He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 145

145. Knowing Rio’s True Identity

◈ A week later, at the Garrett Duke’s townhouse.

Late evening in mid-January 1780.

In the Garrett Duke’s study, Alan, a barrister [a lawyer in the UK], and other solicitors were gathered, deep in conversation.

The discussion revolved around the final plea scheduled for the following week.

“…Above all, Wilson and Lord Sanderson are pushing the case, insisting that Rio Edwards is the real deal.”

The Duke of Garrett, who had been listening silently, smirked.

“Indeed, seeing them in court last time, fawning over Rio as if he were the true grandson of the ducal family was quite a sight.

Tsk, tsk, to think that Lord Sanderson, who always prided himself on being so clever, would fall for such a childish trick…”

Alan asked worriedly.

“But, Your Grace, are you certain that Lord Dylan’s son is dead?”

“Hmph! You ask the obvious. How many times have I confirmed this fact? If it comes down to a battle of authenticity, just wait, as solid evidence related to that will arrive from North America.

Well, now that I think about it, thanks to Lord Sanderson, the end of the war with North America is helping me out, haha.”

“If that evidence had arrived sooner, we could have won this lawsuit without question. It’s truly a pity.”

“Losing a small farm is nothing. And if it’s revealed that Rio is a fake, even if we lose the eviction lawsuit, we can get it back, so there’s no problem.”

“That’s true.”

“So, what’s important now is to gather more evidence and witnesses to confirm that Rio is a fraud. North America has been at war for so long, who knows what happened to the original evidence.

Look at this trial. Without solid evidence, it’s turned into a trial by public opinion, and Rio has stirred up cheap sympathy, swaying many people.

Anyway, along with confirmation from North American authorities that Dylan’s son is dead, we desperately need someone who can reveal Rio’s true identity.”

“If we have records of Lord Dylan’s son’s death and the real identity of the current Rio Edwards, that would be undeniable proof that no one could refute.”

“Unless he’s Dylan’s real son, there must be someone somewhere who knows his true identity.

I’ve already sent someone to Jamaica. I think there might be clues about his identity there, rather than in North America.”

“Well done. Since he’s been in Jamaica since childhood, there must be someone who knows him inside and out.

Now I’m really curious about what his real identity is.”

◈ A week later, at the London Court of Common Pleas.

“If there is no more evidence to present, the defendant may begin their final plea.”

Just before the jury’s final verdict, Judge Brown gave both the defendant and the plaintiff the opportunity to make their final arguments.

Alan, the barrister for the defendant, slowly walked towards the jury to make his final plea.

“…God will never allow the ignorant masses to be swayed by the stories concocted by deceitful groups and influence the verdict of this case.

I believe! You will be protected by the voice of God from any false incitement outside this courtroom, and you will make a just decision based solely on solid evidence and faith.”

In the two weeks since the eviction lawsuit trial ended, public opinion had shifted dramatically in favor of Rio Edwards.

As the eviction lawsuit became a major topic, Logan’s novel received more attention and was widely read.

Alan was well aware of this trend in public opinion.

That was why he emphasized reason and clear evidence before the jury.

After Alan’s final plea, Wilson, the barrister for the plaintiff, stood before the jury.

“This lawsuit over the Edwards family’s estate is not just about one individual’s quest for rights.

It has now become a matter of public interest, and you, the jury, must represent all of them and show that justice still lives.

So that God’s word can be specifically conveyed through your mouths, you must pour your heart into a more just and righteous verdict.

Look at the girl praying outside that window! Look at the old man kneeling and shedding tears! Their prayers, their tears, their voices… I earnestly hope you will not let them be in vain! That is all.”

After the final arguments, Judge Brown looked around at the jury and began to speak.

“Members of the jury, you have heard all the final arguments from the plaintiff and the defendant. Now is the time to make a final judgment on whether the plaintiff has the right to evict the defendant from the farm.

Now, leave this place and deliberate carefully to reach a decision and bring back the result. May God’s grace be with you all!”

At the judge’s words, the jury, with solemn faces, quickly left the courtroom.

* * *

Amidst the deep and awkward silence between the plaintiff and defendant’s seats, the jury entered the courtroom with their verdict.

“The conclusion reached by the jury is…”

The jury, while acknowledging the lack of clear official evidence, made a decision based on a thorough review of various witness testimonies and circumstantial evidence, that the rightful ownership of the farm should be returned to the plaintiff.

The final winner of the eviction lawsuit was Sir Rio Edwards.

* * *

◈ At the Garrett Duke’s townhouse.

Alan bowed deeply, begging for forgiveness.

“Your Grace! I am truly sorry. Without clear evidence, we assumed we would win, but as the responsible barrister, I am truly ashamed.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. No one could have predicted that cheap sentimentality would be used to manipulate public opinion with a melodramatic novel… It’s alright.”

“…?”

At the unexpected reaction, Alan cautiously raised his head to examine the Duke’s expression.

However, his expression wasn’t too bad.

“Your Grace? Have you perhaps found any strong evidence to counterattack?”

The Duke of Garrett smiled mysteriously and replied.

“Haha… Evidence to counterattack? Well, I can’t say for sure yet.”

“But you’ve caught something substantial, haven’t you?”

“Well, I’ve caught one thing.”

“May I ask what it is?”

The Duke paused for a moment, sipping his cold tea, then slowly opened his mouth.

