Chapter 158: Unintentional Intimidation
As was only common courtesy, Bruno was given a full tour of the Romanian King's estate, as well as a lengthy, albeit interesting, explanation of his family's history. The Kingdom of Romania was young, established as a kingdom as far back as 1881. But the family's house was naturally much older, being the Swabian Branch of the House of Hohenzollern, which now ruled over the German Reich.
Many people in his place might find such a lecture to be a dull affair, but not Bruno; he was quite an avid enjoyer of history. And naturally, such ancient houses possessed knowledge that one might say was more difficult to dig up through conventional means, either in this life or in his past life.
Either way, Bruno had more or less proved his interest to the Romanian King, both in terms of his family's history and his attempts to establish proper ties to them. Bruno was, after all, rather charming when he could be compelled to socialize.
By the time dinner came around, and the rest of the Royal Family gathered, Bruno had thoroughly convinced the Romanian King to treat him as if he were an old family friend, rather than, in reality, where this was their first time meeting.
Even the Romanian King's wife, Elisabeth, had commented during dinner how Bruno was "exemplary of what a perfect gentleman should be," to which Bruno simply replied, "My wife would be happy to hear it."
A slight jest that caused several members of the Romanian Royal Family to laugh. If Bruno were being honest, these last few months, ever since he realized he was starting to become antisocial when visiting the German Kaiser and his family, he had started to take extra steps to re-socialize himself with the world, especially the aristocratic class.
Thus, even though he had forced himself to wear a smile and do things right, rather than use any of his usual dark humor around these men and women who were not accustomed to the humor often found among combat veterans like himself.
Ultimately, a topic that caused the jovial nature of the conversation to come to a bitter and abrupt end was not broached by Bruno himself this time around, but rather by Ferdinand, whom Bruno had been trying to get the attention of all night. The man bluntly approached a subject Bruno was all too familiar with.
"There is a rumor that a Great European War is coming, one that has the potential to engulf all the Great Powers. I'm curious about what the General from the German Reich thinks about this matter. Surely you have made some preparations in this regard, have you not?"
Carol eyed his nephew with a disapproving gaze, not only because it sounded like the man was trying to coerce classified information from their guest under the guise of friendship, but also because it was something the aging King had decided was inappropriate to discuss under the current conditions.
Even so, before the man could properly rebuke his nephew for his "poor manners," Bruno chuckled and answered the question, nonetheless.
"Do you want my honest answer? Or do you wish for me to merely assuage your fears with empty platitudes?"
Frankly speaking, Ferdinand had not necessarily expected Bruno to answer with such a response. And while the current King of Romania may not be interested in the subject, as the designated heir to the throne, with his father Leopold having abdicated himself from the line of succession in favor of his children, Ferdinand was all too obsessed with the very real possibility, and thus there was an audible gulp among the dreadful silence that prevailed in the room before he asked Bruno for the honest truth.