Chapter 2
Delilah was definitely smiling.
Her smile was so refreshingly bright that, even as I was falling, I almost wondered if I were dreaming.
But the sharp pain in my back struck at the same time, and my vision went dark.
I lost consciousness right then and there.
My already battered limbs no longer felt pain. Perhaps it was because they were already covered in bruises beyond feeling.
I thought I heard a high-pitched ringing somewhere—then everything drifted away from me.
❖ ❖ ❖
The original story had already changed even before I married Damian.
Because once I changed, most things changed as well.
I was not the love-sought, free-spirited villainess from the original. Our Filia family had no intention of stopping at the rank of marquis. We always harbored greater ambitions.
For that reason, they had planned a political marriage with the Maze Ducal House of Damian, a duke family that, despite its title, was impoverished and burdened with massive debt.
Of course, having read the original story, I didn’t particularly like Damian, so I avoided him for years.
Ironically, the more I avoided him, the more Damian began to fall in love with me.
His feelings continued even after puberty, all the way until the day he entered the academy.
And just as I was starting to forget the unease that he might one day kill me, we became engaged. My family had pressured me into the engagement, but they hadn’t completely ignored my wishes either.
Above all, the real problem was that Delilah had never appeared.
Since I had changed, I assumed the heroine’s fate had also changed.
But in reality, she had twisted and appeared like this.
In the original story, Delilah was truly an angel. She was a genius who diligently did her work, a strong and admirable woman who, despite being a commoner, never backed down. She was warm to everyone as well.
And yet, the Delilah who pushed me…
Could the original Delilah really have done something like that?
If she pushed me down the stairs, wasn’t that essentially intent to kill?
At that moment, my eyes opened again along with a sharp pain. This was already the second time something like this had happened today.
“Ugh…”
“Bri.”
This time, when I opened my eyes, Damian was there. Judging by the white sheets and curtains, it seemed to be the academy infirmary.
“Damian.”
“Bri… ha…”
Damian ran a hand through his hair as if he were irritated. When his bangs were pushed aside, his furrowed golden brows became visible, as if he were suppressing anger.
“Are you protesting against me right now?”
“What are you talking about?”
His voice sounded lower than usual, and I wondered if I had heard him correctly. I expected concern, but instead, he sounded more annoyed than worried.
“You’re saying you did this because of Delilah.”
“…Damian.”
“Remember this: if you keep behaving so immaturely, I’ll be disappointed in you.”
At his words, it felt as though a bell rang in my head. I couldn’t even believe that what I had just heard had actually come from his mouth.
It was as if the voice I heard with my ears couldn’t be processed by my mind and was simply being rejected.
“Delilah said that you deliberately fell down the stairs.”
“…That’s insane. This happened just a week ago as well. Are you saying I’m crazy?”
“Since you got hurt then and it turned out to be nothing serious, I suppose that’s why.”
“Damian.”
“Still, please be more careful. If you end up breaking something, it will only complicate things for me.”
It had been a year since he left for the war. Could a person change this much in just one year?
“I didn’t do it.”
“Don’t lie.”
From his attitude, I realized something. Even if I told him that Delilah had pushed me, he wouldn’t believe me.
“‘After returning alive from this war, I will become someone worthy of you, Bri.’”
Where had the Damian who said those words to me gone?
“You think I’m lying?”
He let out a deep sigh, stood up, the chair beside the bed creaking. Looking down at me with a cold expression, he said,
“Yes.”
At his answer, I froze without realizing it.
Without hesitation, he then turned and left the room.
❖ ❖ ❖
In the morning, only my arms and legs hurt, but now my back hurt as well. It throbbed as if the area around my shoulder blades had been severely injured. Even my hips ached.
Still, I didn’t want to skip class.
When it was time for the second period to begin, I headed to Class 1.
“So it really was just an excuse.”
As soon as I entered the classroom, Damian looked at me and shook his head.
“Ah…”
Delilah was naturally sitting on Damian’s lap.
