He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 198

< Caterina's Entry into the Palace >

◈ Kingdom of Naples, Royal Reception Room.

“Your Majesty, Lady Caterina Manoinni has arrived at the palace.”

King Ferdinando nodded and instructed the elderly chamberlain before him.

“Go and personally escort her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The King watched the chamberlain leave, then turned to Queen Carolina.

The Queen had looked uncomfortable for days, likely because of the daughter of the Venetian Doge [the elected head of state in Venice].

“You don’t seem to be very fond of this ‘Caterina,’ do you?”

The Queen responded with a bitter smile.

The King spoke again.

“I don’t know about you, but I have high expectations. I wonder what kind of lady our Earl Sanderson has chosen.”

“I was initially curious because Earl Sanderson ranked her first and even Pietro desperately wanted her, but I’m still not thrilled.

There are many countries that could offer immediate benefits, but I’m not convinced that choosing the Republic of Venice is the right move.”

The King had been watching the Queen’s concerns for days.

“Well, let’s meet her and talk. Sanderson has an exceptional eye for people, and perhaps your opinion will change once you meet her.”

“Yes… I hope so.”

Thump-

A moment later, the door opened, and the chamberlain announced loudly.

“Your Majesty, Caterina Manoinni, the eldest daughter of Doge Ludovico Manoinni of the Republic of Venice, has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

As soon as the King’s command was given, the reception room doors swung open.

And Caterina, the focus of everyone’s attention, slowly walked in.

The eyes of the other princes and princesses, as well as many ministers and high-ranking nobles in the reception room, all turned to Caterina.

‘······!’

Everyone held their breath as she confidently entered, wearing a voluminous emerald dress and a pure white shawl over her shoulders.

Her well-defined features accentuated her bright eyes, and her rich, glossy light brown hair and supple skin showed off her healthy beauty, drawing admiration from all who saw her.

Though princesses and duchesses from countless kingdoms had passed through this place, she possessed a more elegant and beautiful figure than any woman of the royal family.

The King chuckled and whispered in the Queen’s ear.

“I knew it. That fellow is smitten with Lady Caterina’s looks. No wonder he was so anxious next to Earl Sanderson… Heh heh.”

“······.”

Queen Carolina’s eyes intensified as she closely examined Caterina approaching.

Her intelligent eyes, elegant and beautiful face, and the gracefulness evident even in her smallest gestures were more than enough to captivate the Queen’s attention.

‘Did I… underestimate her too much…?’

Caterina’s first impression was enough to give the Queen pause.

Everyone has different preferences, but the women who had caught Pietro’s eye in the past had invariably failed to impress the Queen.

They had pretty faces and beautiful smiles, but the Queen found them unwise and utterly lacking in sophistication.

Watching the Prince’s recent infatuation, she had assumed this one would be the same and hadn’t expected much.

However, due to Earl Sanderson’s strong recommendation, she had held a small hope that she would be compatible with Pietro and somewhat intelligent.

But she had never dreamed that her appearance would be so striking.

Caterina knelt before the King and Queen.

“It is a great honor to offer my first greetings to Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness.”

Queen Carolina’s eyes narrowed further.

A voice so clear.

A clean and calm tone that perfectly matched her intelligent and wise-looking face.

The Queen, who believed that a person’s voice revealed their character, was once again pleasantly surprised by Caterina’s voice.

The Queen watched Caterina politely greet and continue the conversation with the King, a faint smile spreading across her lips.

*

King Ferdinando, who had been conversing, was greatly pleased.

“Hahaha—it’s as if a diplomat or politician from the Republic of Venice has arrived. How can she be so knowledgeable and engaging?”

The history and current situation of the Republic of Venice, which he had inquired about casually, were enriched by Caterina’s deep and insightful knowledge, and soon everyone was deeply engrossed in her account.

In particular, everyone perked up their ears at her explanation, which clearly articulated the positive impact that the exchange and alliance between the Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Naples would bring in economic terms.

The Queen, who had been listening quietly all along, spoke for the first time with an intrigued expression.

However, she posed her question in English, not Latin.

