Her Majesty’s Secret Service

001. The Queen’s Ghost

A week in London was utterly fantastic. It seemed I had visited every notable spot in London during my stay.

In commemoration of my trip, I bought a book from a bookstore I dropped by. It came with a world map as an appendix. It was quite large, but it fit in my bag when rolled up.

The paper was a bit unusual. It felt like parchment, with a world map printed on it.

I didn’t know what the book was about, but the galleon drawn on the cover was very striking, so I picked it up.

Seeing “Development battlefleet 1650―1850” written on the cover, it must be a book about the history of galleon development, or something of that sort.

I pulled out a chocolate shaped like a gold coin from my pocket, bought from the store. Having munched on them while wandering around, there weren’t many left.

As I nibbled on the chocolate, I gazed at the Thames River. It was a bit sad to think I would leave this place tomorrow.

I’m 25 this year, having completed my military service as a navy cook last year. The image of London I visited once during my service was unforgettable, so I saved up for a year after my discharge to travel to London.

Since it was the last day of my trip, I headed to Ely Court Street, intending to visit Ye Olde Mitre, the oldest pub in England.

As the day slowly darkened, I planned to quickly have a beer at the pub and then head to my lodging. Being a well-off neighborhood, there were no incidents like pickpockets suddenly appearing and snatching my belongings.

Squeezing through the alley, I spotted a shop hidden between the alleys.

Entering the shop, I ordered a beer in my clumsy English. It was supposed to be a famous place, but there were quite a few empty seats.

“Are you a student? Which country? China? Japan?”

As I took my seat, a bald man drinking next to me asked in a British accent.

I smiled and answered him. My English wasn’t good, but he seemed to understand the meaning.

“Korea, from South Korea. I’m here for travel.”

The bald man chuckled and sat next to me, saying,

“I see. Friends who look like you often come here to study. My name is Logan. Though I’m called Logan, I can’t pull out blades from my hands like the American Logan.”

The bald man, who threw a dull joke, seemed to think I understood English when I responded. Fortunately, there were no issues with communication.

When I first came to London aboard a naval ship, I couldn’t fully enjoy London because I didn’t speak the language. I was determined to make up for it. But how should I respond to that joke?

“Ah… I see, my name is Lee Yu. Fortunately, it’s not a difficult name to pronounce.”

“What? Lee Yu? Like the EU? That’s a bit annoying. With all this Brexit stuff… Oh! My apologies, is it okay if I just call you ‘Lee’?”

The gentleman was quite talkative. But with his amiable demeanor and good impression, we quickly hit it off and shared drinks and stories.

From personal food preferences to politics, we discussed all sorts of topics.

I don’t usually talk much, but chatting with this gentleman, I found myself opening up. Before I knew it, the place was filled with customers, and it had gotten dark, yet our conversation continued.

Suddenly, Mr. Logan’s expression turned mischievously.

“But… Lee, do you believe in ghosts?”

“Why bring up ghosts all of a sudden?”

“Hehehe… You might not know, coming from Korea, but it’s a story everyone here knows.”

“Really, sir, there’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“It’s not just one or two people who have seen it. At 10 o’clock, they say the Queen’s ghost roams the alley, glances at someone’s face, and then vanishes in an instant.”

His face was full of teasing intent. Truly, he was an amusing man.

“Let’s say there is a Queen’s ghost. Which queen is it? Queen Elizabeth you mentioned earlier? Is she visiting because she misses the taste of this pub’s ale?”

At that, Mr. Logan’s expression changed. It was as if he’d never considered the question.

“Uh… I’m not sure which queen it is?”

He was a man who kept up his dull jokes to the end.

* * *

The clock hands pointed to 9 o’clock.

Feeling it was getting late, I got up from my seat. Of course, I didn’t forget to grab my bag. It contained souvenirs I bought today, my wallet, and my phone. Losing this bag would be the end of me.

As I began to pack my things, Mr. Logan spoke with a hint of regret.

“Oh, what’s this? You’re leaving already?”

“Ha-ha, I have a flight tomorrow morning.”

“Well, can’t be helped then. I’d like to keep you here until tomorrow morning if I could. It’s just a one-time thing since you’ve come from afar.”

“Could I possibly refuse?”

I played along with Mr. Logan’s jest and stood up. As I went to settle the tab, Mr. Logan’s hand suddenly shot out, paying for the drinks.

“On your last day of travel? Let me cover the beers today. Come visit again next year. Then it’ll be your turn to buy a round. I’ll be here anytime.”

Listening to Mr. Logan’s stories about the history of England around the 16th century when this pub was established, and the tales of Queen Elizabeth associated with this pub, felt like touring with a professional guide. And to top it off, he even paid for the drinks, making it seem like luck was on my side on this last day of my journey.

* * *

After bidding farewell to Lee Yu, Logan sat back down and took another swig of his beer. It was then he noticed a pub employee taking down the clock, which puzzled him.

“Ellie, why are you taking down the clock?”

The female employee, referred to as Ellie, replied while turning the clock in her hands.

“It seems to be broken. It’s been running an hour late for a while now.”

* * *

How many beers had I had? Six? Seven?

I had been to the restroom a couple of times, so seven must be right. Feeling slightly tipsy, I found it a bit challenging to navigate the narrow alley.

