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Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter (Light Novel) #1
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter (Light Novel) Vol. 1
A Twist of Fate
Iris Almeria, the daughter of a powerful duke, is arrested and forced to her knees in front of her fiancée. Her betrothed, Prince Edward, is rejecting her for another woman! As Iris's life flashes before her eyes, she suddenly realizes she knows exactly what's coming next--because she has been reincarnated into her favorite otome game as its villainess. Quick thinking saves her from exile, but Iris can't rest yet. If she wants to survive this world that sees her as wicked, she'll have to change the world itself.
Iris Almeria, the daughter of a powerful duke, is arrested and forced to her knees in front of her fiancée. Her betrothed, Prince Edward, is rejecting her for another woman! As Iris's life flashes before her eyes, she suddenly realizes she knows exactly what's coming next--because she has been reincarnated into her favorite otome game as its villainess. Quick thinking saves her from exile, but Iris can't rest yet. If she wants to survive this world that sees her as wicked, she'll have to change the world itself.
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 10, 2015
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June 17, 2022
Stop me if you've heard this one before: a tax accountant on Earth--whether she works as a civil servant or for a private company is unclear--dies and is reincarnated as Iris, a duke's daughter who was the villain character in the otome (reverse harem, sorta) video game that our MC was playing before she died.
You probably stopped me right around "dies and is reincarnated." Bog standard isekai setup, nothing new to see here. The Earth woman's consciousness and Iris's merge instantaneously and without a hitch in the middle of the game's climactic scene, where Iris is confronted for bullying Yuri, the girl who usurped her place as the fiancée of Prince Edward. The game ends with Yuri's happy ending and Iris being sent into exile. With a bit of quick thinking, Iris* evades this fate and is instead, at age sixteen, made the governor of Armelia in her father the PM's stead. From here, our merged-consciousness Iris revolutionizes her duchy with the help of her crew of loyal servants (nearly all of whom were urchins she pulled off the street, by the way).
* we'll just call her Iris after this point, since her identity on Earth is neither revealed nor is it important to the story except as a means to fuel Iris' innovations. See below.
As governor, Iris proceeds to use her knowledge of 21st-century technology and governance to completely upend everything about her duchy. Here is an incomplete list of the changes she makes in this fairly short book:
- a change of the social structure from something like feudalism to capitalism
- introduction of two-entry bookkeeping
- separation of Armelia's coffers/budget and her family's. Creation of a corporation that sells a wide variety of goods previously unknown to this world such as chocolate, hair conditioner, silk, illustrated books (et al.) and a robust R&D facility to develop new goods and seeds for crops
- moving loans and banking from the decentralized merchants' guild to a governmental entity controlled by the duchy, using a standardized currency
- universal education for persons age 7 and up, universal medical care
- an academy to train doctors and agricultural specialists
- well, you get the idea.
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about all of this is that it's all accomplished without the slightest amount of friction. Iris is the ultimate Teflon Bureaucrat. She engineers what is essentially a bloodless coup that both preserves her own power and increases it to a near-infinite level. As of the end of this volume, Iris is governor of the duchy, the owner of a hugely profitable corporation, AND the guarantor of her duchy's currency and banking system. That's a bit much, isn't it? There's no possibility of corruption because there's only one person who controls literally everything. :P Nobody questions her even slightly, much less tries to undermine her or wrest a tiny corner of her power away from her. The possibility of a disenfranchised merchant arranging to "terminate her with extreme prejudice" (for example) isn't even mentioned.
As ridiculously overpowered and competent as Iris is, she does have a couple of blind spots, especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships. There's one character who she takes on as a part-time administrator whose identity is made quite obvious in the text of the book (and with an illustration in the latter half of the book, if one and one hadn't added up to two for the reader yet), and who would otherwise be more than a little "sus." But Iris is so enamored of his work that she doesn't worry that he has never mentioned anything about his personal connections aside from some vague mentions of his family. This character seems to be the prime candidate for a romance--at least once, Iris feels some inclinations in that direction. Rather unusually for this otherwise omnipotent and omniscient character, she feels inadequate to a romance since her first one with Prince Edward ended so poorly.
The cast that surrounds Iris doesn't have a huge amount of personality so far, but a number of them have potential. Tanya the lady's maid/assassin is a cool concept, though Iris's shadow is so huge that she hasn't had a chance to do anything but serve tea and act as a guard on Iris' travels into town. Lyle and Dida are a cute stoic/whimsical pair of guards. There's the potential for some court intrigue as Iris reintroduces herself to the royal capital after her ignominious fall.
If I hadn't read the first several volumes of the manga adaptation of this story, I'm not sure I'd have continued with it. The prospect of Iris making innovations that the people of the fantasy world are somehow completely (and unconvincingly) incapable of, and 100% having her own way 100% of the time, and then having a happy ending with without the slightest amount of conflict, resistance, or antagonism would get more tedious the more time went by. But from the manga, I know she runs into some problems, and the focus moves away from the repetitive scenes where Iris is sitting at her desk auditing paperwork.
Strict order-of-birth patriarchal primogeniture has caused wars and strife in our world as is, and in this fantasy country, inheritance seems more dependent on the patriarch's whim. This is already leading to some dissent in the capital as the king falls ill, and the firstborn prince is conspicuously absent. At the same time, war is brewing, because for some reason a previous war with neighboring country never actually ended with a treaty... some of this doesn't make a lot of sense if you think about it for half a second.
This is appealing enough to continue with, though I can't help but think that there must be better stuff out there. Two and a half stars, rounded up, though more on promise gleaned from the manga than on execution in this specific volume.
You probably stopped me right around "dies and is reincarnated." Bog standard isekai setup, nothing new to see here. The Earth woman's consciousness and Iris's merge instantaneously and without a hitch in the middle of the game's climactic scene, where Iris is confronted for bullying Yuri, the girl who usurped her place as the fiancée of Prince Edward. The game ends with Yuri's happy ending and Iris being sent into exile. With a bit of quick thinking, Iris* evades this fate and is instead, at age sixteen, made the governor of Armelia in her father the PM's stead. From here, our merged-consciousness Iris revolutionizes her duchy with the help of her crew of loyal servants (nearly all of whom were urchins she pulled off the street, by the way).
* we'll just call her Iris after this point, since her identity on Earth is neither revealed nor is it important to the story except as a means to fuel Iris' innovations. See below.
As governor, Iris proceeds to use her knowledge of 21st-century technology and governance to completely upend everything about her duchy. Here is an incomplete list of the changes she makes in this fairly short book:
- a change of the social structure from something like feudalism to capitalism
- introduction of two-entry bookkeeping
- separation of Armelia's coffers/budget and her family's. Creation of a corporation that sells a wide variety of goods previously unknown to this world such as chocolate, hair conditioner, silk, illustrated books (et al.) and a robust R&D facility to develop new goods and seeds for crops
- moving loans and banking from the decentralized merchants' guild to a governmental entity controlled by the duchy, using a standardized currency
- universal education for persons age 7 and up, universal medical care
- an academy to train doctors and agricultural specialists
- well, you get the idea.
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about all of this is that it's all accomplished without the slightest amount of friction. Iris is the ultimate Teflon Bureaucrat. She engineers what is essentially a bloodless coup that both preserves her own power and increases it to a near-infinite level. As of the end of this volume, Iris is governor of the duchy, the owner of a hugely profitable corporation, AND the guarantor of her duchy's currency and banking system. That's a bit much, isn't it? There's no possibility of corruption because there's only one person who controls literally everything. :P Nobody questions her even slightly, much less tries to undermine her or wrest a tiny corner of her power away from her. The possibility of a disenfranchised merchant arranging to "terminate her with extreme prejudice" (for example) isn't even mentioned.
