He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 142

142. Duke Garrett’s Plan

The next morning, at Theo’s mansion in Mayfair.

“What? Really? Are you saying everything in this novel actually happened to Leo?”

Mr. Robinson asked Theo, his face filled with surprise.

He had spent the entire night reading and rereading the first edition of ‘A Young Man’s Sad Memoir,’ which Theo had given him the previous evening.

“Yes, that’s correct. After cross-referencing the information our company’s investigators gathered, it was confirmed that everything Sir Leo Edwards stated was true. That’s why I wrote the novel based on those events. Of course, I changed the names and family details slightly.”

“But, isn’t it difficult to verify the stories that took place in North America right away? You had to rely entirely on Leo’s word… Could those stories be exaggerated, or perhaps there might be errors in his memories since they were from his childhood?”

Theo nodded.

“You’re right. That’s certainly possible. However, the confirmed facts and Sir Leo’s statements mostly align in terms of time and causality. Therefore, it’s much more reasonable to believe they are true.

But, as you mentioned, it’s essential to go to North America and objectively confirm and verify Leo’s statements.

More importantly, we need to find those who were involved in the crime back then. Only then will Sir Leo be able to regain his original status in the upcoming lawsuit.”

“But, it’s not going to be easy to track down events from over fifteen years ago, not just a year or two.”

“That’s right. That’s why I have high hopes for the role of this novel. As you know from reading it, I’m confident in its success. And I believe this book will cause quite a stir even in North America. If that happens, I’m hoping we might receive new leads or a reinvestigation into the case.”

“Then, we should send this book to North America as soon as possible, right?”

“Yes, so as soon as a large quantity of books is printed next week, I plan to send them to a publisher in South Carolina, North America, to attract the attention of the people there.”

“That’s a great strategy. Some people there might remember the events from back then, so they might be able to provide crucial information after reading the book, right?”

“Yes, so when we send this novel to North America, we plan to send someone from our side along with it. We definitely need a contact person to urge the investigation and relay the situation immediately.”

“I see. By the way, have you found someone to take on such an important mission?”

Theo shook his head.

“That’s the thing, it’s not easy to find someone. It takes at least two months just to get to North America, and they would have to stay there for at least a year due to the nature of the lawsuit. It’s really difficult to find the right person.”

At Theo’s words, Mr. Robinson pondered for a moment, then suddenly said something unexpected.

“How about… I go there?”

“What? You, Mr. Robinson?”

“Yes! It’s not just because it’s my son-in-law’s дело [matter/affair], but after reading this book, I was filled with so much resentment. And to think that all of this is true… I want to catch those bad guys with my own hands.

And, I’m ashamed to say, I heard a few days ago that my daughter is pregnant with my first grandchild. As a grandfather, I want to step up for the sake of my grandchild’s honor.

Fortunately, I have friends in North America who run large tobacco and cotton farms, so it would be good to get help from them.”

Theo was overjoyed at the unexpected resource.

“If you really go, Mr. Robinson, there couldn’t be a better person for the job. But you must be busy with your farm work….”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Actually, our farm has had managers handling most of the work for several years now, so I’ve practically stepped away from it. Of course, it took a bit of a hit when Leo left, but my wife and sons are there, so it will run just fine without me.

I’ll leave as soon as the book comes out next week. Please, Mr. Sanderson, organize in detail what I need to do and find out in North America.”

“Of course. I’ll discuss it with the legal counsel and organize it clearly, haha. This really takes a load off my mind. Thank you.”

“What are you talking about? I should be the one thanking you for taking such care of my family’s affairs.”

A month later, at Duke Garrett Edwards’ townhouse.

Thump- Thump-

Duke Garrett slammed his fist on the desk and shouted.

“Are you telling me that now!”

A tall man stood before the Duke, holding his hat neatly with both hands.

The man, with a terrified expression, was Mr. Rawlings, the president of the London Book Publishing Association.

“How much money have I sponsored to the owners of book rental shops, newspapers, and magazine companies all this time, and you can’t even stop the sale of one measly book?”

A month ago, a novel suddenly appeared and swept through the book publishing rental shops.

It was a book called ‘A Young Man’s Sad Memoir’ by the author Logan.

This not-so-thick novel had become a hot topic throughout England in just about a month since its publication, spreading by word of mouth.

Although it was just a thin novel in the form of a simple memoir, it evoked more emotion, tears, anger, and curiosity than any other previous work, and was followed by great acclaim.

The problem was the rumors about the characters appearing in the work.

Rumors spread like wildfire that the fictional Earl in the novel was Duke Garrett, and the pitiful protagonist referred to Leo Edwards.

And eventually, it reached Duke Garrett’s ears.

After reading this book a few days ago, Duke Garrett realized only belatedly that the situation had become very serious.

It was all too clear that the despicable Earl in the novel referred to himself.

