Evelina's face, once smug with self-assurance, froze in disbelief. She turned her head sharply, her wide eyes locking onto Alexander.
Did he really just say that about her?
His disdain was unmistakable. His opinion of her was so low... How could this be? Evelina had gone out of her way to highlight Xenia's lack of education and humble background to showcase her own brilliance. Shouldn't Alexander have frowned at Xenia's inadequacies and praised her instead?
Was he blind? A man of such imperial grace couldn't distinguish between excellence and mediocrity?
Evelina's expression turned sour for a split second. Nearly every man admired her beauty and charm. Why was Alexander the exception, consistently questioning and rebuking her?
But the more Alexander ignored her, the more Eveli