As I was about to leave the alley, a chilling sensation made me look back.

[…….]

A shiver ran down my spine.

A woman in some bizarre dress was staring intently at me.

If it were merely a woman in a dress looking at me, I wouldn’t shiver, but there were no legs beneath the dress.

But the ghost was supposed to appear at 10 o’clock, wasn’t it? It’s only 9, so why has it suddenly sprung up? Turning on my phone to check the time, it wasn’t 9 but 10. The pub’s clock was surely at 9…

Just as the old man said, the ghost has popped up and will probably glance at someone and vanish as discussed. If I keep waiting quietly, it will disappear.

[It’s been a while.]

No, far from disappearing, a chilling voice echoed in my head.

The Queen’s ghost is approaching me. It’s been a while, she says, but I’ve never seen such a ghost before when I came here.

“aaah!”

The Queen’s ghost passed through my body.

I’m not sure if it passed through or overlapped, but I definitely felt dizzy.

My stomach turned, and then my vision began to blur.

And then, in the moment when everything went dark.

[Well then, I entrust this to you.]

Once again, the ghost’s hallucinatory voice echoed in my head.

At first, the sound seemed to shatter my head, but now, somehow, it felt distant.

* * *

My head feels like it’s splitting.

I definitely drank seven beers, but I still feel hungry.

Opening my eyes, a familiar ceiling comes into view. Glancing down, I see a blanket covering my body.

I throw off the blanket and get up.

I was sure I had my bag with me, but it’s nowhere to be seen, so I look around the room.

Each piece was an antique in its own right, exuding a medieval scent, even the bed I had been lying on.

Upon closer inspection, my bag was neatly placed beside the bed.

I hurriedly opened the bag to check inside, worried that something might have been stolen.

Fortunately, the contents of the bag were unchanged: a book, a world map received as an appendix, a small pocketbook containing various speeches I had brought with me, and even my smartphone and wallet.

“Wait, what time is it now?”

The sunlight seeping through the window suggested it was morning.

The return flight was at 10 a.m., so I might not be late if I hurried. I pressed the button on my smartphone to check the time.

“What is this…!”

For some reason, the smartphone displayed a message about leaving the service area and wouldn’t work. The only functions that did work were the phone’s own features, like the camera and flashlight.

A service area departure in the middle of London? Had a war broken out? I thought I should find out what was going on and was about to open the door when…

With a creak, the door opened.

“Are you awake?”

The middle-aged man who entered spoke English with an oddly archaic accent.

It was an accent I had never heard before, but somehow I understood the meaning.

“Excuse me, what happened? A service area departure in the middle of London? Has there been a war?”

The middle-aged man looked puzzled by my words.

“London? The middle of London? This is the outskirts of London.”

“What do you mean? We’ve come that far? Who are you to have brought me here? Just so you know, I don’t have any money.”

“No, brought you? Last night, you were collapsed in front of the door, so I brought you inside. What are you talking about…!”

“Me? I was collapsed in front of the door?”

I remember losing consciousness in the alley. But to be found in front of a door on the outskirts of London?

First, I needed to figure out where I was.

“Where on earth am I?”

The middle-aged man who heard my question answered as if it were obvious.

“Where else but the lodging house where the bishop’s servants eat and sleep. If you’ve come to your senses, then please leave. A kidnapper, indeed.”

The man seemed quite upset.

Apologizing for mistakenly accusing him of kidnapping, I gathered my belongings.

Opening the door, a narrow corridor greeted me. The stairs going up and down seemed wider than the hallway. I walked down the stairs and opened the door leading outside. Then, I was struck dumb by the absurd sight before me.

Could it be that I am indeed in London?

The modernly paved streets and buildings had vanished without a trace, replaced by flimsy houses and walls made of wood.

Turning around, I looked at the building I had emerged from. It too was a wooden structure.

“What is… this…”

As I stared at the building in shock, the middle-aged man who followed me down spoke gruffly.

“What, you haven’t left yet?”

Whether I go or stay, the important thing now is to grasp the situation.

What in the world happened for everything to disappear overnight?

“Um… This is England, right?”

“Of course, it is, you strange person. You don’t look like you’re from around here… Hey! Be on your way. I’ve done enough for you. I didn’t touch your luggage.”

Too confused to accept the situation, I ignored his words and continued to ask.

“So… what year is it now?”

I, too, think I must be mad. But then, I closed my eyes and upon opening them, not only did I wake up in an unfamiliar wooden building, but there was also a person in front of me, speaking English with a strange accent.

“How many years? I’m not sure, but you could ask the priest. No wait… It’s been since the King ascended to the throne…”

“King? Did you just say ‘King’?”

“Why are you so surprised? Is it so strange that England has a King?”

A King, in England? Not a ‘Queen’ but a ‘King’? It seemed my guess was correct.

To be more certain, I addressed the middle-aged man once more.

“Then… who is the current King?”

“The current King? It’s been six years since His Majesty Edward VI, son of Henry VIII, took the throne. Is there a problem?”

Words began to resurface from the depths of my memory.

Among the things Mr. Logan told me before I fainted, there were details about the history of 16th-century England.

Edward VI… Then, this is…

“The 16th… century…?”

*Special thanks to Mr. Hwang, a senior in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Seoul, for proofreading this work.