"Thank you for your support, thank you, thank you for your support," Lübeck said, calming himself for a long moment. The crowd around him gradually calmed down, noticing the solemn expression on his face, as if they understood what he was about to say.
"Today, as the highest administrator of Sanctuary, I pardon all death row inmates," Lübeck said, turning his head and glancing at each person wearing a noose.
There was a commotion and whispering among the crowd, but Lübeck ignored it and continued, "But you can no longer stay here, because you have violated the laws here."
There was another murmur of whispering from the audience.
"I will send you back to the land of the German nation, your families," Lübeck said, turning back to the crowd.
"It is your choice whether to follow them back. Consider that following them means facing many challenges together." Lübeck held up the newspapers in his hand.
"I'll post them here later, you can take a look."
Lowering his hand, Lübeck gazed at the bustling crowd before him.
"My brothers and sisters, my brothers and sisters who still live in the sanctuary, please love everyone around us." He turned and slowly walked down the scaffold. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered something. Standing on the stairs, he looked back at the scaffold. The guards were removing the noose from the executioners and escorting them back to the prison van. Lübeck shouted to them,
"Schmidt, Bauer, when you return to German soil, do not fight each other anymore." Then, without looking back, he descended the stairs.
Suddenly, a woman ran toward him. The guards checked that she was unarmed and let her in. Two small children were following her. She ran up to Lübeck, dropped to her knees, and was about to kiss his feet. Lübeck quickly pulled her up with both hands.
"Mayor Lübeck, please take in my two children. My husband is dead, and I can't raise them," she said, taking Lübeck's hand and looking at her pleadingly.
Lübeck recalled a discussion he had had with City Hall Secretary Miller a few days ago. He finally understood the woman's situation. She was petite and clearly incapable of farm work.
The two children approached, clearly girls, the older one holding her younger sister's hand. Lübeck glanced around at the crowd. Everyone in the front row was staring at him. In the corner, Miller was also watching him.
Lübeck's eyes met his, and a slight curl of his lips twitched, instantly realizing he might have been the one who had suggested the woman's plan.
He returned his gaze to the woman in front of him, who was still staring at him eagerly, then back at him, and hurriedly added,
"Please take them in. Let them be your maids. They'll do anything for you."
Lübeck chuckled inwardly. How many years would it take to support them until they could do housework? But how could he expose her to such adversity? So he told her,
"Don't worry, I'll raise them until they're married."
"Mayor Lübeck, I don't know how to thank you enough," she said, curtsying to Lübeck, then taking his hand in hers and kissing it. The residents of the Sanctuary behind her cheered at the moment. It was clear that people truly valued these acts of kindness toward the vulnerable. "What are their names?"
"Clara, Ida."
"Okay, I'll take them back today. When you're settled, leave your address at the town hall so we can contact you to visit your children. What's your name?"
"Doris," she said, curtsying again to express her gratitude.
Back home, Ruth was surprised to see Lübeck bringing two little girls. She was surprised that he'd just mentioned something casually, yet he'd do this today. This struck Ruth as completely out of character.
Seeing her surprised expression, Lübeck hurriedly explained,
"Their father tragically passed away during the previous rebellion, and today their mother publicly begged me to take them in."
"Oh," Ruth said, understanding. She smiled slightly, but it was hard to refuse. However, the peaceful life they'd lived for so many years would be somewhat altered by these two new members. "So what should we do? Let's put them in the room reserved for your son first. I'll go clean up that room," Ruth asked.
"Okay, thank you," Lübeck said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling Ruth into his arms. He gently kissed her lips and whispered in her ear,
"You can take care of them from now on. See if it works. Gradually, they can help you with some of the work."
"Okay, I'll see."
It seemed that a new order always requires a period of chaos before it can take shape. After dinner, Emma called Ada over to play with her son. After all, she was still young, only three years old. Ruth called Clara into the kitchen to try to help wash the dishes. As she did so, she explained that fire and hot water in the kitchen were dangerous and that she shouldn't go in the kitchen without Ruth.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknzEVpxUot
Lübeck seemed to be forgotten for a moment. He stood in the middle of the living room, looking between Emma's bedroom and Ruth in the kitchen. Suddenly, he felt that the house seemed more lively and more homely. If he went on another mission, they wouldn't be as lonely at home as before. Lübeck himself seemed to feel a lot more relaxed.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9ovR2Fgqj
Feeling more relaxed and cheerful than ever before, Lübeck left the house and took a solitary walk along the path. The night sky was clear, with a few sparse white clouds drifting overhead, stained a pale blue by the nebulae in the sky, dimly illuminating his house and the ground beneath his feet.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9NAu4EIwU
A gentle breeze mingled with the scent of warm water vapor. Lübeck knew that most of this planet was ocean. Although he hadn't mapped it, he could always see a panoramic view of it from high above during his voyages.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaO1mdih0V
In the silent night, his thoughts somehow drifted back to his encounter with Ruth as a child. Ruth was clearly by his side, yet Lübeck felt a growing longing for that little figure.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI0j6SwRwc
When he returned home, the lights in the living room had long been extinguished. Lübeck quietly washed and returned to Ruth's side. Lübeck put his arm around her waist from behind and, noticing she wasn't asleep, asked, "Did you just lie down?"
"Yes, I was wondering if the you you went back to visit would grow up to be a captain," Ruth said, turning and leaning into Lübeck's arms.
"Well, I don't know. Anyway, no matter what happens, as long as we're together, it's fine."
Ruth corrected him with a smile.
"Aren't we together? It's them."
"Oh, that's right. We don't seem to have a say in how things go for them."
"I don't think I'll leave you," Ruth said, resting her face against Lübeck's chest.
Lübeck stroked her hair and said, "What about the next life?"
"Not the next life either."
"Then how did you find me?"
"Well "Ruth thought for a moment and said, "Don't you already have a son? I'll be your granddaughter, and we'll still be family."
"But then I'll be so old, and we'll soon be separated again. What will we do?" Lübeck said, caressing her slender body.
"That's easy. You can be my son again."
"Oh, do we always have to send the other away?"
Ruth smiled and said, "What else do you want? Are you sure you won't choose another girl as your wife? Then there won't be any room for me."
"Oh, that's true. But with this constant time lag, when can we finally be together like this?"
"Well, there's another way. Just like Clara did, I'll be your adopted daughter, and when I grow up, I'll marry you."
ns216.73.217.22da2
and then Add to home screen.