As ridiculously overpowered and competent as Iris is, she does have a couple of blind spots, especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships. There's one character who she takes on as a part-time administrator whose identity is made quite obvious in the text of the book (and with an illustration in the latter half of the book, if one and one hadn't added up to two for the reader yet), and who would otherwise be more than a little "sus." But Iris is so enamored of his work that she doesn't worry that he has never mentioned anything about his personal connections aside from some vague mentions of his family. This character seems to be the prime candidate for a romance--at least once, Iris feels some inclinations in that direction. Rather unusually for this otherwise omnipotent and omniscient character, she feels inadequate to a romance since her first one with Prince Edward ended so poorly.
The cast that surrounds Iris doesn't have a huge amount of personality so far, but a number of them have potential. Tanya the lady's maid/assassin is a cool concept, though Iris's shadow is so huge that she hasn't had a chance to do anything but serve tea and act as a guard on Iris' travels into town. Lyle and Dida are a cute stoic/whimsical pair of guards. There's the potential for some court intrigue as Iris reintroduces herself to the royal capital after her ignominious fall.
If I hadn't read the first several volumes of the manga adaptation of this story, I'm not sure I'd have continued with it. The prospect of Iris making innovations that the people of the fantasy world are somehow completely (and unconvincingly) incapable of, and 100% having her own way 100% of the time, and then having a happy ending with without the slightest amount of conflict, resistance, or antagonism would get more tedious the more time went by. But from the manga, I know she runs into some problems, and the focus moves away from the repetitive scenes where Iris is sitting at her desk auditing paperwork.
Strict order-of-birth patriarchal primogeniture has caused wars and strife in our world as is, and in this fantasy country, inheritance seems more dependent on the patriarch's whim. This is already leading to some dissent in the capital as the king falls ill, and the firstborn prince is conspicuously absent. At the same time, war is brewing, because for some reason a previous war with neighboring country never actually ended with a treaty... some of this doesn't make a lot of sense if you think about it for half a second.
This is appealing enough to continue with, though I can't help but think that there must be better stuff out there. Two and a half stars, rounded up, though more on promise gleaned from the manga than on execution in this specific volume.
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April 15, 2024The whole series(all volumes) had it's ups and downs but GODDAMM THAT WAS FUN.
There's a lot of things I liked about this but to sum that all up: It is a great Kingdom Building novel.
There were still a lot of things i didn't like though, such has:
-Why does Iris have so much knowledge about stuff she shouldn't? I'd get if it was one or two things but why would someone like her know how to make chocolate or have enough knowledge about Hair products to create Conditioner after some trial and error.
-Why did Dean—You know what I mean. I was excited to finally have a ML with realistic proportions AND be someone from the working class who stands in equal footing with the FL. I guess it's on me though i should have seen it coming ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
-Apprently everyone on the second prince's side is either dumb, evil or both.
-Iris is kind of a Mary Sue.
But ehh despite what I just said I'll still be reading this series. I guess it's a guilty pleasure (aaand it fuels my Kingdom Building addiction).
There's a lot of things I liked about this but to sum that all up: It is a great Kingdom Building novel.
There were still a lot of things i didn't like though, such has:
-Why does Iris have so much knowledge about stuff she shouldn't? I'd get if it was one or two things but why would someone like her know how to make chocolate or have enough knowledge about Hair products to create Conditioner after some trial and error.
-Why did Dean—You know what I mean. I was excited to finally have a ML with realistic proportions AND be someone from the working class who stands in equal footing with the FL. I guess it's on me though i should have seen it coming ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
-Apprently everyone on the second prince's side is either dumb, evil or both.
-Iris is kind of a Mary Sue.
But ehh despite what I just said I'll still be reading this series. I guess it's a guilty pleasure (aaand it fuels my Kingdom Building addiction).
October 31, 2021
Iris remembers her past life as a Japanese office lady at the worst possible moment, when it's too late to change anything. She knows that she has somehow been reborn as the villainess of the game You Are My Princess, and she's currently experiencing the climax of the route in which the heroine, Yuri, ends up with Prince Edward, Iris's former fiance. If things proceed as they do in the game, she'll be banished to a nunnery.
To her shock, however, that's not what happens. Instead, her father makes her the governor of Armelia, the family's domain, a task that would normally be given to the family's eldest son. Iris isn't sure why the story has changed, but she's more than willing to accept this fresh start being offered to her. And so begins Iris's efforts to improve Armelia's government and economy and make it a better place to live.
I've previously read the first volume of the manga adaptation of this series, and maybe a little of the second, although I never reviewed that one. The verdict: the light novel, like the manga, is at best so-so. I recall certain aspects being handled better in the manga than in the novel, but the light novel series seems to be capturing my attention more.
Although this technically starts off as a "reborn as the villainess of the otome game I was playing before I died" story, the otome game aspect is abandoned so quickly that in the end it doesn't matter. At most, it's a way for the author to handwave away all the problems with the world-building and all the things that Iris magically invents or knows about. And even so, the speed and ease with which Iris creates new products and institutes changes is difficult to believe.
The timeline is wonky - this book covers somewhere between 1 to 2.5 years of Iris's life. In that time, she founds a company (Azuta Corporation) that invents, produces, and sells chocolate, beauty products, tea, and children's books. She also improves Armelia's trade routes, reforms its tax system, creates this world's first bank, invents double-entry bookkeeping, founds the kingdom's first school for commoners, and begins working on plans for single payer healthcare (never mind that the school for commoners includes the first decent medical training that some of this world's doctors have ever had).
All of this is accomplished with ease and hardly any complaints from the merchant's guild, the aristocracy, the general population, etc. There are also only one or two moments in which people who've known Iris most of her life are astonished at what this young woman who'd previously never had much training in governance and economics is able to accomplish. This series may not have any magic in it, but oh yes, it is definitely fantasy.
It was clear that the author hadn't put much thought into the way people in a feudal society would likely react to the daughter of a duke suddenly instituting a bunch of capitalistic ideas. Or how a class system would affect the way characters talk to each other. Or how much time and effort it would take to invent chocolate, picture books, and conditioner in a world that had never heard of these things. Somehow Iris's workaholic office lady self vaguely remembered the steps for making chocolate from cocoa beans, and somehow her staff members were able to fill in any gaps in her knowledge and not be wildly curious about where she was getting all these ideas from. This book was constantly skimming the surface of big, sweeping changes, and everyone's response was just to comment on how wise and wonderful Iris was.
My eyes tended to glaze over whenever Iris asked for reports about how different things in her government and corporation were going - this didn't feel like edutainment so much as being bombarded with economic jargon and buzzwords. That said, I still somehow found this to be compulsively readable and plowed through it pretty quickly. I can't really explain it, since not much happened. I liked Iris's mother and grandfather. From what little I recall of the manga, it paid more attention to the backstories of Iris's servants but maybe less to the overall political situation. Prince Edward and Yuri sounded like a disaster, and the author was surprisingly obvious about the developments with Prince Alfred. There's a subplot that I suppose you could call "romance," except the author didn't bother with anything romantic - it's more "they get along and it would be good for them and everyone around them to end up together."
I am weirdly looking forward to reading the next volume. It's similar to the way I felt compelled to plow through multiple volumes of The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, despite its many glaring issues.
