Chapter 364: The Path of the Unorthodox
It took Naveer quite a long time to examine Lorelle. She didn’t just check her body but also her soul, along with the traces of magic lingering inside her.
Primrose grew so bored that she nearly fell asleep on the couch while waiting for it to end. Meanwhile, Leofric waited patiently out on the balcony, standing with his back to the door because he had no desire to peek inside.
Nearly half an hour later, Primrose felt someone tap her shoulder. She straightened up at once and blurted, "I wasn’t sleeping!" Her eyes widened when she saw Naveer standing before her instead of Solene. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout."
She was just too used to being woken by Solene or Sevrin and forgot to mind her manners. However, since Lorelle’s condition was a tightly guarded secret, Primrose couldn’t allow Solene to step into this room.
"You were sleeping, Your Majesty." Naveer spoke before Primrose could defend herself. "I’ve finished examining Lady Lorelle. You may call Sir Leofric back inside now."
Primrose turned to look at Lorelle, who was quietly fixing her clothes and tying up her hair.
She didn’t show any significant expression and even thought to herself, [Finally, it’s over. I just want to sleep.]
Yes, Lorelle hadn’t cared about the so-called test from the start. Deep down, she still believed there was no hope left for her.
"How is she?" Leofric asked the moment Primrose allowed him back inside. "What do you think? Is there anything you can do to help her?"
On the other hand, although Naveer’s mind was filled with excitement and joy at having the chance to study such a rare patient, she still tried to appear calm and hide her smile.
"It’s kind of complicated, Sir Leofric," Naveer began.
Together, they walked toward Lorelle’s bedside, while Primrose settled back onto the couch nearby.
"As I suspected, her body has grown terribly fragile," Naveer continued. "But her soul ... her soul can still be saved."
Primrose frowned, calling out from across the room. "What do you mean by that?"
If someone’s body had already withered, how could they possibly save the soul? Besides, what was the point of saving the soul if the vessel had already been destroyed? Didn’t that sound strange?
"That’s exactly what I meant." Naveer spoke again, this time more serious. "I don’t think I’m capable of saving her body, but I may still find a way to mend her broken soul."
It still didn’t make sense.
Primrose’s brow furrowed deeply as she tried to piece it together. A soul without a body was like a flame without a lamp, where could it burn, and how long could it last?
Leofric clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw tightening. "So you’re saying ... her body is beyond help?" His voice torned between anger and despair.
Naveer did not flinch. Instead, she met his eyes with a rare solemnity. "Her body has been worn down by years of strain and the residue of magic. Even if I forced it to heal, it would collapse again. But her soul ... that is different. If her soul shatters completely, she will vanish. If I can keep it whole, there may still be a path for her in the future."
[If I don’t save her soul, then she may never have the chance to reincarnate,] Naveer added silently in her mind. [But ... if they are willing to attempt something unorthodox, then that might be better.]
Primrose shifted uneasily on the couch, her gaze flicking between Lorelle and Naveer. "A path? What kind of path are you talking about?"
Naveer hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. She wasn’t sure if she should say more. For a long moment, silence filled the room, broken only by the faint rustle of Lorelle adjusting her sleeves as though none of this concerned her.
Finally, Naveer spoke in a low tone, almost a whisper. "A path that does not rely on the body she has now ... but something else entirely."
Primrose suddenly remembered that in her first life, Naveer had been able to fill inanimate objects with souls, whether those souls came from animals or even fragments of other people’s souls.
"Lady Naveer, are you ... planning to experiment on her?" Primrose asked, narrowing her eyes with suspicion.
Naveer tilted her head and looked at Primrose seriously. "My soul would shatter if I ever tried to harm Lady Lorelle." She paused before adding, "It was only a suggestion, Your Majesty. From here on, the choice is yours."
For the first time since the discussion began, Lorelle finally spoke. Her voice was soft, almost detached, as if she were asking about someone else entirely.
"... Then, can my soul be moved into another body?"
Both Primrose and Leofric turned toward her in shock. The calmness in Lorelle’s tone only made the question more chilling.
Naveer’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes lingered on Lorelle for a long while before she finally spoke. "It is possible ... but the risks are immense. Not every body can carry a foreign soul, and not every soul can endure the transfer. Most importantly, you cannot, under any circumstance, claim a body that already has a soul."
In other words, Lorelle’s soul could only be placed into a body that was already dead, but even that was far from simple.
Once death came, the human body would soon begin to rot. A soul might enter it, but the vessel would collapse before long, leaving nothing but suffering behind.
"That’s why it’s dangerous," Naveer continued, "A body that has already decayed cannot hold a soul for long. At best, it buys only a little time. At worst, it destroys both body and soul together."
Leofric suddenly spoke, his voice fill with urgency. "What if her soul is transferred just minutes after the body dies? Or even seconds? Would she still be able to live normally afterward?"
Naveer turned her gaze toward him, watching his face carefully. "That would increase the chances, yes," she admitted. "If the body is still fresh and the soul is moved quickly, the vessel might hold. But even then, it isn’t guaranteed. The body may reject the soul, or the soul itself may fracture under the strain."
Leofric said without blinking, "What kind of body would have the highest chance of success? Would it be one that shares the same lifeline with her? The same birthday, or something like that?"
Naveer’s eyes widened slightly, perhaps not expecting Leofric to keep pressing the matter, as if he were truly serious about considering this unorthodox path for Lorelle. "You’re not entirely wrong. The closer the resonance between two lives—their birth time, bloodline, or fate—the greater the chance the soul will take root without tearing itself apart."
Lorelle let out a small, dry laugh. "It’s not like you can just find someone who’s on the verge of death and happens to share the same birthday as me." She went on, then turned to look at Leofric with sudden seriousness. "And I would never agree to move into a body you tried to kill just for me."
"I can find that perfect vessel for you," Leofric said quickly. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious he wasn’t joking. "The same birth time, the same bloodline, whatever it takes. I can find that person for you."
Lorelle’s brows drew together as she held her breath. "Are you out of your mind? Even if you did find such a person, it doesn’t mean they’d be dying, does it?"
"I’ll find someone who is."
Lorelle let out a short, bitter laugh. "You really are insane."
"Maybe I am," Leofric admitted, his eyes burning with determination.
Lorelle clenched her teeth, anger burning in her chest. "Why are you doing this? Didn’t you say you don’t love me? Then why are you willing to go this far?"
"I love you," Leofric said suddenly, and Lorelle’s eyes widened in shock. But his next words made her blood boil. "I love you as my sister."
Her vision went red with rage. Lorelle grabbed the flower vase beside her and hurled it straight at his head. "You bastard!" she shouted, before snatching up the water jug and flinging it at him too. "I don’t even want to be your sister!"
Leofric didn’t dodge at all, letting the vase and the water jug hit his head until blood started to trickle down.
Then, with unsettling calm, he spoke to Primrose and Naveer. "I apologize for this matter. I will speak with my sister first," he said. "You may leave us now. Thank you."
Lorelle’s fury only burned hotter the moment she heard him call her sister again. Her hands shook with rage as she snatched up the fruit bowl and flung it at him with all her strength.
The fruit bowl crashed against his shoulder, scattering apples and pears across the floor. Leofric didn’t flinch, didn’t even lift a hand to shield himself. Blood dripped steadily from the cut on his forehead, trailing down his cheek, but his eyes stayed locked on Lorelle.
Primrose immediately rose from her seat and pulled Naveer’s hand. "Let’s step outside first."