"I heard rumors that you were actually out of bed today," Helena said with a voice that dripped sarcasm like poison from a blade. "I had to see for myself whether the family's greatest disappointment had finally decided to stop wasting our resources by pretending to be an invalid, or whether this was just another brief moment of false hope before you collapse back into your usual pathetic state."
The casual cruelty in her words was delivered with the confidence of someone who knew that no consequences would result from such verbal abuse, and Aethros felt Hadrian's residual emotions stirring with familiar pain at being treated this way by someone who should have been family.
Aethros met Helena's eyes without flinching or looking away, and he allowed just a fraction of his Supreme Lord presence to leak through Hadrian's face as he studied her with the cold assessment of someone evaluating an insect's worth.
"Good morning, sister," Aethros said with a tone that was perfectly polite but somehow managed to convey that he was utterly unimpressed by her attempts at intimidation. "As you can see, I am indeed making efforts to improve my health and find ways to contribute to the family despite my limitations, so your concern for my wellbeing is noted and appreciated."
"Concern?" Helena repeated with a laugh that held no humor whatsoever. "I am not concerned about you, brother, except in the sense that every extra day you continue breathing is another day our family wastes food and resources on someone who will never amount to anything worthwhile."
She stepped closer with the clear intention of using her superior height and cultivation aura to intimidate Hadrian into backing down.
"Father has been discussing sending you away to a remote farming village where at least your upkeep would cost less than maintaining you here in the city, and personally I think that would be far more mercy than you deserve after bringing such shame upon our name."
Roran moved as if to step between them, but Aethros raised a hand slightly to stop him while keeping his eyes locked on Helena's face.
"If Father decides to send me away, then I will go without complaint," Aethros said with a calmness that seemed to unsettle Helena more than anger or fear would have. "But until he makes that decision, I will continue working to improve myself and find ways to be useful, and I would appreciate it if you would direct your considerable talents toward solving the family's actual problems rather than wasting time trying to make me feel worse about circumstances I cannot change."
"How dare you speak to me that way," Helena hissed while taking another step forward and allowing her Foundation Establishment aura to press down on Hadrian with force that would have crushed a normal mortal or weak cultivator. "I am a genius who will restore our family to glory while you are nothing but trash who should be grateful we have not thrown you out onto the streets to starve."
The pressure of her cultivation bore down on Aethros's weakened body, and he felt his knees beginning to buckle under the weight of power that was nothing compared to what he had commanded but was more than this crippled form could currently resist.
But Aethros had endured pressure from Celestial Gods and survived tribulations that would have destroyed lesser cultivators, so a Foundation Establishment realm aura from a spoiled young woman who had never faced real hardship was barely worth noticing despite his current weakness.
He straightened his spine through sheer force of will and met her eyes without blinking, allowing his own soul's power to reinforce his body just enough to avoid collapsing while being careful not to show any actual cultivation that would raise questions about how someone with crippled meridians was resisting her suppression.
"I am well aware of your talent and accomplishments, sister," Aethros said with a voice that remained steady despite the strain he was under. "And I hope you will continue to succeed and bring honor to our family, because we certainly need someone who can restore what has been lost through bad fortune and poor decisions."
She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time, clearly struggling to reconcile the weak trash she remembered with this person who refused to be intimidated and spoke with a confidence that should have been beaten out of him years ago.
"You really have changed," she said slowly while studying him with narrowed eyes that searched for deception or hidden agenda. "I do not know what happened to you during that fever, but you are not acting like the pathetic creature who used to beg for scraps of affection from Father."
"Perhaps nearly dying gives someone perspective on what truly matters," Aethros said while echoing the explanation he had given Roran and making a mental note to stick with this cover story consistently. "I have wasted five years feeling sorry for myself, but I think perhaps it is time to accept reality and find ways to move forward despite my limitations rather than dwelling on what might have been."
Helena continued staring at him for another long moment before apparently deciding that whatever had changed was not important enough to investigate further.
"We shall see if this new attitude lasts longer than your previous brief moments of clarity," she said with dismissive coldness before turning toward the door. "But do not expect special treatment or resources just because you have decided to pretend to be useful, because Father has finally started listening to my advice about cutting costs, and that means you will receive only the bare minimum needed to keep you alive until he decides what to do with you permanently."
After the door closed behind Helena, Roran let out a breath he had apparently been holding and looked at Aethros with an expression that mixed admiration with concern.
"Young master, that was incredibly brave but also incredibly foolish," Roran said with obvious worry straining his voice. "Helena has her father's ear more than anyone else in the family, and if you anger her too much, she might convince him to send you away immediately rather than waiting to see if you can actually become useful."
"I understand the risk, Roran," Aethros said while moving back to the bed and sitting down heavily as exhaustion from the confrontation washed over him. "But I cannot spend the rest of my life cowering and begging for mercy from people who have already decided I am worthless, so I might as well maintain my dignity even if it means facing consequences earlier rather than later."
The rest of the day passed in a blur of physical training and rest periods as Aethros pushed his body right up to its current limits without quite crossing into dangerous territory.