Extras:
Two full-color illustrations (the cover image and portraits of Dean, Tanya, Moneda, Lyle, Dida, and Iris. Also, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and an afterword by the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
To her shock, however, that's not what happens. Instead, her father makes her the governor of Armelia, the family's domain, a task that would normally be given to the family's eldest son. Iris isn't sure why the story has changed, but she's more than willing to accept this fresh start being offered to her. And so begins Iris's efforts to improve Armelia's government and economy and make it a better place to live.
I've previously read the first volume of the manga adaptation of this series, and maybe a little of the second, although I never reviewed that one. The verdict: the light novel, like the manga, is at best so-so. I recall certain aspects being handled better in the manga than in the novel, but the light novel series seems to be capturing my attention more.
Although this technically starts off as a "reborn as the villainess of the otome game I was playing before I died" story, the otome game aspect is abandoned so quickly that in the end it doesn't matter. At most, it's a way for the author to handwave away all the problems with the world-building and all the things that Iris magically invents or knows about. And even so, the speed and ease with which Iris creates new products and institutes changes is difficult to believe.
The timeline is wonky - this book covers somewhere between 1 to 2.5 years of Iris's life. In that time, she founds a company (Azuta Corporation) that invents, produces, and sells chocolate, beauty products, tea, and children's books. She also improves Armelia's trade routes, reforms its tax system, creates this world's first bank, invents double-entry bookkeeping, founds the kingdom's first school for commoners, and begins working on plans for single payer healthcare (never mind that the school for commoners includes the first decent medical training that some of this world's doctors have ever had).
All of this is accomplished with ease and hardly any complaints from the merchant's guild, the aristocracy, the general population, etc. There are also only one or two moments in which people who've known Iris most of her life are astonished at what this young woman who'd previously never had much training in governance and economics is able to accomplish. This series may not have any magic in it, but oh yes, it is definitely fantasy.
It was clear that the author hadn't put much thought into the way people in a feudal society would likely react to the daughter of a duke suddenly instituting a bunch of capitalistic ideas. Or how a class system would affect the way characters talk to each other. Or how much time and effort it would take to invent chocolate, picture books, and conditioner in a world that had never heard of these things. Somehow Iris's workaholic office lady self vaguely remembered the steps for making chocolate from cocoa beans, and somehow her staff members were able to fill in any gaps in her knowledge and not be wildly curious about where she was getting all these ideas from. This book was constantly skimming the surface of big, sweeping changes, and everyone's response was just to comment on how wise and wonderful Iris was.
My eyes tended to glaze over whenever Iris asked for reports about how different things in her government and corporation were going - this didn't feel like edutainment so much as being bombarded with economic jargon and buzzwords. That said, I still somehow found this to be compulsively readable and plowed through it pretty quickly. I can't really explain it, since not much happened. I liked Iris's mother and grandfather. From what little I recall of the manga, it paid more attention to the backstories of Iris's servants but maybe less to the overall political situation. Prince Edward and Yuri sounded like a disaster, and the author was surprisingly obvious about the developments with Prince Alfred. There's a subplot that I suppose you could call "romance," except the author didn't bother with anything romantic - it's more "they get along and it would be good for them and everyone around them to end up together."
I am weirdly looking forward to reading the next volume. It's similar to the way I felt compelled to plow through multiple volumes of The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, despite its many glaring issues.
Extras:
Two full-color illustrations (the cover image and portraits of Dean, Tanya, Moneda, Lyle, Dida, and Iris. Also, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and an afterword by the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 17, 2021
RTC
Btw a 3.5-4 stars. Simple but effective writing. Reasonable timeline for all that occurs.
Btw a 3.5-4 stars. Simple but effective writing. Reasonable timeline for all that occurs.
May 29, 2021
Come for the reincarnated-as-a-villainess story, stay for the economics lessons.
August 10, 2021
Wow! This is so different from what I’m used to. It’s like GoT, only much less bloodshed and way more politics and business. Love it! 5 stars.
April 30, 2025
Rating 2.5 stars
A Light novel that is not a light read by any means. Think about that one with the prince that has to save the kingdom's economy but with a duke's daughter. This really isn't a villainess STORY per se. It's playing age of empires in a otome game setting. It IS good just not the type of light reading one expects a Villainess story to be which was refreshing. I may continue when I want a bit more substance in my light novels. I'm all set with strong female characters with Maomao.
A Light novel that is not a light read by any means. Think about that one with the prince that has to save the kingdom's economy but with a duke's daughter. This really isn't a villainess STORY per se. It's playing age of empires in a otome game setting. It IS good just not the type of light reading one expects a Villainess story to be which was refreshing. I may continue when I want a bit more substance in my light novels. I'm all set with strong female characters with Maomao.
March 22, 2017
I read this volume through a rough-around-the-edges English fan-translation and enjoyed it a fair bit. This story has an interesting premise and perspective; the protagonist is a Japanese female accountant who awakens, after having died young, as Iris, a female noble and bully-type character from an otome game right in the midst of her end-game comeuppance. Iris retains her personality and memories from the 16 year old Iris and the 30 year old anonymous accountant both and does her utmost to capitalize on this in order to gain freedom and political power.
Iris is a strong character who uses her vast knowledge, intelligence, political ties and hard work to produce positive changes where she can. She is aware of the consequences of her actions as a woman of great influence. However, at least in this volume, she almost felt untouchable to me - she never failed to achieve something she set out to do and she never encountered any significant danger or difficulty. Also, no-one seemed to question how she "invented" multiple kinds of goods, services and practices. I hope that this will begin to change in the following volumes as currently Iris is a little too perfect.
There are a surprising amount of supporting characters in this short novel but only a few really stand out. Thankfully those characters that do stand out leave a strong impression. A number of sections in the story are told from a side character's point of view and (much like the characters themselves) these are a bit of a mixed bag, with some view changes not really expanding much on the story and others being important to understanding the social connections and political factions of the Kingdom. It was definitely fun seeing an alternative viewpoint on the typical naive, too-good-to-be-true otome game protagonist! I am looking forward to seeing the long-term consequences of her ill-thought-out ideas and will be continuing on with the series to see if my predictions pan out.
Iris is a strong character who uses her vast knowledge, intelligence, political ties and hard work to produce positive changes where she can. She is aware of the consequences of her actions as a woman of great influence. However, at least in this volume, she almost felt untouchable to me - she never failed to achieve something she set out to do and she never encountered any significant danger or difficulty. Also, no-one seemed to question how she "invented" multiple kinds of goods, services and practices. I hope that this will begin to change in the following volumes as currently Iris is a little too perfect.
There are a surprising amount of supporting characters in this short novel but only a few really stand out. Thankfully those characters that do stand out leave a strong impression. A number of sections in the story are told from a side character's point of view and (much like the characters themselves) these are a bit of a mixed bag, with some view changes not really expanding much on the story and others being important to understanding the social connections and political factions of the Kingdom. It was definitely fun seeing an alternative viewpoint on the typical naive, too-good-to-be-true otome game protagonist! I am looking forward to seeing the long-term consequences of her ill-thought-out ideas and will be continuing on with the series to see if my predictions pan out.
November 30, 2021
It could be the case of poor translation. However, I found this novel to be very dry, and the writing to feel equivalent to that of the early Wattpad era. It's unfortunate since it appeared so promising.
