Free Web NovelChapter 547: Where My Body Will Sleep
"Be careful, Rosie," Lorelle said as Primrose wrapped her arms around her. "This body is still adjusting to my magic flow, so I’m a little fragile right now."
The moment Primrose heard that, she immediately pulled away. "I’m sorry!" she blurted out, panic filling her voice.
After all, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally damage Lorelle’s new body because of a simple hug.
Lorelle let out a soft laugh. "It’s alright, Rosie."
She reached out, trying to hold Primrose’s hands. However, her fingers were still a little stiff, and the movement didn’t come as naturally as she wanted. In the end, Primrose was the one who wrapped her hands around Lorelle’s.
"We can hug as much as we want once I’ve fully gotten used to this body," Lorelle said.
Primrose nodded, but she didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she found herself staring at Lorelle’s face.
The makeshift skin looked unbelievably real. If Primrose hadn’t known the truth, she would have thought Lorelle was standing before her in an ordinary human body.
What impressed her even more was the amount of care that had gone into creating it. Lady Naveer had even given Lorelle soft rosy cheeks, making her look naturally beautiful and full of life.
"Lady Naveer is truly incredible," Primrose said softly and without realizing it, she moved her hand to touch Lorelle’s cheek. "How can anyone make a clay statue look this real? Lorelle, if I didn’t know what happened, I would never guess that you’re inside a clay body."
Even Lorelle’s smile looked completely natural. Honestly, Primrose still couldn’t understand how that was even possible.
Lorelle smiled at her praise. "It’s also thanks to Leofric," she said. "Without his magic, I don’t think the clay body would have turned out this perfectly."
Primrose finally sat down in the chair beside her and neither of them let go of the other’s hand. Their fingers remained intertwined as they sat together in comfortable silence.
It felt as though both of them were trying to make up for the time they had lost apart, unwilling to create even the smallest distance between them now that they had finally been reunited again.
"Then Sir Leofric has done a really, really good job," Primrose said.
A warm smile spread across her face as she tilted her head slightly. "I’m truly happy to see you looking so much better, Lorelle."
The last time Primrose had seen her, Lorelle had looked much more fragile than she did now. Her skin had always been pale and her body had always been weak. It felt as though there had never been a single day when she was completely healthy.
More than that, if Lorelle were still living in her old body, she probably wouldn’t even be able to spend this much time outside her room.
"It’s also thanks to you, Rosie," Lorelle said softly. She gently patted Primrose’s hand a few times. "Without you, my body would probably have ended up in a coffin."
Lorelle suddenly paused, and blinked several times. "Oh, wait. My body actually is inside a coffin right now."
For a moment, Primrose didn’t say anything because she wasn’t sure whether she should laugh or cry after hearing that.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to decide because Lorelle quickly spoke again, either saving the conversation or making it even more awkward. "Since I probably won’t ever use my old body again, would you hold a funeral for it?"
Lorelle continued as if she hadn’t just casually brought up her own funeral. "I don’t need anything grand or fancy. Actually, having the people I know there would already be enough." She smiled faintly. "Just bury it in the cemetery near your palace."
[Oh, well, it’s not like I know that many people anyway,] Lorelle thought to herself. Her smile faded slightly as she said, [I’m not living in that body anymore, but somehow... I still feel really sad about it. I can’t even bring myself to bury it.]
Before coming here, Edmund had told Primrose that Lorelle kept her old body in a cold basement and placed fresh snow inside the coffin every day to keep it from decaying.
Leofric had apparently offered more than once to bury the body for her, but Lorelle had never agreed and now that Primrose thought about it, she understood why.
In the end, no matter how weak, sick, or broken that body had been, it was still Lorelle’s. It had carried her through her entire life, so letting it go forever couldn’t possibly be easy.
"Why don’t we bury it somewhere better than a cemetery?" Primrose asked softly.
Lorelle tilted her head. "Where?"
A warm smile appeared on Primrose’s face. "If you could choose, where would you want to be buried?" she asked. "Somewhere special. Somewhere meaningful."
After all, there was no law saying everyone had to rest in a cemetery. This was Lorelle’s farewell to her old body, so if anyone deserved to choose where it would rest, it was her.
Lorelle fell silent. Her gaze drifted toward the window as she thought about the question. For the first time, she wasn’t thinking about where a body should be buried, but instead she was thinking about where she would have wanted to stay.
"If it isn’t too close to the palace, would you still hold the funeral for me?" Lorelle asked quietly and there was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
[Rosie just came back from such a long journey,] Lorelle thought. [I feel bad asking her to travel again.]
[The place I’m thinking of isn’t actually that far away, but still...]
"I will." Primrose answered without even a moment of hesitation. Her voice was gentle, but there was a firm certainty behind it. "No matter where you want your body to be buried, I’ll gladly hold the funeral for you."
Lorelle blinked and for a moment, she simply looked at Primrose. The warmth in Primrose’s eyes made something in her chest feel lighter. Slowly, Lorelle took a deep breath. "In that case..." she began softly. "I have a place in mind."
