He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 139

139. The Power of Public Opinion

Clatter- clatter-

A carriage entered the Mayfair district, where luxurious mansions stood in a row, keeping pace with the cheerful sound of horse hooves.

Rio and Laura’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Oh my, the streets, the buildings, and the gardens are all so beautiful, like paintings! It seems to be near where we stayed… How can it be so different?”

As the carriage passed the splendid houses and turned into Theo’s mansion, another exclamation burst out.

“Wow- Lord Sanderson lives in this house? I was admiring the mansion from afar, thinking it was a work of art… Oh my gosh, it’s such a beautiful house!”

Laura even clapped her hands, genuinely impressed.

Theo’s house did not boast the overwhelming grandeur of a country estate.

However, considering it was built in the center of the densely populated metropolis of London, many were impressed by its size and artistic appearance.

“Shall we go inside?”

Passing through the large, antique entrance, a spacious white-toned living room was revealed, and Rio and Laura’s mouths dropped open once again.

The high ceiling, decorated with elaborate plasterwork, seemed to stretch to the sky, and in the center, a magnificent chandelier made of brass and crystal illuminated the living room with its elegance.

* * *

After personally guiding the two to their rooms, Theo spoke with Rio alone in the study.

“Try this tea. It will calm your nerves.”

“Thank you.”

Theo decided not to bring up the instigator of the poisoning until he had 100% certain evidence.

He was concerned that he might upset Rio and complicate things.

Instead, he conveyed several facts that had become clear during the investigation: that Duke Garrett would never acknowledge Rio as part of the family, and the current negative public sentiment surrounding Rio and Jeffrey.

He also informed him that fighting Duke Garrett would inevitably lead to a lawsuit.

However, Rio seemed burdened by the mention of a lawsuit.

“A lawsuit? I just wanted to find my father’s family, confirm my roots, and be acknowledged. Do we really have to go to court? Isn’t there a way to quietly confirm things and end it? I’m worried that I might be falsely accused and dragged off to prison.”

For someone who had spent his entire life farming and managing enslaved people in the colonies, it was only natural that legal action felt difficult and frightening.

Theo spoke to Rio reassuringly.

“It will be a difficult fight, but you must endure it. Only then can everything be put back in its place. You are the true heir of the Edwards family. But all this time, the imposter, Lord Garrett, has been acting as the rightful heir.”

“…….”

“But what if one day, the real heir appears before the person pretending to be the fake heir and says they have come to confirm their identity? Would they welcome you and bend over backward to restore your status and position in the family? The moment your true lineage is revealed, all the status and wealth they have enjoyed will be shaken to the core.”

“…….”

“Duke Garrett is a highly respected member of the highest aristocratic class. In all of England, there are only about 30 people with the title of Duke. Duke Garrett is living a life of respect as a nobleman of truly noble lineage.

But if the real one suddenly appears, even if he manages to maintain his title as Duke, it will be difficult to receive the same high level of respect as before.

I’m sure you know how obsessed people are with lineage. Until now, Garrett received the title because there were no direct descendants, so people accepted it as unavoidable, but now that a true direct descendant has appeared… Well, I wonder if people will still recognize Duke Garrett as the true Duke?”

“…….”

“Because such a great blemish would befall his honor, Duke Garrett will never be able to acknowledge you. The moment he acknowledges you, his honor as the true Duke will be tarnished.

This is a battle that has already begun the moment you tried to find your roots.”

Rio lowered his head and said.

“I guess I was short-sighted because I’m uneducated and ignorant. So, in the end, the only way to find my roots and be acknowledged is through a lawsuit.”

“Yes, that’s right. For now, the only way to find and be acknowledged as Rio’s true heir is through a court case.”

“But I’m worried because people’s perception of Uncle Jeffrey and me is so bad. Uncle Jeffrey was even surrounded by strangers at the market and subjected to severe insults. They say he’s harassing and scamming the noble Duke Garrett.

In that case, what are the chances that Jeffrey and I, who have no wealth, power, or even a good reputation, will win a lawsuit against Duke Garrett?”

