- #1
I loved this story way more than I thought I would. There were times when the MC was a bit frustrating but, I had to admit to myself, that if I was my 20-year-old-self I'd be making all of the same decisions she was. For what it's worth she did really well, in my eyes, for keeping her eye on the goal of preventing the world from being destroyed. It didn't feel like there were any misunderstandings manufactured just for the sake of artificially building plot or angst, which already puts this above 90% of the angst-filled rofans in my eyes.The main plot is very simple and the beginning is common to villainess isekai. A two-bit villainess destined to die suddenly awakens one day with the memories of her past life where she read a novel about this world and suddenly starts hightailing it to change her fate. Her original fate was to be beheaded by her princely fiance who hated her and wanted to pursue the OGFL. So, our MC rightly decided to fob him off on the OGFL early, and lured him to the village where the OGFL was staying to do so.Unfortuantely, the OGFL was waiting for her and put the kebosh on her plans, kindly offering an explanation to our poor MC who had not finished reading the entire original novel:This was originally the world of a tragic, R19+, reverse-harem rofan that ended in the OGFL (a healer full-body-transmigrator from Korea, not reborn or possessing someone) being imprisoned and tortured by the MLs for the rest of her days. The OGFL had watched everyone close to her be killed and she herself was reduced to a mindless, imprisoned, healing s*x toy. After the end of the original novel, one of the MLs (a transcendant dragon) came to his senses, rescued her, and then worked to reverse time to undo what damage could be undone.In the process of reversing time, they realized that our MC was also a transmigrator, which was a HUGE BONUS for them because it meant they could safely leave this world and return to Korea, and the powers of fate would automatically reassign the FL lead role to the remaining transmigrator soul. It didn't matter that she was a reincarnator. Because she could remember her past life, she could take the OGFLs place. So, the dragon OGML gifted her a necklace to "calm" the natural urges of the MLs, the OGFL told her that she had one year to pick a male lead to fall in love with, and they summarily departed. Despite being shellshocked, the MC didn't blame the OGFL (yet) because she completely understood the OGFL's position and would have done the same thing.The entire story revolves around her trying to sort out relationships with a prince who hates her guts, a REALLY devout priest who isn't interested in her, and a minor who is actually a blood-crazed maniac. (She's especially weirded out about seducing a minor, even though he is 18 and she is 20. She finds it extremely immoral, especially because she "feels" older with the memories of her past life.) Later on, when it becomes clear that she doesn't truly want any of them, she starts having nightmares about the world ending and, sensing her rampant fear, the sun god sends her a fourth option: a transcendant to replace the missing dragon. The "prettiest and strongest" of them all! At first, she's ecstatic to hear this in her dream, but this lasts less than a day when she finds out that she's been paired with the god of the underworld who can't actually appear in the surface realm without killing anyone who can see him. So, he takes the form of a rock. A literal pet rock that talks to her.So, in order to prevent the end of the world, she has one year to choose between are a hateful, entitled jerk (once destined to behead her), a dismissive celibate priest, an under-aged homicidal maniac, and a rock. With such, do hi-jinks ensue.The following spoiler doesn't tell the rest of the plot but does reveal the ML.Spoiler
Neither she or the rock truly consider their pairing possible, but the rock is truly the only choice to be ML. No matter how much she plots to win over the other MLs, the ruler of the underworld remains steadfast and affectionate, putting her needs and desires first, for very good and heartbreaking reasons that don't become apparent until the very end. This entire story is a beautiful blend of Eros and Psyche with Hades and Persephone. The world doesn't appear Greek but there are numerous references to Greek myths and creatures throughout.
[collapse]Also, no hate on the MC for flirting with the other MLs. She makes it plain that she wouldn't have given any of them a second glance if she wasn't constantly threatened with a looming deadline of the end of the world, sometimes with very violent and vivid prophetic nightmares. When she finally realizes that she just -can't- love any of them, she adopts a "to the hell with it" attitude and just waits for the world to be destroyed. She had to go through an immense number of failures to reach that point, though.Thankfully, things are able to work out with her proper ML in the end and both are very, very happy. Reading the side stories is optional, not necessary to tie anything up.