Her Majesty’s Secret Service

048. Return to the Countryside

Watching Count Russell, flustered and hastily making excuses in front of the nobility, I couldn’t help but smile. The phrase ‘a breath of fresh air’ must have been coined for moments like this.

It was after last night when I returned to London, received the Queen’s orders, and threw the two mercenaries, Jack and Connor, into the Tower prison.

After visiting the Tower, I went to see Eric.

“What brings you here at this hour? When did you return from Richmond?”

“Just got back. But on my return, a bit of an unfortunate incident occurred.”

“An unfortunate incident?”

“Yes, I was attacked…”

After I confided in Eric about the attack and the suspected perpetrator behind it, his reaction was a bit different from what I expected.

—

“Really? Why should I help you?”

“Yes?”

“I do personally think well of you. You’ve been of some benefit to me, that’s true. But… I’m not sure what I stand to gain from this particular matter.”

Wasn’t it Eric who thought he had built enough goodwill, now showing a negative attitude?

‘Gain something?’

Though taken aback for a moment, upon reflecting on Eric’s words, it became clear what he meant.

“What do you desire?”

“Ah, we communicate well. Indeed, you and I have always had mutually beneficial dealings, haven’t we? This time is no different; I simply wish for us to help each other. You asked to lend weight to the testimony of those two mercenaries, right? To deal with Count Russell who attacked you.”

“Deal with? What power do I have… I merely want to clear my name of any injustice.”

“Right. Anyway, as I saw last time… it seems you’ve earned quite the trust from Mary.”

“Um… Her Majesty does seem to enjoy my cooking.”

“Just drop a word to Mary for me. Ask her how she’d feel about having me attend the court council.”

“Wouldn’t it be quicker for His Grace to speak directly? Surely Her Majesty…”

“You’re right. It would be faster if I spoke. It’s awkward to say this myself, but Mary… seems to truly love me. The problem is the other nobles. How do you think they’d interpret it if I, unmarried, expressed a desire to attend the court council?”

“If that worries you, perhaps you could discuss it privately with Her Majesty…”

“I don’t trust the courtiers. There are ears everywhere, especially near the king. Who knows when and where rumors of my words might spread.”

“Wouldn’t it be the same if I were to speak?”

“Do you think there’s no difference between me speaking before the queen and you, a mere chef, doing so? So, what will you do?”

After all, Eric was a prince from abroad. Not just any prince, but the heir to the Swedish throne. And lately, there’s been talk among the nobility about limiting the powers Eric should have.

‘The Duke’s powers are to be negotiated at the end of this month, aren’t they? Attending the court council is also one of the Duke’s powers. Does he want to claim a power before the negotiations even begin?’

It seemed that as a duke, he was preemptively securing the right to participate in England’s internal affairs, preparing in advance to ensure that no other words could come out in the negotiations to follow.

As he silently recited this to himself, Eric’s voice reached him once again.

“Your answer?”

‘Being a duke soon, and with Eric, who is friendly to me, having increased speaking rights, there would be no loss to me. He doesn’t seem completely friendly, but better Eric, whom I can reason with, than Russell. And… my relationship with the queen doesn’t seem too bad either….’

If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed from the original history, it’s that the queen is deeply infatuated with her consort. The fact that her consort is Eric of Sweden, not Felipe of Spain, is the only difference.

There had to be a difference between me conveying that Russell was behind the mercenaries who attacked the carriage and Eric conveying it.

If he could be recognized as a duke before the negotiations began, Eric’s speaking rights would undoubtedly become higher than expected. If Eric’s speaking rights increased, it would certainly be helpful when there was a need to use Eric later on.

No matter how I thought about it, Eric’s request was to my benefit, not a loss.

“Thank you for your help, Your Grace.”

“Good. On the day you first attend the court meeting, I shall mention Earl Russell’s story. So, when do you plan to bring up the court meeting? Will it take about three days?”

