The King Noticed

The rumors reached the Royal Palace long before any official report did.

King Edward had grown accustomed to hearing unusual stories whenever Ernest Teucher was involved. During the past three years alone, the young baron had somehow transformed a small forge into the largest industrial enterprise in the kingdom, introduced steam engines into manufacturing, modernized sanitation through soap production, convinced the Crown to invest in a nationwide telegraph network, and somehow found enough time to acquire mines, forests, and several companies along the way.

The king had learned an important lesson.

Whenever someone described one of Ernest's inventions as impossible, it was usually already working.

Even so, the latest rumor sounded particularly absurd.

A house that glowed without candles.

Lord Ashford stood beside the king's desk holding a stack of reports.

"I've received similar accounts from six different sources."