Chapter 27: Rest and Respite

Chapter 27: Rest and Respite



Upon returning home from his first day at the Prussian War College, Bruno wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed and get a good night's sleep. But would Heidi allow the man to get some rest without properly filling his stomach?

Not at all. Like a proper wife, she ensured her husband's health was maintained. And because of this, she greeted Bruno at the door with a liter of beer in one hand and a plate of food in the other.

Even Bruno had to admit, as exhausted as he may be, the platter of schnitzel, fried potatoes, and spaetzle was more than enough to convince him to eat a meal with his woman. Though the two of them were Prussian, Heidi was well versed in any number of regional German cuisines and how to properly prepare them.

And she herself had a particular love of South German recipes like those commonly found in the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Archduchy of Austria. She had spent many years of her life perfecting the art of cooking, in preparations for the day she and Bruno were properly married.

And now that the two of them were living such a life, she could finally watch the man happily devour the food which she had prepared for him. Naturally, Bruno was happy to have a home cooked meal made for him by a beautiful woman. Because of this, he ate with a sense of gusto, while complimenting Heidi on her efforts.

"I'm going to cry the next time I get deployed and I have to subsist off of army rations... You have ruined me for any cooking but your own... I hope you're proud of yourself!"

Heidi was indeed proud to hear such praise from her husband, but she was quick to switch the subject to his first day at the Prussian War College, and whether or not he was having a difficult time.

"So, how was your first day? Are the classes as hard as I have heard that they are?"

Bruno was quick to shake his head while washing down the food in his gullet with a taste of beer. He then dug back into the Jager schnitzel that his wife had prepared for him, while answering her in between bites.

"Not at all, but I have long since mastered such subjects. If anything, what they are teaching me is a mere refresher of what I have already memorized since childhood."

Heidi was not surprised in the slightest by this. Though Bruno had long since disguised his intelligence as being inferior to what it really was. She alone was aware of this fact even if he had never outright told her. Well, that was besides the man's father who he had recently revealed this secret to.

The man was hedonistic to his core, spending his paycheck on prostitutes and wine, rather than Bruno who used his money to provide for his wife and unborn child. Tonight was no exception. He was wasting away in a pub with a few of his fellow soldiers. All the while complaining about what had happened in China to men who had yet to see actual combat.

"You have no idea the humiliation we suffered over there... General Frey should be hanged as a traitor to the Republic! He requested a German advisor to support our efforts. And it was this so-called Wolf of Prussia who led our forces to victory over the Boxer Remnants, not our actual general!"

The other French Officers by Leon's side were not nearly as intoxicated as he was. Nor did they fully share his sympathies. Believing the man was exaggerating. And were quick to express this sentiment to his face.

"Would you relax? It was a mere colonial scuffle! Who the hell cares if General Frey sought the insights of a German Officer for aid in putting down the rebels? What matters is the fact that we won. It's not like we are currently at war with the Germans. On the contrary, we were temporarily aligned with the Germans and several other nations in China.

It is only natural to seek aid from your allies in a time of war. Especially if they have already dealt a death blow to the enemy in their own area of occupation. You're letting your hatred for the Germans cloud your perspective.

Anyway, Leon, you take care of yourself. My wife will kill me if I stay out late again with the both of you. I'll see you tomorrow at the base, alright?"

Leon did not say a word, and merely glared at his friend. The man was married and already had several small children? Something Leon simply scoffed at. As he took another swig from his wineglass. The other officer who was with him expressed a similar sentiment, leaving the Captain to stew in his own hatred.

He would show them. Those damned Germans! The French would have their vengeance for 1871, and the Alsace-Lorraine would be returned to its rightful owners! Within his lifetime, he would see the banners of France waving over the disputed territory once more, or he would

die trying!

Because of this, he paid his bill, and drunkenly wandered off into the streets of Paris, looking for another random woman to warm his bed for the night. Bruno may not know it, but his actions in China had thoroughly outraged the French Officer, one who vowed to make it his life's work to counter Bruno's own desires.

Whether Leon would prove to be a worthy adversary, or would fall by the wayside like so many of Bruno's other enemies. Only time would tell. The future, after all, was not set in stone, and Bruno's actions so far had already changed how things were destined to play out. The certainty of an Entente victory in the Great War had become a mere memory of the man's past

life.