Her Majesty’s Secret Service

021. Voluntary Taxation?

Morning dawned in Wellings.

As the Queen departed the village, a large crowd gathered to see her off. At a glance, it seemed even larger than the day before.

“It’s quite the turnout today as well.”

“The rumors must have spread. That Her Majesty graced this place with her presence.”

I stood at a considerable distance from the front where the Queen was walking. Therefore, I couldn’t see the expression she wore, but seeing her wave to the crowd and turn her head from side to side, it was clear she was quite pleased.

“Hopefully, it won’t be as delayed as yesterday.”

“Once we pass Crayford, it’s straight to Dartford. It’s not even a half-day’s journey. We should arrive before the afternoon, even if it gets late. Well… perhaps…”

Marco seemed uncertain as well.

After all, it wasn’t just once or twice that the procession had been halted since yesterday. Cheers and drumbeats mixed in the air. The endless walking reminded me of the days I marched at the training grounds, and it was not a pleasant memory.

Regardless, I could only hope for a swift arrival in Dartford.

The scorching noon sun showered down on the procession. The parade, which should have already reached Dartford, was just now leaving Crayford.

“The purpose of this procession wasn’t this… Nevertheless, I’m in quite a good mood. So, we’re nearing Dartford now?”

Mary’s voice was brimming with excitement. Having heard the cheers of those welcoming her all the way from London, it was impossible not to be pleased.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Once we pass this forest, we will be at Dartford.”

Upon the guide’s words, Mary nodded and gestured for Richard, the court official driving the horses behind her, to come closer.

Richard, seeing her gesture, carefully maneuvered his horse to Mary’s side.

“Did you summon me, Your Majesty?”

Mary whispered to Richard, as if worried someone might overhear.

“Seize the merchants who have been selling the Earl of Kent’s name as quickly as possible and bring them to me. If they have fled, gather testimonies from the peasants that they have sold the Earl’s name.”

Richard looked at Mary with understanding in his eyes and whispered back cautiously.

“Your Majesty, surely you don’t intend to confiscate the entirety of the Earl’s estate…?”

“Hmph, confiscation is the least of it. I would like to charge him with treason if I could, but I am well aware of the difficulty of such a task. You should think of a way to take half of the Earl’s estate. That’s why I brought you here.”

It was a command from the Queen. Richard couldn’t bring himself to say it couldn’t be done, nor could he immediately respond to Mary’s words.

‘Why would she issue such an order…’

Earl Henry Grey of Kent was from the same Grey family as Duke Henry Grey of Suffolk.

Given the circumstances, it was possible to threaten the Duke and thus force the Grey family to surrender half of their estate. But the real problem lay elsewhere.

‘To actually confiscate half of the Earl’s estate would surely make the nobility uneasy. A rebellion could even arise… I don’t know. I really don’t understand what she’s thinking.’

A misstep could lead to a massive backlash from the nobility.

Mary had not yet had her coronation, and there were still heirs like Elizabeth and Jane Grey alive.

In such a situation, seizing the nobility’s property for treason would surely make those nobles who did not support Mary anxious.

“Why do you not answer?”

Whether she knew of Richard’s concerns or not, Mary pressed him for an answer.

Richard had no choice but to finally respond to Mary.

“…I will do my utmost.”

Mary wore a satisfied smile at Richard’s response.

As they conversed, it seemed they had slowly reached the end of the forest. Exiting the woods and after some time, a rather respectable village caught Mary’s eye.

“Dartford, it has been a long time… To return here not as a princess, but as a queen. And for such a matter…”

Mary murmured to herself as she rode ahead. The procession following her was also steadily entering Dartford.

As with the villages they had passed before, citizens began to gather one by one upon seeing the procession.

The usual cheers heard whenever they passed through a city were heard. Mary swelled with pride, satisfied with the acclamation.

Although the procession was brief, with each cheer, she was reminded that she was the queen of this nation. Mary, having entered the city, surveyed the crowd with an air of arrogance.

“Your Majesty, it is an honor beyond words to have you grace us with your presence!”

Suddenly, the crowd parted, and an old man, neither dressed in luxury nor in rags, walked out from among them. Then he stepped forward and bowed perfectly before Mary.

Seeing this, Mary thought he must be the steward of this city.

“Hmm, a man who knows respect. What is your name?”

“It is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Henry Grey, the Earl of Kent.”

Mary’s expression hardened. It was only natural, as the man she thought she would meet much later had suddenly appeared.

“…Earl of Kent, what brings you here? I had intended to seek you out myself….”

Unbeknownst to herself, a sharp voice had escaped her lips.

“Why is the author here? Although he is called the Earl of Kent, his mansion should be located in Bedfordshire, north of London.”

Perhaps due to Mary’s reaction, the surrounding cheers had also ceased. A few citizens standing close to Mary began to murmur, seeing her stern expression.

