Chapter 493: The Defeat of Peace
It wasn’t long after Bruno’s meeting with the President of the United States that he found himself back home in the German Reich.
His vessel landed in Trieste, where he boarded a private train bound for Tyrol, his sanctuary. His family awaited him there. And waiting they were.
Heidi stood in the entryway of their palace’s foyer, a stein brimming with a full liter of beer in hand. She wore a traditional Tyrolean Dirndl, her golden hair braided into twin plaits, a floral crown of fresh edelweiss perched on her head. The sight alone made Bruno’s breath catch in his throat.
He, in contrast, was dressed in crisp, modern formalwear, an odd juxtaposition against her folk attire, which these days had been largely relegated to holidays and parades. Even so, he couldn’t help but smile. She looked radiant. And absurdly out of place.
Before he could ask why she’d dressed this way, Heidi smirked and thrust the stein toward him, her tone playful, with just the right touch of seduction.
"Just drink your beer and be happy, you old lecher."
Bruno burst into laughter, taking the stein and downing a hearty sip before setting his eyes on her again. She sauntered toward the sitting room, hips swaying, and sank onto the couch with practiced grace.
He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted again. As she leaned on the armrest, drawing his gaze exactly where she wanted it.
"The kids are gone for the night. Eva took them to Berlin. She’s old enough, responsible enough... and they’ll be staying at the old palace."
Her smile deepened.
"That means, for the first time in ages we have the whole night to ourselves. So... what should we do with it?"
Did the question even need answering? Bruno intended to savor every second of it.