725 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Could you inform the head of the house that Kang Yoon Ho from Manggeumjeon Jang is here?" Once preparations were complete, it was time to make a move without delay. I set off with Ga Young and Gil San towards the residence of Hosan Apothecary's Mistress. "I shall escort you immediately!" Is this the beginning? From now on, I have to carry out detective work. It doesn't matter if I don't catch the culprit. At the very least, I need to gather evidence that proves the mistress is not guilty. Let’s not be burdened by it. "I am a detective. I am a renowned investigator. I can solve this case. It's an opportunity to make new connections. I can do it. I got this." "Feeling overwhelmed?" As Gil San regarded me with a doubtful expression, I took a deep breath and confidently pointed my thumb at myself. "Hmph. My name is Kang Yoon Ho. A famed investigator, indeed." "Hmm..." How could being a reputed investigator be burdensome? "Master. I'm an acclaimed investigator. I can handle this." Yes, that's right, Ga Young. I am a detective who thrives on cases. Oh, how delightful it is to have a corpse to investigate. I wish for locked-room murders wherever I travel. No, I don’t desire that to such an extent. Clap, clap, clap. With Ga Young's applause encouraging me, I concluded my self-hypnosis. “Please come in! I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival!” The owner of Hosan Apothecary, Bang Dae Woon, welcomed us with open arms. "I apologize for the slight delay; I was urgently handling some matters. Can I proceed directly to the scene?" "You’re the one I requested for. Thank you, truly! I’ll show you the room where my concubine was found dead." A murder scene. If preparations are finished, solving the case should begin at the scene. —— "This is the room!" "It's a room consisting of a small parlor and a bedroom, I see." In modern terms, perhaps it could be considered a 1.5-room structure. The parlor, meant for light tea and conversation, adjoined the bedroom, which hinted at a more intimate atmosphere beyond the beaded curtain. "As an avid reader of Detective JeGal SeolLok, I left the room untouched to preserve the crime scene as much as possible! However..." Bang Dae Woon looked at me with a sorrowful expression. "It seems the detectives caused quite a ruckus." Even considering it's a murder scene, it's a complete mess. The detectives must have tracked in dirt as they came and went. "That’s correct. In their attempt to find evidence, they didn’t only search the concubine's room but also mine, the wife's, and every corner of the mansion." The scene is already contaminated. Given the volatile nature of evidence, there won’t likely be much left to find. Of course, I must meet the expectations the owner holds from the hopeful gaze fixed upon me. "You mentioned the concubine, who went to sleep in the evening, was discovered deceased in the morning on the bed." Shall we start acting like a detective, then? It began with a light question. "That's right. I noticed a window in the bedroom was open. I suspect an intruder might have come in through there." "It wasn’t the case." I immediately negated the conclusion that the house owner had desperately arrived at. "Not so...?" I gestured for others to remain outside and began to walk slowly. The scene was a chaotic mix of everyday life traces, signs the detectives were there, and evidence. What am I supposed to find here? I didn’t bother contemplating unnecessarily. Instead, like an actor on stage, I pointed dramatically with emphasis and gaze at the evidence. Clear evidence of the crime. Blood stains. "The splattered blood isn't located in the bedroom but on the parlor wall. If the intruder had entered through the window, there wouldn’t be blood splatter in the parlor." "Could it be that she was waiting for someone in the parlor and ran into the perpetrator?" I chuckled like a detective savoring an intriguing hypothesis. A bit arrogantly. A smidgen confidently. As if a detective from a novel had suddenly appeared. "My standing position provides the clue." "What?" To make it clear for everyone, I drew an imaginary line dividing the parlor in half, like setting a criterion for paper folding. With the line drawn, two sides were visible. Blood stains were clearly scattered on just one of those sides. "The direction of the blood splatter points toward the bedroom. This means the intruder did not appear from the bedroom side but instead." "From the doorway...." The intruder entered through the door, not the window. "In contrast, there is little evidence of splatter in the bedroom. Instead, there are marks of blood drops on the floor. This suggests she was subdued in the parlor