December 2, 2021
4/5 stars
The "reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game" trope has been growing on me lately! I rarely ever read light novels (this one being the second one I've ever read), but I gave it a shot since the art was so pretty and I was curious to see how the villainess trope would be portrayed in this one.
Iris, the duke's daughter, is quite upset when her fiancée leaves her for another woman (and she's of lower rank!) She continues to lash out at the woman until it gets her in trouble. As she is about to be punished for her actions, her memories of her previous life hit her in a flash. She realizes that she is currently living the life of a character in an otome game...and she's the villainess! To make matters worse, she gets her memories back at the game's conclusion. Is there any way to change her fate?
I wasn't sure how I felt about this novel at first. The art was gorgeous, but I didn't get into the story much at first. A lot of these villainess trope stories can be a little similar, so I was worried it wouldn't be all that intriguing. However, by the middle of the story, I was pretty invested!
This book went in a rather different direction that others of the same trope. Instead of trying to change her fate as the villainess, Iris is more concerned with the fate of her people and her responsibilities. Having the memories of both her previous life and her current life means she has knowledge of both worlds. She draws on her past life's knowledge to better the situation in her current world, and she begins to make huge changes and do great things. She's a hard-worker and she doesn't waste time fretting over her ex-fiancée and his new love. It was a refreshing take on this trope, and I really enjoyed it! This volume ends with a huge cliffhanger, and I will definitely be continuing on with the story! Things were just starting to get interesting when this one ended!
(There were a few things that I thought were silly or impractical, but I won't say them for spoiler reasons. However, they didn't do much to affect my enjoyment of the story.)
Fans of the "reincarnated as a villainess" trope should give this a shot, especially if they like a reasonable and intelligent female protagonist!
Also, I would consider this a clean read!
The "reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game" trope has been growing on me lately! I rarely ever read light novels (this one being the second one I've ever read), but I gave it a shot since the art was so pretty and I was curious to see how the villainess trope would be portrayed in this one.
Iris, the duke's daughter, is quite upset when her fiancée leaves her for another woman (and she's of lower rank!) She continues to lash out at the woman until it gets her in trouble. As she is about to be punished for her actions, her memories of her previous life hit her in a flash. She realizes that she is currently living the life of a character in an otome game...and she's the villainess! To make matters worse, she gets her memories back at the game's conclusion. Is there any way to change her fate?
I wasn't sure how I felt about this novel at first. The art was gorgeous, but I didn't get into the story much at first. A lot of these villainess trope stories can be a little similar, so I was worried it wouldn't be all that intriguing. However, by the middle of the story, I was pretty invested!
This book went in a rather different direction that others of the same trope. Instead of trying to change her fate as the villainess, Iris is more concerned with the fate of her people and her responsibilities. Having the memories of both her previous life and her current life means she has knowledge of both worlds. She draws on her past life's knowledge to better the situation in her current world, and she begins to make huge changes and do great things. She's a hard-worker and she doesn't waste time fretting over her ex-fiancée and his new love. It was a refreshing take on this trope, and I really enjoyed it! This volume ends with a huge cliffhanger, and I will definitely be continuing on with the story! Things were just starting to get interesting when this one ended!
(There were a few things that I thought were silly or impractical, but I won't say them for spoiler reasons. However, they didn't do much to affect my enjoyment of the story.)
Fans of the "reincarnated as a villainess" trope should give this a shot, especially if they like a reasonable and intelligent female protagonist!
Also, I would consider this a clean read!
January 23, 2023
I do love a villainess light novel/manhwa/anime/anything.
4.5 stars on the vibes.
Main girl Iris has been reborn as a villainess and regains her memories at the very end of the game route where her fiance dumps her for the heroine. She needs to think quick on her feet as she knows of only two possible endings for her in this game: to either be executed or sent to the nunnery.
However, she manages to convince her father that she is capable and cool-headed, who decides to send her to the family's domain, Armelia, where she'll be the governor. It reminds me of one of my favourite light novel series, Ascendance of a Bookworm, because Iris has to rebuild the village and its economy to improve everyone's quality of life.
She 'invents' new products like chocolate and cosmetics so easily, which is a little hard to believe as who knows how to do all of that. For a few products, yes I'd believe that, but she can reproduce so much from the modern world.
Another little issue I had was that the protagonist, Iris, had everything come so easy to her. Any new product she made was adored by everyone because her mother got involved. There's always someone pulling strings in the background for her.
The reason why I liked the book so much, despite its flaws, was for the vibes. Cosy fantasy for the win! We just follow Iris go about her day, making tiny improvements in the people around her as well as Armelia itself, and I loved it.
4.5 stars on the vibes.
Main girl Iris has been reborn as a villainess and regains her memories at the very end of the game route where her fiance dumps her for the heroine. She needs to think quick on her feet as she knows of only two possible endings for her in this game: to either be executed or sent to the nunnery.
However, she manages to convince her father that she is capable and cool-headed, who decides to send her to the family's domain, Armelia, where she'll be the governor. It reminds me of one of my favourite light novel series, Ascendance of a Bookworm, because Iris has to rebuild the village and its economy to improve everyone's quality of life.
She 'invents' new products like chocolate and cosmetics so easily, which is a little hard to believe as who knows how to do all of that. For a few products, yes I'd believe that, but she can reproduce so much from the modern world.
Another little issue I had was that the protagonist, Iris, had everything come so easy to her. Any new product she made was adored by everyone because her mother got involved. There's always someone pulling strings in the background for her.
The reason why I liked the book so much, despite its flaws, was for the vibes. Cosy fantasy for the win! We just follow Iris go about her day, making tiny improvements in the people around her as well as Armelia itself, and I loved it.
January 30, 2024
Iris is such a fun character. Once she wakes up to the life she had in Japan and relies upon her former knowledge to improve her duchy, things begin to speed up. The technical, business side was fascinating, even if it only covered the basics. The author was able to show how much effort Iris was putting into her work and the loyalty she inspired in those around her. For aspiring novelists, I feel like this is a good intro for how to write business talks while keeping it lively. I wasn't bored even though most of the dialogue concerned government affairs and financial budgets.
January 17, 2022
4.5 stars
Light novel version of a favorite manga.
Light novel version of a favorite manga.
March 16, 2025
4.5 🌟
I must say I am a novel genius 🤭🤭 can't wait to start the next book
I must say I am a novel genius 🤭🤭 can't wait to start the next book
September 19, 2018
I've read Common Sense etc. via an online fan translation. Actually, I first encountered "Accomplishments of a Duke's Daughter" as an English-Language manga, and then went looking for a text version online.
It's been fun to read. The characters are engaging and there's a real story being told.
Descriptions of CSDD tend to be misleading about what it's about. The scene-setting is appropriate for a romance: The protagonist finds herself in the medeveloid world of her dating sim, only instead of being the romantic lead she previously played in the sim, she is the antagonist - the girl who bullied the heroine and lost and is now about to receive her comeuppance.
The protagonist (and the author) walk away from that trap in the first chapter. The story becomes the story of Iris (the protagonist) taking advantage of her position (and her knowledge of our world) to improve her fief and make people's lives better - within the context of a society in which she has more enemies than she realizes.
The fief-improvement plot is shallow, because it depends on development being easy. Iris knows, from our world, what a bank is, so she tells people about banking and they exclaim "good idea!". In fact, banks go back a long ways. FAILED banks go back a long ways; it's easy to get it wrong. It's easy to get land registration wrong - a lot of modern countries are still working on it - and a common failure mode is that the land winds up registered to the well-connected. A lot of modern countries get public education wrong too. On a more-frivolous note, I looked up the history of chocolate-making, and milk chocolate turns out to be a genuinely-hard problem. My general point is that Iris's successes are improbably easy: Technical, social, and political obstacles are ignored.
