He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 57

57. Tae-oh’s Plan

After sending Colin Peterson away, Mr. Osborne summoned Tae-oh.

“Could we talk in the study for a moment? I’d like to get Mr. Sanderson’s opinion on the prospective grooms.”

“Yes, of course.”

*

Mr. Osborne’s study, which I entered for the first time, was smaller than I had anticipated.

Considering the size of the house and the other rooms, I wondered why it was designed so small.

Most notably, a thick pillar stood in the middle of the room, making the study feel even more cramped.

I don’t know if it was reinforced for safety, but the pillar obstructed the view, making me feel confined.

Mr. Osborne gestured towards a chair.

“Please, have a seat here.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Aside from the pillar, the study was quite charming and tastefully decorated.

On the left wall, shelves reaching up to the ceiling displayed various paintings, books, and oriental pottery, resembling a small gallery.

Mr. Osborne couldn’t have decorated it so skillfully himself, so I assumed it was probably Catherine’s artistic touch at work.

Mr. Osborne, already seated, initiated the conversation.

“Mr. Sanderson, you’ve met a total of three candidates since yesterday. What are your thoughts? I’d like to hear your objective evaluation.”

Tae-oh subtly observed his expression.

The stubborn look in his eyes and the downturned corners of his lips made my heart feel heavy.

‘…’

Tae-oh could tell that Mr. Osborne favored Alec Parker, the eldest son of the Earl’s family.

As Mr. Osborne wished for his daughter to live as a noblewoman, he must have considered Alec Parker, the most likely to inherit the title of Earl someday, as the best choice.

If I were to push Colin Peterson too strongly right now, it could only strengthen his preference for Alec Parker.

In this case, I have to approach this indirectly rather than head-on.

Anyway, Miss Catherine is much more attracted to Peterson, and her feelings will only grow stronger with time.

And Mr. Osborne, who surely knows his daughter’s heart, combined with Tae-oh subtly supporting Peterson, provides enough room to change his mind.

But not yet.

Right now, Mr. Osborne needed time to consider.

“I believe Lord Alec Parker and Lord Colin Peterson are both good choices.”

Mr. Osborne nodded at Tae-oh’s words.

“That’s right. The second candidate, Lord John Lauder, was truly unsuitable.”

“Yes. Lord Lauder was the worst. In any case, I think it would be wise to focus on Lord Parker and Lord Peterson and meet them a few more times. Perhaps take some time to talk to the two of them further before making a final decision?”

Mr. Osborne agreed with Tae-oh’s suggestion.

“Yes. I think that’s right. You can’t truly know a person after a single meeting.

It’s incredibly reassuring and comforting to have Mr. Sanderson by my side to oversee things. I seem to be good at making decisions about other people’s problems, but why is my mind so unclear when it comes to my own daughter’s marriage?”

“Yes, that’s often the case. Haha.”

***

From the next day onward, Alec Parker and Colin Peterson took turns visiting Mr. Osborne’s house in the morning and afternoon. They also occasionally went to tea gardens in town with Tae-oh to have deeper conversations.

Through various conversations and questions over several days, Tae-oh became convinced that Colin Peterson was the more suitable groom.

◈ A week later

After dinner, Tae-oh shared tea with Catherine at an outdoor table.

Tae-oh, after setting down his teacup, subtly inquired about her feelings.

“After meeting the two of them for a few days, is there anyone you find yourself more drawn to?”

Catherine’s face flushed slightly, and she nodded.

“Haha, I see. Can you tell me who it is?”

“…”

After hesitating for a moment, Catherine whispered softly.

“I think I’m more drawn to… Lord Colin Peterson.”

“Ah, yes. I see.”

It was as I expected.

In particular, Tae-oh could sense the beginnings of love blossoming between them from the way they chatted happily in the tea garden the day before yesterday, completely losing track of time.

Yesterday, Miss Catherine seemed very sad and reluctant to let Lord Peterson go home after dinner.

