Alexander’s face flushed at Evelyn’s words.
What Hannah had said about Evelyn having to wipe his body and help him with his most basic needs wasn’t entirely wrong.
Alexander really couldn’t take care of himself right now.
The simplest things he had once done without a second thought now required someone else’s assistance.
Even getting out of bed could be difficult.
The thought suddenly crossed his mind—
Evelyn helping him bathe.
Alexander’s heart skipped.
His heartbeat accelerated, and the tips of his ears turned red.
He immediately pushed the thought away.
“You’re overthinking it,” Alexander said coldly.
“The military has already assigned me a personal guard to handle my daily needs.”
Aunt Eleanor finally found an opportunity to speak.
She had been holding back her anger for a long time.
“Alexander still has me,” she said firmly.
“As long as I’m alive, he’ll never have to worry about being left without someone to take care of him.”
“Eleanor, why are you getting so angry with me?” Hannah immediately defended herself.
“It’s not as if I was the one who caused Alexander to become disabled…”
Before she could finish, Evelyn interrupted her.
“Aunt Hannah.”
Her voice was unusually cold.
“Why do you keep calling Alexander a cripple?”
The room fell silent.
Evelyn stared directly at Hannah.
“Alexander only suffered an injury to his legs.
He will be treated, and he will recover.
One day, he will stand again.”
Her voice became firmer with every word.
Then she looked around the room.
“Alexander is not a cripple.”
She paused.
“No one is allowed to call him a cripple.
Otherwise…”
Her eyes sharpened.
“Don’t blame me for being rude.”
Her words were powerful and unwavering.
The entire room went quiet.
Everyone in the Blackwood family looked at Evelyn in surprise.
No one had expected the usually gentle young woman to speak with such force.
Alexander was the most overwhelmed of all.
It was completely beyond his expectations.
In truth, Alexander had never had any romantic feelings toward Evelyn.
He knew she was beautiful.
He knew her voice was pleasant.
And he knew she was the fiancée Grandfather Blackwood had arranged for him when they were both very young.
Their engagement existed because Evelyn’s grandfather had once saved Grandfather Blackwood’s life.
Because Grandfather Blackwood was the person Alexander respected and loved most in the world, Alexander had always been willing to honor that promise.
If Evelyn became his wife, he would take responsibility for her.
That was enough.
But Evelyn didn’t love him.
Alexander had always known that.
She loved Damien.
He had seen it countless times.
Whenever Evelyn looked at Damien, the affection in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Alexander had noticed it even when everyone else pretended not to.
So why was she suddenly defending him so passionately now that he had become disabled?
For a moment, Alexander couldn’t understand it.
But soon, he reached what he believed was the obvious conclusion.
Evelyn pitied him.
Girls often had an excessive amount of sympathy for people they considered weak.
Alexander didn’t need that kind of sympathy.
He didn’t want anyone looking at him with pity.
Once he had the opportunity to speak with Evelyn privately, he would tell her clearly.
Their engagement could end here.
If she wanted, the engagement could even be transferred to Damien.
Evelyn would probably be more than willing.
After all, Damien was the man she truly loved.
As for himself…
Alexander would rather let go than force a woman to stay with him out of pity.
Still, despite everything he was thinking, he couldn’t deny one thing.
He was grateful.
Evelyn’s defense had warmed something inside him.
She was wearing that striking red dress, and at that moment, she looked like the warm winter sun.
Bright.
Warm.
Impossible to ignore.
That warmth seemed to shine directly into Alexander’s frozen heart.
The despair that had settled over him since his injury loosened slightly.
For the first time in days, his confidence stirred again.
Maybe he really could stand again.
Just then—
A loud voice came from the doorway.
“I was only a little late, and you all started bullying my Battalion Commander?”
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
A burly young soldier stood there.
He had dark skin, broad shoulders, and a straightforward appearance.
Despite his imposing build, there was still a trace of youthful innocence on his face.
“Don’t blame me for being rude!”
Evelyn’s lips curled slightly.
She recognized him immediately.
This young soldier was Alexander’s most loyal subordinate.
His name was Mark Black.
Alexander’s condition had made his daily life difficult, so the military had arranged for him to have a personal guard.
Mark had volunteered without hesitation.
He had always admired Alexander deeply and had served him with complete loyalty.
In Evelyn’s previous life, Alexander had eventually forced Ethan to leave his side.
He didn’t want Ethan’s career to suffer because of him.
Mark had taken care of Alexander for three years before Alexander deliberately sent him back to active military service.
The military later assigned another personal guard to Alexander.
But none of them had been as attentive as Mark.
Those men performed their duties on the surface, but their care never matched Mark’s.
Some were careless.
Some were impatient.
And some simply treated Alexander’s condition as an inconvenient assignment.
Mark had been different.
He genuinely cared about his commander.
The moment Mark saw the tension inside the room, he strode forward.
His heavy boots struck the floor with every step.
He stopped beside Alexander like a solid black pillar.
Then his large eyes locked onto Hannah.
He had heard everything.
His expression darkened.
“Hmph.”
He stared at Hannah’s sharp features, narrow eyes, and high cheekbones.
The young soldier’s expression clearly said what he was thinking.
This woman doesn’t look like a good person at all.
And after hearing her call his commander a cripple…
Mark was absolutely not going to let it go.