Chapter 478: A Father’s Lecture
Bruno got his work done early in the morning, anticipating his daughter would knock on his door sometime after lunch—around noon. And he was right as rain about her temperament and timing, because the knock came exactly when the clock struck thirty.
The door was already unlocked—it was seldom anything but. He just liked advanced notice before someone disturbed whatever he might be involved with. So many folders contained classified or otherwise sensitive materials that, for the safety of his own family, he didn’t want them walking in and seeing something they shouldn’t have.
Luckily, Bruno was expecting the girl, and thus when he made it clear the door was open, it revealed only two glasses on the table—both a liter in capacity—filled to the brim with freshly poured beer from the mini keg Bruno kept in his office.
Eva was surprised at this. She seldom consumed alcohol, and had come to his room in casual attire, but still carried the composed grace of a trueborn princess. When she sat across from her father, she waited for him to grant her permission to drink.
Bruno sighed and rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his daughter’s mug as a teasing gesture—and a lesson in timidity.
"Don’t act coy now, girl, not in front of me. It’s unbecoming and you know it. But fine—if you’re offering me your share, I’ll gladly drink it!"
Eva’s eyes went wide as her father snatched the mug away rather than simply granting her permission. She shot him a glare, her voice sharp with indignation.
"What the hell, old man? I show you deference and courtesy, and you take my drink anyway? What are you—some common blackguard?"
Bruno chuckled as he handed the mug back to her, finally stoking the flame in her eyes. He took a sip from his own glass as she pouted fiercely and took hers in turn. He found it adorable, but decided it was time to offer a lesson she wouldn’t forget.
"Lesson number one, girl: in the realm of politics, never expect the man sitting across from you to play by ’the rules.’ Everyone is suspect who doesn’t share your blood, or your name by law—and nobody is who they portray themselves to be."