He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 190

The Kingdom of Naples was in a festive mood, celebrating their victory over Napoleon’s 50,000-strong army in a battle that lasted only half a day.

Just days prior, the mood was drastically different. Many Neapolitans had fled to distant lands or sought refuge in the mountains upon hearing of the French army’s advance.

Some residents even burned their remaining food supplies, refusing to leave a single grain for the French before they escaped.

However, the tide turned when rumors spread that the King and Queen, despite earlier reports of their planned escape to Sicily, would remain in the palace of the Kingdom of Naples until the very end.

This show of resolve, though seemingly obvious, was an unusual display for the Neapolitan royal family.

Inspired by King Ferdinand’s steadfastness, the people of the Kingdom of Naples prepared to defend their homes.

The outcome of the ensuing battle, which they awaited with bated breath, was a resounding victory that surpassed all expectations.

The news of Theo’s brilliant strategy and leadership in the battle against France spread rapidly throughout the Kingdom of Naples, carried by messengers rushing from the palace.

-Did you hear? Count Sanderson’s strategy completely annihilated those French bastards!

-You wouldn’t believe it! They say our soldiers were hiding underground and suddenly popped out, shooting the French from behind. It scared them so badly they ran away like they’d seen a ghost!

-They say Bonaparte was completely outmaneuvered by our Count Sanderson. The carriages and carts were all a ruse to deceive Bonaparte. That great French general, who’s supposed to be as clever as a fox, was no match for our Count. Hahaha.

-Our soldiers suffered almost no casualties. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

As the victorious Neapolitan and British allied forces descended from the mountains, a massive crowd of Neapolitans poured into the streets to welcome them.

-Wow-Clap clap clap-

-Long live the Neapolitan army!

-Long live the British army!

When Theo appeared, the cheers of the residents reached a deafening crescendo.

The people of the Kingdom of Naples chanted Theo’s name and praised him at the top of their lungs.

– Long live! Long live! Commander-in-Chief Sanderson!

– Long live Count Theo Sanderson! Long live!

– Thank you! Thank you, Count!

Suddenly, an old man removed his hat and knelt before Theo, a gesture of gratitude for the safe return of his two sons who had fought in the battle.

Inspired by his example, many residents lined both sides of the road, kneeling and expressing their sincere gratitude whenever Theo passed by.

Deeply moved by their display of appreciation, Theo placed his hat over his chest and responded with a polite bow.

◈ Late January 1797, the Palace of the Kingdom of Naples.

Nearly two months had passed since the end of the Battle of Cassino against France.

However, Theo remained vigilant during those two months.

He believed that complacency after a great victory could provide the enemy with an opening.

Instead, Theo was determined to use the war as an opportunity to elevate the combat effectiveness of the Neapolitan army, dedicating himself to rigorous training.

He analyzed the shortcomings exposed during the battle against the French army and shared winning strategies with the Neapolitan army, aiming to transform them into a stronger fighting force.

In particular, Theo’s detailed strategies, incorporating modern tactics such as ambush techniques, reconnaissance, camouflage, knot-tying, tactical hand signals, and first aid, were met with enthusiastic approval from both the Neapolitan army and British commanders.

After two months, the British army, confident that the threat from the French army had subsided, began preparations to return home within a week.

However, upon hearing the report of the British army’s impending departure, the King of Naples proposed a grand banquet in their honor.

Theo found it impossible to refuse this gesture.

Thus, five days later, a lively party was held in the grand banquet hall of the Kingdom of Naples.

King Ferdinand of Naples, seated beside Theo, Admiral Nelson, Colonel Jude Rogers, and other dignitaries, enjoyed the festivities.

Approximately 10,000 British soldiers also reveled in the victory and the prospect of returning home, enjoying the food and drinks provided by Naples’ finest chefs.

At that moment, individuals who appeared to be foreign nobles were escorted by Neapolitan servants to King Ferdinand.

They were congratulatory envoys from neighboring kingdoms and principalities.

“Your Majesty! Congratulations on your great victory in the war against the French army. In our principality…”

“Your Majesty! Congratulations on your great victory. The King of Sardinia commemorates this victory…”

The news of the Kingdom of Naples’ triumph over the French Revolutionary Army had already spread throughout Europe.

This news was welcomed by many principalities and kingdoms threatened by France.

Specifically, several surrounding principalities and kingdoms, such as the Duchy of Parma Piacenza and the Kingdom of Sardinia, sought to establish a military alliance with the Kingdom of Naples, which had proven its ability to defeat France.