Moreover, the Duke’s secret actions, with only the names changed, were included with the locations intact, and Duke Garrett was greatly shocked when he confirmed the contents and began to assess the situation.

But the response was too late.

Logan’s novel was already shaking up all of England.

“Before the problem gets any bigger, stop the rental of copies from now on, no matter what!”

“Your Grace, the problem is not the copies, but the sales volume of the novel. The sales volume is so high that stopping the copies won’t be a fundamental solution.”

“Since when have people who always borrowed copies started buying the original book and making such a fuss? Are they crazy?”

“The book is not thick, so the price is set low, making it affordable, and it seems they like it even more because the picture on the cover of the book is beautifully drawn.”

The heart-touching content and the artistic cover featuring the lonely protagonist’s back view increased the collectible value of the book itself, actively driving the purchase of the novel.

It spread through the market so quickly that it could not be compared to the sales speed of ‘For My Beloved Edwards Family,’ which Duke Garrett had published a few years ago.

“Then, as the president of the association, there’s really no way to stop the sale of the book?”

“There are no particularly problematic parts in terms of content, and the current distribution is being done by a nationwide rental shop in the form of a so-called ‘book cafe,’ so the sales speed seems to be incredibly fast.”

“Doesn’t that book cafe have a representative? Who is the representative? You should persuade that person right away to stop it, no matter what!”

“I know the representative of the book cafe, so I tried to stop it somehow, but after listening to the story, Mr. Sanderson strongly pushed everything from the publication to the distribution of the book. The largest investor who controls the book cafe was none other than Mr. Theo Sanderson.”

“…What?”

Duke Garrett had an absurd expression on his face.

He thought it was strange that it was being distributed at an excessively fast rate, but it turned out that Mr. Sanderson’s influence was involved.

‘What? So this guy hired a writer to publish it? To create public opinion for Leo?’

Not only was he taking Leo Edwards into his home and protecting him, but he was also leading the publication, making it clear that he was opposing him.

* * *

Duke Garrett sat alone in his study, deep in thought.

Going to Theo Sanderson to easily quell the rumors had instead turned into a noisy fight.

In addition, information came from the family’s legal counsel that Leo Edwards’ side was preparing an eviction lawsuit for some of the estate.

He couldn’t back down here. How long had he protected this position?

‘First, they’re trying to maximize attention and exposure to the public by drawing attention with the estate eviction lawsuit. And with the support of the public through the success of the novel and the eviction lawsuit, they’ll ultimately file a lawsuit to confirm his identity.’

Click- Clack-

Duke Garrett took out a file from a locked drawer.

Whirr-

When the file was opened, some newspapers published in the North American colonies more than a decade ago appeared.

『Dillon Farm Family Tragedy… Death of Unknown Cause』

Under the gruesome title in the corner of the newspaper’s bottom, there was a short article stating that all three members of the family had died.

And next to the clipped article, a copy of the Dillon Edwards family’s death confirmation probate was bound together.

‘Dillon’s son, Leo Edwards… This child was clearly poisoned and killed with Dillon and his wife at that time. The newspaper articles at the time, the doctor’s autopsy records, and even the church funeral all clearly state that these three people died.

So, the guy who claims to be Leo now is undoubtedly a fake.’

Duke Garrett believed that all of this was due to his brother Jeffrey Edwards’ foolish meddling.

‘I don’t know where the guy who claims to be Leo heard the story, but he knew the dead Leo Edwards well and is pretending to be that child. So it’s likely that he grew up in North America with Leo, who died as a child.

Jeffrey heard the news of a fake Leo claiming to be Dillon’s son in Jamaica and eagerly brought him over, thinking it was a great opportunity. Sanderson has also been completely deceived by the plausible story.

But the problem is that if I try to reveal the true identity of the fake Leo here, my past problems may be exposed.’

If an eviction lawsuit for the estate were to be filed, he could present these evidentiary documents, claiming that the real Leo Edwards was already dead.

But even if he did, it was essential to prove that the evidence he presented was not fabricated.

In other words, confirmation from North American related newspapers or investigative authorities was necessary.

The problem is that if he hastily presented such data, which would have to go through a confirmation process anyway, he could be questioned about when and where he obtained the evidence.

Through his autobiography, Duke Garrett had expressed his deep sorrow for not being able to find Dillon Edwards’ whereabouts at the time, touching the hearts of many.

However, if he suddenly presented the death data as if he had been waiting for it, he could face moral criticism, along with suspicions that he already knew about the death before writing the autobiography, and that he had been putting on a false show while knowing everything.

And the most frightening thing was that he could be strongly suspected of having been involved in the death of the Dillon family from the beginning.

‘If I present this death confirmation data now, it will only indirectly prove that I have been aware of and tracking their whereabouts. I can’t risk being suspected like this just to win one eviction lawsuit.

