Chapter 75

One last thing: witness the power of the new cannons.

Only after witnessing firsthand the difference between the old and new cannons could Mary feel at ease letting these new weapons be equipped for the army and navy.

Stepping out of the dark, dry house, protected by several guards, on the wide lawn outside the factory, the Queen of England ordered the new cannons to be lit and aimed at the hillside not far away.

A soldier went inside and carefully lit the cannon.

"boom--!"

With a deafening, thunderous explosion, the powerful artillery blasted the small hill into the air, sending sand and dust flying high into the sky before roaring across the open plain with a powerful gust of air!

Such a violent commotion, even if prepared in advance, still startled the people, who covered their ears and hid to the side. The sand and dust were swirled up like smog, causing the guards to instinctively stagger.

This power... is truly immense.

In the brief chaos, even the Queen of England couldn't help but lower her head and cover her eyes with her hands.

A speck of dust was accidentally blown into her eyes by the wind, making them sting and want to tear up. Just as Mary was about to ask someone to bring her a towel dampened with water, she suddenly heard a terrified scream from the crowd.

"His Majesty!"

This was Albert's voice, the closest one, sharp and completely lacking his usual haughty, peacock-like demeanor.

what happened?

Mary had just opened her eyes despite the discomfort when she felt a tall, dark figure tackle her to the ground, hitting her head so hard it hurt. Immediately afterward, she heard an explosion that was weaker but closer!

"bump--!"

Everything happened so fast that Mary felt her mind go blank. She only felt a flash of light and an explosion that made her ears ring. It wasn't until a few seconds later that her vision and hearing returned to normal.

—Someone is trying to assassinate me.

Mary's face was pale. She tried to push Albert's body, which was tightly looming over her, and then reached out with trembling hands to touch his back.

She only felt a sticky, warm sensation.

“Albert?” Mary murmured.

The noisy crowd, the guards and maids who had just realized what was happening, were running around in a hurry. Some were trying to catch the murderer, some were trying to block the crowd, and some had already wisely come forward to ask for the Queen's orders.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

"We have arrested that audacious murderer."

"Quickly help the Earl of Hertford up, and fetch the doctor! Your Majesty, how are you feeling...?"

The crowd gathered around the Queen of England, asking questions all at once.

But the Queen of England seemed not to hear any of this.

Her entire attention was drawn to Albert, her eyes fixed on the large patch of blood spreading across the blond youth's back.

He shouldn't have died.

—Albert cannot die.

She saved him from that burning sailboat, not so that he would die in another way a few years later.

He should be forever vibrant, like a knight riding a white horse across mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, like a brave and fearless general on the battlefield, like a playboy in the palace who attracts the admiring glances of countless noble ladies, standing happily in the sunlight.

The Queen of England was trembling slightly.

“…carry him to a cool, open place, call the doctor, call him now!” Mary practically roared.

The guards dragged over the assassin who dared to attempt to kill the queen.

It was Robert Darnley, Earl of Leicester.

He was dressed in drab worker's clothes and somehow managed to sneak in. He was carrying a bag of explosives and then deliberately lit them to rush over.

This made his injuries even more severe than Albert's; his clothes were almost completely soaked in blood, and a gash had been blown open in his abdomen, through which his internal organs could be vaguely seen.

With the medical technology of this era, there is absolutely no possibility of saving him; he is on the verge of death and will be in heaven in a minute or two.

The guards lifted the Earl of Leicester by his arms and kept him in a kneeling position.

Mary walked over expressionlessly.

The Earl of Leicester raised his equally blood-stained eyes, then laughed and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the hem of the Queen of England's dress.

“A usurper, a false king…” said the Earl of Leicester.

His head drooped weakly, and he lost his last breath.

...

The shockwaves from the near-assassination of the Queen of England and the critical condition of the Earl of Hertford swept through the entire English court like a storm.

Secretary of State Cecil set aside his official duties and personally took over the investigation of the entire incident. He used all his abilities and within a few days, he had thoroughly investigated the ins and outs of the assassination.

"So who is cooperating with the Earl of Leicester?" the Queen of England asked coldly.

“Your Majesty, you always keep a low profile when you travel in private, especially to places like the gunpowder factory. But a lady-in-waiting at Whitehall Palace revealed your itinerary that day. Of course, she didn’t know that the Earl of Leicester planned to assassinate the Queen, otherwise she wouldn’t have dared to do it even if she had ten lives…” Cecil said, a hint of disgust for the foolish woman in his eyes, “…She said that just to please her lover. That lady-in-waiting is the daughter of a baron, with no dowry and no status. The Earl of Leicester promised to marry her and make her his countess, which is why she would give everything for him.”

The Queen of England made no comment, only gave a cold laugh.

"Who else?" the Queen of England asked.

“And the worker in the gunpowder factory, that’s simpler. He was lured by the Earl of Leicester’s money. The Earl of Leicester promised the worker a thousand pounds, and on the day he received that payment, the day you were assassinated, he secretly boarded a ship bound for France. But our navy eventually intercepted him… Now, both of them are imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting your disposal at any time,” Cecil said hesitantly.

"Continue, my dear Secretary of State. The route of infiltration? Who provided the gunpowder? Who devised the method?... Don't gloss over these questions," the Queen of England said calmly, her gaze sharp and cold.

Stared at like that, Cecil felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the Queen was not easily fooled, and he abandoned all thoughts of concealment.

“Yes… some overly devout and fanatical Protestants,” Cecil said.

"Are you afraid I'll offend all the Protestants?" the Queen of England asked, her tone devoid of emotion.

“Your Majesty, the Supreme Act does indeed have many merits for the monarchy,” Cecil said tactfully.

As a Protestant, serving a Catholic mistress every day was enough to terrify him. He could not allow the stake erected during the reign of Mary I to be set ablaze again, nor could he allow England to return to the embrace of the decadent papacy of Rome.

Although Her Majesty Mary has appeared quite enlightened and impartial since becoming Queen of England and has never commented on religious matters, who can guarantee that she won't take her anger out on Protestants because of this suicide?

"I will not implicate the innocent, but those Protestants involved must be punished accordingly... Do not speculate on my thoughts, and do not dare to hide anything from me, Cecil. You are first and foremost my Secretary of State, and only secondly a Protestant. Remember that." The Queen of England warned, then ignored the sweating Cecil and stood up to leave the hall.

...

Albert was placed in Whitehall to recuperate, as his current physical condition made it unsuitable for him to move around.

The gunpowder explosion caused damage that ran through most of his back. Tiny iron fragments had to be removed, and he suffered severe blood loss, not to mention the recurring fevers and infections that followed. Doctors from half of London, who had embraced modern medicine, were summoned to treat the Earl of Hertford, but most of them could only shake their heads and sigh at the sight of such an injury, leaving it to God's will.

Mary had no choice but to have the servants repeatedly wipe Albert's back with alcohol and then help him drink large amounts of sugar-salt water to keep him hydrated and hydrated.

Only today has his condition stabilized somewhat, and he shows signs of waking up again.

After talking with Cecil, it was already late. In the twilight, Mary found Albert's bedside, pulled up a chair and sat down, silently gazing at the blond young man's face.

She had faced suicide attempts and encountered dangerous situations before, but never before had she come so close to death.

"I shouldn't have..." Mary muttered to herself for a moment, then suddenly stopped, letting her thoughts drift away.

What shouldn't be done?