Upon learning that a grand banquet was being held in the Kingdom of Naples, they hastily dispatched envoys bearing congratulatory greetings and gifts.

*

While King Ferdinand was occupied with receiving foreign envoys,

“Pietro, why have you been frowning like that since earlier?”

Queen Carolina reprimanded Prince Pietro with a displeased expression.

However, Prince Pietro remained indifferent and silent, appearing bored and uninterested in the banquet.

“Did you stay up all night gambling again yesterday?”

“······.”

Pietro was the third prince of the Kingdom of Naples.

He had been intelligent and kind, receiving much love and expectation as a child, but as he grew into adulthood, he developed a fondness for drinking and gambling, and engaged in numerous affairs with young ladies, causing great concern to the royal couple.

Then the second prince, Umberto, intervened.

“Mother? Shouldn’t that guy get married to come to his senses?

Your birthday is coming up soon. I think many envoys from various kingdoms and principalities will visit for your birthday this time, so why not find a bride from a suitable family among them?”

Prince Pietro, who had remained silent until now, became visibly angry at Prince Umberto’s words.

“Brother! I have no intention of getting married at all yet!”

“Shut up, you!”

The word “marriage” was the one Prince Pietro hated to hear the most these days.

The Queen scolded Pietro with a stern face.

“What kind of manners are you displaying towards your brother in a place with so many eyes watching! And you have no intention of getting married! If you don’t start thinking about finding a partner soon, how long are you going to continue living such a pathetic life, tsk tsk.”

As his mother’s lecture threatened to begin in earnest, Prince Pietro quietly rose from his seat.

“I’m sorry, Mother. Actually, I haven’t been feeling well since this morning. I’m going to go in and rest for a bit. I’m really sorry.”

Prince Pietro bowed his head, turned, and headed straight for the stairs.

“Ah…no, that guy…”

The Queen was furious, but she couldn’t lose her temper in front of so many distinguished guests.

Then, Crown Prince Carlo glanced at Theo, who was talking to the King, and whispered to the Queen.

“Mother? Then how about we do this?”

“?”

“Isn’t Count Sanderson here now? The Count is famous for being good at marriage matchmaking, so why don’t we ask him to consult with Pietro about marriage? He has such excellent judgment of character, so he might be able to find a lady who can keep that rascal in line, right?”

The Queen, who had been huffing and puffing, widened her eyes at the Crown Prince’s words and nodded her head.

“Ah, yes. That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”

The Queen’s face, which had been full of worries, brightened up, and she muttered while carefully watching Theo, who was talking to the King.

“Yes. I must ask him before he leaves the kingdom.”

“No, Mother. He’s leaving for England in two days, so there’s not enough time. Why don’t you tell him not to board the warship to England the day after tomorrow and stay for another month or two?

Anyway, there’s Maria’s birthday present that’s being made, and you have to give Count Sanderson a lot of gifts, but you didn’t have enough time to prepare, did you?”

“That’s right. Many gifts are arriving to commemorate the victory, but I was worried about when to give them to him since he’s leaving so soon.”

“Yes, that’s right. So, tell him to stay here for about a month, pick out a bride for Pietro, and take all the gifts with him.”

“Yes, yes. That’s a very good idea.”

*

The next day.

As the luncheon with the royal couple was drawing to a close, King Ferdinand spoke to Theo in English.

“Count Sanderson? I have a difficult request to ask of you. Would you be willing to listen?”

Theo smiled and replied.

“Of course, Your Majesty. Please tell me.”

Queen Carolina, who was seated next to him, blinked her eyes, pretending not to know, but it was clear that they had already discussed the matter.

“Could you postpone your departure to England tomorrow for just one month?”

“Yes? Postpone my return home?”

“That’s right.”

“What’s the matter…?”

The King explained eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“First of all, there’s a problem with Princess Maria’s gift this time. I commissioned a piece of jewelry that has been passed down from the Queen’s family for generations to be made, but it will take at least two more weeks to complete than I initially thought. It would be wonderful if Count Sanderson could personally deliver the completed necklace to Princess Maria.

Also, many nobles in the Kingdom of Naples are preparing gifts for you to commemorate the victory.

Even if I tell them not to, they are insisting on doing so, and it seems that it will take quite a while to prepare everything.

Instead of you having to take the time to come all the way here later to receive those gifts as a courtesy, I thought it would be better for you to wait a month this time and take them all back to London.”

Theo was taken aback. His wife’s birthday was still nearly four months away, and he was eager to return home as soon as possible because he missed her.

