Andrew was learning that walking the halls invited conversation.
Before, servants had spoken around him quietly, carefully, as if sound itself might shatter him. Now, as his steps grew steadier and his posture more assured, words began to find him again.
It happened in the late afternoon.
Sunlight spilled through tall windows, painting the stone floor in warm gold as Andrew walked slowly beside one of his assigned butlers a man named Edric, older than the others, his movements precise and unhurried.
Edric had served the Valecourt household for decades.
Which meant he remembered the man Andrew was pretending to be.
"My lord," Edric said after a moment of silence, "there is… information you should have. About your family."
Andrew didn't stop walking, but his attention sharpened instantly.
"I'd appreciate that," he replied evenly.
Edric inclined his head and continued beside him. "You have three sisters."
Andrew nodded. He'd suspected as much from the books inheritance patterns, household size but hearing it aloud made it real.
"Your eldest sister," Edric began, "is Lady Seraphine Valecourt."
The name alone carried weight.
"She is… exceptional," Edric said carefully, choosing words the way one might step around a blade. "Her aura awakened at ten years of age. Her mana sword manifested shortly after."
Andrew's steps faltered just slightly.
Ten?
"In most cases," Edric continued, "awakening occurs at fifteen. Sometimes later. Lady Seraphine broke every expectation placed upon her."
Of course she did.
"She is considered the star of the continent," Edric went on. "A prodigy not seen in generations. Her campaigns during recent border conflicts are studied in academies. Many already view her as the inevitable successor to your mother."
So that's the shadow I stand in.
Andrew exhaled slowly. "And she wants the head role."
"Yes, my lord," Edric said simply. "And few would dare oppose her."
They walked a few steps in silence before Edric continued.
"Your second sister is Lady Elowen Valecourt. Your twin."
That made Andrew's chest tighten unexpectedly.
Twin.
"She attends the High Academy," Edric said. "She is classified as a double user."
Andrew glanced at him. "Sword and magic."
Edric nodded. "Simultaneously. A rare aptitude. Her instructors speak of her talent with… reverence."
Andrew imagined her someone his age, thriving, growing, proving herself while this body lay silent for two years.
"She fights on the field," Edric added, "but she also excels academically. Strategy. Theory. Spell architecture."
Balanced, Andrew thought.
Dangerously so.
"And my youngest sister?" he asked.
Edric smiled faintly. "Lady Mirelle. Fifteen, as of two months ago."
Right on schedule.
"She awakened her mana sword recently," Edric continued. "As expected of a Valecourt. The family holds great hopes for her future."
Andrew absorbed it all quietly
Three sisters.
One a living legend.
One a rising force.
One a promise just beginning.
And him?
Edric hesitated, then spoke again, softer this time.
"Forgive me, my lord… but before your awakening, many believed you were… lost."
Andrew didn't flinch.
"They called you weak," Edric said, voice steady but regretful. "Not cruelly. Simply… as a fact. A male heir without aura, without mana manifestation, wounded in a political incident and left unresponsive."
Dead weight, Andrew translated.
He nodded once. "Thank you for your honesty."
Edric stopped walking and bowed deeply. "You deserved it."
They resumed their pace.
After a moment, Andrew asked the question he'd been circling since the beginning.
"My mother."
Edric's expression shifted immediately.
"Lady Valecourt," he said, choosing the title over the relation, "is the head of the family. Her responsibilities span territories, alliances, and military oversight."
Meaning: she doesn't have time.
"You will not see her often," Edric continued. "Only during matters of political significance. Negotiations. Ceremonies. Strategic decisions."
Andrew understood.
She isn't distant because she doesn't care.
She's distant because she rules.
"I see," Andrew said quietly.
Edric glanced at him, searching his face. "She was informed of your awakening."
Andrew met his gaze. "And?"
"She acknowledged it," Edric replied. "And returned to her duties."
That was answer enough.
They reached the end of the corridor, sunlight fading as shadows stretched long across the floor.
Andrew stopped.
So this is the board, he thought.
A legendary elder sister aiming for supremacy.
A twin surpassing expectations.
A younger sister stepping into power.
A mother who governs from above it all.
And me.
The one written off.
The one who survived something he wasn't meant to.
The one wearing a title nobody expects to matter.
Andrew straightened his shoulders.
"Edric," he said calmly, "from now on, if I ask questions about my family… answer them plainly."
Edric bowed again, deeper than before. "As you wish, my lord."
Andrew resumed walking, his steps steady, deliberate.
This family didn't need another prodigy.
But it might soon regret underestimating the one it already had.