Chapter 8

8_The Queen's Poison (4)

As the envoy trembled, unable to even touch his fork, the queen thought to herself,

"Why isn't he eating? Is it because he's unfamiliar with the food?"

Indeed.

Contrary to Robert's suspicions, this cruel feast was not the queen's intention.

In fact, the queen genuinely wanted to entertain Robert.

Then why did such an absurd situation arise?

There were three main reasons for this.

First, the queen was still unfamiliar with this era.

The queen thought simply,

"Europeans like tomatoes, so they should suit the envoy's taste."

Tomatoes, which had just arrived in Europe and were not yet used as food.

They were perfect to introduce as a product of the new trade routes.

"I should prepare pasta to show some effort, not just raw tomatoes."

Thus, the tomatoes and tomato pasta were prepared.

The queen also added all the nutmeg from the palace to prepare cookies.

"Adding a lot might not make it taste good, but what's important now is not the taste but the display of wealth. This will show how rich I am, able to indulge in such luxury."

This was the beginning of the misunderstanding.

Of course, the queen was not stupid; if she had noticed the reactions of the servants and cooks, she might have realized something was wrong.

Here, the second reason for the misunderstanding arose.

The problem was that the palace servants were too perfect.

"Your expressions are bad. Is there something wrong with the food I prepared?"

"No! There's nothing wrong. We didn't see anything!"

The survival instincts of the veteran palace servants were more sensitive than those of rabbits in the savanna.

They had immediately sensed the list of foods the queen had ordered.

"Our queen is trying to poison the French envoy!"

The servants and cooks, mere pawns, shuddered.

If they acted carelessly, they might die instead of the envoy.

There was only one way to save their lives.

Pretend not to hear, not to see, and not to know anything.

So the servants and cooks put on a desperate act.

"Heh, heh! Of course there's nothing wrong with the food. It's just a rare treat for the envoy, isn't it?"

"Of course! The envoy will be honored that Her Majesty herself is serving Eastern cuisine."

"Is something wrong in the kitchen? It seems like nothing happened."

The cook, with trembling hands, prepared the pasta and cookies that looked decent on the surface.

These dishes, passed through the hands of the servants who clenched their teeth and maintained a composed expression, were finally placed smoothly in front of the envoy.

Looking at the envoy trembling in front of the food, the queen said,

"Let me tell you one thing. The queen detests lies."

The queen's words implied that the book she had shown earlier was not a forgery.

It meant she was genuinely interested in the new trade routes.

However, this statement coincided with the envoy's fears.

Thus, the three elements aligned.

An irreversible misunderstanding was complete.

"Why aren't you eating? Doesn't it look delicious?"

Despite the queen's urging, the envoy sat there, drenched in cold sweat.

'Why isn't he eating what I prepared? Is it too much of a burden?'

The envoy's fork did not move, even as the food grew cold.

The queen thought to herself,

Yes, the new food, tomatoes, might be unfamiliar, making him hesitant to try it.

But isn't it a bit rude not to touch what I, the queen, have given?

"Are you afraid it might be poisoned?"

-Clang!

The queen's sharp jest.

What was meant to be a joke made the envoy drop his wine glass, trembling.

"Seems like the envoy has poor table manners."

"I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I-I..."

The envoy fumbled, but the glass was already broken.

The expensive glass from Venice was now sharp shards.

The wine, red like blood, slowly stained the tablecloth.

"Tsk."

The queen clicked her tongue and gestured to the servants.

The broken glass was quickly cleared, and a servant respectfully filled a new glass.

The sticky wine filled the glass, rising to a vivid blood-red.

The envoy watched, dazed, as the wine was poured.

"This is wine from your homeland, the Rhone Alps."

"Y-You know my homeland?"

Of course, the queen knew, but what did it matter?

The queen looked at him with a puzzled expression, and the envoy added,

"Truly, you are wise, Your Majesty. Ha ha..."

Even a deaf person could tell the envoy's voice was trembling.

His lips quivered with each word.

"Wine is nothing special."

The queen, with a casual air, picked up her fork.

She was curious about the envoy's reaction but decided to eat first to show it was safe if he refused.

The queen twirled the pasta with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

The pasta was a bit sour and lacked flavor, but it was edible.

"It's not bad."

The queen closed her eyes in genuine satisfaction, savoring the taste.

It was a familiar taste she hadn't had in a month.

She shivered with emotion.

Now, the queen had eaten the food in front of her.

Would this resolve the envoy's absurd misunderstanding?

Unfortunately, it did not.

'What a mad queen! She's willing to risk her life to kill me?'

The envoy's hands trembled.

A small dose of belladonna wouldn't kill you, but it would cause severe hallucinations and headaches.

'She looks terribly distressed right now!'

The queen closed her eyes tightly and shuddered.

The envoy was convinced this was an effort to endure the pain.

'Not even a groan in this situation. Is she truly a demon?'

The envoy was chilled to the bone.

He couldn't tell how far the queen's malice extended.

She must be in great pain, knowing what would happen.

Yet, the queen ate calmly.

Only to cut off his escape.

'Now that the queen has eaten it... I have no choice but to eat it too!'

Formally, the queen had done nothing wrong.

She had served belladonna, not the new continent's crops.

The nutmeg cookies were just a luxurious dessert for the envoy.

The queen had eaten to prove this. Refusing to even touch it would be the height of rudeness, a snub to the queen of a nation.

It would have a negative impact on his own country, France, and end his political career.

'So, I have to eat it...?'

The envoy watched closely how much the queen ate.

That is, eating that much wouldn't kill you.

So, he only needed to eat exactly what the queen had eaten.

It would be painful, but not fatal.

