Chapter 2

Delilah was definitely smiling.

Her smile was so fresh and vibrant that even as I fell, I wondered if I might be dreaming.

But with the sharp pain in my back, my vision darkened.

And I passed out.

My already battered limbs didn’t even hurt anymore. I couldn’t tell if it was because they were already completely covered in bruises.

I thought I heard a high-pitched ringing sound from somewhere, and then everything felt like it was drifting away.

⁕⁕⁕

The original story had changed even before I married Demian.

Because I changed, most things changed.

I wasn’t the spoiled, self-centered villain who was loved in the original story. Our family, the Philia household, didn’t want to remain as marquises. They always had higher ambitions.

That’s why they tried to arrange a political marriage with Demian’s Mays Grand Duke household, which was poor despite its title and struggling with massive debt.

Of course, having read the original story, I didn’t particularly like Demian and avoided him for years.

But as I avoided him, Demian began to love me instead.

His sincerity continued through puberty until the day we entered the academy.

Around the time I forgot my anxiety that he might kill me, we became engaged. Even though my family pressured me into the engagement, they didn’t completely ignore my wishes.

Above all, the problem was that I let my guard down because Delilah hadn’t appeared.

I thought that since I had changed, the female protagonist’s fate must have changed too.

But I never imagined things would become twisted like this.

Moreover, the Delilah I saw in the original story was truly an angel. She was a genius who steadfastly did her duty, a strong and admirable woman who didn’t yield despite being a commoner. She was also warm to everyone.

But this Delilah who pushed me.

Could the Delilah from the original story really do such a thing?

If she pushed me down the stairs, didn’t she do it with murderous intent?

Suddenly my eyes opened with a sharp pain. This was already the second time today.

“Ugh……”

“Bri.”

This time when I opened my eyes, I saw Demian. Judging by the white sheets and curtains, this seemed to be the infirmary inside the academy.

“Demian.”

“Bri. Ha……”

Demian swept back the hair tickling his forehead as if frustrated. As his bangs disappeared, I could see his golden eyebrows furrowed beneath. Like someone trying to contain anger.

“Are you protesting against me right now?”

“What do you mean?”

I doubted my ears as his voice sounded lower than usual. I expected him to be worried, but he seemed closer to irritation than concern.

“I’m asking if you’re doing this because of Delilah.”

“…Demian.”

“Remember that I’m disappointed when you act so childishly.”

At Demian’s words, it felt like bells were ringing in my head. I couldn’t comprehend whether what I just heard really came from his mouth.

It was as if my brain couldn’t understand and was rejecting the voice my ears had heard.

“Delilah told me you deliberately fell down the stairs.”

“…You’re insane. I had a similar incident on the stairs a week ago. Are you saying I’m crazy?”

“I guess you did it because you learned it wasn’t a big deal when you got hurt the first time.”

“Demian.”

“Still, do it in moderation. If you break something, it’ll be troublesome for me.”

He had gone to war a year ago. Can a person change this much in a year?

“I didn’t do it.”

“Don’t lie.”

Looking at his attitude, I realized something. Even if I told him Delilah pushed me, he wouldn’t believe me.

‘If I survive this war and return, I’ll become someone worthy of you, Bri.’

Where had that Demian gone?

“Do you think I’m lying?”

He let out a deep sigh and stood up from his seat. The chair beside the bed creaked, and he looked down at me with a cold expression and said:

“Yes.”

His answer left me frozen.

And he left without hesitation, leaving me like that.

⁕⁕⁕

This morning only my arms and legs hurt, but now my back hurt too. It throbbed as if I had severely injured the area around my shoulder blades. My hips hurt as well.

But I didn’t want to skip class.

When it was time for the second period, I headed to Class 1.

“So it was a fake illness after all.”

As soon as I entered the classroom, Demian shook his head at me.

“Ah……”

Delilah was naturally sitting on Demian’s lap.

