Characters

• Ersia Bellua (Protagonist) — The daughter of the Bellua Duchy, the pinnacle of power in the Arsein Empire, and the fated villainess of the original novel. In her first life, she was falsely accused of poisoning the Crown Prince and executed miserably on the guillotine. At the moment of her death, driven by an intense desire to live, she regressed two years into the past. Now, her sole goal is to 'survive.' While she wears the mask of an arrogant and cold noble lady on the outside, she harbors extreme terror and trauma on the inside, never knowing when the blade of the guillotine might fall again. She tries to act in a thoroughly calculating and selfish manner, but her inherently kind and soft-hearted nature often slips through. [Relationships] Lucian: The one who killed her and the person she fears most. To survive, she must either win his favor or avoid him entirely. Kairen: Her only blindly loyal knight. She is grateful for his devotion but tries to keep her distance for fear that he, too, might die. Leonhardt: A genius mage who sees through the world's logic. She is wary of him discovering her secret of regression, yet she needs his knowledge. Selena: The heroine of the original novel and the Saintess. Once an object of jealousy, she now intends to use the Saintess's light to preserve her own life.
• Lucian de Arsein — The Crown Prince of the Arsein Empire and the main male lead. Raised to be a perfect monarch, he is cold and rational, and has deeply loathed the Bellua Duchy and Ersia, who threaten the Imperial Family. In the original story, he is the one who personally executes Ersia. However, after her regression, he feels intense confusion as Ersia, who once craved his affection blindly, suddenly turns cold and displays an inexplicable fear. His interest, which began with suspicion, gradually warps into uncontrollable obsession and regret. [Relationships] Ersia: Once his most hated political rival, his gaze is now fixated on her changed attitude, and he feels a fierce possessiveness. Selena: The Saintess he must protect for the stability of the Empire and his political partner. However, as his heart leans toward Ersia, he begins to neglect her.
• Kairen Valter — The Captain of the Bellua Knights and Ersia's personal guard. An orphan taken in by Ersia, he offers her blind loyalty and devotion. In the original story, he was the first to lose his life at Lucian's hands while trying to protect her. After her regression, he is deeply hurt as Ersia tries to push him away, yet he remains ready to sacrifice his life for her survival. Though taciturn and poor at expressing emotions, he possesses the sensitivity to be the first to notice even the smallest changes in Ersia. [Relationships] Ersia: His savior and absolute liege. He cares only for her safety, regardless of whether she is called a villainess. Lucian: The most dangerous enemy threatening his liege. He is ready to draw his sword at any moment.
• Leonhardt Edel — The youngest Tower Master of the Imperial Magic Tower and the Empire's greatest genius mage. He finds the logic of the world boring and maintains a detached, bystander attitude. He is the only one who vaguely senses the flow of the original story and the existence of the system, and he approaches Ersia out of interest in her regression. Initially, he viewed her struggle as a mere experiment, but he becomes increasingly fascinated by her desperation to defy fate, eventually breaking taboos to become her ally. [Relationships] Ersia: She changes from an interesting subject of observation to the only variable he wishes to protect. Lucian: He provokes the Crown Prince without regard for his status, engaging in a subtle battle of nerves over Ersia.
• Selena Elios — The Saintess of the Holy Empire and the true heroine of the original novel. She is a being loved by all for her pure and altruistic nature. In the original story, she was a good person who tried to forgive Ersia despite constant harassment. However, after the regression, seeing the hidden side of Ersia—who struggles to survive while avoiding her—she develops complex emotions that go beyond simple pity. She wants to save Ersia, but such kindness sometimes creates a contradiction that drives Ersia further into the original story's compulsion. [Relationships] Ersia: She wishes to forget past grievances and become a true friend, wanting to heal her wounds. Lucian: He is a reliable patron who protects her, but she realizes his gaze is directed toward Ersia and feels a strange emotion.

Prologue preview

The vast Arsein Empire. This brilliant world, where magic and politics intertwine, is, in truth, nothing more than the stage of a novel.

And in this world, there exists an inescapable physical destiny: the 'compulsion of the original work.'

The Imperial family and the Saintess represented light and order, while my family, the Duchy of Bellua, was defined as the darkness that threatened them.

I am Ersia Bellua. The perfect 'villainess' of this story, walking toward a predetermined ruin.

I struggled to survive. I wore a mask of arrogance and coldness to protect my family from the Imperial family's interference.

But my defensive hostility and cold demeanor only became the chains that bound me.

Kairen Valter, the Captain of the Knights who followed me blindly, was the first to lose his life trying to protect me.

The moment he collapsed, drenched in blood, I realized that everything I loved was powerless before this insane fate.

My sharp, thorny words were actually just a pathetic defense mechanism, born from the fear of losing them...

Even Leonhardt Edel, the genius mage who stood aloof from the world's affairs, remained silent before this massive system.

The pure light of Selena Elios, who pitied me, only made my darkness appear all the more profound...

In the end, it led to the one I feared most: the sword of the Crown Prince, Lucian de Arsein, pointed at my throat.

It was only natural that he hated me. That was how the original work was written.

Comments

• lucy_goosey: the way lucian is already getting obsessed just bc she avoided him is crazy lmao he was literally ready to kill her two seconds ago
• 안개잉크: not her becoming empress!!
• LonelyLoaf: villainess era, let's go!
• AuroraAster: this opening had me on the edge of my seat! the intensity of the execution, the rain, lucian's cold gaze – then the sudden reset. the contrast is insane. i can't wait to see how she specifically changes things and deals with the original plot's constraints. the hype is real!
• CrimsonOtter: i'm here for the chaos