He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 119

119. The Hughes Family Wedding

◈ Theo Marriage Agency, CEO’s Office.

Monday morning, after the weekend.

Simon Hughes, the Baron, was visibly excited during his visit to the CEO’s office.

It was all because of the portrait Charlie had painted.

“You should have seen my mother’s expression, CEO. The moment I received the painting from Charlie, I took it straight to her…”

After work, Simon went directly to the Countess and presented her with the portrait.

The Countess stared at her own image, then suddenly burst into tears.

She sobbed for a long time, as if releasing a burden that had been deeply suppressed in her heart.

The Hughes Earl and their children also shed tears, united in nostalgia as they gazed at their mother’s healthy depiction in the painting.

That night.

The Countess, who had always suffered from severe insomnia, even with the aid of opium, was able to fall into a deep sleep for the first time in years.

And the next morning, she joined her family for breakfast with a noticeably brighter demeanor.

“You have no idea how much changed over the weekend. My mother was overjoyed, saying she felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders and chest. It’s incredible. It’s just a painting, but how could it bring about such a transformation?”

A smile never left Simon’s face as he spoke.

Just as some find solace in music, the Countess, with her exceptional artistic sensibility and creative spirit, seemed to have found healing through the painting.

The vast number of paintings she acquired seemed to stem from an anxiety born of unfulfilled creative desires.

But at some point, even good paintings ceased to satisfy her creative urges, replaced only by inexplicable anxiety and stress.

Perhaps this gradual imbalance between her conscious and unconscious mind contributed to her condition.

Looking at Charlie’s painting, however, her long-deprived desires were fulfilled, and neurotransmitters from her nervous, endocrine, and immune systems seemed to help her regain peace of mind.

“My mother expressed her wish for the whole family to gather and paint on my wedding day. And, of course, she wants to ask Charlie to create that family painting.”

Theo’s heart seemed to swell with happiness at Simon’s radiant smile.

A family member’s illness is a source of great pain and casts a shadow over the hearts of their loved ones.

Simon, who had suffered alongside his mother for years, was now filled with hope at her sudden improvement.

Of course, the Countess’s condition, which had persisted for over three years, wouldn’t vanish overnight.

However, given the close link between her illness and her artistic sensibility, he was convinced that art therapy would significantly improve her condition in the future.

‘Charlie will have a lot more work to do, haha.’

◈ A month later. Watford area, Hughes Earl’s private chapel.

Late June 1778.

The wedding of Simon Hughes, the Baron, and Christina Mitchell took place in the Hughes Earl’s private chapel in Watford.

Not only were prominent figures from London society invited, but also employees of Theo Marriage Agency and various trading companies.

Because it was an outdoor wedding, there was some initial worry about the gathering dark clouds, but as soon as the ceremony commenced, the weather cleared up as if blessed.

Theo, observing the wedding hall, was struck by the changed appearance of the Hughes Countess.

‘Oh, she’s really getting better.’

She had gained weight in the past month, and her face radiated life.

She hadn’t fully recovered, but compared to a month ago, the transformation was so remarkable that she seemed like a different person.

After the enjoyable wedding and reception, Theo noticed the Hughes family and Christina posing in front of Charlie.

‘Are they finally going to draw the family picture?’

Everyone looked at him with happy smiles, and Charlie was skillfully sketching the scene.

‘This is Charlie’s first time doing such a large painting. Will he be able to handle it well…?’

Charlie primarily worked on small portraits.

Theo, not being an art expert, knew that a large piece that would fill an entire wall would require considerable time and effort.

Theo was planning to prepare a dedicated art studio for Charlie on this occasion.

He intended to equip the corner room with wide windows on the third floor of the Kensington building with top-of-the-line art supplies and provide generous support so that he could paint to his heart’s content.

‘Yes, Charlie will excel. I look forward to it.’

Theo watched Charlie, engrossed in sketching, with a supportive heart.

◈ Three months later, late September 1778.

Clatter. Clatter.

The carriage Theo was riding in followed a cart carrying a large panel.

The cart transported the Hughes Earl’s family portrait painted by Charlie.

A few days prior, the Hughes Earl and his wife had left the Watford area and returned to London after a three-month stay.

They had taken a break from the stress of their eldest son’s wedding and enjoyed a restful recuperation at the family estate.

And today, Charlie’s painting was scheduled to be unveiled where the whole family had gathered.

Thump- Thump-

The large painting, which Theo hadn’t yet seen, was tightly wrapped in silk cloth on the cart ahead.

Before departure, he had wanted to see the completed painting, so he went down to the studio, but the workers transporting the painting had already wrapped the frame in layers to protect it from damage.

‘I couldn’t go down there because I was afraid of interfering with the work. Should I have sneaked a peek yesterday? I’m really curious. What kind of feeling will Charlie’s family painting evoke….’

Theo, who had never understood people who spent vast sums on art in the 21st century, now began to grasp their feelings.

Theo, already captivated by the two portraits Charlie had meticulously painted, was eager to see the third work.

Moreover, it was a piece that had taken three months of dedicated effort.

His heart pounded with anticipation, wondering what emotions would be alive and breathing within it.

When the carriage arrived at the Hughes Earl’s townhouse, the butler, who had been waiting in front of the house, rushed forward.