Lord Peterson was also looking at Catherine with reluctant steps in front of the door.

“But… I think my father prefers Lord Alec Parker…”

Catherine’s voice was filled with gloom.

It was an era when she was expected to obey her family’s wishes above her own.

Catherine Osborne’s gloomy feelings were understandable.

Tae-oh, taking a sip of the now-cold tea, spoke again.

“Miss Osborne.”

“…Yes.”

“When you were with Lord Alec Parker, didn’t you feel uncomfortable and stifled even while talking? But when you were with Lord Colin Peterson, didn’t you feel comfortable and happy even when you weren’t saying anything at all?”

“…”

Catherine couldn’t hide her embarrassed expression, like a child caught with a secret diary.

In this era, when the family’s choice played an absolute role in marriage, it was almost inevitable to try and force oneself to prefer the candidate favored by one’s parents.

Fortunately, in 18th-century Europe, as the market economy and the Enlightenment spread widely, the existing traditional values regarding marriage were gradually changing.

Unlike the previous era, when love was not considered necessary in marriage, affection and love between men and women became quite important factors, and cases of breaking off engagements due to a lack of love gradually increased.

This shift in the era’s view of marriage made Catherine more likely to listen to Tae-oh’s advice.

“Miss Osborne. Choosing someone to spend your life with can be the most important decision you ever make. Think carefully about who you can envision spending the next 30, 50, or more years with.”

“…”

“Is it still Lord Peterson?”

After hesitating for a moment at Tae-oh’s words, a feeling of conviction soon emerged on Catherine’s face.

“Yes… I haven’t known him for very long, but it’s truly the first time I’ve felt this way about a man. I think I like Lord Peterson. I’m embarrassed, but… if I could spend my life with him… I would be so happy.”

It was a courageous answer, and a sincere feeling.

Tae-oh smiled pleasantly and replied.

“Good. If that’s Miss Osborne’s true heart, then leave the rest to me and Lord Peterson.”

Catherine’s face brightened at Tae-oh’s words.

***

The next day, Tae-oh met Lord Colin Peterson at the tea garden and revealed that he was acting as a matchmaker.

And he conveyed Catherine Osborne’s true feelings as they were.

He was overjoyed and had a happy expression like someone who had been given the world.

“Lord Peterson. It’s too early to celebrate. Mr. Osborne hasn’t made up his mind yet.”

Lord Colin Peterson’s face, which had been endlessly happy, darkened momentarily.

“Ah… yes, I was somewhat aware of that.”

Tae-oh looked at him, who was unsure about Mr. Osborne, and asked.

“Lord Peterson. If you do as I tell you from now on, you will be able to win Mr. Osborne’s heart. Can you do exactly as I tell you?”

Colin Peterson looked at Tae-oh with a puzzled face.

“Yes? Are you saying that if I just do as you say, I can win Mr. Osborne’s heart?”

“Yes, that’s right. There is a way to get Mr. Osborne on Lord Peterson’s side. Would you like to try it?”

Colin Peterson, with his eyes wide open, asked pleadingly.

“Is there really such a way? Just tell me anything. If there is such a way, I will do it right away!”

Colin Peterson, who fell in love with Catherine at first sight, had fallen very deeply in love with her in just a few days.

He showed a proactive attitude, willing to do anything to marry her.

“Then from now on, you must follow my advice exactly.”

“Of course! I will follow you.”

Tae-oh judged that if he approached Mr. Osborne by addressing his psychological inferiority complex, things could be resolved surprisingly easily.

Tae-oh had identified that Mr. Osborne had two main inferiority complexes.

The first was an inferiority complex towards nobles with established titles, and the second was an inferiority complex towards people who grew up feeling loved.

But these inferiority complexes were also things Mr. Osborne strongly desired.

So, if there was a candidate among the prospective sons-in-law who satisfied both, Mr. Osborne would have chosen him without hesitation.

