The training courtyard gradually returned to normal after the spar.
Wooden weapons clashed again. Instructors barked corrections. Students resumed their drills.
But Alex could still feel the occasional glance drifting his way.
He ignored them.
The headache was worse now.
A dull, pulsing pressure lingered at the back of his head, spreading slowly toward his temples. It wasn't sharp enough to stop him from moving, but it made focusing difficult.
That node again…
Alex kept his breathing steady and continued the basic circulation exercise the instructors had assigned.
Qi moved slowly through the blocked pathways of his body.
Pain followed it.
Across the courtyard, Cedric stood with several cousins, but he wasn't paying attention to their conversation.
His gaze kept drifting back toward Alex.
"You're quiet," one of them said. "Still thinking about the fight?"
Cedric shrugged.
"He got lucky."
"But?"
Cedric didn't answer immediately.
He replayed the moment in his mind.
Alex stepping forward instead of retreating.
The timing of the sweep.
The strange calm in his eyes.
Cedric frowned slightly.
"He wasn't panicking," Cedric muttered.
The cousin blinked.
"So?"
"So he used to panic."
Cedric crossed his arms, watching Alex again.
"And now he doesn't."
"Enough."
The instructor's voice cut through the courtyard.
"Training ends here."
Students immediately began putting away weapons.
Alex stood slowly.
The headache throbbed again.
He pressed his fingers briefly against his temple before lowering his hand.
"Alex."
The voice came from behind him.
Alex turned.
One of the senior family members stood a few steps away.
Most students immediately straightened when they saw him.
Cedric did too.
"Elder Rowan."
The man was tall, with streaks of gray in his hair and sharp, observant eyes.
He looked directly at Alex.
For a moment, he said nothing.
That silence alone made several nearby students uneasy.
Then Rowan spoke calmly.
"You fought better today."
The words surprised several people nearby.
Alex inclined his head slightly.
"Thank you, Elder."
Rowan studied him for a moment before speaking.
"You're injured."
It wasn't a question.
Alex blinked.
"It's nothing serious."
Rowan hummed softly.
Then he turned to Cedric.
"You grew careless."
Cedric stiffened slightly.
"Yes, Elder."
"You rely too much on natural talent. If you underestimate opponents, someone less forgiving will punish you for it."
Cedric lowered his head.
"I understand."
Rowan nodded once.
Then he turned to leave.
But just before walking away, he added calmly:
"Improvement is good."
His gaze rested briefly on Alex.
"Just don't waste it."
Then he walked off.
The courtyard remained quiet for a moment after he left.
Cedric looked at Alex again.
This time his expression had lost most of its earlier amusement.
"Looks like you caught someone's attention," he said.
Alex forced a small shrug.
"Apparently."
But inside, unease settled deeper.
Because attention from powerful people in noble families rarely led to anything simple.
Later that afternoon, inside one of the estate's administrative halls, Rowan Valerian sat behind a large wooden desk.
A servant stood quietly nearby.
Rowan returned to his documents, but the image of the spar lingered briefly in his mind.
The boy's form had been poor. His movements lacked training.
Yet several of his choices during the exchange had been… deliberate.
Not the actions of someone completely lost in a fight.
Rowan tapped a finger lightly against the desk.
"Strange," he murmured.
Then he looked toward the servant waiting quietly nearby.
"Have someone take a look at the boy's recent activities."
The servant bowed.
"Yes, Elder."
Rowan returned to his paperwork as if the matter were insignificant.
In a house as large as Valerian, small irregularities were simply things that needed confirming.