Their gazes met. As the two glared at each other, the atmosphere, which had been welcoming the queen’s visit just moments ago, became heavily subdued. The crowd that had been cheering was now long silent.

In the midst of this, a loud voice burst forth from the Earl of Kent.

“I have come to confess my sins. I only ask for mercy!”

Mary’s face, which had been set in a hard expression, was momentarily flushed with confusion.

“What is this all about, to suddenly proclaim one’s sins in front of all these people?” Mary was at a loss for words. It was an overwhelmingly bewildering situation.

“The merchants who have been committing villainy in my name, I have already apprehended them. It is my great fault for lending them my name.”

Having said that, the Earl paused for a moment, then took out several papers from his bosom and began to speak again.

“These are the documents of the manor located in Kent, however modest. I apologize if this incident has disturbed Your Majesty’s peace of mind. I only ask for mercy, for mercy.”

The Earl of Kent pushed the documents towards Mary.

Mary, who had been glaring at the Earl, reached out her hand towards the documents he presented, her expression one of incomprehension.

After briefly scanning the contents of the documents, Mary handed them to Richard and spoke.

“Are those merchants in your custody?”

“Yes. If Your Majesty wishes, I will bring them to you immediately.”

“Then wait in the manor house, and bring those merchants yourself. And what a disgrace this is, in front of so many people… Make sure such an incident does not happen again. Do you understand?”

“I will remember, and remember well.”

With those words left behind, Mary headed towards the manor house, her mind a whirl of complexity.

She was confused whether the Earl was truly wronged, or if he was feigning injustice to deceive her.

—

The Earl, well aware of what Dartford was, found it somewhat strange that he would go so far as to send men to seize the farmlands of Dartford.

Yet, it made no sense that merchants borrowing the Earl’s name would independently plunder Dartford’s farmlands. The truth was utterly elusive.

‘Let’s first hear what these merchant scoundrels have to say. If the Earl is truly wronged, what then…? Ah, I must also see how much land is mentioned in this document. Things are getting twisted.’

Mary glanced over the document in her hand and proceeded to walk.

The way things were unfolding was slightly irritating. Mary had thought of this as an opportunity.

The real reason for setting out was to procure funds for building a ship.

According to the blueprint Logan interpreted a few days ago, the ship she desired required 150,000 wooden nails.

If nearly stake-sized wooden nails numbered 150,000, how much wood would the ship need? Since learning this fact, Mary had been desperately seeking a source of funds.

If she could claim half the Earl’s estate under the pretext of punishing those who disturbed the farmers tilling the royal lands of Dartford, it would be sufficient to construct the warship.

“Your Highness, please dismount. We have arrived.”

Lost in thought, Mary snapped back to reality at the sound of the voice and looked around. Unknowingly, she had arrived at the manor.

The manor, built by her father Henry VIII after burning down the monastery, served as both a royal villa and an office for the royal administrators. The other attendants were also busy finding their assigned rooms.

“Richard, it seems you must endure a bit more hardship.”

Mary glanced at the bustling attendants and spoke to Richard, who stood behind her. No matter how much she pondered, it was clear the Earl was hiding something.

“For now… survey Dartford and uncover the truth about the Earl. Especially regarding the relationship with the merchants they’ve captured.”

At Mary’s command, Richard simply bowed his head in response, without a word.

Despite issuing the order, her mind was clouded with an inexplicable worry. It felt as if all the travel fatigue she had never experienced before was suddenly hitting her.

“Anne, where is my room?”

“It’s upstairs. I will lead you.”

“Thank you.”

—

—

The Earl had decided to bring the merchant, so it was time for a brief respite, I thought. Following Anne, I entered the upstairs room and took my seat.

As I sat pondering the Earl’s innocence, a rumbling from my stomach broke the silence.

Had I not eaten lunch yet? A creeping hunger began to make itself known.

Lunch was being prepared by the steward of the manor. The cooks of the manor were surely busy preparing the meal.

“Anne, where are Logan and Marco?”

“Why, sir? The meal prepared by the Dartford stewards will soon be served. Why do you seek them?”

“Do you know how much longer it will be?”

“Not yet… I shall find out and return.”

Today’s lunch, as usual, was to be the food prepared in Dartford. Whether due to poor preparation or not, it seemed the meal would take some time to be ready.

“That will do. Just tell Logan and Marco to whip up something simple. I need to stave off this hunger.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will tell them right away.”

Hunger clouds the mind. It was time to fill the empty stomach before thinking further. Mary, who had brought the cooks from the palace, ordered a snack and clutched her throbbing head. The cheers during the journey had been so uplifting, but now, it was truly the worst.

Footnote:

*The Dartford monastery was land dedicated to the Knights Templar. Henry VIII himself set fire to the monastery there and built a manor house on its site. It was used for lodging by the stewards of the manor or as a royal villa.

*The residence of the Earl of Kent, Henry Grey, was located in Bedfordshire, north of London. Being the Earl of Kent did not necessarily mean one had to live in Kent.

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