After that murderous dinner concluded, Edison did not leave immediately.
He was long accustomed to bearing the hostility of others.
He was the very symbol of the American self-made man who had clawed his way up from the very bottom.
After all, in this era, could the mega-wealthy really have climbed to the top solely through legitimate means?
In Edison’s view, to become a successful man like himself, one sometimes had to resort to plunder.
And one must remember to kick away the ladder behind them, preventing those who follow from catching up easily.
His own talents were exceptionally outstanding, so he had always looked down upon, and even wantonly trampled, those insignificant competitors.
Yet, no matter how young the other party was, if they were a member of the Habsburg Family and earned their hatred, it would still send a chill down one’s spine.
Offending a member of an ancient European royal family was an extremely dangerous thing.
That was one of Europe’s most prominent and influential families; there was not a shred of benefit to be seen in making an enemy of them.
After all, an empire across an ocean was far less controllable than the well-known business organizations or political rivals back home in America.
And precisely because he didn’t understand that side and the potential chain reactions it could trigger, it made him feel even more uneasy.
“Your Excellency, Minister, I truly don’t know what to do now.”
The next day, Edison privately met with Minister Hengelvüller and couldn’t help but pour out his troubles.
“This matter is indeed Mr.
Edison’s fault.
To think you would steal…
er, use the films from His Highness’s company without authorization…”
Minister Hengelvüller carefully chose his words.
“How could I have possibly known in advance that those were films His Highness personally participated in making?”
Edison genuinely felt somewhat wronged.
In the vast sea of commerce, with so many small production companies in Europe, who could have guessed that the few films that caught his eye were precisely the ones tinkered with by a member of the royal family?
Seeming to understand Edison’s distress, Hengelvüller also tried hard to be of some help.
It wasn’t entirely for Edison’s sake, but rather, as a diplomat, he had to find a way to placate that furious Archduke Karl.
Pledging loyalty to the Habsburg royal house was his duty in the first place.
“His Highness Karl is a figure of great attention within the royal family.
Even though I am often abroad, I have consistently heard various rumors from home about Archduke Karl’s precociousness.”
“Has it reached that extent?” Edison frowned.
“Even before enrolling in the empire’s top-tier Theresian Academy, he was called a genius.
In that school, attended only by nobles and the children of the uppermost wealthy class, he repeatedly skipped grades, his results always crushing his peers.”
“I thought as much.”
Edison recalled the boy’s composure and sharp conversation last night, so uncharacteristic of his age, his manner of speaking almost indistinguishable from a grown man’s.
If his academic results weren’t good, that would have been strange. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“There is one more thing, perhaps a semi-open secret…”
“A secret?”
As if about to discuss some court secret, Minister Hengelvüller first instinctively glanced around, then leaned forward.
“In the upper-class circles of Vienna, there are clear rumors that Archduke Franz Ferdinand, currently the first in line to the throne, is determined to contract a morganatic marriage.”
This was already a rumor many were aware of in the salons of Vienna, hardly a top secret; but for Edison, far away in America, it was the first he’d heard of it.
“A morganatic marriage?
But why mention this rumor here?”
“Because according to the succession laws, if His Highness Archduke Ferdinand contracts a morganatic marriage, his children’s right of succession will be forfeited.
The next in the line of succession would then be His Highness Archduke Karl’s father, His Highness Archduke Otto Franz.
And after Archduke Otto…”
Minister Hengelvüller didn’t finish his sentence, but the implication was crystal clear.
“So that means…?” Edison’s heart sank.
“Judging by age and the order of succession, after His Highness Archduke Ferdinand, the person likely to ascend to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be the very Archduke Karl von Habsburg you met last night.”
Edison let out a heavy sigh, feeling as if he had stepped on a steel nail.
No, this felt worse, as if he had stumbled and fallen into a trap littered with steel nails.
Of course, by the time Archduke Karl truly ascended the throne, Edison himself might already be long gone, but the fear of potential power and the worry of future retribution wouldn’t disappear because of that.
The closer one gets to the throne, the greater the resources one can mobilize and the influence one can exert.
What made Edison feel a deeper, gnawing fear was the sense of a kindred spirit he detected in Karl—a cold-hearted ruthlessness that would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Such a person, further amplified by royal status and resources, was bound to grow at a tremendous speed in the future.
To have provoked the wrath of such an existence—how could it not be terrifying?
And this wasn’t just a future worry.
An existing royal family member could exert influence through diplomatic channels at any time.
What if Archduke Karl formally lodged a protest with the American government through the embassy?
The American government probably wouldn’t want to needlessly antagonize a major European empire over some mere “business conduct” of a wealthy individual.
Who knows what might happen in future international relations?
Creating a rift with a great power for no reason, with no visible benefit in sight, would be a pure loss for America.
Moreover, voices within the American government had been constantly calling for the regulation of trusts and monopolies; the blade of antitrust had already been raised.
To be targeted by the government at this critical juncture would certainly lead to no good outcome.
On top of that, J.P.
Once provided with a legitimate external pretext, removing him entirely would be as easy as turning over a hand.
At most, Archduke Karl would suffer some potential loss of revenue from piracy, but Edison himself had much more to consider.
He could even lose everything.
Edison now felt profoundly that confronting a European royal family head-on, especially one who might ascend the throne in the future, held not a single shred of benefit.
“Sigh…
Your Excellency, Minister, where has His Highness the Archduke gone now?
I think perhaps I should try for another chance to communicate.”
“Well…
His Highness acts on his own accord; he is not the type to report his every move to the embassy.”
Minister Hengelvüller shrugged.
After all, Karl had arrived in America unannounced, dropping in out of the blue.
And Edison soon learned of Archduke Karl’s whereabouts and his “heroic deeds” from the newspapers that flew in like snowflakes.
[East Coast Encounters Young Royal of Noble Blood!]
[Archduke Karl von Habsburg Declares: ‘The country I most wanted to visit first on this trip was America.
The United States is the nation with the greatest potential on this continent!’]
[The Great Habsburg Bloodline Acknowledges the United States!
We Can Rightfully Take Pride in This!]
[Archduke Karl Praises: ‘A land of limitless potential, and the hardworking American people, are both so beautiful.
Soon, all of Europe will envy America.’]
[New York World Special Feature: ‘His Highness Archduke Karl always maintains respect and wit, whether facing ordinary citizens or reporters, truly a charming young gentleman.’]
[Archduke Karl Visits Historical Site: ‘Is this the great place where the Boston Tea Party and the War of Independence began?
Truly stirring.’]
[His Highness Archduke Karl Savors America’s Historical Heritage in Boston!]
[Boston Globe Front Page: ‘His Highness Archduke Karl Personally Praises!
Boston is a Symbol the United States Can Be Proud Of!’]
(Same page features an exquisite illustration by a renowned artist depicting His Highness Archduke Karl strolling the streets of Boston.)
[His Highness Archduke Karl is the Prodigy Who Repeatedly Skipped Grades at the Theresian Academy, Founded by the Legendary Empress Maria Theresa!]
[Archduke Karl Predicts: ‘At the United States’ rate of development, soon the world’s economic and innovation center will shift to America, and Washington will become a pivotal force.’]
[Washington Post Commentary: ‘If the prophecy comes true, we will suddenly be seen as a great power!
The whole world will re-evaluate, vie to curry favor, and even be filled with trepidation!’]
Karl’s set of 21st-century-style sweet talk was already driving the whole of America wild.