before being taken to the bed." I traced the blood marks with exaggerated steps. Spatters were visible in the parlor but only drops appeared from the bedroom onward. "Ha...." At that moment, an exclamation full of admiration escaped the owner's lips. "Wow...!" "This is truly like a novel detective’s deduction!" "Ha...." “It feels as if JeGal SeolLok himself has arrived!” A flurry of noise was audible beyond the open door. Are they the household’s servants? Have they gathered upon hearing the news? Excited and expectant gazes fix on me. What kind of anticipation do they hold? Without waiting to ask, I opened my mouth with a confident smile. "It’s merely elementary deduction." "Ooooooh!" “Conquests! Done! Now!!!!” “You rascals! What are you doing idly when there’s work to be done!” “Sorry, sorry!!!” “I apologize for the disturbance to your deductions. Seems the servants were spreading rumors that the famed detective had arrived.” Bang Dae Woon managed the scene, unable to hide his admiration for what he saw. “It’s just a simple technique.” “Don’t make light of it! How can you call deducing the crime scene and the sequence of events upon entry a mere trick?!” It truly is just a simple skill. "You see, Gil San compiled this information from the detectives beforehand." I wasn’t born a brilliant detective, instantly piecing everything together. The parlor was bloody, the bedroom had blood trails, and the window was open. Based on the crime scene details, I formed the theory and scenario. By pre-drawing the room’s layout, I confirmed the theory. My role at the scene is merely to observe, re-verify the hypothesis, and draw upon one of the pre-prepared conclusions. Of course, there is no need to emphasize the preparatory work. Even if it’s just a simple technique. "The victim was overpowered after being attacked in the parlor. Judging by the marks near the door, there was some resistance, but she was eventually dragged to the bed. Given the signs of struggle, it appears she was still alive when she reached the bed." This was all part of the act I prepared to appear as a renowned investigator. —— "I would like to interview the household members now." "You do not need to examine the crime scene further?" There's nothing more to gain. There's no body, and the scene is contaminated. I have verified all my pre-prepared hypotheses; there's not much left to find. "The cause of death is a stabbing with excessive bleeding. There are traces of spatter but no major bloodstains, which suggests that the fatal wound occurred on the bed. This is as much as I can ascertain from this contaminated scene." By stating the cause of death, I concluded the crime scene inspection. “Indeed! The district's coroner also concluded the cause of death was due to blood loss! Astonishing! You could deduce all that just by looking at the bed!” ‘I did, after having drinks with that very coroner.’ Let’s call it a deduction since it matched his findings. “My remaining questions about this crime scene will be answered through interviews.” "Understood. I’ll instruct that everyone in the house cooperates fully. Whom should I bring first?" The concubine, cherished by the owner of Hosan Apothecary, has been murdered. So who should the interview start with? Naturally. "I would like to meet the mistress of the house first." The most suspected individual. —— “I am the mistress of Hosan Apothecary. You may address me as Cheongbu-in.” "I heard you've been married for over ten years. The mistress seemed surprisingly... young?" Could she be in her mid-20s? Hosan Apothecary's Mistress was a beautiful woman with sharp eyes. I was expecting the image of an elderly, jealous wife. Quite unexpected. “There is a bit of age difference with my husband.” I realized a modern assumption of mine was flawed. Indeed. The usual marriage age for women here starts in their late teens. Even if she’s ten years into her marriage, she could still be in her twenties. “I hear there’s a suspicion regarding your involvement in the concubine’s death.” “That’s absurd. Why would I kill her?” I asked lightly, and the mistress reacted sensitively. "When the scales of love tip to one side, anyone may become perturbed." "I have a weight on my scale that doesn't tip.” The mistress tenderly caressed her pregnant belly while speaking to me. Pregnancy. Surely a reason to dismiss suspicion. “Sometimes, having a weighty counterbalance prompts one to believe all scales should tip in their favor.” However, that does not establish innocence. Being pregnant may sway her husband's heart or mind, but not mine. "It was I who suggested bringing the girl in as a concubine.” The mistress handed me an unexpected weight. "Pardon...?" “Instead of letting him stray outside, wasn’t