miss Marie Menzel?”
“Yes?”
I saw a room decorated entirely in pink, and a girl standing in front of me. A blonde girl, adorned from head to toe in pink, smiled brightly at me.
I mean, a “girl.”
“Excuse me, but how old are you?”
“I turned 15 a few days ago. Why do you ask?”
In other words, the bride-to-be who was being forced to marry a serial killer (suspect) was 15 years old?
‘…This crazy world!’
Is this really okay?
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