Theo nodded.

“Yes, the situation is not very good, to be honest. It’s been too long, and the evidence is not clear, so it will be a very difficult fight.

Several years ago, someone questioned the story in Duke Garrett’s autobiography, saying it was different from the truth, but it was quickly buried, and the person was even punished.”

Suing a sitting Duke is bound to be a tough fight. Besides, Duke Garrett has such a good reputation.

“But now that this story has surfaced, if you don’t fight back, Duke Garrett can do a lot of damage to Jeffrey, Rio, and even Laura.”

Rio’s brow furrowed.

“It sounds like you’re saying he might even harm Laura.”

Theo quietly nodded.

“Duke Garrett has spent a long time building his position. But if something happens that threatens his safety, he can do unimaginable things.

Now that the problem has surfaced, even if you return to Jamaica, no one knows what might happen to you there.”

Rio pondered Theo’s words and asked in a low voice.

“Could it be… that Duke Garrett instigated my parents’ poisoning?”

Unlike Theo’s concerns, Rio calmly controlled his emotions and asked quietly.

After a moment of consideration, Theo nodded.

“To be honest, that’s what I currently suspect. But we can’t jump to conclusions because we don’t have any evidence yet.”

Strong anxiety and fear were evident on Rio’s face.

It didn’t seem to be just the personal safety issues affecting him or Laura.

Theo, sensing the emotional shift, carefully examined his expression.

Something clicked.

“By any chance… is Laura pregnant…?”

Rio was startled by Theo’s question.

“No… how did you know? I haven’t told anyone…”

That was it. When they got out of the carriage earlier, he felt like he was trying to protect Laura, and it seemed that his sense of responsibility and anxiety had grown even greater with the baby on the way.

Moreover, Theo’s suspicion that Duke Garrett might have instigated his parents’ poisoning made him worry that something like that might happen to his family as well.

Now, as a father protecting his family, it was probably because a strong paternal love for his wife and child was unknowingly emanating from him.

Theo said with a firm face.

“Lord Rio Edwards! As a father and husband, you must become even stronger from now on. Staying still in the current state is just like becoming Duke Garrett’s prey.”

“Then what do I have to do to fight Duke Garrett and clear my parents’ names?”

“You have to sway public opinion.”

“Sway public opinion, you say?”

“Yes, you may or may not know this, but lawsuits are ultimately about winning over the hearts of the jury. And the jurors are people who move strictly according to the public sentiment in the public sphere.”

Rio asked worriedly.

“Actually, I was only able to read Duke Garrett’s autobiography after coming to London. According to that autobiography, I’m a shameless swindler trying to extort money from the noble Duke Garrett.

I also learned that people’s reactions are unilaterally supporting Duke Garrett. Is there really a way to sway public opinion in my favor in this situation?”

“Of course, it will be difficult, but we must somehow gain the support of public opinion. Fortunately, Duke Garrett has already given us a hint about how to do that.”

“Yes? A hint, you say?”

“You don’t need to know now. It’s something I need to prepare for, so leave it to me.

For the next few weeks, rest comfortably and prepare yourself for what’s to come. At least you can be safe here for the time being. In the meantime, I will first do some preliminary work in preparation for the lawsuit.”

“Yes, thank you so much for your help. I will trust only Lord Sanderson.”

Rio expressed his deep gratitude to Theo and showed his infinite trust.

* * *

“Master! Master!”

Butler Conrad rushed into Duke Garrett’s study.

“What happened? Is the young man named Rio at Jeffrey’s house?”

The butler, panting for breath, shook his head.

“I sent someone to Jeffrey’s house to check…”

“And?”

“The maid there said that he had already left the house.”

“What are you talking about? Left the house?”

“Well, I heard that Lord Sanderson is going to have him stay at his house for the time being, and he took him to his mansion in Mayfair a little while ago.”

“What?”

Duke Garrett’s hands trembled.

