It felt as if Bruno had not had a proper rest in over twenty-four hours by the time he returned to Berlin for the second time in a single day. And he might very well have been right in that regard. Nevertheless, as tired as he was, Bruno intended to fulfill his promise to Heidi.
He arrived home, swearing he would keep his vow even if it was the last thing he did in this life. However, he also professed the need to bathe and change his attire. As a result, it was some time before both Bruno and Heidi were ready for their night out in the city.
Of course, Heidi took even longer to prepare, and when she finally emerged, she looked like the living embodiment of a heavenly angel. Her usually elegantly tied silky blonde hair was long and flowing, cascading down her left side like a river of molten gold.
Its sheen and luster were caught in the light, as her sky-blue eyes flickered beneath the brilliance of the chandelier. The finely crafted sequined dress, which matched the pristine, gemstone-like irises in color, twinkled as if each sequin contained its own spiral galaxy of stars.
Long, flowing hair was an unusual choice for the time, but Heidi was well aware that her husband was not originally of this era. She had styled her hair based on a few words Bruno had once said about the fashion trends of his past life, something she had inquired about the night he revealed his secrets to her.
The look was visually stunning, especially when considering that despite being in her mid-thirties and having over half a dozen children, Heidi still maintained the youthful appearance of a woman a decade younger.
It required all of Bruno’s strength of mind not to drop his jaw at such a perfect fusion of past and present. A flawless mixture of beauty and elegance. He reached forward, gently grasping her delicate hand, which looked as if it had been sculpted from ivory.
He kissed the top of it before pulling the love of his life close against his chest, whispering in her ear the sweet poison that would consume her mind and soul before continuing his assault on her lips.
"Are you sure you’re not an angel sent from our Heavenly Father to guide me to salvation?"
Such an absurd and blasphemous compliment, followed by the almost voracious romantic display, caused Heidi to scoff. She subtly pushed her overeager husband away, reminding him that they were still in the middle of their grand estate’s foyer, where the staff could clearly see their inappropriate yet loving display.
"Bruno... please... If you keep this up, I might quite literally die of embarrassment, and then what would you do?"
Ever the shameless fool, Bruno immediately chuckled at Heidi’s words, putting his foot in his mouth as he preyed upon her one vulnerability—her overwhelming jealousy and possessiveness.
"Oh? If such a tragedy were to befall me, then I suppose I would just marry the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg... You should have seen the way she was trying to throw herself at me today!"
Bruno then performed his best falsetto, raising his voice to an unnaturally high pitch that mimicked a woman’s voice a bit too well.
"Oh my prince, won’t you stay here by my side... My perfect... eternal guardian?"
Heidi’s previous embarrassment immediately vanished, replaced with pure condemnation and unbridled rage as she ground her teeth ever so slightly.
"She did not seriously say that to you, did she?"
Despite her attempts to distance herself from her husband, visibly upset by his playful taunts, Bruno did himself no favors. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and leaned in, whispering like a demon in her ear.
"Oh, she most certainly did!"
Having had enough, Heidi wrenched herself away from Bruno, stomping just far enough out of his reach so he could no longer control her. When she turned back to him, the wrath on her face was so openly displayed that a lesser man might have been fearful.
Her jaw twitched, and her brows furrowed heavily as she demanded a straight answer from her husband about what he had been up to while alone with another woman.
"And? What did you say?"
Bruno chuckled lightly, his tone almost provocative, as he began his answer with words that made Heidi’s gorgeous onyx-like pupils shrink to the size of a pin.
"Well? Isn’t it obvious? What does a man do when alone with an intoxicated and beautiful young woman who desperately wants to give him her chastity?"
Heidi’s face turned the color of hellfire as she was just about to scream at Bruno, but before she could, he raised a finger to her delicate, rose-colored lips. Wearing the most devilishly charming smile he could muster—as if he were the embodiment of Lucifer himself—he spoke the words that completely deflated the fury brewing in his beloved wife’s heart and mind.
"I told her to be gone! That my heart belongs to another, and that if Satan himself came calling for my soul, he would have to get in line, because my beloved, beautiful, graceful, and understanding wife is the sole owner of its possession!"
Heidi was stunned by Bruno’s words like never before. A rollercoaster of emotions had completely overwhelmed her. In an instant, all the anger, hatred, wrath, and fury that might have driven her to madness vanished.
All that remained was love, adoration, guilt, and sorrow as she broke into tears, clinging to her husband’s chest, sobbing as she confessed how much she "despised" him.
"You bastard! I hate you so much! You are the only one who knows how to drive me crazy ! Why must you play with my heart so ruthlessly?"
Bruno held his wife tightly, calming her with his soothing voice, assuring her that no temptation, no matter how great, could ever lead him astray. He was hers and hers alone.
"There, there, my little flower, I’m sorry. I played with your heart a bit too roughly today... Won’t you forgive me, dear? But my teasing shouldn’t make you so angry—you know I only have thoughts of you, my love. Nothing in this world, no matter how seductive, could ever compel me to sully your honor.... I love you, Heidi..."
With that said, the two of them most certainly did not make it out the door. Captivated by Bruno’s mind games, Heidi led them in the opposite direction—straight back to their bedroom, where they spent the rest of the night together.