On the third hand, that's kinda-okay, because CSDD isn't really about Iris improving her fief and the lives of her people either. It's an important subplot, but in the grand sweep of the story, the main questions are "Who will marry whom?", "Which faction will prevail?", "When and how will a war break out?"
It's been fun to read. The characters are engaging and there's a real story being told.
Descriptions of CSDD tend to be misleading about what it's about. The scene-setting is appropriate for a romance: The protagonist finds herself in the medeveloid world of her dating sim, only instead of being the romantic lead she previously played in the sim, she is the antagonist - the girl who bullied the heroine and lost and is now about to receive her comeuppance.
The protagonist (and the author) walk away from that trap in the first chapter. The story becomes the story of Iris (the protagonist) taking advantage of her position (and her knowledge of our world) to improve her fief and make people's lives better - within the context of a society in which she has more enemies than she realizes.
The fief-improvement plot is shallow, because it depends on development being easy. Iris knows, from our world, what a bank is, so she tells people about banking and they exclaim "good idea!". In fact, banks go back a long ways. FAILED banks go back a long ways; it's easy to get it wrong. It's easy to get land registration wrong - a lot of modern countries are still working on it - and a common failure mode is that the land winds up registered to the well-connected. A lot of modern countries get public education wrong too. On a more-frivolous note, I looked up the history of chocolate-making, and milk chocolate turns out to be a genuinely-hard problem. My general point is that Iris's successes are improbably easy: Technical, social, and political obstacles are ignored.
On the third hand, that's kinda-okay, because CSDD isn't really about Iris improving her fief and the lives of her people either. It's an important subplot, but in the grand sweep of the story, the main questions are "Who will marry whom?", "Which faction will prevail?", "When and how will a war break out?"
October 20, 2021
I don't mind slice of life or the topics this book focuses on, but this was such a boring read with a lot of untapped potential. DNF at page 105.
Nice start, then does a 180
The beginning of the book is great even though it has the standard isekai opening because it shows us an interesting conflict the MC has to wiggle out of. Then after 20 pages it just throws its entire setup and appeal out of the window and you might as well start the book with "The Duke's daughter was kind and perfect, everyone loves her (except for fools who don't know better!) and now she gets a duchy to play ruler in."
Not a villainess
So apparently the only villainous thing she did was make snide remarks at the "heroine" of the otome game she was reborn in. After she abandons the whole otome-plot, you are told she saved SEVEN orphans from the streets during her childhood to come work for her as servants (even though she hadn't reborn yet), so she now comes home to a harem of cheerleaders who are in love with her.
You're basically told from the start that the other party is wrong and the real villains and that she has actually been a great person.
No conflict & easy victories
Everything she does succeeds, everything she needs falls automatically and quickly into her lap, all of the kids she adopted as servants are now the best in the profession of their choosing and they all fit perfectly into the random amazing situation that has appeared. Literally everything goes her way, people barely even dare to question her. Such a snore.
Bare minimum characters
Characters so far only exist for two things: to make all her plans conveniently work out perfectly or to say how much they love her. The only characters who don't do this are the ones from the very beginning which are painted as foolish or mean themselves. There are no interesting interactions between her or the characters at all, or any that fall outside of these two purposes.
Nice start, then does a 180
The beginning of the book is great even though it has the standard isekai opening because it shows us an interesting conflict the MC has to wiggle out of. Then after 20 pages it just throws its entire setup and appeal out of the window and you might as well start the book with "The Duke's daughter was kind and perfect, everyone loves her (except for fools who don't know better!) and now she gets a duchy to play ruler in."
Not a villainess
So apparently the only villainous thing she did was make snide remarks at the "heroine" of the otome game she was reborn in. After she abandons the whole otome-plot, you are told she saved SEVEN orphans from the streets during her childhood to come work for her as servants (even though she hadn't reborn yet), so she now comes home to a harem of cheerleaders who are in love with her.
You're basically told from the start that the other party is wrong and the real villains and that she has actually been a great person.
No conflict & easy victories
Everything she does succeeds, everything she needs falls automatically and quickly into her lap, all of the kids she adopted as servants are now the best in the profession of their choosing and they all fit perfectly into the random amazing situation that has appeared. Literally everything goes her way, people barely even dare to question her. Such a snore.
Bare minimum characters
Characters so far only exist for two things: to make all her plans conveniently work out perfectly or to say how much they love her. The only characters who don't do this are the ones from the very beginning which are painted as foolish or mean themselves. There are no interesting interactions between her or the characters at all, or any that fall outside of these two purposes.
July 25, 2021
It's so good! The main character and the male lead (he has to be, right?) go so well together. All the concepts Iris brought in because of her past memories were explained so well it was like an economics textbook I actually enjoyed for once. Her interactions with everyone were really nice to read too, and especially her brother, Berne, was interesting to see. And the art! The art is so good, wow.
It's a bit fast-paced and I would've preferred a bit more fleshing out of the new systems they introduced (for example, troubles with getting the census, or problems with setting up the academy, or even the embezzlement problem- I would have greatly enjoyed a diversion into what was done there) though I think how it is now is quite great as well. Especially since Iris takes on a more manager role for the later stages for her projects, so it makes sense that there wasn't a lot of explanation on it, but it would have been nice to see maybe how Sei handled his project, stuff like that.
If anything it just felt a tad too smooth-sailing, but it still overall made for an enjoyable yet intriguing book. A strong 4.5 stars to begin with. Can't wait for the next volume!
It's a bit fast-paced and I would've preferred a bit more fleshing out of the new systems they introduced (for example, troubles with getting the census, or problems with setting up the academy, or even the embezzlement problem- I would have greatly enjoyed a diversion into what was done there) though I think how it is now is quite great as well. Especially since Iris takes on a more manager role for the later stages for her projects, so it makes sense that there wasn't a lot of explanation on it, but it would have been nice to see maybe how Sei handled his project, stuff like that.
If anything it just felt a tad too smooth-sailing, but it still overall made for an enjoyable yet intriguing book. A strong 4.5 stars to begin with. Can't wait for the next volume!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2021
Honestly, this is one of the most disappointing reads so far. Stagnant romance development and the story mainly focuses on her achievements in bringing economical and political change. Which, by the way, gave me a lot of headaches. I seriously feel like I'm reading an economics and history book.
September 6, 2021
I tried the manga, but it was quite boring, so I tried the novel. It was also quite boring. I’m not really into the ones where they drone on about trade routes and interest rates.
June 14, 2022
This is Ascendance of a Bookworm, only the MC doesn't face any struggle or hardship, doesn't have a distinct personality, there's no fantasy elements, and lacks any trace of charm.
July 22, 2024
This might be my favorite light novel of all time. I randomly picked this up because I had nothing else to do and didn't want to read the books I said I would read, and I'm so glad that I picked this book up. I got worried for a minute that this was going to be like every single isekai/fantasy book I've read, but as soon as I got started reading it, I loved every bit of it. I loved it so much that I had to tell my friends about it and begged them to read it.