it better to keep him at home? I prompted him to accept her.” “You recommended he take a concubine?” "I am the legitimate wife of Hosan Apothecary. Why should I doubt my husband's love? Since I am with child, I can’t fulfill my marital duties fully, so I encouraged accepting a girl to assist." While she may manage household duties as the mistress, she might neglect matrimonial responsibilities. Thus, a concubine was necessary. I am the principal wife. My husband’s love belongs to me. Her self-assured and confident statement momentarily rendered me speechless. “Indeed...! Your sentiments reflect a woman truly worthy of her status.” I admired her. Quite a bit, actually. “Is it not obvious?” “Certainly, during pregnancy, one must exercise extreme caution. It’s no disgrace for a man to have a few women for such times.” “I told him to bring in only one...” "Just a saying. Nevertheless, I understand.” Indeed, Hosan Apothecary has a fine principal wife. As I intended to ask more questions, a servant entered abruptly. “Mistress, someone has come to see you. You should come out." "Please ask them to return later." “Well...” The servant looked visibly troubled. "I'll wait, handle your business first.” I decided to give her some time to sort my thoughts. “Please excuse me.” ------- "There's no sign of a motive for the crime from the mistress." "Aren’t you trying to clear her name? This seems like a good outcome, doesn’t it?" Gil San asked with a puzzled expression. "The issue is that suspicion can't be fully dispelled. Huh?! Ga Young?" "......" Perhaps tired from standing idle, Ga Young started to slowly approach the mistress's bedroom. "You shouldn’t enter someone else’s bedroom without permission." "Blood scent." "Excuse me?" "I smell blood." Suddenly my face hardened. Ga Young’s physical capabilities are almost superhuman. Beyond just strength or speed, her senses far surpassed ordinary human abilities. “...Where is it?” Upon my nod, Ga Young, as if led by the scent, headed toward the mistress's bedroom. Thanks to my martial arts training, my senses are heightened, yet I detected no smell. Could it be a mistake? But my doubt was short-lived. Like a bloodhound following a trail, Ga Young closed her eyes momentarily before pinpointing the exact location with her finger. “Under the bed.” “One moment.” I quickly reached under the bed and my hand encountered something foreign. I pulled it out immediately. "A box...?" "Ha." "Check what’s inside, quick." Without hesitation, I opened the small wooden box. Inside was a small bundle of cloth, wrapping an object whose outline was visible without needing to guess what it might be. As I slowly unwrapped the cloth, an item appeared that should never exist in a woman’s chamber. A blood-stained dagger. A weapon unquestionably capable of sending someone to their grave. Or rather, the weapon that did. “This is the murder weapon used to kill the concubine.” The evidence was irrefutable. —— "Unhand me! You rascals!" "Come quietly before we have to drag you away!" “Seems the detectives have arrived.” As I emerged with the box in hand, I heard a commotion at the entrance. "What? That's strange. I thought no one was supposed to be presented today." "Let's go check it out." We rushed toward the main gate, where we found a group of detectives and house servants blocking the way. “Is the murder suspect planning to resist until the end? We’ve waited long enough! Come along now!” “Under whose orders are you taking my wife away?” The owner of Hosan Apothecary, perhaps relying on some hidden hope, shouted loudly, but the situation was swiftly handled by a single individual. “I ordered it.” “Judge Cho, what are you doing here?” A magistrate, dressed in official robes, confidently pushed through the crowd of detectives. “I gave the order and yet no one thought to bring in the suspect. It seems someone might be plotting something. We must keep a close watch.” “My wife is expecting….” “Pregnancy does not absolve one of guilty. Take her away.” “Come with us!” With a judge personally present, there was no avoiding the arrest. The detectives pushed past the impotent servants and directly seized Cheongbu-in. “Let go! Let go, you ruffians!” At this rate, Cheongbu-in would be dragged away for interrogation. An expecting woman could hardly endure such an ordeal, especially if it involved torture. I glanced at the box containing crucial evidence and then addressed myself. "Once again, we meet, Judge Cho, even on deck." "Who...? Wait! How did you end up here?" How should the detective act now? What would a detective in a mystery novel do? The conclusion was simple. "Cheongbu-in is not the culprit." Of course, I must reveal the truth to these incompetent officers.