Her Majesty’s Secret Service

052. A career like a demotion

It feels like a typhoon has passed by.

As I’ve been busy preparing for the Queen’s wedding for the past two months, I couldn’t quite feel it even after the wedding was over. After about a month of peaceful days, I felt a little bored in some ways.

After the wedding, the chefs in the kitchen earned quite a bit of extra income.

The whipped cream cake presented to the queen seemed to suit her taste quite well, and from that day on, the queen ordered whipped cream cakes to be served a couple of times a week.

Soon, rumors about whipped cream began to spread among the nobility and the wealthy. In particular, the gentry who could not attend the Queen’s wedding secretly contacted the chefs in the royal kitchen in order to obtain fresh cream used in the cake.

Thanks to this, the chefs in the kitchen who knew how to make whipped cream seemed to be making quite a bit of money by secretly attending the banquets of the gentry and making whipped cream.

“Umm… I heard this came out at Her Majesty the Queen’s dinner party… .”

“Indeed, it is a dish that Her Majesty the Queen would eat. “I can’t believe they use so much sugar.”

“It’s worth it! “How sweet and soft it is!”

As whipped cream became popular among the gentry, nobles also responded and began ordering whipped cream as if competing, and some nobles seemed to use whipped cream for slightly special purposes. I’m not sure how to use it, though.

In principle, I should have cracked down on those who were getting paid and doing side jobs, but the things the cooks who earned extra income secretly offered to me, asking me to close my eyes, were quite savory, so even though I knew that, I let them go.

“Lord Logan, are you inside?”

Today too, while I was counting the pennies and pennies I received from the cooks, I heard the servant’s voice outside the door.

I told the servant that he could come in, and soon the door opened and the servant came in.

“What’s going on? There’s still a while until dinner time. Did Her Majesty the Queen ask you to bring some snacks?”

“I’m sorry you’re taking a break, Sir Logan. “Her Majesty the Queen has told us to fetch Sir Logan at once.”

“Suddenly what…” ? “Was there anything wrong with today’s meal?”

“No, that’s not it… .”

“No?”

“Lord Logan… The word that you are being appointed as the general manager of the construction of the royal flagship… .”

“what?”

I think I heard something wrong. What are you going to entrust to the chef?

“What did you just say, what are you appointing me to?”

“yes? As the general manager of building the flagship… .”

Did I say I was bored because I was carefree?

I cancel that statement. I just want to live a boring life.

* * *

Mary was enjoying the sweetness of newlywed life.

In reality, she only spent three days on vacation with Eric, but since she was able to spend every day with her beloved companion, a happy smile never left Mary’s face while taking care of state affairs.

Nevertheless, there were times when Mary frowned two or three times a week, such as during the court meetings where representatives of the Catholic nobles and Protestant subjects met.

“Shouldn’t Count Herbert be in charge of building the new ship? This job should be handled by someone with proven loyalty… !”

“What about loyalty? Does that mean we are not loyal to Her Majesty the Queen?”

“No, did you hear that? “I was just saying that Count Herbert’s loyalty is high?”

This morning a man arrived from the Royal Dockyard in Deptford. With the news that the expansion work of Geonjeon was scheduled to be completed soon, she asked if Mary could visit in person.

Mary, who had been looking for an opportunity to build ‘Brian’s ship’ while secretly looking at her subjects since the last court meeting, thought that it had come. A few days ago, when she saw the nobles attending the palace meeting, she got a very positive reaction.

So today, at today’s palace meeting, the Queen declared that she would build a new royal flagship by adding some royal funds to the support money sent from Spain, and the result was a mess unfolding before her eyes.

“Oh well. Wouldn’t it be natural for Peter Fett of Deptford Shipyard to take charge of this job? “How much does Count Herbert say he knows about ships?”

“joy! You’re not saying that because you know ships well, but because you’re an Anglican? While the royal flagship is being built, there are some disloyal heretics… !”