Iris Armelia had broken her engagement to Prince Edward, the second-born son of the king, and she went back home, fearing that she would go to a nunnery for the rest of her life because of what she did and said to Prince Edward's new girlfriend, Yuri. But her father gave her a chance to turn it all around: by giving her the acting duchy/governor of Armelia. She accepted and went to Armelia and got to work, being a boss bitch and doing everything she could to make Armelia rich and better for everyone, including the commoners. She made a bank, she started her own business, she even went to the villages to tour them, to see what is it that people need and silently give it to them. She even went to see the Mayor and the Merchant's Guild to work with them and see how she can make what she wanted into fruition, which I really, really loved.
I really liked how Iris got everyone that worked for her-from the streets-and she even went to the orphanage to spend time with the children there. She even tried to protect them from a very evil landlord who wanted all of them to get out. Iris is just living her best life away from high society that she didn't even care about them--until the ending, when she got an invitation to go to the Foundation Ball. I also really liked that the people around her wanted her to take a break after working so hard to keep Armelia prosperous, which was something I really, really liked and have also enjoyed very much.
There was a scene where Yuri mentioned that she wanted to disband the military so they can feed the poor, and Iris's brother Berne started to dislike Yuri, even when he went to the country seat and seen what his sister had done while he was away at school. He saw what his sister had done, even with newcomer Dean helping around and making sure that she was doing well and Armelia was thriving.
But now I'm wondering what's going to happen at the Ball and how would Iris feel when she leaves to go back to the high society that kicked her out? I cannot wait to find out soon
Iris Armelia had broken her engagement to Prince Edward, the second-born son of the king, and she went back home, fearing that she would go to a nunnery for the rest of her life because of what she did and said to Prince Edward's new girlfriend, Yuri. But her father gave her a chance to turn it all around: by giving her the acting duchy/governor of Armelia. She accepted and went to Armelia and got to work, being a boss bitch and doing everything she could to make Armelia rich and better for everyone, including the commoners. She made a bank, she started her own business, she even went to the villages to tour them, to see what is it that people need and silently give it to them. She even went to see the Mayor and the Merchant's Guild to work with them and see how she can make what she wanted into fruition, which I really, really loved.
I really liked how Iris got everyone that worked for her-from the streets-and she even went to the orphanage to spend time with the children there. She even tried to protect them from a very evil landlord who wanted all of them to get out. Iris is just living her best life away from high society that she didn't even care about them--until the ending, when she got an invitation to go to the Foundation Ball. I also really liked that the people around her wanted her to take a break after working so hard to keep Armelia prosperous, which was something I really, really liked and have also enjoyed very much.
There was a scene where Yuri mentioned that she wanted to disband the military so they can feed the poor, and Iris's brother Berne started to dislike Yuri, even when he went to the country seat and seen what his sister had done while he was away at school. He saw what his sister had done, even with newcomer Dean helping around and making sure that she was doing well and Armelia was thriving.
But now I'm wondering what's going to happen at the Ball and how would Iris feel when she leaves to go back to the high society that kicked her out? I cannot wait to find out soon
June 24, 2022
Today's post is on Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter: Novel 1 by Reia. It is 244 pages long and is published by Airship. The cover is an illustration of the main character and her two personal body guards. The intended reader is someone who likes Japanese novels, reincarnation stories, and smart heroines. The story is told from mostly first person perspective of Iris, the main character, with some asides in third person from other characters for plot and world building. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- A Twist of Fate
Iris Armelia, the daughter of a powerful duke, is arrested and forced to her knees in front of her fiancé. Her betrothed, Prince Edward, is rejecting her for another woman! As Iris's life flashes before her eyes, she suddenly realized she knows exactly what is coming next- because she has been reincarnated into her favorite otome game as its villainess. Quick thinking saves her from exile, but Iris can't rest yet. If she wants to survive this world that sees her wicked, she'll have to change the world itself.
Review- This is an interesting novel about a woman who gets reincarnated into a game world and she goes about changing it for the better. Iris was in the middle of being publicly broken up with when the memories of her past life came back to her. So instead of being exiled, she convinces her father that she has changed and wants to be responsible. He decides to trust her and makes the governor of their estates as a test. That is basic plot add in some economics and background political intrigue and that is this first novel. I really a good time reading this novel, I liked how Iris used her knowledge from her past life to make this world better, I like all the characters, I like how the world building is slow and steady, and I like that time is addressed in this novel. As you read the novel, you know how much time has past for Iris and her plans. I think that helps make the world more realistic that things just take time. I forward to reading the next volume.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and this novel was bought for me as a gift.
From the back of the book- A Twist of Fate
Iris Armelia, the daughter of a powerful duke, is arrested and forced to her knees in front of her fiancé. Her betrothed, Prince Edward, is rejecting her for another woman! As Iris's life flashes before her eyes, she suddenly realized she knows exactly what is coming next- because she has been reincarnated into her favorite otome game as its villainess. Quick thinking saves her from exile, but Iris can't rest yet. If she wants to survive this world that sees her wicked, she'll have to change the world itself.
Review- This is an interesting novel about a woman who gets reincarnated into a game world and she goes about changing it for the better. Iris was in the middle of being publicly broken up with when the memories of her past life came back to her. So instead of being exiled, she convinces her father that she has changed and wants to be responsible. He decides to trust her and makes the governor of their estates as a test. That is basic plot add in some economics and background political intrigue and that is this first novel. I really a good time reading this novel, I liked how Iris used her knowledge from her past life to make this world better, I like all the characters, I like how the world building is slow and steady, and I like that time is addressed in this novel. As you read the novel, you know how much time has past for Iris and her plans. I think that helps make the world more realistic that things just take time. I forward to reading the next volume.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and this novel was bought for me as a gift.
February 14, 2025
Okay guys, look. Look. This is an iseki. Some random 40 yr old tax accountant chick in Japan dies and is reincarnated into this duke's daughter. She only remembers this when she (the duke's daughter) is brought to her knees because she's been really catty and shitty towards the girl who stole her fiance. Magically, mysteriously, unknowingly, this life she's leading right now is just like a dating sim game she played before she died. Wow. Will wonders never cease? God bless the iseki genre.
Oh, and her fiance was the prince (who's probably going to get kinged.) So the side chick also stole her country as well.
She's basically banished but because she's a 40 yr old in a 16 yr old body, she behaves nicely and her father sends her to their lands to govern them.
So what does this woman, who (we're told) basically worked herself to death, do in exile? How does this 40 yr old, who finds herself a fresh 16 yr old and was born into the second most powerful family in the kingdom, do?
That's right. You got it in one. She starts the first mega beauty fashion and lifestyle corp, starts the industrial revolution, ensures all her get education and healthcare, and starts turning the country into a constitutional monarchy.
At first I'm like, what? Die were worked to death and now you have this great hot young bod, but you're going to spend 12 hr days toiling? Why? Why would you do this? I would not do this, let me tell you!
And then I realized the brilliance of this. This bad bish was denied being queen by some lowly baron's daughter so what does she do? She turns the fucking country into a constitutional monarchy. Like, fuck man. She's using the boring government to steal the birth right of this future King.
I've been mad before but I've never been "Imma change the government from the ground up to fuck you over" mad. In all honesty, it's probably because I'm lazy AF. Regardless, I told myself I would not read past book 1 but I'm already in book 2. sigh.
Oh, and her fiance was the prince (who's probably going to get kinged.) So the side chick also stole her country as well.
She's basically banished but because she's a 40 yr old in a 16 yr old body, she behaves nicely and her father sends her to their lands to govern them.
So what does this woman, who (we're told) basically worked herself to death, do in exile? How does this 40 yr old, who finds herself a fresh 16 yr old and was born into the second most powerful family in the kingdom, do?
