He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 59

“Oh, Mr. Peterson!”

Catherine, with a bright smile, jumped up as he suddenly appeared.

Mr. Osborne also craned his neck to look at him.

Colin Peterson, his face covered in sweat, urgently asked Catherine as he approached.

“Huff, huff, am I too late?”

“No, the party just started. But weren’t you supposed to be at the Earl of Montague’s event today?” Catherine asked, surprised.

Still catching his breath, Mr. Peterson replied, “Yes… I earnestly explained the situation to Lord Montague… and left early. I’m so glad I’m not too late, haha.”

Mr. Peterson, after giving Tae-oh a nod, approached Mr. Osborne.

“Father, happy birthday.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

After wishing Mr. Osborne a happy birthday, Mr. Peterson carefully took out a small box from his coat and handed it over.

“Father, here… a small gift I prepared.”

“Oh, Mr. Peterson! I’m grateful that you came all the way here despite your schedule. You didn’t have to prepare something like this.”

Mr. Osborne smiled brightly, a smile he had never shown to any of his prospective sons-in-law.

He was very grateful to Colin Peterson for giving up the important Earl’s party and rushing all the way there.

Moreover, compared to Alex Parker, who was engrossed in gambling and didn’t even bother to come, Colin Peterson’s sincerity felt even more genuine.

“It’s nothing much. I put some thought into it, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it, Father. Haha.”

Tae-oh also looked at the box with anticipation.

‘He seemed so busy these past few days; I guess he was looking for this gift. I wonder what it is?’

Tae-oh was very curious to see if he had found a gift that could move Mr. Osborne’s heart, as he had advised.

Swoosh-

When he untied the ribbon and opened the box, a dark green gourd-shaped glass bottle appeared.

The glass bottle had a very unique shape engraved on it in relief.

It was an extremely oriental [East Asian] glass bottle with a scene of a young novice monk and an old high priest sitting side by side at the top and bottom of the gourd, chatting.

Tae-oh stared at the gift for a while, wondering what it was.

‘What is that…? A snuff bottle?’

People of this era, whether nobles or commoners, enjoyed snuff [powdered tobacco] very much.

Among the nobles, elaborately carved gold snuff boxes were in vogue and often exchanged as gifts.

However, everyone seemed to be seeing the oriental gourd-shaped snuff bottle that Mr. Peterson brought for the first time.

Just then.

Tae-oh noticed that Mr. Osborne’s eyes suddenly turned red.

“Ah… no. Where did you… Where did you get this?”

People around were puzzled by Mr. Osborne’s choked-up voice as he looked at the snuff bottle.

Colin Peterson asked with a happy expression, “Father, is this shape… at least a little similar?”

Mr. Osborne, with bloodshot eyes, nodded slowly.

“Yes, it’s similar. Ah… no. It’s really… it looks exactly like that bottle back then.”

With a bright smile, Colin Peterson breathed a sigh of relief.

“Really? Whew… I’m so glad. I’m really glad.”

Everyone was clueless, but Tae-oh could sense the affectionate emotion emanating from Mr. Osborne and intuitively knew that Mr. Peterson had prepared the right gift.

The story behind the gift was as follows.

For several days, Mr. Peterson faithfully followed Tae-oh’s instructions.

He tried to get close to Mr. Osborne, engaging in many conversations to build rapport.

Then one evening, he overheard Mr. Osborne, drunk, talking about the oriental snuff bottle he had received from his wife decades ago.

In the days before Mr. Osborne made a lot of money.

His wife had gifted him a unique colored and shaped snuff bottle made of glass for his birthday because he loved snuff so much.

It was quite expensive at the time, and his wife had noticed him staring at it every time they passed the store.

However, Mr. Osborne was furious when he received the gift.

He was angry that she had bought an expensive glass bottle with the money he had worked so hard to earn in their difficult circumstances.

Mr. Osborne ended up throwing the gift his wife had bought against the wall, shattering it.

His wife, who was so beautiful and kind that she was too good for him, had never been angry in her life.

But that day, he was strangely emotional and acted violently towards his wife for the first time.

His surprised wife silently shed tears as she picked up the broken pieces, but he, still angry, even stomped on them, smashing them to smithereens.

However, he later found out that the glass bottle was not bought with Mr. Osborne’s money.

His wife had painstakingly saved money through sewing for several years to buy it.

