“I found some ancient records about… soul swapping. Tomorrow, I’ll go check them out under the pretense of researching books.”
Sista paused for a moment, then walked to the bedside and sat down, looking into Su Ling’s eyes—though Su Ling was currently using Sista’s body.
“I’m going too!”
Su Ling immediately sat up.
“You have an audience with the Captain of the Royal Guard tomorrow to discuss the autumn maneuvers.”
The one in “Sista’s” body crushed her hopes mercilessly.
“Do your job as ‘Queen.’”
Su Ling fell back onto the bed in despair, letting out a small animal-like whine with Sista’s voice:
“This is torture…”
The one in “Su Ling’s” body watched “herself” acting like this and found it oddly amusing.
She leaned down, getting close to “herself,” and whispered in Su Ling’s voice:
“Stop complaining, my Queen. This is your duty too.”
They were so close that their breaths mingled.
Seeing her own reflection in the other’s eyes, a strange and ambiguous atmosphere spread through the air.
Su Ling—using Sista’s body—blushed deeply, her heart racing.
“Sista”—using Su Ling’s body—seemed to freeze for a moment, then quickly straightened up and resumed her cold demeanor.
Only the tips of her ears were faintly red.
“Rest. Tomorrow… we continue.”
After blowing out the candle, they lay side by side on the wide imperial bed, a small distance between them, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Your Majesty…”
Su Ling suddenly spoke.
“Mm?”
“When you… use my body… could you… not be so cold to Phil and Tii? They’ll be hurt…”
“Sleep.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Mm?”
“Oh…”
The next day.
Su Ling, using Sista’s body, steeled herself to receive the Captain of the Royal Guard.
The captain was a meticulous, sharp-eyed middle-aged general who reported military affairs with clarity and a firm tone.
Su Ling struggled to recall the demeanor Sista usually had during briefings.
Fingers occasionally tapping the armrest of the throne, eyes fixed on some distant point in the air—seeming casual, yet always catching the most critical issues.
She imitated that attitude, trying to appear inscrutable.
“…Therefore, Your Majesty, regarding the scale of the autumn maneuvers, I recommend proceeding with the Class A plan. It will require mobilizing…”
The captain said solemnly.
“Class A?”
Su Ling’s heart skipped a beat.
She vaguely remembered Sista saying that Class A maneuvers were extremely costly and not to be used lightly.
She cleared her throat, trying to infuse Sista’s deep voice with a hint of hesitation.
“Isn’t the scale… too large?”
The captain was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting the Queen to question what he considered an obvious plan.
“Your Majesty, the border is relatively peaceful this year, but we must not let our guard down. Class A maneuvers would demonstrate Ansels’ military might and deter enemy nations.”
Su Ling glanced sideways for help, using the corner of her eye, toward Sista, who was standing nearby as the “Queen Consort” in attendance.
Sista—using Su Ling’s body—wore the warm smile befitting a Queen Consort.
After receiving Su Ling’s gaze, she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
Then she picked up the teacup beside her and, seemingly casually, touched the orchid carved on the cup’s surface with her fingertip.
That was one of the emergency signals they had agreed upon last night.
It meant “reject” or “inappropriate.”
Su Ling understood immediately. She turned back to the captain and said solemnly:
“Military might lies not in empty bluster.”
“Prepare the Class B plan. Focus on testing new equipment and mobile response capabilities.”
“You may go.”
The first half of this speech mimicked Sista’s tone; the second half was one of the “standard commands” Sista had urgently taught her last night.
Though a bit stiff, the meaning was clear and fit Sista’s usual pragmatic and efficient style.
A flicker of surprise passed through the captain’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by awe.
He immediately bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty! I obey!”
As he withdrew, he thought to himself:
‘Her Majesty seems even more composed and prudent today, and her decisions more cautious. Truly far-sighted.’
After successfully getting rid of the most troublesome captain, Su Ling breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
It felt more exhausting than fighting a battle.
Meanwhile.
Sista—using Su Ling’s body—had come to the Royal Library under the pretext of “the Queen Consort wishes to browse ancient texts in peace.”
The library was dimly lit, filled with the mixed scent of old paper and ink.
Tall bookshelves reached the ceiling, crammed with countless dusty scrolls and volumes.
Following Tii’s hints, Sista walked toward the area storing ancient secrets and forbidden magic.
She stood on tiptoe—Su Ling’s body was indeed a bit shorter—and struggled to pull out a thick, dust-covered ancient book bound in some kind of magical beast hide.
The title read: Ancient Art of Soul.
She found a quiet corner, sat down, spread open the book, and began to read intently.
Su Ling’s pretty pink eyes were now sharp as an eagle’s, quickly scanning lines of obscure ancient script and strange magical rune patterns.
Time passed.
Her brow occasionally furrowed, then relaxed.
By evening.
Su Ling—using Sista’s body—finished handling the day’s state affairs and dragged her weary body back to the bedchamber. She found that Sista had already returned.
Sista was sitting by the window, gazing at a complex magic array diagram she had copied down by hand in the last rays of daylight.
“Your Majesty! Did you find anything?”
Su Ling asked impatiently, forgetting to play the Queen, her voice carrying a cheerfulness that didn’t belong to Sista’s tone.
Sista looked up and showed her the drawing.
“I found it.”
“Really? Then we can switch back?”
Su Ling’s eyes lit up. She almost lunged forward.
“In theory, yes.”
Sista’s tone remained calm as she pointed to several key parts of the diagram.
“The book mentions a reversal ritual.”
“An ancient soul resonance ritual. It says that under certain extreme emotional or energy impacts, deeply bound souls may temporarily shift.”
“But the ritual requires some special materials, including Moon Shadow Grass Powder, a Resonance Crystal, and it must be performed on the night when the twin moons are brightest.”
“Most importantly—”
She paused, looking at Su Ling.
“It requires that the soul fluctuations of both participants be highly synchronized.”
“In other words, it needs absolute trust and spiritual resonance.”
Su Ling was stunned.
“Trust… and spiritual resonance?”
Between her and Sista, they had experienced many things.
From initial hostility and exploitation, to later cooperation and companionship.
They even had the title of spouses.
Their feelings were complicated.
Mixed with too many elements.
But “absolute trust” and “spiritual resonance”?
She wasn’t sure.
Sista was the lofty Queen, with a heart as deep as the sea.
And she…
“I’ll have the materials secretly prepared.”
Sista didn’t rush her, saying it calmly.
“The night of the brightest twin moons is ten days away.”
“During that time…”
She looked at Su Ling with deep meaning.
“We may need… to understand each other more.”
Sista’s tone was weighty.
It made Su Ling’s heart inexplicably skip a beat.