“When did Her Majesty the Queen say she would protect us, and yet you are calling us heretics! And what about disloyalty? “Don’t you even remember who led the last rebellion!”

“what… “What!”

As we debate over who should be appointed to the position in charge of building the flagship, wouldn’t the Catholic aristocrats and Anglican aristocrats turn a blind eye to each other and begin to argue that each should appoint their own people?

In addition, the argument that started over who to appoint as the person in charge has now started accusing each other of being traitors, so Mary can’t help but frown.

“Stop, everyone stop! “What a disgrace!”

When Mary tried to say something, Eric, who was sitting next to her, opened his mouth instead and silenced them.

Despite this, Mary’s expression showed no sign of loosening.

“My queen, I have heard from them that they have found a man named Peter… .”

This was because the sight of this young husband supporting the Anglican nobility was too clumsy.

According to the treaty between England and Sweden, Eric was restricted from the archduke’s rights to convene parliament and the army, but was guaranteed the right to attend court meetings. After his marriage, Eric’s actions by attending court meetings were impressed by Mary at each court meeting. It has become one of the causes of frowning.

If he wanted to support the Anglican aristocrats, he could have talked about it secretly when he was alone, but since he openly sided with the Anglican aristocrats while all the Catholic aristocrats were watching, the fight between the two factions was bound to grow further.

In addition, as my husband Eric openly made comments in support of Anglicans, a group of people began to gravitate around him.

The fact that more and more people were loyal to her husband other than herself was also one of the reasons why Mary frowned.

Nevertheless, because of the way Eric showed himself, he couldn’t say anything openly and was just watching Eric, but today he couldn’t hold it in anymore and ended up speaking.

“Grand Duke, please be quiet for now.”

“But the queen… !”

Sighing inwardly and silencing Eric, who was casting a coy look at her, Mary glanced at the nobles who had been fighting just a moment ago. As she looked at the faces of the nobles who were still glaring at each other and frowning, Mary sighed again.

“So, those two people you think are the right people?”

“Yes, Her Majesty. “Didn’t Count Herbert serve in the army for Her Majesty the Queen during the last rebellion?”

“Her Majesty the Queen. Regardless of religion, aren’t you trying to build a royal flagship that goes beyond the ‘Mary Rose’? For such a job, there is no one better suited than Peter Fett, the Grand Master of the Royal Dockyard. Please understand our sincerity.”

“Hmm, it looks like we have no intention of backing down… What should I do with this… .”

Indeed, as the saying goes, it would be most efficient to appoint Peter Fett, the archpastor of Deptford, as general manager, but the catch was that Peter Fett was an Anglican. In addition, Peter Fett’s identity also became an issue.

Although Peter received the title of sir, he was a far lower rank than Count Herbert.

If the Anglican nobility sided with it, it was obvious that the Catholic nobility would rebel. The rumor that ‘the queen must be trying to convert to Protestantism, as she appointed someone of lower status than the earl as general manager’ may once again spread in London.

The reason why I recommended Peter, who was of low status but was good at practical work, may have been because I wanted the rumor to spread.

‘In this situation, what kind of greeting is acceptable to both sides… No, shouldn’t you just choose neither? okay. ‘Logan, there was Logan.’

Although Logan is now in charge of his own dining table as the head chef, isn’t the new ship he was planning to build originally a ship designed by Logan’s mentor, Brian Lavery?

‘Hmm… Even though Logan is Catholic, he is a Gentile and has just become a knight, so even Anglican nobles can’t complain. After all, he is Catholic, so Catholic nobles will be satisfied. Since you will understand design better than anyone else, there will be less friction with practitioners… Doesn’t it fit perfectly? From the beginning, I was planning on using it as an assistant to the general manager, but things turned out like this… .’

When I asked Logan the other day, he said that he believes in Catholicism due to Brian’s influence.

Since she often saw him going to mass every Sunday, Mary assumed that Logan’s religion was Catholic.

“If you cannot recommend the right person, I will choose the right person. If you have anything to say, do it now.”