Mr. Osborne felt very sorry when he found out the truth, but he was taciturn and embarrassed to express his apology after time had passed, so he just let it go without apologizing.

Strangely, after his wife passed away, he kept thinking about the green snuff bottle he had broken, which tormented him greatly.

Mr. Osborne tried to find the bottle again, asking snuff dealers and visiting oriental trade ship merchants, but no one knew of such a unique snuff bottle.

People get hurt, but the hurt they inflict on others can boomerang back and leave deep scars on themselves.

When the green snuff bottle that his wife had thoughtfully prepared for him in his struggling days was broken, his wife was deeply hurt, but Mr. Osborne also had to live with a different kind of pain for the rest of his life.

And when his wife passed away without him ever offering a sincere apology, the unresolved feelings of guilt remained deep in his heart as a scar.

Having read Mr. Osborne’s heart, Mr. Peterson began searching for a similar snuff bottle.

Assuming that it was an item from decades ago and not available on the market, he inquired among traders who had collected many oriental items.

After searching thoroughly for several days, he was lucky enough to find someone who owned an item that looked similar to what Mr. Osborne had described.

However, the owner refused to sell it, and Colin Peterson persuaded him again and again, eventually managing to acquire it by paying a premium.

“John! Come here.”

Mr. Osborne, with his eyes red and bloodshot, stroked the bottle for a long time and called the butler.

Then, he asked the approaching butler, “Put this on my desk in the study. It’s a glass bottle, so handle it with care.”

“Yes, sir.”

The butler, as if he had already read Mr. Osborne’s mind, carefully held it with both hands and went up to the study.

‘Mr. Peterson is indeed a smart man. He chose very well.’

Tae-oh felt pleased, seeing that Mr. Osborne cherished the gift he received from Colin Peterson, unlike the silver plate that Alex Parker had carelessly given, and realized that he had chosen an item with genuine emotion.

It might be just a snuff bottle to some, but to Mr. Osborne, it was a precious memory and a means of healing his wounded emotions.

*

Catherine and Mr. Osborne, who had noticeably brightened up since Colin Peterson’s arrival, enjoyed the party with joy, as if nothing had happened.

Moreover, Mr. Peterson’s piano skills, which he showcased in a surprise performance, were so excellent that they put the orchestra players to shame, and Catherine seemed to have fallen even more for him.

『♪~♬♩~♫~♭~~♪~♬~♮~~♩』

Tae-oh shared drinks with Mr. Osborne, engaging in various conversations.

Then, looking at Colin Peterson dancing a social dance with Catherine, Mr. Osborne opened his mouth quietly.

“I think it’s time to decide on my daughter’s groom, haha.”

Mr. Osborne’s gaze towards Colin Peterson was completely different from before.

This also meant that his assessment of Alex Parker had changed.

Until now, in England, it was common for nobles to gamble, and Mr. Osborne didn’t see it as a flaw.

He even thought that gambling was a form of entertainment for the noble class, who could live well without working hard.

However, after learning that Alex Parker had loudly promised to attend his birthday but had actually spent the night gambling, he felt not only disappointed but also a strong sense of betrayal.

Moreover, Alex Parker’s gift, which seemed to lack any sincerity, was worse than not giving anything at all.

On the other hand, Mr. Peterson had rushed to celebrate his birthday, sweating profusely, even giving up an important meeting that could have been a very good opportunity in his life.

And he had gone to great lengths to find and bring a precious gift that he had not expected, which touched his heart.

His heart, which had been wavering between Alex Parker and Colin Peterson, was rapidly leaning towards Colin Peterson.

『♬~♪~♩~♬~♮~♫~♭~~♪~♬~~♩』

At that moment, Catherine and Mr. Peterson were seen holding hands and dancing to the beautiful violin melody.

The feeling of happiness and fulfillment emanating from the two, as if they had become the protagonists in a movie, seemed to shine so brightly that it obscured all the light around them.

Tae-oh, watching them with a satisfied smile, asked Mr. Osborne cautiously, “Don’t you think they look really good together?”

Mr. Osborne smiled at Tae-oh’s words and nodded slowly.

“Yes, you’re right. I didn’t realize it before, but now that I see them again, they really look like a good match.”

Mr. Osborne, who had been admiring their dance for a while, said in a slightly emotional voice, as if muttering to himself.

