Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

It's been two days following Amelia's collapse, and Poul assumed care for her temporarily. Early in the morning, he requested Jonathan to prepare her morning meal. Seated on the bed, Amelia, now free of dizziness, timidly wrung her hands as Poul placed the bed tray before her.

"It's all right, Sir Nielsen," she said. "The rest has done me well, and I am ready to return to my duties."

Poul gazed at Amelia with a concerned expression. He had been at her bedside since she collapsed, worrying about her health and well-being. "Are you certain, Amelia? Perhaps it would be best if you take a few more days to rest and recover fully," he suggested.

Amelia shook her head, her eyes were determined. "I appreciate your concern, Sir Nielsen, but I cannot remain idle for much longer. There is much work to be done, and I cannot afford to fall behind."

Poul sighed, understanding her resolve. He knew that Amelia was a diligent and hardworking individual, always striving to do her best. "Very well," he said. "But promise me that you will not push yourself too hard. If you begin to feel unwell, you must take a break immediately."

Amelia nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "I promise, Sir Nielsen. Thank you for your care and concern."

As she began to eat her breakfast, Poul watched over her, ensuring that she was well and comfortable. Despite her insistence on returning to work, he would keep a close eye on her, making sure that she did not overexert herself. It was his duty, not only as her employer but also as a friend, to ensure her well-being and health.

Looking at her again, Poul noticed that she is indeed recovering well. As much as he wanted her to go back to work, if her body still can't recuperate, then he won't force her to return to her duties.

Having finished her meal, Amelia set the bed tray aside. "The breakfast was delicious, Sir Nielsen. Thank you," she said, her warmest smile directed toward Poul.

A faint blush tinted Poul's cheeks as he responded, "Don't thank me, it was Jonathan who prepared it, not me."

"I know," Amelia replied, "but it is you who I hold in the highest regard. You took care of me for these past two days, and I am truly grateful."

"But that was because Jonathan is busy doing work. If not for that case, he would have watched over you as well," Poul stated.

Amelia chuckled, "I will certainly express my gratitude to Mr. Axelsen when I see him at the office."

Poul chuckled as well, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm sure he will appreciate it," he said. "But now, it's time for you to get ready. I will leave you be so you can take your bath and get dressed. Jonathan and I will be in the drawing room."

"Very well, Sir Nielsen," Amelia noted. "See you later."

***

With that, Poul left the room, closing the door softly behind him. He made his way to the drawing room in office building B, where Jonathan was waiting for him. "How is she, Poul?" Jonathan asked, his expression concerned.

"She's doing much better," Poul replied. "She's still determined to return to work, but I've made her promise to take it easy if she starts to feel unwell."

Jonathan nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "That's good to hear. I was worried about her."

As was I," Poul said, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. "But she's a strong young woman, and I have faith that she will recover fully.

"So, what was it again that you wanted me to see?" Poul asked.

"Oh, I just finished drafting the design of our new office building," Jonathan said, pulling out a blueprint and unfurling it over the table. "Take a look at this. This eight-story structure will encompass a total of over 114,000 square feet and be situated 2,296 feet away from the factory to mitigate the effects of noise and smoke pollution, thus creating a more hospitable work environment. While the modern aesthetic may prove to be a challenge, I am confident in our ability to successfully navigate it."

Poul perused the blueprint, musing, "I presume that I am to design the heating, cooling, and electrical systems?"

Jonathan replied, "That would be ideal, given your proficiency in those areas. I shall provide you with a copy of the blueprint for your reference, and kindly submit your designs to me when completed."

Poul queried, "As for the physical construction of the building, I presume that won't be under your purview, correct? You don't have the manpower for it."

Jonathan stated, "Indeed, I will be procuring the services of a construction firm to take on the project. I will be soliciting bids, and the firm that offers the most competitive price will have the privilege of constructing the first modern office building in Pittsburgh."

Poul expressed, "I feel that I am lagging behind in comparison. I have just completed the schematics for direct current electric motors and have devised a design for their application. I am scheduled to depart for New York in five days to have the prototype built."

Jonathan nodded in agreement, "That seems like a solid plan. Do pass along my greetings to Caroline. Let her know I will be seeing her soon, once I commence the search for construction firms in New York."

Poul nodded in affirmation, "Will do."

Then they spent about thirty minutes discussing the day's schedule and tasks, making sure that everything was in order. After thirty minutes, Amelia arrived in the drawing room.

She was dressed and ready for the day ahead. She looked much better, her complexion having regained its natural color and her eyes bright and alert. And there, she was greeted by the familiar faces of her colleagues. They welcomed her back with warm smiles, happy to see that she was feeling better. She made her way to her two, bowing courteously.

"Sir Axelsen, I am deeply grateful for your generosity in providing me with the nourishment essential for my convalescence."

"It's good to see you getting better," Jonathan said. "However, kindly exercise prudence and refrain from overexerting yourself."

"I will, Sir Axelsen," Amelia bowed her head once more. "I'll be leaving the two of you here as I have to return to the main office building. You know, the papers are not going to sort themselves out."

"Yeah, we'll see you there later," Poul said.

"Then, Sir Axelsen and Sir Nielsen," Amelia said, before pivoting on her heels and departing the room. The two men watched her leave before turning their attention back to each other.

"Is it just me who noticed that she got cuter?" Poul asked, breaking the silence.

"Nah, Caroline is still better," Jonathan replied.

"Oh, even after knowing that she's a different person?" Poul probed.

"So? We are also different," Jonathan said.

"What I mean is, Caroline exudes a sadistic aura, wouldn't you agree?" Poul stated.

"That's simply one aspect of her charisma," Jonathan stated nonchalantly. "And I got to say, I love it."

"Oh, so you were into that type huh?" Poul raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his friend's preference.

"Well, I can't deny that it adds a certain thrill to the relationship," Jonathan replied with a smirk. "But what about you? I thought you only had feelings for Sara, yet here you are, showing affection for someone we just met in New York?"

"I've already told you, I've moved on. I did love her in our previous world, but now we find ourselves in a new one, a new life where we have the opportunity to meet new people, then it's only natural that people would change."

"But what if she's here in this world?" Jonathan asked. "What if you were to meet her in this new world?"

"That's impossible, she's not dead," Poul replied.

"Imagine if you were to meet her in this world and also imagine that you and Amelia were together. How would your feelings for Amelia change if you were to learn that the love of your life was also present in this world?"

Poul was silent for a moment, grappling with inner conflict.

"I really don't know," Poul said.

"Well, that's just a hypothetical scenario. Don't take it too seriously," Jonathan said.

"But if that hypothetical scenario turned into reality. Then I would be a fool to leave Amelia for someone that I loved in the new world. I mean, if Amelia and I got together, that means I have made a vow, a promise that I'll take care of her for life. It would be very stupid of me."

"I see," Jonathan sighed. "Well, as I said, that's a hypothetical scenario. As you said, it's impossible as she was not dead. She might be living her life there in the other world with a man loving her fondly."

"That would be great. It would have been me but I wish that the man she's with now will love and protect her like I would do to her if we didn't get ourselves killed in that coffee shop," Poul said.