“Hmm, Her Majesty the Queen… .”

“What… Ultimately, it is Her Majesty the Queen’s choice. “Aren’t we just advisors?”

When Mary said that she would personally select the right person, the faces of the Anglican nobles darkened a little, and the faces of the Catholic nobles began to brighten a little. Perhaps he thought that Mary would side with the Catholic nobles.

No matter how much Mary declared that she would protect the Anglican Church and recognize those who were loyal to her, she herself believed in Catholicism.

“I will appoint Lord Logan as Director-General. “Does anyone have any objections?”

As the name of the right person flowed from Mary’s lips, nobles, including Catholic Anglicans, looked at the queen in disbelief.

Now, they look like they are questioning whether what they heard is true.

* * *

I was hurriedly walking to the Queen’s office after hearing the unbelievable news.

The court meeting had just ended, and nobles wearing fancy clothes were seen walking down the hallway leading to the queen’s office.

‘under… driving me crazy.’

A variety of looks greeted me, from nobles looking at me curiously to people glaring at me with disapproval.

I was able to barely get to the Queen’s office, passing those burdensome stares.

The Queen and the Grand Duke were sitting together in the office. The Grand Duke’s expression became a little heavy and the Queen’s expression became a little sharp, so it looked like they were having an argument again.

There was a rumor that the queen and the archduke often argued while attending court meetings after their marriage, and the rumor seemed to be true.

“Uh… Her Majesty the Queen, upon your call… .”

The atmosphere didn’t seem very good, so I cautiously spoke to the queen.

The Queen heard my voice and turned her head towards me.

“Ah, you came quickly. So, did you hear the story?”

“Yes, but what happened all of a sudden? Me building a ship? I am a chef… .”

“Yes, a chef. “A chef trained by Brian Lavery.”

“yes? Ah, yes, but… .”

“Don’t you know? “I have decided to build his ship.”

Surely, it was around last week. I muttered that the dry dock expansion would soon be over, so I could build Brian’s ship.

Now that they have interpreted all the blueprints, I thought they would call in shipbuilders from the royal shipyard to build the ship, but they suddenly appointed me as the general manager. What kind of nonsense is this?

I have never even planed a ship, let alone built one.

While I was thinking that, I heard the queen’s voice in my ears. It was to explain why I was appointed.

“So, according to what Her Majesty the Queen said, I was originally… .”

“Yes, I was planning to send it to the person in charge to have a more accurate interpretation of the blueprint. But what can you do? “If we appoint Herbert, the Anglican nobles will be dissatisfied, and if we appoint Peter, won’t the Catholic nobles be dissatisfied?”

From what I heard, he had been thinking of sending me to the shipyard in Deptford from the beginning.

As the nobility of both the Catholic and Anglican churches were sharply opposed to each other, in the end, through a mediation plan, I, who was originally supposed to be assigned to assist the general manager, took the position of general manager.

“Well, there was some opposition from the nobles, but when I showed them the blueprints for the new ship to be built, they fell silent. Some people who know how to watch ships gave high praise and said that you, ‘Brian’s disciple’, should be put in charge… Some people seemed dissatisfied… .”

With that said, the Queen handed me a thick piece of paper.

“What is this?”

“Well, I wrote down the budget to be used for this project. Materials used to build ships, wages to be paid to carpenters… Take your time and look at it.”

The Queen didn’t seem to think I would refuse the job. When you see them handing over a piece of paper with the budget size written on it, as if it were obvious.

Somehow, it seemed like I had no choice.

As I had no choice but to turn over each piece of paper and look at its contents, I realized that the nobles I had just encountered in the hallway were looking at me that way.

From noble mtl dot come

“Your Majesty the Queen, isn’t there something written incorrectly? 30,000… 30,000 pounds… .”

My face turned pale and I looked at the queen and stuttered.

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*Fresh cream was actually used as an adult product. uh… The reason is slippery… I’ll stop here.