“Three days? I would like you to bring it up tomorrow. Oh, and could you also say a word to Her Majesty the Queen? This evening.”

“What? So soon?”

I don’t know what Earl Russell will do in three days. To beat Earl Russell, who outmatches me in both money and influence, I couldn’t afford to give him time.

* * *

With the unexpected appearance of the duke, Earl Russell’s mind was in turmoil.

‘No, it’s not the duke and that man. The duke and Her Majesty the Queen have joined hands. How could the Swedish prince, who had no ties to England, detect treason and arrest Steve and Courtney? That was nonsensical to begin with. And a mere chef, under the orders of Duke Eric and his soldiers, arrested Steve? Why had I believed that fact so naively?’

Earl Russell’s delusions grew larger.

‘I see. It was Her Majesty the Queen. The mere chef who threatened me, and the nonsensical talk of Her Majesty the Queen bestowing an earldom on a chef, was it Her Majesty’s will…!’

Russell began to unravel the story within the bounds of his common sense.

No matter the merits, bestowing a high title like an earldom on a mere chef was something that made no sense within the earl’s understanding of common sense.

In England, where Eric had no ties, he realized Steve and Courtney’s rebellion and was able to capture them. He thought all this possible only if the Queen was behind it.

‘The only one who could have planted the cavalry that assassinated Duke Howard without his knowledge… No, didn’t they say they were acting under the Queen’s secret orders?

Yes, Her Majesty must have deliberately instigated the rebellion. She used Steve to create a political climate to quietly deal with those who opposed her. There must have been a reason why someone who knew Steve’s tendencies better than anyone suddenly showed alliance with the Protestant scoundrels. She must have been watching how Steve would move!’

The nobles around him babbled, but Earl Russell, shocked by his own delusions, did not hear them.

‘After a rebellion, it’s customary for royal authority to suppress the divine right. Indeed, our current Queen is undoubtedly the rightful heir of the former king. She, like him, would not hesitate to use even the most loyal servant as a discardable pawn to maintain power.

This incident must also be Her Majesty’s plan. With Wyatt’s affair drawing to a close, she must be scheming to create a new event to maintain this atmosphere for a while. After all, she used Steve, her closest confidant, for power, so someone like me…’

The Earl’s growing delusions began to bind him.

Everything started with the cook’s abnormal behavior. He should have sensed something was wrong when a mere cook dared to blackmail him about his title.

The Queen’s voice grew harsher, and the surrounding nobles avoided his gaze. Someone shouted ‘traitor’ at the Earl, and by the looks of it, they seemed to be a newcomer to the Queen’s court after the recent rebellion.

‘Is Her Majesty intent on targeting my neck…! How can I escape this situation?’

The Earl racked his brain for a way out. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find a solution.

It was when he was about to give up everything. A sudden thought flashed through his mind.

‘If I give Her Majesty what she wants, I don’t necessarily need to maintain this treacherous political climate. Then…!’

The Earl realized how he must act to survive.

Amidst the hostile atmosphere, with some nobles denouncing him and others ignoring him, the Earl’s lips quivered, and soon a trembling voice began to flow from his mouth.

“I am… wronged. I have never seen the mercenaries who attacked the carriage, nor have I ever dreamed of committing such disloyalty as to attack the royal carriage.

However… if my name has come from the mercenaries’ lips, regardless of the truth, does it not mean I have incurred such deep resentment? As a subject, I have dared to cause Her Majesty worry, how can I stay in Her Majesty’s court?”

After the Earl’s lengthy speech, the Queen’s prickly voice burst forth.

“You speak at length of being wronged. So, what do you intend to do about it?”

At the Queen’s voice, Earl Russell swallowed hard.

And then, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly looked up at the queen.

“I will relinquish my royal seal and refrain from any further activities. I will retire to my estate in Bedford as soon as possible to reflect on the disturbance I have caused to Your Majesty’s peace of mind and spend the rest of my days there. Please, I beg of you, show me mercy.”

