An Unfortunate Chain of Misunderstandings

It did not take long for Bruno to find himself greeted by some familiar faces—faces he had not seen in more than a few of years. By his count, it was close to five years since he had seen these people. 

In such a large and magnificent palace, it was not uncommon for the entire extended royal family to dwell within it or at least gather very often. Japan was no exception, with the Emperor's sons, daughters, and grandchildren all living within his personal abode. 

At the same time, whatever siblings and children he had were also present, probably as a show that he valued Bruno as a representative of his most powerful ally. Bruno spoke with various members of the Emperor's family, all of whom were as pleasant to him as they had been when he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun all those years ago for his actions at Port Arthur.