As a commoner, she normally wouldn’t have been eligible to attend Wilhelm Academy, which was reserved for the children of royalty and high-ranking nobles.
However, yesterday, when Damian returned to the capital, he said he had personally obtained permission from the Emperor.
The academy uniform she was wearing was mine. As proof, it was one size too large for her.
While Delilah was a graceful beauty, I had a more voluptuous figure befitting a villainess. In other words, standing next to Delilah made me look less delicate.
“Just sit, Deli.”
“But this is…”
There were no assigned seats.
I chose the front-most seat instead of the middle space between Damian and Delilah.
The classmates in our group knew that Damian and I were married. So perhaps understanding the situation, they remained quiet despite seeing Damian sitting so closely with Delilah.
“I think class is about to start. May I sit next to you?”
“What did I say you should call me?”
Only Damian and Delilah’s voices could be heard in the classroom. Since no one had spoken since I entered, it was so quiet you could hear breathing.
“Demi.”
“Good. Sit next to me.”
Delilah shyly smiled and moved to sit beside Damian.
“Damian.”
From behind him, Beron—who had gone to the battlefield with him—spoke.
“You’ve changed your taste?”
“It’s fate.”
“Oh? I thought you liked more flashy types.”
“I like both.”
At Damian’s words, everyone nodded as if it made sense.
In reality, it was common for nobles to keep mistresses. As long as they fulfilled their duties, many lived while maintaining their own lovers.
However, it was uncommon to openly keep a mistress sitting right next to them like this.
“I didn’t expect this. Bri is surprisingly bold, letting something like this slide.”
Since Beron wasn’t particularly close to me, he said this to Damian.
“Yeah. My wife is very understanding.”
Ignoring Damian’s words as not worth responding to, I looked forward.
Within the academy, class distinctions didn’t exist. Because of that, everyone could address each other casually. If hierarchy had been enforced, such familiarity wouldn’t have been possible.
After all, once you graduated, you would enter society and be expected to behave according to proper etiquette.
Within the academy, the focus was on knowledge and values beyond status. That was the premise.
“That’s why I like Bri as well.”
Even if Delilah said things like that, I couldn’t respond. Inside the academy, she and I were equals—and in truth, she was superior to me.
It was rare for the Emperor himself to grant academy admission.
Creak.
At that moment, the door opened.
“Ah, there are some familiar faces after a long time.”
The professor entered.
“Damian. I hear you made great contributions in the Battle of Luden Bridge.”
“That’s correct, Professor. The one who helped me annihilate the Merbenia forces was Delilah.”
The professor walked toward the lectern with interest, placing down his books and writing tools.
“Could you explain in detail?”
At the professor’s words, Damian smiled proudly and glanced at Delilah before speaking again.
“The idea to cross the Luden Bridge first and then destroy it was Delilah’s. So we set a bait unexpectedly. And the foolish Merbenia forces took it.”
“My, that was truly a strategic battle.”
“Yes.”
Damian held Delilah’s hand tightly and smiled.
“Everyone, please treat Delilah well. She is a hero of the Crophas Empire. The Emperor personally sent a letter granting her admission.”
All eyes in the classroom turned to Delilah.
“Thank you, Professor.”
“No, not at all, Delilah.”
And so, the second period began under a warm atmosphere.
“Today’s class will be conducted in groups. Please sit according to the names written in front.”
When I checked the names, I couldn’t help but frown.
“Since many students have just returned, I’ve prepared a topic for discussion this time. However, please remember this is an administrative welfare class.”
Unavoidably, Damian, Delilah, I, and Saturn were grouped together.
We had no choice but to push our desks together.
“Bri, I heard you went to the infirmary because you were hurt.”
Saturn spoke to me, so I looked at him. His ears turned red as he asked,
“Are you okay anywhere?”
I had always thought Saturn was somewhat oblivious, but at this moment, that trait was oddly helpful.
“I have too many places that hurt.”
“How? Where are you hurt?”
At Saturn’s question, I looked at Delilah and said,
“Someone pushed me down the stairs.”
