German Officer x You Who Traveled Across Time (Sixty-Seven)
Chapter 67 Ragnarok: Christmas Eve Retreat
Equestrian show in Zurich, Switzerland.
Led by the leader, you take Emma out of the stable to see the horses, with Susie following behind. You walk along a path with sawdust-lined horse hoof prints and arrive at the VIP box of the covered equestrian arena.
With a pleasant whistle, the orchestra played music, the curtain was lifted, and the chief knight in performance costume flew in riding a horse with an exquisite ribbon around its neck. The equestrian show officially began.
The chief knight cracked his whip with a resounding snap, then stretched out his whip-holding hand to the round-gray horse's buttocks, kicked the spur of his boot into the horse's belly, and then leaped forward into the air. The knight's hind legs kicked out horizontally, and his whole body looked like a straight line.
Thunderous applause and cheers instantly rang out from the stands surrounding the performance venue and the top-level boxes.
Emma clapped her hands non-stop, shocked by the Chief Knight's skillful riding skills. You smiled faintly and wiped the sweat from your daughter's forehead. The fire in the box was burning quite brightly.
The chief knight completed his solo performance, and then a group of four knights came up to perform. The knights leaped and kicked backwards, and the horses with shiny fur neighed and kicked backwards with both hooves.
While the announcer was introducing the various superb technical details of the riders' movements, several young men in light-colored tights and with agile figures came up from the back.
They rode their horses around the field, holding the reins in one hand and the huge nets used to catch insects such as butterflies in the other.
Zurich, Switzerland is a German-speaking city. The announcer shouted in German: "Dear distinguished guests! Please take out your wallets and donate to the 'poor refugees'! Donate to the 'innocent children'! Donate to the 'just counterattack'!"
There was a commotion as people in the stands leaned forward and threw bundles of coins into the huge net held by the knight, like a huge rain of money, including some green-backed US dollars.
Emma stared at the box stands with her big blue eyes and a shocked expression. Aren't you also amazed at the scene of lavish spending in front of you?
The announcer thanked the crowd for their generosity, while the collectors bent over and quickly collected all the money in the arena.
A bell rang, and a new group of knights came out and began the traditional equestrian performance of knocking over wine bottles with long whips.
There was a knock on the box door, and Susie opened it. The rodeo manager was followed by a clerk holding a tin donation box, both wearing standard professional smiles.
"Dear Mrs. Hodgkin, we are honored to have you visit the Zurich Equestrian Show. We sincerely ask for your support for our fundraising activities."
This wartime fundraising event was jointly organized by the International Red Cross and the International Equestrian Federation at the Zurich Equestrian Arena. The target group for donations was the bourgeoisie and aristocrats from various countries living in Switzerland, with the aim of donating money to refugees in the war.
"Mom, I'm coming—"
"Okay, then Emma will donate money and show her love for the children."
You smiled and hugged Emma. Susie stood by and took out a bulging stack of money that she had prepared long ago from her wallet. You and Emma threw the money into the donation box together.
Emma seemed not to have had enough fun, and she stretched herself forward in your arms to throw a few coins into the tin donation box. Seeing this, the staff cooperated and shook the donation box, making it rattle.
When the manager of the equestrian arena saw a large sum of money coming into his account, in US dollars, whose value had been soaring recently, the flattering smile on his face gradually turned into heartfelt respect.
"Madam, Miss, God praises your generosity and may the halo of God bless you."
You nodded politely and responded, "Please give this money to those who need it. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Feintz had a sum of money deposited in a bank in Geneva, Switzerland. After Susie arrived in Geneva, she took the power of attorney that you had prepared earlier and withdrew part of the money from the bank.
You then provided your identity documents and account information, paid some handling fees, and transferred the money from the Geneva bank to the Zurich bank.
Susie told you that she feels the principal of the deposit alone is enough to support her family for a lifetime, not to mention the interest from making money and various financial management activities.
You also feel this way. With so much unused money, it would be better to donate some of it to do good deeds and accumulate virtue for everyone.
"Mom, when will Dad come to see us? Emma wants to watch the ponies with Mom and Dad..."
Emma pouted, and her originally happy expression drooped in the blink of an eye.
"Mother's darling Emma, Daddy will come to us when he finishes his work."
You kissed your daughter lovingly, sat on the sofa in the box, held Emma in your arms, and led her to the equestrian show that was still going on outside, trying to distract her attention.
"Emma, look! The uncle on horseback is really powerful! He hit the bottle with his long whip!"
"Wow! That's great!"
Emma began clapping her hands again, and Susie smiled and brought Emma a glass of water and fed her.
You held your daughter in your arms, and although your eyes were fixed on a corner of the equestrian arena, your thoughts were already racing.