No matter how much he thought about it, this was the only way to satisfy the queen’s wishes and preserve his own life. The thought of being insulted by the cook had long since vanished.

‘Looking back now, Steve and I took Her Majesty too lightly. If only we had known she was such a person… we would have acted differently.’

With a gloomy expression, Earl Russell bowed his head in regret, waiting only for the queen’s mercy.

And shortly after, the queen’s voice, which would decide the fate of Earl Russell, echoed through the office.

* * *

A week had passed since returning from Richmond. It was exactly six days since Earl Russell had fallen from grace.

The queen had accepted Earl Russell’s resignation. According to recent rumors, Earl Russell, who had returned his royal seal and gone down to his estate in Bedford, had not left his mansion at all.

“The promise! It was different! You said you would spare me if I did as told!”

I was now at Tower Hill to ensure that the job was done properly to the very end.

The man currently at the scaffold was Jack, one of the two who had been caught trying to attack me.

“Something, something is definitely wrong… aaah! Let go! Let me go!”

I was not naive enough to trust those who had aimed a knife at my throat, at least not the current me.

Connor had been executed before Jack, his head had long since flown off. Connor’s body, already sentenced as a traitor, had been torn to shreds long ago.

Jack’s trousers had been soiled with filth for a long time. It was brave of him not to vomit after watching Connor’s head fly off and his belly being split open while still alive.

After struggling for a while, Jack finally quieted down after receiving a few punches from the executioner.

Soon, Jack’s execution began. Before Jack’s breath completely stopped while hanging from the gallows, the executioners pulled him down and secured him to the block.

Knowing his fate was imminent, Jack desperately screamed for his life until the end. It was a different sight from Connor’s silent demise.

Watching the execution up close, I locked eyes with Jack, who was screaming for his life with wide-open eyes. It seemed like Jack recognized me.

“You… you son of a—!”

But Jack’s words were never completed. The executioner’s blade had mercilessly plunged into Jack’s abdomen.

Having witnessed that scene, I turned my back and left Tower Hill.

With that, everything was over.

The Earl of Russell had thrown away all his titles and retired to the countryside, and those who knew the secret of his framing had all lost their lives.

The Earl of Russell would be seventy next year. Given his age, it would be difficult for him to return to London.

“Damn it all.”

The curse slipped out as the tension released.

It wasn’t the first time I had sent someone to the gallows to save my own life, but it was the first time I had watched the execution of someone I had personally sent there. Bishop Steve and Earl Courtney were still locked up in the Tower, after all.

‘I feel a bit sorry for having promised to spare him and then killing him. But what can I do? Who knows when he might change his story.’

I felt a twinge of guilt, but being alive to feel such cheap guilt was a privilege in itself.

If those men had lived and misspoken, I might have been the one standing in that spot. I’m no saint; why would I keep a promise that could cost me my head?

There were no longer any who targeted me, neither in the palace nor in the city.

In 16th-century England, I had received a knighthood, and though I had yet to visit, I owned a manor in my name. I had even secured a high-ranking government position, something I could never have imagined back in Korea.

When I first arrived, I had no idea how to survive, but now a bright future flickers before my eyes.

From tomorrow, a peaceful life awaits me. All I can do is quietly pray that this tranquility lasts.

Footnote:

*Henry VIII, Mary’s father, was famous for establishing a strong royal authority. And in the process of building that authority, he is also known for personally executing the very nobles who contributed to his cause.

Among those nobles, the most well-known to us is Thomas More, the author of ‘Utopia.’ He was executed for opposing the king’s divorce, thus strengthening the king’s authority with his sacrifice.

And Thomas Cromwell, who had helped with his divorce and marriage to Anne Boleyn, was also secretly beheaded in the Tower after the divorce. For reasons unknown, he was sent an inexperienced executioner, resulting in a painful death.