Chapter 2

2_ I am the Queen of □□ (1)

The ministers were in an uproar.

They were murmuring and discussing among themselves, but it seemed that no one truly understood why both countries had sent envoys simultaneously.

"How can you not know about such a significant matter?"

Feeling disdainful, I commented, and one of the ministers, sweating profusely, tried to justify himself.

"Your Majesty, as you know, during the reign of the late king, the country was in turmoil due to treacherous officials like the Seymour brothers and the Duke of Northumberland. With the country in chaos, we couldn't pay much attention to external affairs."

Upon hearing this, I couldn't say I didn't understand.

Edward VI became king at the tender age of 10.

Naturally, regents took over, and a power struggle ensued.

It wouldn't have been a situation where they could focus on external matters.

Fortunately, as time passed, the ministers regained their composure.

They began to piece together the old information.

"Spain and France are at war. They must have come to request an alliance to ensure a decisive victory over their opponent, right?"

"Spain, I can understand, but France, those scoundrels?"

"It's not surprising. Those shameless frogs have been up to no good for a long time."

"Still, there might be some benefit to siding with France..."

"It's foolish to ally with the losing side. We should naturally side with Spain, but Calais is a concern."

"Do we need to worry? As long as we don't send troops directly, France won't rashly attack Calais."

"True. We should side with Spain..."

The consensus seemed to be leaning towards an alliance with Spain.

I remained silent, listening.

If I recall correctly, this period was when Spain and France were constantly at odds, but is Spain currently in the dominant position?

At that moment, a young man's voice echoed through the meeting hall.

"We should naturally side with France!"

The first pro-France opinion drew everyone's attention.

The owner of the passionate voice was a relatively young minister sitting at the end of the table.

One of the ministers, clearly displeased, asked,

"Who are you?"

"I am Thomas Wyatt, the minister of Kent."

"Thomas Wyatt, you say?"

The minister frowned.

It seemed he either didn't remember the name or found it insignificant.

"Oh, that Thomas Wyatt who managed to achieve some success in the Boulogne campaign..."

"Isn't he part of that reckless gang?"

A few ministers seemed to recognize the young man, but their reactions were not favorable.

Just as the first minister was about to scold the young man, someone interjected.

"He is also my grandson."

"The Duke of Norfolk's grandson?"

This changed the dynamics.

The dignified upper house members of Westminster looked at each other and nodded.

They decided to give the young minister a chance to speak.

"Spain is undoubtedly a powerful nation. But how long will that barbaric country remain strong? Last year, Spain suffered a crushing defeat against France! Charles V fled over the Alps in disgrace. We must seize this momentum and side with France!"

Wyatt seemed very excited by the attention focused on him.

But Charles V fled over the Alps last year?

Something was nagging at the back of my mind.

As I frowned, trying to recall, I felt a piercing gaze.

The ministers were fidgeting, watching me closely.

Why are they acting like this all of a sudden?

"You! What nonsense is this! Fled in disgrace! Have you forgotten that Charles V, the King of Spain, is the Queen's cousin?"

Thomas Wyatt's face turned pale.

Ah, that's right.

Charles V was Mary's cousin.

The ministers scolded Wyatt.

"Tsk tsk. Do you think we don't know about last year's war? It was a surprise attack! If it weren't for Maurice's betrayal, Spain would have won decisively."

"I respect your youthful enthusiasm, but you are too young and naive. Do you not know how strong Spain is? It was just a few years ago. An alliance of powerful nations, including the Papal States, France, Switzerland, Florence, and Venice, was formed against Spain. What was the result? They all knelt before Spain!"

"Charles V knows no mercy or compassion. He will undoubtedly launch a war to avenge last year's defeat, mobilizing all his troops and vassals. To side with France in this situation? It's absurd. Face reality!"

The ministers continued to speak in favor of Spain.

Still, the idea of Charles V's revenge after fleeing over the Alps...

I've definitely heard this somewhere before.

Ah! I remember! It's definitely...

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

If history plays out as I know it, this meeting must not go this way.

"Your Majesty? You suddenly look unwell. Are you overexerting yourself?"

A convenient target spoke to me.

I seized the opportunity.

"Why do you think I look unwell?"

My cold response made the ministers, who were surprised, fall silent one by one.

"From what I hear, it's absurd. Are you loyal to England or to Spain? Should England bow down just because Spain is strong? Diplomacy is the sovereign's prerogative, yet you overstep your bounds. That's enough. The meeting is adjourned."

The ministers looked bewildered at my words.

Yes, you must have thought you were flattering me, but you didn't expect this reaction.

But I had no choice.

Ah, I know you won't believe me, but I want to shout it out once.

If we ally with Spain, we will be doomed!

###

After ending the meeting in chaos, I immediately summoned the Spanish envoy to the palace.

Not to welcome them, but to find a way to reject the alliance.