The workers carefully carried the painting into the living room under the butler’s direction.

The Hughes Earl, following Theo inside, greeted him with a bright smile.

“Haha. Lord Sanderson. It’s been a while.”

“Nice to see you, Earl.”

The Hughes Earl’s face was radiant.

His eldest son, once addicted to gambling, had become the vice president of a trading company in six months and was spearheading the revival of the British coffee industry. His wife, who had suffered from an unknown illness, had greatly recovered, filling the Earl with joy.

“I’m eager to see how much better your wife is. She looked so much better at the wedding.”

“Haha, you’ll be truly amazed when you see her today.”

“Oh, has she improved that much?”

“Yes, yes. Hahaha.”

Tak. Tak.

At that moment, the Hughes Countess descended from the second floor.

‘Ah….’

Theo could hardly believe his eyes.

The Hughes Earl’s words were not an exaggeration. A completely different person was coming down the stairs.

‘Oh my god… It’s the face that Charlie painted…?’

Charlie had painted a portrait of a healthy noblewoman, even after seeing his wife’s terribly thin and sick face.

And now.

The stunningly beautiful and dignified Countess descending the stairs was the spitting image of Charlie’s portrait.

“Have you arrived? Lord Sanderson.”

As he stared in astonishment at the Countess’s curtsy, the excited Hughes Earl boasted proudly.

“A person who used to only collect paintings has changed so much while learning and practicing painting from Charlie for a month.

And for three months, she went down to Watford and painted according to Charlie’s teachings, and she was so happy every day. As you can see, her face is prettier than when she was younger, isn’t it? Hehehe.”

“Oh my, what are you saying….”

The Countess blushed shyly.

Just then, the Hughes Earl noticed the erected frame and clapped his hands with delight.

“Oh! That’s the family picture Charlie drew!”

“Yes, it is.”

The Countess added, clasping her hands together.

“Honey, I want to see it quickly!”

The Hughes Earl smiled at his wife’s eager expression.

“Just wait a little bit. Still, our eldest son has to come and see it together, hehe.”

“Yes, let’s do that. He said he would come as soon as he finished cleaning up, so he’ll be here soon.”

“Yes, yes. Hahaha.”

* * *

When Simon Hughes, the Baron, arrived home, the entire Hughes Earl family had gathered in the living room.

Although he trusted Charlie’s skills, the Countess was still trembling with anxiety.

The unflattering images of herself in paintings by other artists in the past kept replaying in her mind.

“I was still not in good condition on my wedding day, so I’m afraid I’ll ruin the picture we took together again….”

The Hughes Earl comforted his worried wife.

“Why are you worrying about that? Now that you’re so healthy, we can just call Charlie and have him redraw it, right? Hehe.”

“That’s right, Mother. Instead, please get me a new dress when you redraw it. When I think about it, I think my dress was the dullest on my wedding day.”

Everyone smiled at the youngest daughter’s childish grumbling.

But Theo couldn’t hear their words.

He was solely focused on the sound of the servants carefully removing the silk cloth.

Swish-

Finally, as the last silk cloth was removed, the family picture was revealed in the middle of the living room.

“Oh-”

“Oh my! Oh my gosh!”

“Amazing… It’s truly amazing!”

Exclamations erupted from all around.

Theo couldn’t close his mouth either.

The painting was so vibrant that it seemed alive, and the joy and happiness of that day were conveyed with such clarity that it made the viewer’s heart flutter.

“Heh-”

Theo chuckled involuntarily.

He felt ashamed for ever doubting Charlie’s ability to paint a large picture.

‘It’s truly the birth of a genius. It’s absolutely incredible. If there were a painting drawn by God, what else could it be but this….’

People, as well as every single object, were alive and moving as if God had breathed life into them, and it seemed as if songs were flowing out from within.

“Madam, it’s truly amazing!”

At that moment, Helen, who had been a housekeeper at the Hughes Earl’s house for decades, exclaimed.

“Madam’s current face is exactly the same as the face in the picture. You looked really better at the wedding, but not as good as you do now… How did the artist know and draw it in advance? The portrait from a few months ago also looks really similar to now, but today’s family picture seems to have captured Madam’s current appearance perfectly, perhaps because the coloring is so exquisite.”

Everyone was so mesmerized by the harmonious and beautiful painting that they had forgotten to notice this detail.

As Helen pointed out, the Countess’s appearance in the painting was identical to her current face.

As if he had just painted it after seeing her healthy face, Charlie’s painting, which he had started three months ago, contained the beautiful Countess’s current appearance as it was.

“Hehe, this is… Charlie is really… Hehehe.”

The Earl, comparing his wife’s face and the painting alternately, could only let out an absurd laugh. Simon, the Baron, Christina, and the rest of the sons and daughters also examined the painting several times, clearly astonished.

Theo smiled.

‘Charlie. Your imagination was real. Hehe.’

Charlie’s assertion that the Hughes Countess, who was so skinny and bony, could be painted as a healthy figure through imagination because flesh was simply attached to the bones, had proven true.

‘…….’

Just then, a phrase written in small white paint in the lower right corner of the large painting caught his eye.

『Charlie Bailey, 1778』

Charlie’s sparkling signature was becoming more and more meaningful with each passing day.