“I received news two days ago that they found the captain of the slave ship who took young Rio from North America to Jamaica. He quit the slave trade and is living in England.

Moreover, according to the informant who contacted him, the captain apparently has a slave contract related to Rio.”

Alan exclaimed in surprise.

“A slave contract? Is that true? If so, isn’t that decisive evidence proving that the current Rio is really from a white slave background?”

“That’s right. And according to the informant, the captain knows the current Rio well, having seen him since he was a child. He apparently kept an eye on him as he grew up, coming and going from Jamaica.”

A maid brought warm tea and placed it in front of Captain Andy Cook and the Duke.

The Duke of Garrett offered Cook tea and got to the point.

“The reason I called you here is because of Rio Edwards’ identity.”

“Yes… I heard about the eviction lawsuit recently and was quite perplexed.”

“Perhaps you are the only one who knows Rio’s exact identity. If you help me, I will reward you handsomely.”

Captain Cook waved his large hand.

“No! I don’t need any reward. I’ve been struggling with this decision since I came here. I had some idea why you called me.

I hesitated a lot because of my connection with that boy, but after much thought, I came to the conclusion that telling the truth would be good for Rio as well. I’m even afraid that if things continue like this, things will get too big and he’ll be severely punished.”

The Duke of Garrett swallowed hard.

“Then, will you tell me everything as it is?”

“Before that, may I ask you one favor?”

“If you tell me the truth about Rio’s identity, I will grant you any request.”

“In a way, Rio was like an abandoned son to me. I wanted to help him out of pity, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t in a good situation back then.

Rio had a very hard life in Jamaica. It’s a miracle he didn’t die. Perhaps he’s living this miserable lie because he’s so worn out from his difficult life.

Your Grace… Rio is a pitiful guy if you know him. So, even if the truth is revealed because of me, could you minimize Rio’s punishment?”

The Duke of Garrett smiled kindly and replied.

“Yes, don’t worry. If I can regain my honor, I have no intention of punishing the boy. This is all because of my brother’s foolish greed.”

It was a lie. As soon as the truth was revealed, he planned to have him receive the harshest criminal punishment, and after the criminal punishment was over, he would sue him for damages and throw him into debtor’s prison until he died.

“Thank you. As expected, you are a noble person as rumored. Then, trusting in your promise, I will tell you everything.”

“…”

“The Rio Edwards that people know now is not his real name.”

“…Then?”

“The real name of the boy who is going around calling himself Rio Edwards is Tommy Clark.”

Rustle-

Captain Cook took out an old document from his pocket.

The document in the captain’s hand was a slave contract for Tommy Clark.

“Your Grace, would you like to take a look at this?”

The Duke of Garrett’s hand trembled slightly as he received the document.

“That document is a slave contract that white slaves usually sign. As you can see, his real name is on the contract that was written when I took Tommy over. He was called Tommy all the time on the ship to Jamaica.”

“Tommy? How did this child become a slave?”

“According to the document, he was exiled to North America for habitual petty theft. Many poor children of that age came as slaves for such charges.

But these days, most of them have been replaced by black slaves.

Still, there were occasional white slaves a decade ago, but Rio was the only white child. He was smart and pitiful, so I stayed with him in the captain’s cabin on the way to Jamaica. I became attached to him.”

“Then when did he become Rio Edwards?”

“I handed Tommy over to a farm in Jamaica, and when I went there the following year, his name had been changed. When I asked him why he changed his name, he gave me the absurd answer that he liked the name.

Well, since he wasn’t a black slave and he was just a young white slave with a fixed contract period, no one cared about him changing his name, so he continued to be called Rio without any problems.”

That’s how the Duke of Garrett obtained the slave contract containing Rio Edwards’ real name.

In addition, Captain Cook, as the only person who had watched Rio from his childhood when he was sold as a slave in North America to his adulthood in Jamaica, promised to testify in court.

As they gradually prepared the counterattack data, several months flew by.

◈ 5 months later. July 1780. Theo’s Marriage Agency.

5th floor, CEO’s office.

In the altered history, America, which had been a North American colony, was gradually regaining stability, and England was also undergoing a period of calm and development after a period of turmoil.

Originally, in Theo’s memory, 1780 in Europe was a year of upheaval, and at the center of that historical vortex was the American Revolutionary War.

In other words, according to the history books, England should have been at war with Spain due to the American Revolutionary War, and also with the Netherlands for violating the Neutrality Treaty [a treaty outlining neutral countries’ rights and obligations during war].

Also, in June 1780, the ‘Gordon Riots,’ a fierce protest movement against the abolition of discrimination against Catholics, should have broken out.

In England, where antipathy towards the Catholic Church had been severe since the Reformation [a 16th-century religious reform movement], not only the members of the Church of England but also the common people suffering from extreme poverty and the merchants who were suffering greatly from the American Revolutionary War participated in these ‘Gordon Riots’ en masse, resulting in a tragedy in which hundreds of people died.

However, all these historical events were strangely directly or indirectly connected to the American Revolutionary War, and as George III abruptly approved the independence of North America two years ago, these events that should have followed did not occur.

The world, where the rotten part of history had been cut off, was surprisingly peaceful and quiet.

Especially England in 1780.

“…As a result, coffee sales in the UK and throughout Europe, as well as coffee sales in North America, have increased dramatically, and net profit is expected to be more than ten times higher than the previous year.”

Theo nodded repeatedly at the performance report from Simon Hughes, the Deputy Director of the trading company.