“Hmm… For what reason does Lady Caterina Manoinni believe that the alliance between the Republic of Venice and our Kingdom of Naples will yield greater benefits than alliances with other countries?”

Caterina answered the Queen’s question without hesitation in fluent English.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will answer your question. The Republic of Venice has long been one of the most important hubs connecting Mediterranean trade.

Passing through the Adriatic Sea, it goes directly through the heart of Europe, making it highly desirable to France, which seeks to dominate the Mediterranean.

England, which has a strong cooperative relationship with the Kingdom of Naples, will also desperately need the cooperation of our Republic of Venice to prevent France’s expansion in the Mediterranean, so they will greatly welcome the alliance with the Kingdom of Naples.

Furthermore, the alliance with these two countries is not simply a connection between the two countries, but also affects other surrounding countries…”

Much of it aligned with what Tae-oh had said before, which made the Queen trust her even more.

The fact that it coincided with the insights of Earl Sanderson, who was known to be exceptionally knowledgeable and a brilliant strategist, demonstrated that she possessed remarkable wisdom in understanding the complexities of the situation.

In addition, her fluent English skills greatly pleased Queen Carolina, who valued English for fostering close diplomatic relations with England.

Queen Carolina nodded repeatedly, sometimes agreeing and sometimes expressing admiration, listening to Caterina’s explanation without realizing how quickly time was passing.

When they left the reception room and a welcome banquet was held, the Queen seated Caterina right next to her and encouraged her to eat.

“Lady Caterina, try this as well. It is the most delicious fruit from our kingdom.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Queen’s expression as she looked at Caterina was already overflowing with affection.

Tae-oh’s heart was also pleased as he watched this scene.

When they had talked briefly in Venice, he had sensed that she had a wealth of knowledge and a unique depth of thought.

However, even Tae-oh was surprised by the depth of the conversation she was having with the Queen.

‘Amazing. She has never been outside of Venice, but she has independently developed her understanding of politics and economics based solely on books and the accounts of others, and she possesses such remarkable insight…’

‘She is a much more outstanding woman than I thought. If she marries Prince Pietro, it will have a significant impact on the entire Italian region? Heh heh.’

*

Royal marriage negotiations usually take several months. However, the negotiations with Caterina broke that tradition and proceeded quickly.

The King and Queen, especially Queen Carolina, liked Caterina very much, and Tae-oh’s strong recommendation played a significant role, making it impossible to find elders or nobles who opposed it, enabling rapid progress.

Thus, not even a few days after Caterina arrived in the Kingdom of Naples, it was decided that the engagement ceremony would be held in mid-May, a month later.

And this news was immediately conveyed to the Republic of Venice.

The news of the engagement, which was heard not long after Caterina left, filled the Republic of Venice with celebration.

◈ Two weeks later. Early May 1797, Naples Royal Palace Warehouse.

In front of the palace’s large warehouse.

Tae-oh stood with Prince Pietro.

“What is all this?”

Tae-oh couldn’t believe his eyes at the sheer volume of items piled up in the warehouse.

There were delicate Venetian glass crafts and sculptures, artworks by famous painters, various gold and jewels, rare and shining stones, meticulously crafted astronomical and nautical instruments, and other treasure-level items stacked high.

Prince Pietro said with a smile.

“According to the letter, it is a heartfelt gift from the Republic of Venice to the Earl. And the surrounding kingdoms and duchies have also sent gifts to celebrate the Earl’s victory.

Please don’t feel too burdened and gratefully accept them, haha.”

“No, I didn’t do much… This is too much, isn’t it? I’ve already received so much from the royal family and nobles of the Kingdom of Naples…”

The Prince said to Tae-oh, who was clearly embarrassed.

“No. In fact, you are the one who facilitated our marriage, Earl, so we must do this much for you.

Perhaps if you don’t accept these gifts, the Republic of Venice and other kingdoms will be very disappointed, haha. Here are the names of the people who gave the gifts and the list of gifts. Would you like to check them?”

Tae-oh’s eyes widened as he reviewed the gift list the Prince handed him.