“When did our Catherine grow up so much… My daughter’s face… it reminds me of when I first met my wife, haha. If my wife were here with us… she would have been really happy…”

His eyes were moist with fond memories.

‘The goddess of fortune seems to have extended her hand to Mr. Peterson.’

Tae-oh felt Mr. Osborne’s emotions, which had completely leaned towards the union of the two, and took a sip of his drink with a pleasant feeling.

***

Mr. Osborne’s grand birthday party, which was likely to be his first and last, ended, and the contest between Alex Parker and Colin Peterson ended anticlimactically.

Mr. Osborne no longer looked for Alex Parker, who had not shown up even after several days since the birthday party.

And after accepting Catherine and Colin Peterson’s relationship, it was decided that they would hold their engagement ceremony in two months.

The two people’s love had come to fruition in this way.

***

Tae-oh, who had stayed in Manchester for two weeks longer than planned, had to return to London urgently.

As he had expected, he had connected Mr. Peterson and Catherine, but the process had taken longer than he had anticipated, and he had to go to London to handle other matchmaking matters.

On the morning of his departure to London.

Mr. Peterson had also come to Mr. Osborne’s house.

He had come to see Tae-oh off upon hearing the news of his departure.

In front of Tae-oh’s carriage were Mr. Osborne, Catherine, Mr. Peterson, and even the butler, John Blake.

“Thank you so much for everything. I had a comfortable stay.”

As Tae-oh greeted them, Mr. Osborne expressed his deep regret and handed him an envelope.

“It’s a small amount compared to your efforts, but I’ve added a little more of my sincerity on top of the promised fee. Thank you so much for your hard work. You were also a great help in choosing such a good son-in-law.”

“No, I’m the one who’s grateful for receiving such generous treatment without doing much.”

The miserly Scrooge-like figure that he had seen on the first day could not be found in Mr. Osborne’s kind smile.

At that moment, someone hurriedly ran down from the entrance.

“Mr. Sanderson! Mr. Sanderson!”

It was Mrs. Marie.

In her hands, she held a basket full of freshly baked cakes.

“Take these with you. They’re freshly baked and very delicious.”

As Mrs. Marie said, a really delicious smell wafted up.

“Oh my, I just ate, but I’m getting hungry again? I’ll enjoy them very much. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Compared to how much you’ve cared for our young lady, this is nothing. Hoho.”

As Tae-oh got into the carriage, Colin Peterson came close and said as if whispering.

“Thank you so, so much for everything. I’ve heard about it from Catherine as well. Thank you so much for helping and encouraging Catherine all this time.

And for supporting me and helping me marry Catherine… I don’t know how to express my gratitude. So, would you please accept this, even though it’s a small token?”

In his hand, he held a very expensive-looking wine bottle.

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to do this…”

“No, please accept it. I would really feel uncomfortable if I didn’t give you at least this much. You’re the one who connected me with a woman who is like a jewel to me, aren’t you?

Actually, I was preparing another gift, but since you’re leaving so suddenly, this is all I have to give you. I’ll prepare a more fitting gift later, so please accept at least this much this time.”

He was grateful for his thoughtfulness.

“Yes, then I’ll gratefully accept it. And please be sure to invite me to the wedding, haha.”

“Of course, I’ll send you the invitation first!”

Tae-oh smiled brightly and accepted the wine he offered.

The carriage moved slowly.

And after going for a while and turning the corner, the figures of the Osborne family waving their hands towards the carriage could be seen through the window in the distance.

As the people who had come to see him off completely disappeared from view, Tae-oh slightly opened the envelope that Mr. Osborne had given him. It was because the envelope was too thick.

‘…Huh!’

Inside the envelope were a surprisingly large amount of money and a heartfelt letter.

‘You gave me way too much more than I expected? And even a letter?’

Tae-oh’s smile did not disappear from his face as he read Mr. Osborne’s long letter.

18th century England.

This place also had the warmth of human affection.

The canals of Manchester, which had been unfamiliar at first, now looked friendly on the way back to London.

‘Where…’

Tae-oh took a piece of the cake that Mrs. Marie had given him and put it in his mouth.

A sweet and delicious fragrance filled his mouth.

Tae-oh looked out the window and whispered quietly, as if praying.

‘May everyone be healthy and happy….’