That's right. You got it in one. She starts the first mega beauty fashion and lifestyle corp, starts the industrial revolution, ensures all her get education and healthcare, and starts turning the country into a constitutional monarchy.
At first I'm like, what? Die were worked to death and now you have this great hot young bod, but you're going to spend 12 hr days toiling? Why? Why would you do this? I would not do this, let me tell you!
And then I realized the brilliance of this. This bad bish was denied being queen by some lowly baron's daughter so what does she do? She turns the fucking country into a constitutional monarchy. Like, fuck man. She's using the boring government to steal the birth right of this future King.
I've been mad before but I've never been "Imma change the government from the ground up to fuck you over" mad. In all honesty, it's probably because I'm lazy AF. Regardless, I told myself I would not read past book 1 but I'm already in book 2. sigh.
October 14, 2018
This is one of the more well written light novels I've read in the past month or so ( during my period of complete obsession with reading this genre ) it's a fun read that starts light but gets pretty heavy as the plot progress.
The story goes that the protagonist plays an otome game -pls don't ask me what that is and just Google it- until the sun shines.then she goes to work and gets herself killed in a car accident,sucks right? Well she wakes up and finds herself in the game she was playing the night befor,only the wasn't the main character but the goddamn villain -the fiancée of the main love interest- and the time she wakes up to is the ending of the game where the "villain" A.K.A her gets humiliated then sent off by her father to become a nun (yikes) .But our lovely protagonist, using the knowledge of her past life and "common sense" -haha..get it..yea..- gets herself out of that sticky situation.and starts to live the life she has now to its fullest,trying to bring prosperity to her country and its people.
The main character -iris- is both smart and lovable,which is pretty tough thing to pull off in a light novel.though she can sometimes come off as too perfect and lot of the things she can do because of her past life's knowledge is a bunch of bullshit,but these issues are minor enough that I'm willing to ingore them for the sake of enjoying my time.
Also having a clear love interest is kinda refreshing.seeing as most of theses stories tend to keeps the end goal as ambiguous as possible.
Some plot twists can be seen a mile away while others gave me the literal chill when hey were revealed.
All in all .pretty damn good ｡+ﾟ.。+。(´ω｀*)♪♪
Tl;Dr it's a pro capialist message wearing a dress.read if you find this sentence intersitng
The story goes that the protagonist plays an otome game -pls don't ask me what that is and just Google it- until the sun shines.then she goes to work and gets herself killed in a car accident,sucks right? Well she wakes up and finds herself in the game she was playing the night befor,only the wasn't the main character but the goddamn villain -the fiancée of the main love interest- and the time she wakes up to is the ending of the game where the "villain" A.K.A her gets humiliated then sent off by her father to become a nun (yikes) .But our lovely protagonist, using the knowledge of her past life and "common sense" -haha..get it..yea..- gets herself out of that sticky situation.and starts to live the life she has now to its fullest,trying to bring prosperity to her country and its people.
The main character -iris- is both smart and lovable,which is pretty tough thing to pull off in a light novel.though she can sometimes come off as too perfect and lot of the things she can do because of her past life's knowledge is a bunch of bullshit,but these issues are minor enough that I'm willing to ingore them for the sake of enjoying my time.
Also having a clear love interest is kinda refreshing.seeing as most of theses stories tend to keeps the end goal as ambiguous as possible.
Some plot twists can be seen a mile away while others gave me the literal chill when hey were revealed.
All in all .pretty damn good ｡+ﾟ.。+。(´ω｀*)♪♪
Tl;Dr it's a pro capialist message wearing a dress.read if you find this sentence intersitng
August 6, 2022
This was a really fun read! The focus on finance and business and royal politics added a super interesting element to it all - while also being a great backdrop to a brewing romance.
“Everyone, I have to ask you again. Will you follow me?”
While this falls into the genre of isekai, I consider it a more lightly applied version of it. Iris’s former life guides a lot of her choices here but she doesn’t spend a lot of it lamenting about the “game” that landed her there. The main elements of it come from her utilizing things from our world to create a booming business and immense growth for the lands they inhabit!
Her intense determination to make everything bigger and better and more sustainable is really commendable. Reading how she works makes me yearn for more productivity in my own life, lol.
There’s still quintessential elements of light and web novels here though! It’s not all business. Iris’s close knit group of employees-who-are-family makes for some comedic and cute moments. Tanya, her closest friend, is overprotective and justified in being so. There is also the burgeoning romance between Iris and the elusive and mysterious man she hires later on in the book! It’s a pretty easy secret to find out, but I like where it’s all going.
I like how this story is tackling themes of dependence, how time makes progress, and not overworking one’s self. It’s so easy in today’s climate to want to go, go, go - but that’s not healthy! I like how much Iris embodies those lessons for us as readers.
Overall, having so much fun reading this. I got more sucked in than I thought I would! Will be picking up the next one sooner rather than later, especially with where this one ended.
“Everyone, I have to ask you again. Will you follow me?”
While this falls into the genre of isekai, I consider it a more lightly applied version of it. Iris’s former life guides a lot of her choices here but she doesn’t spend a lot of it lamenting about the “game” that landed her there. The main elements of it come from her utilizing things from our world to create a booming business and immense growth for the lands they inhabit!
Her intense determination to make everything bigger and better and more sustainable is really commendable. Reading how she works makes me yearn for more productivity in my own life, lol.
There’s still quintessential elements of light and web novels here though! It’s not all business. Iris’s close knit group of employees-who-are-family makes for some comedic and cute moments. Tanya, her closest friend, is overprotective and justified in being so. There is also the burgeoning romance between Iris and the elusive and mysterious man she hires later on in the book! It’s a pretty easy secret to find out, but I like where it’s all going.
I like how this story is tackling themes of dependence, how time makes progress, and not overworking one’s self. It’s so easy in today’s climate to want to go, go, go - but that’s not healthy! I like how much Iris embodies those lessons for us as readers.
Overall, having so much fun reading this. I got more sucked in than I thought I would! Will be picking up the next one sooner rather than later, especially with where this one ended.
September 19, 2025
Iris was a workaholic who loved playing otome games during what little free time she had. Everything changed when she was hit by a car and woke up in one of the games she played! Now she’s Iris Almeria, and even though she’s the daughter of the Prime Minister himself, she’s had the unfortunate luck of remembering who she used to be right as she’s about to get the bad ending of the game. If she thinks fast, can she avoid getting sent to a nunnery?
I read the first eight volumes of the manga adaptation of this series, so of course I had to check out the light novels! We follow Iris Almeria right as she’s getting the bad ending of the otome game she played in her past life… or is she? Because she’s using her newly remembered past life to squeak by and find fulfillment with her new path in life! We quickly discover that Iris was never truly a villainess to anyone but her ex-fiancé's soon to be new fiancé.
While I enjoyed reading this, I found that there are very few differences between it and the manga adaptation. I was expecting there to be at least some expansion of the story and characters, but at this point, I might as well have skipped reading the light novel since I already read the manga. I’m going to check out the next volume anyway, but if it turns out to just be the written account of every panel of the manga adaptation, there’s a good chance I’m going to bow out since the only difference is the form it takes to tell the story.
I read the first eight volumes of the manga adaptation of this series, so of course I had to check out the light novels! We follow Iris Almeria right as she’s getting the bad ending of the otome game she played in her past life… or is she? Because she’s using her newly remembered past life to squeak by and find fulfillment with her new path in life! We quickly discover that Iris was never truly a villainess to anyone but her ex-fiancé's soon to be new fiancé.
