Xidriel learned that the Angel’s Whisper guest room is in fact, not a guest room when they arrived at the location and Lan showed the Matriarch’s necklace to the person guarding the door.

It was more of a solar commonly seen within an old and rich noble house, with updated amenities to fit in the current trend; there were comfortable couches by the window, a tea cabinet, a liquor rack and a cozy fireplace.

The round table in the middle has four chairs surrounding it, each with a carved insignia of their owner: a circular base with an embossed crescent for the Church of Lasuina, a blazing sun with eight pointed rays for the Church of A-rao, and two falling gingko leaves for the Church of Ilkaipati.

The fourth one was a simple carving of a poppy flower, a symbol that Xidriel doesn’t recognize. His hunch told him that it’s probably for the Inquisition, since his two companions for the past days had claimed themselves to be part of it and even reported directly to a high ranking member of a Church, which is in line with their relationship with the religious organizations.

Though it went against their mythical counterpart that he’s more familiar with, which was the crossed swords insignia.

He internally scoffed.

So much for a religious order that has sworn off excessive worldly goods and must lead a simple life.

He guessed hundreds of years could really change any organization that had reached a prominent position.

He sat down on one of the chairs as the guard busied herself to make tea, while Lan sat down on the couch near him.

Once the guard had given them their refreshments and small bowls of dried mixed fruits they had produced out of nowhere, they retreated back to the hallway to resume their position, closing the door behind them.

Uncomfortable silence permeated in the room.

Xidriel held his warm cup of tea in both hands as he let his mind wander, now that things around him have quieted down.

After meeting with the Matriarch, his jumbled memories seem to have settled into the cracks, giving him access to the original Xidriel’s whole life memories, as well as the reason why the original Xidriel had to sneak out of his home.

He’s going to hunt down that bastard who backstabbed the original Xidriel and leave him for dead in the hands of those cultists

The least he could do is seek out justice for the original Xidriel and live a guilt-free life for unintentionally usurping a life that doesn’t belong to him in the first place for the rest of his days.

It also came with a few questions on his part: why was he desperately reminding himself that he transmigrated earlier and wanted to go home?

He had never come across a novel online where a transmigrator managed to return to their own world at the end.

Maybe there is one out there, but he never got to read it.

Isn’t it good that he became ten years younger, with a good family background, and whatever eccentricity or problems the original had, he could fix it to lead a better life?

Much better than the family situation he originally had, where being with them every day worsens his mental state.

Most people would treat a transmigration like this as a second chance in life where they won’t have any financial worries, at the cost of giving up modern technology and entertainment.

He frowned at that.

He can’t believe he’s giving up on being able to read novels well into the night, his phone plugged to the charger while the air conditioning unit cools down his room and relaxing music coming from his bluetooth speakers.

That also means he can no longer witness the growth of that one boy group that he started following a year ago.

Xidriel heaved a sigh, shaking his head.

Well, he did wish to be reborn into a rich family during one of his birthdays…

He took a sip of his tea and popped a small dried cube of cantaloupe into his mouth, his mind veering into the present.

It was reassuring that someone like the Matriarch still recognized him as ‘Xidriel’ despite the physical changes, but her talking about a ‘curse’ unsettled him.

Why would she say that to his face? Is he actually cursed? Is there a way to remove it?

If it can be removed, why didn’t she do it already?

Or are the physical changes the result of the curse backfiring and it sort of like a scar…?

Speaking of being recognized, he turned towards Lan, who was sitting quietly on the couch and nibbling on a dried fruit.

This princely-looking man recognized him too, but there really is nothing in the original’s memory that shows a contact point between them before.

“Hey, can I…ask you something?” Xidriel tentatively asked, making Lan look up at him questioningly.

“Yes…?”

“How did you recognize me…?”

Lan blinked a few times before smiling sheepishly. “Oh, we haven’t directly crossed paths before, but I have seen you from a distance some years ago. A friend of yours was a valued acquaintance of mine, and I attended their funeral…”

Oh, that best friend.

Xidriel turned the chair around to face Lan more comfortably, slightly leaning forward as curiosity got the best of him.

“Hanie’s from a merchant family and had plans to run her own confectionery business…how did you cross paths?”

A faint, embarrassed smile appeared on Lan’s lips as he recalled the handful of times he interacted with Xidriel’s friend.

“My line of work has put me on the path of medicines and the like…” Lan explained. “I don’t know how she got wind of that specific fertility medication since it was still in the development stage back then, but she reached out and asked about it, among other things.”

Hearing his response, Xidriel raised his eyebrows.

Now, why would she ask about fertility medicines when she said she has no intention of marrying, as the man she fancied back then was rumored to be chosen to marry a princess of a neighboring kingdom?

“And…did you sell them to her?”

“Goodness, no. I don’t put out items that are not properly tested and researched.”

“Yet you two continued to be in touch.”

Lan chuckled, scratching his cheek awkwardly. “After I turned her request down regarding the medicines, she started asking me for feedback regarding her baked goods that she planned to market. She also purchased some medicines from me, from a simple headache to blood sugar control…”

Xidriel hummed at that, surprised that the medical industry in this world is kind of on par with his old world, with a touch of magical abilities for physical ailments.

He continued to ask about the things his deceased friend had kept hidden from him since he had nothing else to do while he waited for someone to pick him up.

As for Lan, who was under the false impression that Xidriel was asking due to an unfulfilled romantic interest, provided answers as best as he could.

They idly chatted for the next hour and a half, with their topic ranging from Xidriel’s deceased friend to the wares Lan and Amon briefly collaborated on in their early years that started their companionship.