"I will eat it."

There was no choice.

Robert picked up his fork with trembling hands.

He managed to pick up some pasta with the fork and, just before looking at the queen one last time,

-Clang!

He dropped the fork.

The queen said calmly,

"First the wine glass, now the fork. It seems the envoy has a nervous condition. He keeps dropping things."

The envoy's body trembled. It wasn't a hallucination.

The queen's eyes were completely unfazed.

She simply smiled, watching him eat the poison.

Just like a child innocently tearing the wings off a fly, her gaze was both innocent and chilling.

But how could a person act like that?

Does the queen have no emotions?

Soon, a servant brought a new fork to the envoy.

But he couldn't bring himself to pick it up.

"Why? The food will get cold. You must eat to understand the value of the new trade routes."

The queen's urging made the envoy snap to attention.

Wait, could there be a way out?

Yes, he had foolishly forgotten the situation before the queen brought out the poison.

'She must have wanted to secure investment for the new trade routes!'

His body shuddered.

Yes, this wasn't personal revenge against him.

Or maybe it was, but the main goal was the new trade routes.

The envoy quickly rationalized his situation.

Of course, the queen's plan for the new continent was risky and reckless.

But could it definitely be a loss for France?

Perhaps, as the queen said, it could yield tremendous results.

Moreover, accepting this proposal would prevent France from losing a valuable talent.

Maybe this would benefit France more?

His conscience and patriotism were overridden by survival instinct and self-love.

The envoy raised his head and slowly spoke,

"I don't need to eat it. I understand now."

After a deep breath, he put aside his last shred of dignity and smiled pitifully, rubbing his hands.

"In France, we will fully support Her Majesty's plan for the new trade routes."

"Truly, I am grateful. But do you have the authority to make such a decision?"

The envoy cursed the queen's audacity in his mind.

Knowing his homeland, how could she not know this?

He maintained a smile that would split his cheeks.

"Of course, I don't have that authority. But I have the power to make it happen. I will take responsibility and ensure it is done."

The envoy's name was Robert de Foix.

He was the brother of Diane de Foix, the favorite mistress of King Henry II of France, who had absolute support from the king.

###

The surface of the Thames is as blue as ever today.

A calm river still teeming with fish, not yet polluted.

However, today, the banks of the Thames were filled not with fish but with nobles in clothes that sparkled more than fish scales.

It was the day the French delegation was returning home.

"Hehe, I've enjoyed your company, envoy. I'll miss you."

Lord William greeted him warmly.

"Indeed, I hope we meet again."

The envoy looked much thinner after a few days.

After speaking, the envoy turned to board the prepared ship, but Lord William was not done.

"It's quite curious, actually. The Spanish delegation left quietly without anyone to see them off, but the French delegation is being seen off by the nobles of London and even the queen herself."

His tone was clearly provocative.

"…What are you trying to say?"

"Ah, don't misunderstand me. Of course, France deserves such treatment."

Lord William waved his hand dramatically.

"I've heard about the increased import of wool from Flanders. It was a great help to our England. Of course, it deserves a proper send-off."

The proposal for the new trade routes was just at the stage of being offered to France.

Everything was uncertain, and it could face opposition from the parliament, so the queen had not yet informed the parliament.

However, this ambiguous attitude made Lord William suspicious.

"What exactly did the queen say to make such a treaty? Did she make any secret promises without the parliament's knowledge?"

It was a playful question but quite disrespectful to the royal family.

Lord William remained calm, but the envoy turned pale, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

"Lord, please, enough!"

When the envoy reacted more strongly than expected, Lord William was slightly taken aback.

After looking around, the envoy whispered to Lord William,

"…I cannot speak about the treaty. But I will give you a small piece of advice. Please, do not take your queen lightly. You will surely regret it."

After speaking, the envoy hurriedly boarded the ship, as if afraid someone might stop him.

In the end, Lord William could only click his tongue in frustration.

'Tsk, I tried to probe, but he's more tight-lipped than I thought.'

Unfortunately, Lord William did not deeply consider the envoy's warning.

Soon, the ship carrying the envoy and the delegation set sail.

"The ship is leaving."

The queen, watching the ship depart from a distance, muttered to herself.

The queen felt relieved.

She knew rumors were circulating about her threatening or trying to assassinate the French envoy, but she didn't care much.

Contrary to those absurd rumors, she had used modern diplomatic skills and persuasion to convince the French envoy.

And today's persuasion would bring a significant amount of money in the future.

The queen, facing the harbor, announced to her subjects with a joyful tone,

"Wait for the day this ship returns. When it returns, our England will gain a shining glory."

But something was off.

At this point, the subjects should have applauded the queen out of courtesy.

However, they were not looking at the queen but behind her.

"Your Majesty, are you talking about right now?"

It was a confusing question.

Sensing something was wrong, the queen turned around.

"Huh?"

The queen, forgetting her dignity, stared blankly at the French ship.

The sails were being lowered, and the anchor was being dropped.

What was happening? The ship was returning?

The queen squinted and examined the ship.

Was it just her imagination? The ship seemed unusually chaotic inside.

Was something major happening?

Meanwhile, on the ship.

"How are we supposed to handle this! Boarding a stowaway! Can you handle the queen's wrath?"

Robert's voice, filled with despair, echoed.

"Does the English queen even matter? Once we leave, she's just the queen of another country."

The envoy's outburst made the others grumble.

"You say that so easily! You know nothing! You only say that because you don't know!"

And all this conversation was overheard by a man tied with ropes.

'What kind of person is the queen to make the French envoy so afraid?'

The man's name was John Knox.

A rebel who had fled to England on a French ship.