You thought the second cooperation would fail, and in fact it was on the verge of failure. After St. Bartholomew's Day, Salahi, the leader of the Hungarian Arrow Cross Party, seized power and cooperated with Ai to restart the expulsion operation.
What you didn't expect was that Feintz made a timely decision that night. The train carrying a group of Hungarians and the Vatican papal mission marked with the emblem of Pope Pius XII set off for Switzerland. He was the first to send you away.
System, is everything you told me true?
[Host, you can only return home after completing all the hidden quest lines. You can also choose to give up completing the hidden quest lines and stay in the other world forever.]
You lowered your eyes and smoothed down the thick short golden hair of the little guy beside you.
…
Private estate.
The Duchess of Argyle sat in a wicker chair covered with a plush blanket in front of the French window, looking at the warm sunlight coming in through the window.
She wore a blue-purple velvet dress with fur trim, which was a private custom-made item on the famous Rue de la Paix in Paris.
The maid brought you plates of kirsch and gingerbread on a lace-covered trolley and poured Earl Grey tea from a kettle into the cups in front of you.
You sat aside and spoke nervously, "Sister Si... Siqi, I... I want to go back."
Yao Lesi stared straight ahead, not even glancing at you. She asked bluntly, "Do you know where that NC is now?"
"In Budapest..."
The system tells you that after the second collaboration, Feynz did not leave Budapest. The vengeful Ai tricked him after returning from the glory days of Berlin, and the man left Feynz on the Eastern Front.
If you want to complete the subsequent hidden missions, you must return to him. Even if Feintz and Hurley cooperated, they just went to great lengths to send you to the neutral country of Switzerland.
Yao Lesi was not at all surprised to hear your affirmative answer. On the contrary, she slowly turned around and elegantly fed herself a piece of cake with a spoon. The cake base was soft and delicious, and her lips and teeth were filled with the sweetness of cherry wine and the richness of cream.
"Ina, have you forgotten that he was Dick's murderer? Can you forget death and killing just because of an illusory and useless love?"
When you heard Yao Lesi talking about Dietrich, your eyelashes trembled slightly, and your right hand, which was placed on your knee, tightly pinched the base of your left hand.
"Sister Siqi, I believe... he, he will definitely be punished and sanctioned... God is witnessing everything..."
Yao Lesi's eyes and brows were cold, as if she had heard a joke. When she spoke again, there was already some sarcasm in her voice.
"Do you remember why Dick had a German name? Because his mother, Fanny Einhorn, was convinced that her son would one day be accepted into racist Germany, just as the Campbell family would eventually accept her."
Yvette's aunt Fanny did not change her last name after marriage because her marriage to Hurley's father was a typical marriage between the nobility and the commoners.
Intermarriage between nobles and commoners is a custom passed down from the Middle Ages in Europe. If the husband belongs to the aristocratic class, then the wife who comes from the commoner class will not get the corresponding status and position after marriage, and the children she gives birth to will not have the right of inheritance.
In other words, everything in the Campbell family will belong to Hurley Ludwig Campbell, the eldest son born to Sir Campbell's first wife.
Duchess of Argyll Yao Leisi is telling you that what you think is the same as what Aunt Fanny believes, and it is impossible to achieve.
You think Yao Lesi isn't willing to treat you as a sister, as Hurley said. Or maybe she loves her brother far more than her sister Yvette...
In fact, the Sarajevo incident, which was the fuse for the outbreak of World War I, was also one of the reasons why Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated by the nationalist Gavrilo Princip.
The marriage between Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was an example of mixed marriage. Radical nationalists believed that this kind of mixed marriage, which was not recognized by law and society, was an insult and discrimination against them.
Yao Lesi took a sip of Earl Grey tea lightly. The scalding hot tea made her frown. She usually only liked to drink lukewarm tea. Her eyes were directed to the maid who was quietly standing by her side. She immediately apologized and changed the tea.
She picked up the names on the donation list sent from the equestrian show and continued to speak to you, hitting the nail on the head.
"Hodgkins, huh, this surname is a very typical British surname. If you came up with this pseudonym yourself, it only means that you are as stupid and laughable as you were when you were a child."
Hearing this, you were surprised, and finally understood something.
If someone else had named you, it would mean they still suspected you had any connection to the British. It turns out Feynman deliberately gave you the name "Elan Hodgkin" to see how you would react.
But because you are Chinese at heart, you were not familiar with these complicated foreign surnames when you first came here, so you luckily avoided one of Feynz's invisible tests.
You lowered your head and remained silent.
Yao Lesi drank afternoon tea for a while without paying attention to the others, and then said, "The International Red Cross will send a group of people to Hungary soon. I can get you an entry permit and a personal letter of introduction from Swiss President His Excellency Stampfli."
The move by Hungarian Arrow Cross Party leader Salahi to expel people again after coming to power has caused an uproar in the international community, and the International Red Cross is preparing to send people to negotiate.