However, none of the remaining candidates possessed both qualities.

Alec Parker was a noble with a title who would inherit the earldom, but he didn’t seem like someone who grew up feeling loved.

He simply displayed the typical, somewhat neglected demeanor of a noble in this era.

On the other hand, Colin Peterson was unlikely to become a titled noble, but he radiated feelings of love because he had received a lot of affection since childhood.

The parenting methods of this era were quite different from modern times, so people who grew up feeling loved were very rare, whether they were nobles or commoners.

However, Colin Peterson and Catherine Osborne were both naturally lovely in their speech and actions, thanks to the fact that they grew up receiving a lot of love without any mental or physical abuse.

Mr. Osborne had an inferiority complex because he had not received love as a child, so he was able to recognize the feeling instinctively.

“Lord Peterson, from now on, when you visit Miss Osborne’s house, you should talk to Mr. Osborne as much as you talk to Miss Osborne. In other words, the more you engage with Mr. Osborne, the greater the chance that you will be chosen.”

“Yes? Talk to Mr. Osborne?”

Colin Peterson was taken aback.

“Why is that?”

“Yesterday, when I was with him, I tried to say a few words, but his expression was so stern… I was worried that I might have said something wrong every time I spoke, and I kept shrinking back from talking to him.”

Mr. Osborne usually had a very stiff and unfriendly demeanor.

His life itself had been a struggle to overcome hardship alone, so his face was as cold as his difficult life.

In addition, he was so used to hiding his true feelings because he didn’t want to show his vulnerable side to anyone, so his intimidating expression, as if he were angry, had become his default.

But beneath that exterior, he harbored a very strong envy and inferiority complex towards those who grew up feeling loved, due to the lack of affection he had experienced as a child.

“Don’t pay too much attention to Mr. Osborne’s expression. Don’t avoid him just because he doesn’t react much when you speak, but use the bright energy that you naturally possess and talk to him as you normally would.”

“Really, is that all I have to do?”

Tae-oh nodded.

“Yes. However, don’t forget that in order to sustain the conversation, you must enter Mr. Osborne’s world.”

“…Enter Mr. Osborne’s world?”

“Remember when you first met Mr. Osborne. There were times when Mr. Osborne, who had been reserved the whole time, suddenly started talking a lot and even smiled occasionally, right?”

Colin Peterson, thinking for a moment at Tae-oh’s question, nodded enthusiastically.

“Ah, that’s right. When he was talking about the cotton industry, he talked a lot and seemed to be in a good mood.”

“Exactly! You don’t have to worry about what to say in a conversation with someone who is still awkward and unfamiliar. The solution is very simple.

You just have to talk about something that the other person knows well or is interested in. Then you can easily enter that person’s world, and you might hear more about their deeper thoughts than you expect.”

Lord Peterson clapped his hands and responded.

“That’s right, that’s right! That day, I was able to hear about Mr. Osborne’s feelings about what happened in the wool weaving process, right? Huh, now that I think about it, that’s really true.”

It seemed that this conversation technique, which would be considered common sense in modern times, was being received as something amazing because it was not widely understood in this era.

“And when it comes to understanding the other person and drawing out their words, there is no better tool than ‘questions’. That day, you asked a lot of questions because you were interested in the cotton industry. And Mr. Osborne was excited to explain.”

“Yes, yes. That’s really what happened!”

People are willing to answer and explain with sincerity if someone asks questions and shows interest in something they are good at or proud of.

“Did you understand? Then from today onward, when you see Mr. Osborne, actively approach him first. Talk to him often and try to show your natural personality. Then you will gain a very positive advantage in your pursuit of marriage with Miss Catherine.”

Lord Peterson’s lips stretched into a wide smile at the mention of marriage with Catherine.

“I understand. I will definitely do as you said.”

Tae-oh smiled slightly at the sight of Lord Peterson, who was determined with his eyes shining.