“It says here that it’s a Leonardo painting… You don’t mean Leonardo da Vinci, do you?”

“That’s right. Leonardo from the town of Vinci. He is a genius painter who painted the Last Supper on the wall of the refectory of the Milan Cathedral.”

“Are you saying there are 12 Leonardo paintings?”

“Yes, I believe so. Haha. I personally prefer the paintings of the sculptor Michelangelo to Leonardo, but looking at the list earlier, the Duke of the Florentine Duchy gifted five Michelangelo paintings. I’m quite envious of those paintings.”

Tae-oh asked back in surprise.

“Michelangelo? Michelangelo Buonarroti?”

“Yes, that’s right. Well, there are many other valuable works of art as gifts. The Florence region originally has so many works of art. It would be really great to take them back to London and hang them up and decorate your house.”

From a modern perspective, these were works of art with a value that was beyond calculation. Adding in the various treasures and sculptures received from the Kingdom of Naples, it seemed like it would amount to an astronomical sum.

“Since you have to transport such precious works of art on a long sea voyage, I will instruct them to be tightly wrapped in wax-sealed lead boxes.”

Prince Pietro, who was watching Tae-oh’s overwhelmed expression, made a suggestion.

“Earl, if you are so grateful… Would you attend our engagement ceremony in a few weeks and then depart for England?

Many nobles from the Republic of Venice and Florence, who sent gifts, are scheduled to attend that day, so you can directly express your gratitude. Everyone is eager to meet the Earl, hahaha.”

“Ah… Well, I have a lot of work to do. But I’ll consider it.”

“Please be sure to attend. Caterina mentions every day how much she wants the Earl to be with her at the engagement ceremony.”

In fact, Tae-oh was scheduled to leave for England on a warship of the Kingdom of Naples in two days. So he had already secured his place on the warship’s passenger list.

There was still plenty of time until Princess Maria’s birthday and the graduation ceremony of the Joseon Trading Company, but he hadn’t seen his wife for several months and hadn’t been able to attend to his business in England for a long time, so he felt compelled to leave as soon as possible.

However, he had received so many valuable gifts.

In addition to the gifts from the Naples royal family and Naples nobles, the Republic of Venice, and even other kingdoms and duchies seeking to curry favor with Tae-oh, had sent mountains of expensive gifts.

There were more gifts than expected, so it seemed impossible to load them all into the warship’s cargo hold, which was already filled with various weapons and gunpowder.

Moreover, it would be impolite to receive such valuable gifts and leave immediately.

He would have to delay his departure date by two more weeks, attend the engagement ceremony, express his gratitude, and then leave.

Tae-oh, who had been pondering for a while, said with a smile.

“Okay. Then I’ll attend the Prince’s engagement ceremony in mid-May and leave. Anyway, I received so many gifts that I have to find another bigger ship to load them all.”

“Really? Hahaha—Thank you, Earl. Thank you so much!”

But three days later.

Less than a day after the warship of the Kingdom of Naples, which he was originally going to take, departed, an urgent letter arrived from London.

The letter contained shocking news.

It was that trade with Joseon [historical Korean kingdom] would begin soon.

And, an urgent notification that the departure date of the Joseon Trading Company, which was scheduled for next year at the earliest, had been drastically moved up to the end of June this year.

Tae-oh, who was not planning to go to Joseon himself, but had a lot to oversee and communicate before they left, had to depart as soon as possible to make the final preparations.

Since it was the initial step for the future of Joseon and England, there were many details to consider.

In the end, Tae-oh explained his urgent circumstances and decided to forgo attending the engagement ceremony.

The King and Princes of Naples earnestly tried to dissuade him, but they could not overcome Tae-oh’s resolve.

Instead, he promised to return with Princess Maria to bless the upcoming wedding, and to visit the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Florence, which had given valuable gifts, to express his gratitude in person.

A few days later, Tae-oh, who had urgently secured a large merchant ship capable of carrying a substantial amount of treasure, loaded the ship with gifts from the Kingdom of Naples, the Republic of Venice, and surrounding countries, and set sail for England on May 8, 1797.