"Sister Siqi, thank you..."
"Don't be in a hurry to thank me. I won't tell Hull about this. He's very busy at the Sixth Department right now."
A hint of surprise emerged in your light blue eyes, and Yao Lesi's proud face revealed the decisiveness and ruthlessness that the first Duchess of the Campbell family should have.
"Yina, he has given up enough for you, even power and glory. But as the leader of the Campbell family, Hull should never give up these two things."
"Of course, Emma, you don't have to worry. I once swore to Hull on the honor of our family that I would take good care of her."
"Thanks……"
The years are long, but they pass by quickly with you.
You said goodbye to Yao Lesi, Susie nodded with tears in her eyes, remembering your instructions, and Emma was sleeping in the small bed with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, wondering what sweet dream she was having.
You sat by the bed, heartlessly not waking your daughter up, just because you hated all the separation and tears.
You want to be with your daughter forever, but you also want to go home, to return to the 21st century that belongs to you, and don't want to be left forever in the ruins of war and its aftermath.
"Emma, Mom loves you, Dad loves you, and Brother Lai loves you too."
With tears in your eyes, you lowered your head and kissed your daughter's forehead, then took off the rose necklace you had been wearing around your neck and put it on Emma.
The red diamond on the necklace, representing a rose, showed a unique fluorescent effect under the night light. The door was quietly closed, and the sleeping child had no idea that he would not be able to see his mother again when he woke up the next day.
…
The news about the war coming from the Eastern Front changed rapidly, making people feel the urgency of time. The International Red Cross team did not dare to delay for a moment. Everyone was rushing on the road frantically. You encountered various obstacles along the way, but finally arrived successfully.
As dusk falls in Budapest, a pink glow in the sky transforms the cathedral on Castle Hill into a silhouette in an oil painting.
You opened the door with your key, and a cold breeze blew from the inner balcony. You put down your luggage, went in, closed the balcony door, lit the fire again, and fiddled with the flames with the fire hook with the antelope hoof-shaped handle next to the fireplace.
When Feinz came back, he first hung his coat on the hanger at the door tiredly, and then suddenly realized the warmth in the house.
He placed his right hand on the holster at his waist and walked in with a frown. In front of the silver-plated dressing mirror in the bedroom sat a figure so familiar that he couldn't believe it.
"I...Iina?!"
You saw him in the mirror, your brows relaxed, you turned around and trotted towards him, "Brother!"
Feinz holds your shoulders tightly with both hands, with a trace of obvious panic on his face, and there is even a slight tremor in his deep voice that is impossible to ignore.
"Ina, what happened?! Didn't we arrive in Switzerland safely? Was there a bombing on the way? Or did something happen to our Emma?!"
"No, nothing happened..."
You shook your head, broke free from the man's shackles, and hugged him. The warm fire dispelled the coldness from his body, and Feinz gradually calmed down from his initial panic.
"Why did you come back?"
"I love you."
The sudden use of Chinese startled the man slightly. You raised your head from his arms, and under the gaze of those charming deep blue eyes, you clearly felt your heart skip a beat uncontrollably.
You spoke again, and the German that came out sounded like a gentle love poem written for him.
"Ichliebedich." (German: I love you)
Hearing this, Feinz unconsciously tightened his arms around you, and the tense gloom between his brows instantly dissipated, but a storm had already set off in those deep blue eyes that looked into yours.
This time, it was you who admitted it completely and proactively, and he no longer forced your answer.
In a moment, the man leaned down and kissed you, kissing you devoutly, passionately and full of joy, treating this kiss between you and him with the same selfless piety as a saint treats God.
During the passionate kiss, the memories in your mind play backwards like a passing scene.
The first time you met, he invaded your youth with an extremely disgusted attitude. Every time after that, you had to endure fear and terror. Although you were his sister, he insisted on serving him like a lover...
He had hurt you cruelly, and he had saved you at all costs. The raging fire at the Paris Opera House left scars on him and also branded a mark on your heart. Perhaps it was from that moment that you realized you were truly hopelessly in love with him.
For so many days and nights, behind the right and wrong is the endless struggle between reason and emotion, but you have to go home after all, so you selfishly fall in love with him against your conscience, separated by war and blood.
Feinz broke the kiss, gazing at you lovingly, his hoarse voice bursting from his throat from a chest that was almost burned by the tenderness of his lover.
"Ichliebedichauch." (German: I love you, too)
You hug each other again.
Listening to each other's clear heartbeats.
This chapter has a total of 8k, 5k is released, and the remaining 3k is in the hidden ending of the return gift:
The Christmas Eve retreat, the German troops abandoned by Berlin
The next chapter is about Christmas! I want to post it on Christmas Day, so I won’t update next Saturday. I will update the next chapter on Christmas Eve, December 25th.
Red heart is the driving force of renewalbr>
No gift record
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