Chapter 7
Mystery novels that lean heavily on foreshadowing and twist endings are super vulnerable to spoilers.
This is especially the case for famous works. It’s human nature to blabber recklessly about influential things.
In that regard, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” ticks both boxes.
“Hey, I haven’t read it yet! Why would you spill the ending?! Are you even human?!”
“Ha! It’s your fault for not reading! You could’ve lined up in front of the bookstore at dawn like I did!”
“You jerk?! It’s a duel!”
“Exactly! Dying in a duel without ever having read ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ means you won’t even rest in peace in heaven!”
“Let’s see who dies first!”
This may be an extreme example, but similar incidents were definitely happening all over the empire.
There was even a case where a bookstore created a flyer to promote the arrival of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
[What’s the story behind Dr. Jekyll becoming the terrifying criminal Hyde? Discover now at Hans’ Bookstore!]
─and bam! A truly terrifying spoiler was dropped.
It was a disaster born from a lack of understanding of the mystery genre.
And I, watching all of this unfold from the window, thought to myself.
“Boss.”
“Yes!”
“Since it’s come to this, why don’t we hold a fan fiction contest?”
“……What?”
I decided to ride the spoiler wave.
* * *
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is particularly susceptible to spoilers.
Even just recalling memories from a past life makes it clear. The fact that ‘Jekyll’ and ‘Hyde’ are the same person is so well-known that a lot of people don’t even realize it’s the twist of a mystery novel.
“Isn’t the capital going crazy over spoilers?”
“Yes….”
Still, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” remains a classic.
The reason is simple.
“Now that we have this mess, let’s see who can spoil it the most spectacularly.”
“What?”
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a masterpiece that’s rightly earned its spot among the classics, even just for its ‘answers.’
It’s a pioneering work on dual identities. The conflict between the ‘good side’ embodied by Jekyll and the ‘bad side’ embodied by Hyde has served as inspiration for countless writers and has remained an immortal classic.
In my past life in South Korea, there was even a popular musical called ‘Jekyll & Hyde,’ famous for the song ‘This Is The Moment.’
“Though ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is an interesting work, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of volume, doesn’t it? Especially the parts like ‘Lanyon’s Narrative’ and ‘Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement.’”
“It was such a wonderful piece that it’s a bit disappointing how fast I read it.”
“Right? So let’s give our readers a chance to quench their thirst.”
The hallmark of fan creations inspired by “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” focuses on Jekyll’s inner turmoil and humanity.
In that case, it becomes less a mystery and more a Gothic novel.
Elements of Gothic literature—religious ethics, romance, mysticism—are aspects that the people of this world can easily grasp and accept. The seeds for Gothic novels had already been well-sowed.
So, what I wanted to do was simple.
“I’ll launch a fan fiction contest based on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It’ll be a competition where anyone can freely express their take on Jekyll.”
Through this fan fiction contest for “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” we’re going to nurture authors of Gothic literature!
“If we find a decent writer, can’t we offer them a publishing deal?”
“Author…! Thank you for thinking so highly of our publishing house!”
“Just don’t betray us and run off like last time.”
“Ha ha… I’m sorry….”
What’s more, the fan fiction contest isn’t just going to do that.
The copyright law just recently passed. If it isn’t properly enforced during this transitional phase, it could become a dead letter.
But we can’t just throw all those plagiarists in jail, right?
So, it’s about giving existing authors a shot. A chance to use the original freely and create something new. If there are still those who break the law after being given such an opportunity, then it’s fair game to catch them!
“Then, boss.”
“Yes!”
“Please prepare well for the fan fiction contest. Since it’s a new kind of contest, there’s bound to be a lot to think about… you can handle it, right?”
“Yes! I’ll prepare as if my bones turn to dust and my body shatters!”
“There’s no need to go that far….”
* * *
[The pleasures I desperately sought in my altered state, as mentioned, were of a decidedly unbecoming nature.]
[But those pleasures went horribly wrong when they fell into the hands of Edward Hyde.]
In “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” the amount of information available to readers is not that extensive. Hyde’s incidents are described in fragments, while reactions, testimonies, declarations, and confessions take center stage.
The parts veiled in mystery must be filled by imagination.
“Did Jekyll not have a lover? People say Jekyll turned Hyde into a stone, but from a woman’s perspective, isn’t the boring Jekyll much more like a statue? Though, I do have a taste for those who seem susceptible to temptation.”
“I’ll leave that interpretation to the prince.”
“Boring indeed.”
It was like a prince of the empire suddenly dropped by the publishing house.
