Charity? That was most certainly not the request Bruno had thought Heidi was going to make of him. He was more or less aware of the inner demons his wife struggled with on any daily given basis. The human experience was one of great suffering, and enduring that suffering was something we all must do.
Over the years, Bruno had done everything he could to help his wife overcome the challenges she faced during her childhood and early adult years. And to a great extent she had improved leaps and bounds. Only really manifesting her psychotic and possessive tendencies when a threat appeared before her or her family.
It was because of this he expected the woman to request that he kill the Prince Regent of Bavaria. Bruno was the type of man willing to give his life if need be for the sake of his wife and children. Hell, he would gladly take the lives of a million men if they dared pose a threat to his loved ones.
But murdering the Prince Regent of Bavaria served no purpose other than to invite disaster upon his family. And it was with this grim reality in mind that Bruno was about to reject his wife, not only to save the future of his children, but his wife’s soul as well.
Yet the woman completely surprised him with her request, rather than seek vengeance, which was a path that would damn them all. She sought redemption, a new start, a chance to do some genuine good in the world, and help those less fortunate than herself.
It was certainly an unusual, but also a most welcome request. As Bruno immediately hugged Heidi tightly and pet her silky golden hair as if she were one of his daughters. Assuring her with a slight whisper that she would have all the money and support she needed to properly see through this endeavor.
“You damn near gave me a heart attack. I thought for a second that with the strange way you were acting that you would ask something of me that I could not fulfill! You want to start a charity?
I think that is a wonderful idea. Whatever you need, whether that be money, manpower, or resources all that you need to ask and I will give it to you. After all, everything that I possess in this life belongs to our family.”
Heidi couldn’t help but hold Bruno tightly. Doing so helped ease any of the remaining anger, hatred, and grief she once held deeply entrenched within her heart.
After hugging her man for longer than she cared to count she, then scooped up her children and gave them an equal amount of affection, assuring them that she was alright, despite the strange way she had been behaving ever since that decrepit old man asked to speak with her.
—
The degree of influence in which Bruno had over society was truly a frightening prospect to behold. With one word from his mouth, thousands of men and women began to move towards the beat of his drum. Money flowed, and with it came the creation of a new charity.
One which was designed to help the less fortunate in German society. Food, medicine, housing, rehabilitation. If one needed help to obtain any of these things for themselves and their families, they only needed to reach out to the Charity that Bruno and Heidi helped organize together.
Granted, one needed to prove they weren’t simply leeching off of their goodwill, and instead were actively trying to better their lives.
While Bruno provided the resources to the non-profit organization, Heidi was the main brain behind its daily operations, using her spare time in between looking after her husband and children to organize the charity’s efforts.
Bruno had long since gained a very good reputation among the masses. He treated his employees incredibly well and provided quality goods at a fraction of the cost when compared to those sold by his competitors.
He was a businessman, but that did not mean that Bruno was a man of greed. There was no reason to charge an arm and a leg for his products. Something many corporations failed to understand from his previous life. One needed to find a balance between profit margins and volumes of sales. And Bruno would never sacrifice the latter for the former.
Strangely enough, a man familiar with organizing relief and humanitarian efforts quickly volunteered to help in any capacity he could. And though he was an active duty officer in the German Army, having in the years since his last promotion gained the rank of Colonel, Heinrich Koch operated as a member of the board of directors for Heidi’s new charity.
He brought with him a level of expertise gained from his days in Russia, especially in regards to distribution, ensuring that the goods were constantly provided to those who needed them. Like a properly made Swiss watch, it functioned flawlessly.
Because of this, the reputation of Bruno’s family increased drastically, and it was not just Bruno, Heidi, and their children. Even the extended family began gaining the reputation of a charitable family, despite their wealth literally being built from the war industry.
So much so that when the time once again came for the von Zehntner family to get together, Bruno was being treated as if he were the heir apparent. Even his oldest brothers Franz and Christoph who had overlooked their youngest brother during his youth, treated the man as if he was the greatest of their siblings.
Only Maximillian still treated Bruno with any form of contempt. Not even bothering to go near his youngest brother, as Bruno’s fame in the family had reached all new heights. Bruno and Heidi were surrounded by Bruno’s brothers and their wives as they spoke flattery to the couple, as if this gathering was actually all about them.
That is, until Bruno’s father finally requested some private time with his son.
“Alright, that’s enough from all of you. Franz, Christoph, I want you both to go find your little brother and keep an eye on him. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling that Max is going to do something incredibly stupid if left to his own devices…”
Having heard their father’s word, the two eldest of the nine von Zehntner boys treated them as if they were the law. Nodding to their father, and bowing their heads directly to the lord of their noble house before running off to do his bidding.
As for Bruno’s other brothers, they scurried off with their wives as well. Leaving Bruno alone with his father and his wife. Naturally, the old man showed respect to his daughter in law, who was the only of his nine daughters-in-laws who he treated like the actual blood daughter he never had.
“Heidi, my dear, do I have permission to speak with your husband alone?”
Bruno raised his brow at his father and stared at the man that gave off the impression he was questioning whether or not he was the in-law instead of his wife. At the same time, Heidi giggled and bowed with a proper curtsy before assuring her father-in-law that he indeed had her permission.
“Of course, I’m sure my beloved husband would love to have a discussion with my father…”
After saying that, Heidi bowed once more before walking off with a smirk on her face, which she cast towards Bruno. Causing both him and his father to chuckle, that is until his father sighed and made a comment about the woman.
“She has your mother’s sense of humor… anyway, Bruno, I would like to have a word with you in private. Will your study suffice?”
Bruno did not even want to talk about how similar his wife and mother were, instead he immediately led the way to his office, showing proper respect and manners to his father as he did so.
“After you, father…”