He had heard that Sanderson was surprisingly intelligent, but he couldn’t help but be surprised that he had already seen through his mind and taken action in advance.

‘Of all people, it had to be Theo Sanderson…’

Duke Garrett felt like spitting on his own recklessness in visiting Theo directly because he was so sure of himself.

◈ The next evening, at the home of Lord Grady Morrison (author Logan).

“…and that’s how the young man named Rio came to London.”

Lord Grady Morrison listened intently to Theo’s story.

Grady, who had married Eva, was in the middle of his honeymoon, but his wife was away visiting her grandmother.

“Everything Lord Sanderson has said is accurate, right?”

“Yes, it’s an objective fact secured through cross-validation.”

A lawsuit against Duke Garrett, who has the support of public opinion, is currently in an absolutely unfavorable position.

This is because the 18th-century English court’s factual judgment is determined by the decision of the jury, which actively reflects public opinion.

So, we have to somehow raise Rio’s terrible support to a similar level to have a chance of winning the lawsuit.

In order to create equal public opinion in a short period of time, Rio’s own story was needed, and that story had to be made public in the public sphere through a memoir to create new public opinion.

Theo was going to entrust that task to the writer Logan, Grady.

The ghostwriter who wrote Duke Garrett’s autobiography was also skilled at delving into people’s emotions, but Theo had never seen a genius like the writer Logan among the existing 18th-century writers.

Theo was confident that removing the abstract and symbolic expressions he often used and writing a story about Rio’s story would create a great response.

“You must make up all the names and family names.”

Lord Grady tilted his head.

“Wouldn’t it be more impactful to write it under his real name, like Duke Garrett?”

“No, you have to create as much curiosity as possible. When you read the article, it’s clearly a real story, but you have to make the readers want to know who it’s written about.”

Only then did Lord Grady slap his knee.

“Oh- I see! Then it will naturally attract great attention from newspapers and magazines, and there will be more discussions, criticisms, and articles.”

Theo smiled.

“That’s right. The moment everyone’s attention is drawn and gathered, you can reveal the main character yourself. Just before the trial takes place in a few months.”

Lord Grady nodded.

“Okay. I’m getting excited for the first time in a while. As I listened to the story, I wanted to cheer on Rio Edwards’ life.”

Grady Morrison, an author who was undervalued by the public because he enjoyed using symbolic and abstract expressions.

But Theo knew how well he could play with people’s emotions.

“You just need to express Rio’s life story to the public in a concise, calm, truthful, and touching way. Do you know what I mean?”

Grady gave a confident smile.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to write a novel, but it’s a memoir based on facts, so I want to write it quickly, haha.”

Picasso, who is well known as an abstract painter, already showed a genius for realistic painting at the age of 15.

The colors, exquisite composition, and detailed brushstrokes in his realistic paintings from the age of 15 were so impressive that it was hard to believe they were the work of a young boy.

And it was on this basis that highly sophisticated abstract paintings were created.

Now, with no time to spare, a detailed realistic painting is what can quickly and easily impress the public, who do not understand abstract painting.

If Grady Morrison, a genius at melting people’s emotions into words, abandons abstract expressions and approaches the public with realistic but moving sentences, he will be able to have a greater impact than Duke Garrett’s autobiography.

Theo had his own reasons for having him write a memoir rather than an autobiography.

While an autobiography is a private record of an individual’s life with subjective additions, a memoir is closer to a public record of objective true stories about an individual’s historical events.

Therefore, a memoir is a story of someone who can confidently tell the truth, shedding the mask of self-aggrandizing lies, and can capture the hearts of the public more strongly.

A lot of time has passed, and many of the clear public records related to Rio have disappeared due to fires and wars, so the power of public opinion is more important than ever.

A truthful story that persuades and touches the public is expected to provide at least an equal weapon in the battle of public opinion.

‘There will be fierce legal battles, but when there is no decisive evidence, it will be the final blow that will determine the hearts of the jurors at the last moment.’

Theo silently watched Grady Morrison, who had an excited expression at the thought of writing a memoir.