As a commoner, she originally had no right to attend this Wilhelm Academy, which only children of the imperial family and high nobles attended.

But yesterday, Demian said he had received direct permission from the Emperor when he returned to the capital.

Moreover, the academy uniform she wore was mine. The evidence was that it was one size too big for her.

While Delilah was an elegant beauty, I had a curvaceous body befitting a villain. Which meant I didn’t look delicate next to Delilah.

“Just stay seated, Dili.”

“But this is……”

Since there were no assigned seats.

I took a seat at the very front instead of in the middle where Demian and Delilah were.

My classmates knew that Demian and I were married. Perhaps they had read the atmosphere seeing Demian and Delilah so close, so they remained quiet.

“Class is about to start, can I sit next to you?”

“What did I tell you to call me?”

Only Demian and Delilah’s voices could be heard in the classroom. Everyone had been silent since I appeared, so even breathing was audible.

“Demi.”

“Yes, sit next to me.”

Delilah sat down next to Demian with a shy smile.

“Demian.”

Baron, who had sat behind Demian and had gone to war with him, was speaking to him.

“Your taste has changed?”

“It’s fate.”

“Oh, really? I thought you liked flashy ones.”

“I like both.”

Everyone seemed to accept Demian’s words with understanding.

In reality, it was common for nobles to take mistresses. After fulfilling their noble duties, many sought out their own mistresses.

However, it was rare to openly keep a mistress by one’s side like this.

“I didn’t expect it, but Bri is cool-headed. Turning a blind eye to this.”

Baron wasn’t particularly close to me, so he said this to Demian.

“Yeah. My wife has a broad understanding.”

I ignored Demian’s words as they weren’t worth responding to and kept looking forward.

Within the academy, ranks aren’t distinguished. That’s why everyone could address each other comfortably. If ranks were distinguished, no one could speak to each other in a friendly manner.

Anyway, once everyone graduated from the academy, they would have to behave according to their original social status.

At least within these walls, the focus was on values and learning beyond social status. That was the principle.

“That’s why I like Bri too.”

That’s why I couldn’t respond even when Delilah spoke like that. Within this academy, Delilah and I were equals, and in reality, she was better than me.

It was exceptional for the Emperor to personally permit someone to enter the academy.

—The door opened at that moment.

“Ah, I see some familiar faces I haven’t seen in a while.”

The professor entered.

“Demian. I heard you achieved great merit at the Ruden Bridge battle.”

“That’s right, Professor. Delilah helped me annihilate the Merbenia army.”

The professor approached the podium with interest and put down his books and writing materials.

“Would you tell us more about it?”

At the professor’s words, Demian looked at Delilah once with pride, then spoke again.

“The idea to cross the Ruden Bridge first and then blow it up was Delilah’s. So we threw out an unexpected bait. And the stupid Merbenia army took that bait.”

“My goodness. It was truly a strategic battle.”

“Yes.”

Demian held Delilah’s hand tightly and smiled.

“Everyone, please be good to Miss Delilah. She is a hero of the Cropus Empire. His Majesty personally wrote a letter permitting her enrollment.”

All eyes in the classroom turned to Delilah.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Not at all, Miss Delilah.”

And so the second period began with this pretense of warmth.

“Today we’ll have group work. Please sit according to the names written in front.”

I unconsciously frowned as I checked the names in front.

“Since many students have returned today, I’ve prepared topics for you to discuss. Just remember that this class period is for administrative welfare and participate accordingly.”

As luck would have it, Demian, Delilah, Saturn, and I were in the same group.

We had to sit with our desks pushed together.

“Bri, I heard you went to the infirmary because you were sick.”

Saturn spoke to me, and I found myself looking at him. Saturn blushed and said:

“Are you hurting anywhere?”

I had often thought Saturn was tactless, but now it felt strange that this was actually helpful.

“I have too many places that hurt.”

“How? Where are you injured?”

Looking at Delilah, I replied to Saturn’s question:

“Someone pushed me down the stairs.”