Chapter 304: Preventive Measures Towards Being Stabbed in the Back
Bruno sat across from Erich. The man seemed to be doing quite well for himself. Recently having gotten back from the Balkans, Erich was clean shaven, and well groomed. Far more so than Bruno had ever seen the man before, immediately calling into question what the occasion was.
And in doing so completely forgetting, at least temporarily at the reason he had summoned his mad dog to meet with him over lunch.
"You sure have cleaned yourself up nicely. What’s the occasion? Are you finally going to beat the rumors and marry a nice young lady?"
Erich’s expression did not sour, unlike how it normally did when Bruno made fun of him for the rumors he had started years in the past. Rumors that persisted because Erich was such a broken man that he had no desire to marry or have a family, rather his one fancy was engaging in violence towards other human beings.
Yet, surprisingly, the man was in a chipper mood as he responded to Bruno’s quip in the most unexpected way conceivable.
"First of all, fuck you for that, and secondly, yes. My parents have decided I am far too old, and accomplished not to go without a wife. So I will be marrying a young lady of a noble family worthy of my lofty title. Not that it can compare to the likes of you, the Prince of Tula, and the Grand Prince of Transylvania…"
The Prince of Tula was the nickname given to Bruno after he had purchased the lands surrounding the town. They were rich in mineral resources, and had been the region which housed many of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation’s many arms factories during his past life.
It wasn’t an official title, but it sounded more appealing than simply being a landless Prince, and he did technically own those lands in perpetuity as he had purchased them at rather substantive cost knowing the full value of them which had yet to be fully delved into by the Russian Empire.
But none of that was important, as Bruno was more interested in the young lady Erich was betrothed to, shocked that it had finally occurred. Even going so far as to make fun of the man, knowing that his parents were no longer willing to tolerate his lack of concern for their family name and legacy.
"So, your parents finally decided that the rumors persisting about your alleged sexuality were too much to bear, and that you needed to properly act the part of a nobleman, correct? Do tell me, who was more aggrieved, your mother, or your father?