/this contains some spoilers/ read till ch.3090https://i.ur.com/AJBPC6O.png There are a ton of stories out there like this one where a villain is given a second chance to go back to the past and relive their earlier days before the downfall. They tend to all be kind of common/ generic they know of future events they strive to undo their wrongdoings they earn their bread and make unexpected allies. I wasnt expecting much when I started reading this one honestly but the art was pretty and Im a sucker for this trope damn you Bakarina so I gave it a shot. And I was pleasantly surprised. I like this story more than others of its kind because the main character Aria doesnt change into this out of character goodytwoshoes after her death. She is the same kind of person as she was in her previous life just more cunning and manipulative. With her future foresight in play she can construct a somewhat idealistic future for herself or at least try to. She is out for revenge. In her previous life due to various events Aria was seen as a wicked woman that was extravagant would cause chaos harass her gentle stepsister Mielle and was thought of as a joke because of her upbringing and her behaviour in high society. Because of this when Aria is about to be executed she is utterly shocked by Mielles confession that she tricked Aria into building the bad reputation that eventually brought her to her end. So when by chance in her death she finds a magical hourglass that takes her back to the past she is determined to use Mielles own tactics against her as a true villainess. I can feel her hate and her fear that drives her to take action even against someone that technicallyafter timetravel is a child. The world and side characters have life in them their private greed and motives that are depicted and seen through Arias cynical logical eyes. Its fun to follow how she spots peoples desires and wants and how she manipulates them to her benefit: These desires feel real and because of them so do the people. Ive read way too many stories were the side characters feel more like the background wallpaper so this was nice. Aria having gone through a lot has matured. She has some nice scenes of selfreflection on her actions in her previous life and how others must have seen her and how she has seen them in return. Child antagonist Mielle: this is probably the weak part of the story it can sometimes be a disappointment because Aria is going up against a child granted its a child with a lot of adult backing from her family and outside it. The comebacks Mielle gives Aria are weak as hell maybe thats because she isnt yet the woman she will grow up to be but it makes you wonder how dumb was the past Aria to fall for these traps. There will probably be another antagonist added to the story there already has been some glimpses of them and this one will be superior to Aria and someone she has not interacted with in her previous life Im hoping this will be good. So far ch.30 whenever it feels like she will truly befriend someone or her personality would change because of another characters actions it comes right back around to her one and true goal to take revenge and how will this benefit her in the long run. Theres a bit of magic here and there connected to her timetravelling but so far its pretty balanced nothing worldbreaking. There are also some romance aspects in the story but so far they are mainly used for the advancement of her revenge. There is an obvious male lead that right now Aria is not interested in for now because he has no benefits in fulfilling her revenge but it looks like that will soon change and will also open the gates for a new antagonist. The story is still in its early stages and a lot can change but so far its been fun. Give it a read.