While I enjoyed reading this, I found that there are very few differences between it and the manga adaptation. I was expecting there to be at least some expansion of the story and characters, but at this point, I might as well have skipped reading the light novel since I already read the manga. I’m going to check out the next volume anyway, but if it turns out to just be the written account of every panel of the manga adaptation, there’s a good chance I’m going to bow out since the only difference is the form it takes to tell the story.
February 9, 2022
this is more like a 3.5 in my book but it's only the first (fairly short) book in the series so im holding any extreme hang-ups until further in.
story starts off at the classic broken engagement scene and its great how you can feel the betrayal our MC is facing/ the ridiculousness over the situation.
the buildup to how she acquires the dukedom and leads it afterwards is heading to some great face slapping, however that's all it is. just buildup. there is a lot, and i mean a lot, of exposition on building a government and solving economic issues using produce like cacao beans and sushi which is okay but i'm personally not reading villainess stories for a look into capitalism and governing. iris' success also relies heavily on how lucky she is with the dukedom land (again cacao beans and sushi? its not improbable but trying to imagine the map gets confusing), and i frequently get stuck over how the king is allowing all of this success since it seems like she's almost making her own mini kingdom. i did enjoy seeing the dynamics around iris, and there are some satisfying scenes but i'm still waiting for her big comeback against the other "capture targets."
to be fair, it seems like i only have to play the waiting game to get to this moment, so i'm definitely reading the next book!
story starts off at the classic broken engagement scene and its great how you can feel the betrayal our MC is facing/ the ridiculousness over the situation.
the buildup to how she acquires the dukedom and leads it afterwards is heading to some great face slapping, however that's all it is. just buildup. there is a lot, and i mean a lot, of exposition on building a government and solving economic issues using produce like cacao beans and sushi which is okay but i'm personally not reading villainess stories for a look into capitalism and governing. iris' success also relies heavily on how lucky she is with the dukedom land (again cacao beans and sushi? its not improbable but trying to imagine the map gets confusing), and i frequently get stuck over how the king is allowing all of this success since it seems like she's almost making her own mini kingdom. i did enjoy seeing the dynamics around iris, and there are some satisfying scenes but i'm still waiting for her big comeback against the other "capture targets."
to be fair, it seems like i only have to play the waiting game to get to this moment, so i'm definitely reading the next book!
July 20, 2024
I put this down as fantasy, but the only real fantasy element is that it's reincarnation isekai. The setting is a generic European fantasy setting, but there's no magic or anything similar. The heroine is going to make the place into a generic capitalist utopia by the end of the series.
Hm. It's written well and nicely translated. It's also a generic 'reincarnated as a game/literary villainess' novel. To illustrate this generic nature: part way through I became confused about why the heroine was scared of some goons when she was an A-rank adventurer. Except the adventurer was the heroine of the book I read before this one. I couldn't tell the difference between the characters. Iris is clever and her plans are sort of interesting, but she has the isekai protagonist superpower of never having anything go wrong for her. Really, from the moment she's 'cast out of society' to the end of the book, nothing happens to get in her way. Actually, nothing much happens.
Also, this volume ends on a cliffhanger clearly designed to force you into ready volume two. I hate that stuff; one star lost for doing it.
Okay read, but don't expect anything interesting to happen.
Hm. It's written well and nicely translated. It's also a generic 'reincarnated as a game/literary villainess' novel. To illustrate this generic nature: part way through I became confused about why the heroine was scared of some goons when she was an A-rank adventurer. Except the adventurer was the heroine of the book I read before this one. I couldn't tell the difference between the characters. Iris is clever and her plans are sort of interesting, but she has the isekai protagonist superpower of never having anything go wrong for her. Really, from the moment she's 'cast out of society' to the end of the book, nothing happens to get in her way. Actually, nothing much happens.
Also, this volume ends on a cliffhanger clearly designed to force you into ready volume two. I hate that stuff; one star lost for doing it.
Okay read, but don't expect anything interesting to happen.
August 11, 2020
Esta ya ea la segunda vez que leo este libro de la serie que es la historia y sigo amando la historia tanto como la primera vez que la leí.
Esta no es la típica novela de reencarnación en la que la protagonista se convierte en "la villana de un juego Otome" y decide cambiar su final; está novela inicia cuando el juego ya terminó, es decir cuando la villana ya está en el final, cuando su prometido la dejo por la protagonista.
El compromiso de Iris con el segundo principe del reino Ed es roto. Iris despierta en el momento de su juicio y antes que pedir disculpas por los "malvados actos" que ha hecho mantiene su orgullo. Siento que eso dice mucho de como es la protagonista.
Este primer libro sirve como introducción a los personajes; da un buen vistazo de como es Iris y sus amigos/sirvientes y empieza a cambiar el mundo en el que ella se relaciona debido a que ella es El Representante del Señor Feudal y decide mejorarlas condiciones en las que viven los de su feudo.
Los capítulos de está novela son del 1 al 31.
Esta no es la típica novela de reencarnación en la que la protagonista se convierte en "la villana de un juego Otome" y decide cambiar su final; está novela inicia cuando el juego ya terminó, es decir cuando la villana ya está en el final, cuando su prometido la dejo por la protagonista.
El compromiso de Iris con el segundo principe del reino Ed es roto. Iris despierta en el momento de su juicio y antes que pedir disculpas por los "malvados actos" que ha hecho mantiene su orgullo. Siento que eso dice mucho de como es la protagonista.
Este primer libro sirve como introducción a los personajes; da un buen vistazo de como es Iris y sus amigos/sirvientes y empieza a cambiar el mundo en el que ella se relaciona debido a que ella es El Representante del Señor Feudal y decide mejorarlas condiciones en las que viven los de su feudo.
Los capítulos de está novela son del 1 al 31.
June 4, 2021
Like so many isekai novels, the book starts with Iris, the Duke's daughter, remembering her life as a tax accountant in Japan, one who died due to an accident and she is now the villainess of one of her many dating games in a medieval-like European world. Unlike most, there is no combat, no magic, just character and kingdom development and well told story about that much more is going on behind the scenes of her favourite game told mostly from her perspective with a few switches here and there. All good things in my opinion.
My one point of critic is that IMO it is a tad too optimistic about people surrounding Iris, no bad apple, and all very willing to accept big changes without protest. There is ample of corruption, just not in her direct surroundings. The result was that at times it felt a bit preachy. Lets just assume Iris, her mother and father are excellent judges of character and leave it at that. It does not distract from the story and I know things will not stay this easy since I did read the manga.
If you like political intrigue (mostly in future parts although there are hints sprinkled throughout the book - which is the biggest difference with the manga where this much more important aspect only shows up in later parts) with a dash of kingdom development (the focus of this part) then this is the book for you. I certainly really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the next part.
My one point of critic is that IMO it is a tad too optimistic about people surrounding Iris, no bad apple, and all very willing to accept big changes without protest. There is ample of corruption, just not in her direct surroundings. The result was that at times it felt a bit preachy. Lets just assume Iris, her mother and father are excellent judges of character and leave it at that. It does not distract from the story and I know things will not stay this easy since I did read the manga.
If you like political intrigue (mostly in future parts although there are hints sprinkled throughout the book - which is the biggest difference with the manga where this much more important aspect only shows up in later parts) with a dash of kingdom development (the focus of this part) then this is the book for you. I certainly really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the next part.
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