Chapter 135: It’s Show Time!
The Serbian King's face twitched ever so slightly, so little in fact that one might not have seen it if they were not closely examining his face. But Bruno saw it and continued to smirk as he drank his tea. For obvious reasons, the man would not accept this demand.
Though on the surface it seemed like a minor concession, as for all intents and purposes, Austro-Hungary currently already had administrative control over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The reality of the situation was, with the Black Hand's ambitions towards the Balkans which were against the interests of both the Habsburgs and the Romanovs, they would never allow this to take place without some form of conflict taking place.
This was actually one of the reasons why Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Bruno's past life, as the Habsburgs proceeded with annexation of Bosnia in 08, leading to the plot against their presumed heir by the Black Hand.
Hence why Bruno was aware that the Serbians would never accept this compromise, even if Franz Ferdinand was rather joyful at the prospect. Frankly speaking, the existence of the Black Hand, and their involvement in the May Coup, wasn't exactly known to outsiders at the time.
Hell, they would not fully come into their full form until 1911, even if its earliest members were indeed responsible for murdering the Serbian Royal Couple in 1903. As a result, the Serbian King eyed Bruno with suspicion.
Had he learned about his family's ties to the Black Hand, and the substantial role they played in the Serbian Government? Or was he simply espousing one of the goals which the Habsburgs had made clear decades ago with the ignorance of this shadowy organization?
Either way, the answer was the same, as the Serbian King immediately stood up and concluded the negotiations without and resolution of the issues at hand.
"These negotiations are over. Frankly speaking, you are asking far too much of Serbia in exchange for far too little gain. I have no choice but to think you are simply wasting my time for the sole sake of provoking me. But what else would I expect from a man born into a family who only gained its noble status a few decades ago?"
Bruno was not exactly the one who was quick to provocation. But he couldn't help but chuckle at the man's comments. The House of Kara?or?evi? alone was founded in 1804, which was only a decade prior to foundation of Bruno's. His own family having earned their noble status during the Napoleonic Wars.
To act like he was some ancient noble on par with the Habsburgs was truly laughable, but either way, Bruno didn't mention it. Nevertheless, his laughter served as an insult, causing the Serbian King to frown as he walked out the door.