Yes, I have to present this clear and powerful evidence in the really important identity verification lawsuit, not the eviction lawsuit.’

In order to make his lies seem real, there had to be a time difference of at least five months due to the distance from North America.

In other words, temporal maturation was needed to package it as truth.

‘First, in this eviction lawsuit, I must strongly object that Dillon even had a son is a false claim. In fact, there are no official records of him having a son, and I have to act as if I didn’t know about the birth at all, so that it matches the contents of my autobiography.’

If he wins the eviction lawsuit that way, the matter will end simply and there will be no need to step forward further.

But if he loses the eviction lawsuit, then he can mobilize all the evidence he has to reveal that Leo is a fake.

‘If I ultimately lose the eviction lawsuit, then I will say that I learned about Dillon giving birth to a son in Liverpool, and confirmed the move from North America. And then I will claim that I have now received the sad news that they all died there.

And if I request the Dillon family’s death data from North American related organizations, and receive newspaper articles, parish funeral records, and death confirmation probate, I will naturally be able to escape moral criticism and the instigation of poisoning.

And if that happens, it will be clearly revealed that the current Leo is a fake, and I will be able to win the identity verification lawsuit and firmly maintain my position. Hehehe-‘

Since it was certain that Leo Edwards had died, victory was undoubtedly clear.

All he needed now was a time of patience.

Late December 1779.

The house of the author Logan, a few days before Christmas, was bustling with numerous letters from newspapers and magazines.

Theo, who had been contacted and came, could not help but be surprised to see the enormous pile of letters.

Since the newspapers and magazines could not directly contact the author Logan, they sent letters through the publishing house.

Since the modern ‘interview’ format had not yet developed in the 18th century, the prevailing method was to listen to the author’s opinions through letter exchanges and have the newspapers or magazines appropriately adapt and publish them.

“Mr. Sanderson, most of the letters were as you expected. They ask whether the stories appearing in the novel are about real families. In particular, there were many stories about Duke Garrett of the Edwards family and Leo Edwards.”

The response was beyond expectations.

For more than two months, Logan’s ‘A Young Man’s Sad Memoir’ had caused a huge sensation.

The book spread rapidly to many regions through book sales and rental shops, and now it was so popular that it could not be sold because it was out of stock.

In London, in particular, there was daily debate over who the young man in the novel was and who the cunning Earl was.

And the names most often mentioned at the center of it were Duke Garrett and Leo Edwards.

Thanks to this, the scales that had been leaning unilaterally were slowly changing.

Due to the work that heated up the public sphere in this way, the public was eager to know who the real protagonist was.

And along with that, the voices calling for the rescue of the unfortunate protagonist grew louder.

“Now, starting next week, the eviction lawsuit against Duke Garrett for some of the estate that we formally filed with the court will begin.

In line with this, the author Logan only needs to reveal to newspapers and magazines that the protagonist in the work was Leo Edwards, and that his real life was 그대로 녹여냈음을 [literally ‘melted down as is,’ meaning directly based on].”

In a situation where there is no definite material evidence, the jurors will have no choice but to follow the trends of public opinion.

First, the ‘eviction lawsuit’ for some of the estate will be a signal to publicly announce that Leo is a person who has the right to inherit the property by inheriting the legitimacy of the Edwards family.

In other words, it meant that the real owner of the family property was Leo, so the fake owner, Duke Garrett, should give up the estate and evict it.

In 18th-century England, rights regarding individual property rights were greatly protected, not far behind compared to modern times.

However, there was one thing that preceded this strong guarantee of property rights, and that was ‘family legitimacy’.

No matter how long the family’s property has been owned and the legal relationship related to it is solid, the concept was that if a real heir to the family appeared, the property should be returned retroactively.

This was the result of the perception that the property of the nobility was not owned by ‘individuals’ but by the ‘entire family’.

“If Sir Leo unexpectedly wins the eviction lawsuit against Duke Garrett, the court will officially recognize that Sir Leo is the legitimate heir of the Edwards family.

Conversely, if Sir Leo loses to Duke Garrett, Duke Garrett will retain the legitimacy of the Edwards family.”

“Then, if Sir Leo wins the eviction lawsuit and the property is transferred, will the title held by Duke Garrett immediately return to Sir Leo?”

Theo shook his head.

“I asked the legal counsel, and he said that even if the eviction lawsuit ends in victory, there will be no major changes right away. He says that it will only be officially recognized and recognized that Leo is the real heir to the family.

However, if strong evidence related to Duke Garrett’s criminal instigation comes out of North America and reaches England in the meantime, then the title of Duke may return to its original owner.”

Standing up, Theo continued.

“The author should now send letters to as many newspapers and publishing houses as possible, revealing that the protagonist in the work is Leo Edwards.

I think I should go and do some other preparations to prepare for Leo’s first debut stage.”

“Yes, I understand.”