"Thank you for welcoming us so warmly despite our early arrival, Your Majesty."

It was the greeting of the deputy leader of the Spanish envoy, the Earl of Flanders.

"To have my cousin show such concern, I am the one who should be grateful. Please rest comfortably."

The Earl of Flanders bowed again in gratitude.

To reiterate, it's the Earl of Flanders.

The leader of this envoy and the eldest son of Charles V, Philip, glared at me without even a greeting.

'How dare he act this way in front of a foreign monarch?'

It was outrageous.

Of course, the envoy's leader is often just a figurehead.

They maintain authority due to their high status, while the deputy handles the practical matters.

But even so, he should at least greet properly.

The Earl of Flanders seemed quite flustered by the prince's attitude.

"Please forgive Prince Philip's rudeness, Your Majesty. He is still recovering from the journey and is quite exhausted. It seems he is not used to sea travel."

Oh, of course. I forgive him.

How can a minor country like England defy the mighty Spain?

Well, let's see how you handle this hot forgiveness.

"Of course. There's no need to apologize. He is a dear relative, after all. I understand completely."

My words made Philip and the Earl of Flanders' faces stiffen.

It wasn't because of the content of my words, but because I spoke in German, not Latin.

"Your Majesty. While I appreciate your consideration, we can continue in Latin. Prince Philip is also fluent in Latin."

The Earl of Flanders replied in German.

Oh, he should have just said he didn't know German.

Then he could have saved the prince's dignity.

I mocked his naivety internally and answered smoothly.

"Of course. But isn't Latin less comfortable than your native language? I am fluent in German, so it's fine to continue in German."

I insisted on using German calmly.

Prince Philip, sensing the atmosphere, gritted his teeth and said,

"Unfortunately, I do not speak German."

"What?"

I feigned surprise.

Here, acting skills are crucial.

I pretended to be genuinely apologetic and apologized to Philip in Latin.

"I am sorry. I didn't realize you were not fluent in German. Charles is the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, isn't he?"

I didn't add more, but he understood the implication.

Your father is the Emperor of Germany, so why can't you speak German?

I added a comforting remark, as if to protect Philip's dignity.

"But upon reflection, the next Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire will be your younger uncle, Ferdinand, not you. You will inherit only Spain, so not speaking German is not a flaw."

Philip glared at me, completely enraged.

What will you do if you glare at me?

As I acted nonchalantly, the Earl of Flanders quickly tried to defuse the situation.

"Here is a personal letter from Emperor Charles V to Your Majesty. Please read it. Unfortunately, Prince Philip is still recovering, so we will take our leave."

"Very well. I hope you recover by the coronation."

The Earl hurriedly bowed and half-dragged the prince away.

I watched the scene with a smirk.

I had thoroughly rubbed the Spanish prince the wrong way.

At this point, when Charles V falls, we won't be dragged down with him.

###

As I mentioned earlier, Charles V was quite skilled in war.

Born with a silver spoon, he excelled even in conquests, securing vast territories.

But what good is that? His political skills were terrible.

He neglected internal affairs while running around battlefields.

The territories he had to govern were too vast, and he couldn't manage any of them properly.

He monopolized the spoils of war and repeatedly broke promises with his vassals.

He even betrayed and tried to expel his trustworthy brother.

Moreover, he carried out unnecessary massacres.

Then, bang!

The final bullet was fired.

Charles V returned in disgrace after a crushing defeat in war.

The clueless Charles V, as usual, called for a revenge war.

He summoned the vassals to start another unjust war.

But no one listened to his orders.

No vassal sent troops and ignored the emperor.

Only then did Charles V realize.

His power was slipping away like sand.

"Charles V might try to struggle a bit more, but history is set. He will soon lose all his power and be forced to abdicate."

But right at this moment, Mary became the Queen of England.

A reliable relative appeared when the desperate Charles V had no one to trust.

Wouldn't he want to at least propose an alliance?

"Of course, I have no intention of agreeing. There's no benefit in allying with Charles V in this situation."

Still, I should check what kind of proposal he made.

I locked the door of the prayer room and broke the seal on Charles V's letter.

It was a thick letter, but the content was surprisingly light.

It's quite cold these days. It must be even colder in England, so take care of yourself.

Congratulations on becoming queen. Don't feel burdened by your position and do your best.

I have a chef you might like, so I'm sending him to you.

It reads like a letter of well-wishes to a cousin.

Of course, that can't be it. The important part must be at the end.

I flipped through the pages.

The main point finally appeared on the last page.

"Have you met my son Philip? He has grown into a fine young man. I think it's time for him to find a suitable partner. I remembered that you are unmarried. I think you two would make a good match. What do you think?"

"Are you kidding me?"

I knew Charles V was desperate.

I knew he would try to pull England to his side.

But even so, this is ridiculous.

To propose marriage so suddenly?