My Husband Picked Up a Woman - Chapter 2

Delilah was definitely smiling.

She looked so radiant and refreshed that even as I was falling, I wondered if I was dreaming. However, the darkness closed in, accompanied by a sharp, agonizing pain blooming across my back.

And then, everything went black.

My limbs, already a battered mess, had stopped feeling pain; perhaps it was because they were already covered in every possible shade of bruise. I thought I heard a high-pitched ringing in my ears, and then I felt as if everything were drifting far, far away.

❖ ❖ ❖

The original story had begun to deviate even before I married Damian. Since I had changed, most things followed suit.

In the original novel, I was a villainess, a spoiled brat raised on nothing but love. But in this reality, my family, the House of Philia, was never satisfied with remaining a mere Marquisate. They were always driven by a higher ambition.

That was why they arranged a marriage of convenience with Damian, the Grand Duke of Mayze. Despite his high title, his house was impoverished and drowning in massive debt.

Of course, having read the original story, I did not particularly like the man named Damian, so I spent years avoiding him. Ironically, the more I pulled away, the more Damian began to love me. His devotion persisted through our adolescence and until the day we entered the Academy.

By the time my fear, the lingering suspicion that he might one day kill me, began to fade, we became engaged. My family had pressured me into it, but they had not completely ignored my wishes either.

The real problem was my complacency. I had let my guard down because Delilah had not appeared yet. I assumed that since I had changed, the female lead’s fate must have changed as well.

I never imagined things would turn out this twisted.

In the original book, Delilah was a literal angel. She was a genius who steadfastly did her duty, a strong, admirable woman who never faltered despite being a commoner. She was warm to everyone.

But the Delilah who pushed me? Could the angel of the original story really do such a thing? Pushing someone down the stairs is an act fueled by murderous intent.

A sudden jolt of pain forced my eyes open. This was the second time today I had woken up like this.

“Ugh.”

“Brie.”

This time, however, Damian was there. Judging by the white sheets and curtains, I was in the Academy’s infirmary.

“Damian.”

“Brie. Ha.”

Damian brushed back the hair tickling his forehead as if he were frustrated. With his bangs out of the way, I could see his golden eyebrows furrowed; he looked like a man struggling to contain his anger.

“Are you protesting against me right now?”

“What are you talking about?”

I doubted my ears; his voice was lower than usual. I had expected him to be worried, but he sounded closer to being annoyed.

“I am asking if you staged this whole stunt because of Delilah.”

“Damian.”

“Keep in mind, Brie, I will be disappointed if you continue to act this thoughtlessly.”

His words felt like a bell tolling in my head. I could not wrap my mind around the fact that those words had actually come out of his mouth. It was as if my brain was physically rejecting the sound my ears were hearing.

“Delilah told me you tripped down the stairs on purpose.”

“That is insane. The same thing happened to me on the stairs just a week ago. Do you really think I am crazy enough to do that?”

“Maybe you realized after the first time that getting hurt was not such a big deal, so you did it again.”

“Damian.”

“Just know when to stop. It will be a nuisance for me if you actually break something.”

He had left for the war a year ago. Could a person really change this much in just one year?

“I did not do this.”

“Stop lying.”

Looking at his expression, I realized it. Even if I told him Delilah pushed me, he would not believe me.

“I will return alive from this war and become a man worthy of you, Brie.”

Where did the Damian who said those words go?

“You really think I am lying?”

He let out a deep sigh and stood up. The chair beside the bed let out a sharp creak. He looked down at me with a cold, stony expression.

“Yes.”

His answer left me paralyzed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and walked out, leaving me behind.

❖ ❖ ❖

This morning, only my arms and legs hurt, but now my back was throbbing too. It was a dull, heavy ache, as if the area around my shoulder blades had been badly damaged. My hips were sore as well.

Still, I did not want to skip class. When it was time for the second period to begin, I headed to Class 1.

“I suppose it really was a feigned illness after all.”

As soon as I entered the room, Damian looked at me and shook his head.

“Ah.”

Delilah was sitting quite naturally on Damian’s lap.