Disguised as a maid, the prince perched on a sofa, bouncing his legs like a playful child while reading a book and occasionally popping off comments about it.
“Is this character Hyde possibly based on me?”
“Not at all.”
“Really? It seems like there’s a resemblance.”
The very idea of Hyde, looking grotesque and detestable, being compared to the beautiful face of the maid-like prince sounded ridiculous. Yet, for some reason, I slightly agreed.
Hyde was Jekyll’s ‘pure soul.’
He was simply the unabashed embodiment of evil, having cast off the burdensome duality. The ‘Hyde’ that Henry Jekyll perceived was that being.
And Prince Idris was like a human who wore the visage of his soul like a mystical veil.
“I’ve never seen your true face, Your Highness, so it’s tough to comment.”
“Not much different from now. It’s that sort of magic.”
“Oh really?”
“For instance, this hair. I’ve put a lot of care into growing it. Would you like to touch it?”
“How could I even think of touching the hair of such a noble person?”
“The maids touch it every day! Well, if you don’t want to, then that’s fine.”
I was unclear why he had come all the way here.
He couldn’t have just come to read a novel and chat about it, right?
My mouth felt parched.
“Your Highness?”
“Yes?”
“Um, may I ask if there’s a specific reason you came here?”
“I’m thinking of participating in the contest.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re holding a fan fiction contest, right?”
How does he know about it even before it’s been announced?!
Is this the information network of the imperial family? It’s a bit scary.
“Ah! But I’m not asking you to make my piece the winner or anything like that. I thought I might pick up some clues by talking directly with the author. Not that it was particularly interesting.”
“Ha ha….”
“So, what’s the purpose of this contest? It doesn’t seem like you stand to benefit… Is it just a hobby?”
“I hope to see more good writers sprout up.”
“Hmm?”
The prince narrowed his eyes as he gazed at me, resting his chin on one hand and lazily moving his fingers up and down.
His eyelashes were long. That look he had, peering into me, made me feel like a frog about to be gulped by a snake.
Really, how is this even a man?
“Isn’t it quicker for you, as the author, to write a bunch of great pieces rather than waiting for good writers to emerge? I get that feeling…”
“Ha ha….”
Is he actually onto something?
In a world where magic and mystique exist, it wouldn’t be that surprising if nobility had some insightful tricks up their sleeves.
I needed to be very careful.
“Not denying it, eh?”
“Ha ha ha….”
* * *
The fan fiction contest for “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” kicked off, and dozens of submissions came pouring into the publishing house daily.
Evaluating them all was a job in itself.
It wasn’t much of an issue since I enjoyed reading. In fact, it was quite delightful.
“There are more plays than I expected.”
The format of the contest was open-ended. Novels, epics, plays, and even drawings were allowed. If drawings were selected, they would be included as illustrations in the next edition.
However, there was one oddball entry mixed in.
“Boss.”
“Yes! Writer!”
“This seems to be a fan letter that’s been misfiled. There appears to be a gift inside.”
“What? That can’t be. Let me see.”
Inside the envelope was a little glass vial.
After inspecting the envelope, the boss handed it back to me.
“This is definitely a submission for the contest. Perhaps it’s a gift for you—everyone sending submissions is likely a fan of yours.”
“Hmm, that could be true.”
Inside the glass vial was a shimmering gray liquid that looked metallic. It can’t be mercury, right?
Feeling hesitant to open it, I initially checked the submission inside the envelope.
The piece was a confessional styled after Henry Jekyll’s own from the novel.
[I realized that our bodies are merely shells representing some force and light that make up our souls.]
[Furthermore, I succeeded in creating a chemical that brings that noble force down from its exalted position and creates an entirely different body and appearance.]
Up to this point, it was no different from Jekyll’s confession in the book.
The twist came afterward.
[In case of emergencies, I will write the recipe for this chemical here. A chemical that reveals all of a person’s deadly sides without omission…]
What was penned in the letter was a recipe for some type of chemical.
A densely packed recipe filled with ingredients, methods, and tools was quite unexpected, which left me feeling slightly bewildered.
With a mix of shock and anticipation, I flipped to the next page of the letter. The last page wasn’t a part of Jekyll’s confession, but a letter written by the participant in their own name.
[After much inquiry and contemplation about the chemical from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” I’ve determined that creating this mysterious and blasphemous substance is not theoretically impossible.]
[Taking inspiration from this incredible novel, I submit to the story’s creator the results of my contemplation.]
[May our arts shine under God’s blessing.]
[-The Alchemist, Gellan Lanyon-]
“…What?”
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