However, as the King pointed out, if it involved not only Princess Maria’s precious jewelry but also gifts prepared by the nobles of the Kingdom of Naples, he would have no choice but to return later to show his gratitude.

Seeing Theo’s troubled expression, the King quickly brought up the Prince’s situation.

“And actually, there’s something else I really want to ask you.”

“…?”

“I want to entrust you with finding a wife for our third prince.

You must have a lot of work to do as soon as you return to London, but could you consider this as one of your marriage information company’s endeavors and find a partner who is perfect for Pietro, who seems unable to find his way in life?

It just so happens that many good families from other kingdoms and principalities will be visiting next week for the Queen’s birthday, so I was wondering if you could select one from among them.”

The Queen, who had been silent, quickly chimed in.

“Oh, that’s a very good idea. Our son-in-law is better at judging people than anyone else, so let’s pick a good partner for Prince Pietro while he’s here in the kingdom and help him become a decent person.”

Theo was lost in thought.

If it were just a matter of gifts, he could suggest returning with Princess Maria at a later date to receive them. However, it was difficult to refuse his brother-in-law’s request regarding marriage.

‘Prince Pietro…’

Pietro was a prince known for his cold and cynical demeanor, and Theo had the most awkward relationship with him among all the princes of the Kingdom of Naples.

Perhaps because of this, he had little memory of ever having a lengthy conversation with him.

However, he was generally aware of the prince’s emotional state based on his micro-expressions, gestures, and words.

Each person’s emotions possesses its own unique psychological energy.

For example, ‘sad emotions’ contain a hidden desire to be comforted, and ‘lonely emotions’ hold a longing to share one’s heart with a compatible companion.

However, if the energy within these emotions is not properly addressed and resolved, it can accumulate and manifest in inappropriate behavior at some point.

Of course, in most cases, even the energy of unresolved emotions gradually fades over time and is simply overlooked.

However, depending on the individual, the energy of a particular emotion may be too deeply imprinted, and even after time passes, it is not easily resolved, remaining as a source of torment for the person’s mind.

Prince Pietro’s excessively cold emotions were a prime example of this.

According to Princess Maria, he had originally been a friendly person, but he changed at some point as he grew up.

It seemed that the sadness and loneliness he experienced in childhood, combined with his sensitive nature, were not properly comforted and released, leading to his cold emotions and deviant behavior.

In this case, meeting a spouse who can understand and soothe those emotions could lead to a healing experience as the unresolved emotions are addressed.

“Even so, Princess Maria has mentioned several times that she hopes Prince Pietro will find a partner soon.”

The King’s face lit up at Theo’s words.

“Oh, did Maria say that? That’s right. Maria took care of Pietro terribly when she was young.

Maria will be very happy to know that Count Sanderson is actively involved in the marriage issue, thinking of his younger brother.”

“······.”

“Can’t you postpone your return date by just one month and select the family that you think is the most suitable?

The prince’s spouse is directly related to the safety of the country, so I definitely want to connect him with a good match, and there is no one more qualified than the Count for such a task…”

The King did not seem to fully understand Theo’s method of prioritizing compatibility over family connections in marriage.

Moreover, in the case of Prince Pietro, who had emotional issues, he needed a woman who could capture his heart rather than simply a suitable family.

If they only considered the family’s suitability for the country and arranged a marriage based on that, he might feel even more dissatisfied with married life and live an unhappy existence.

Therefore, Theo believed it was necessary to meet the potential marriage partners in person, talk to them, and assess their compatibility.

Theo explained his views on marriage and offered to step forward if they approved.

“…So, I believe I’ll need to personally visit those countries to find a suitable spouse for Prince Pietro.

If you grant me your permission, I will spend a few weeks with Prince Pietro to broaden his horizons and find a great spouse.”

It was an unexpected proposal, considering the era’s emphasis on family in marriage, but the King surprisingly welcomed Theo’s opinion.

The royal couple, who typically valued knowledge above all else, seemed to view it as a valuable opportunity for the immature prince.

“If a wonderful person like Count Sanderson accompanies him, we couldn’t be more grateful. I will immediately instruct the Minister of Home Affairs to find suitable bride candidates for the prince. But…”

“?”

The King said with a slightly worried expression.

“I’m concerned about whether the prince will willingly follow us.”

Theo smiled and replied.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll persuade him.”

“Oh, can you do that? I’d really appreciate it. He doesn’t listen to our words at all. He used to listen to Princess Maria, but she’s not here…”

“Yes, don’t worry too much.”