As a commoner, she originally had no right to attend Wilhelm Academy, which was reserved for the children of the Imperial family and high-ranking nobility. However, I heard that when Damian returned to the capital yesterday, he obtained personal permission from the Emperor.

Furthermore, the Academy uniform she was wearing was mine. As proof, it was a size too large for her.

While Delilah was an elegant beauty, I had the curvaceous body fitting of a villainess. In other words, standing next to Delilah, I did not exactly look frail.

“Just stay seated, Deli.”

“But this seat is”

There were no assigned seats. I took a spot in the very front row, rather than sitting in the middle near Damian and Delilah.

Our classmates knew that Damian and I were a couple. Seeing him so intimate with Delilah, they had clearly read the room and were staying quiet.

“The class is about to start. May I sit next to you?”

“What did I tell you to call me if you want to do that?”

Only Damian and Delilah’s voices filled the room. Everyone else had stopped talking the moment I appeared; you could practically hear people breathing.

“Demi.”

“Good. Sit next to me.”

Delilah smiled shyly and took the seat beside him.

“Damian.”

Veron, who sat behind Damian and had served with him on the battlefield, spoke up.

“Your tastes have changed, have they not?”

“It is destiny.”

“Oh, really? I thought you liked glamorous women.”

“I like both.”

The others seemed to nod in understanding at Damian’s remark.

In reality, it was common for nobles to take mistresses. Once they fulfilled their marital duties, many sought out companions elsewhere. However, it was rare to flaunt a mistress so openly by one’s side.

“I did not expect it, but Brie is quite bold, turning a blind eye to this.”

Veron, who was not particularly close to me, directed that comment at Damian.

“Yeah. My wife is very understanding.”

I stared straight ahead, ignoring him; his words were not worth a response.

Inside the Academy, ranks are not observed. That is why students can speak casually to one another. If hierarchy were enforced, such informal conversation would be impossible. Since everyone has to return to formal social etiquette once they graduate, the Academy emphasizes value and learning over status. At least, that was the pretext.

“That is why I like Brie, too.”

I could not even snap back at Delilah’s comment. Within these walls, Delilah and I were equals, and in reality, she was currently held in higher regard than I was. An Imperial permit for admission was an extraordinary exception.

The door opened at that moment.

“Ah, I see some familiar faces I have not seen in a while.”

The professor entered.

“Damian. I heard you achieved great merit at the Battle of Luden Bridge.”

“That is correct, Professor. It was Delilah who helped me wipe out the Mervenia forces back then.”

The professor walked to the podium with interest, setting down his books and writing utensils.

“Would you care to tell us more?”

At the professor’s request, Damian glanced at Delilah with a proud smile before speaking.

“It was Delilah’s idea to cross Luden Bridge first and then blow it up. We threw out a bait that was not in the original plan, and those fools from Mervenia bit.”

“Goodness. That was a truly strategic maneuver.”

“Yes.”

Damian squeezed Delilah’s hand and laughed.

“Everyone, please be kind to Miss Delilah. She is a hero of the Cropus Empire. She is here by the grace of His Majesty’s personal letter.”

Immediately, every eye in the classroom turned toward Delilah.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Not at all, Miss Delilah.”

And so, the second period began under a pretense of warmth.

“We will be doing group work today. Please sit according to the names written on the board.”

When I checked the list, I could not help but grimace.

“Since many students have returned today, I have prepared a topic to encourage discussion. However, please keep in mind that this is an Administrative Welfare class.”

Of all people, Damian, Delilah, Saturn, and I were in the same group. I had no choice but to push the desks together.

“Brie, I heard you went to the infirmary because you were hurt.”

When Saturn spoke to me, I reflexively looked at him. He flushed slightly.

“Are you hurting anywhere?”

I often thought Saturn was a bit dense, but right now, that lack of tact felt oddly helpful.

“The problem is that I am hurting in too many places.”

“How? Where did you get hurt?”

At Saturn’s question, I looked directly at Delilah and answered:

“Someone pushed me down the stairs.”