This is a series I keep going back to, and in fact has become a standard by which I measure other isekai/otome isekai against. The pacing is excellent, the characterization of everyone is amusing, and the motivations underlying the plot are comprehensible (within the logic of the fictional world).
This story is told from the point of Cecil, the prince and love interest to the heroine. He meets the female lead, Bertia, as a child where she announces she is a villainess and promises to live up to her assigned role for his sake. The prince begins as a cynical, cold young prodigy but through their interactions and his growing fascination with her, he warms to people and builds a foundation of friends and companions. The fact you're able to see from his point of view what he thinks of Bertia makes this character growth realistic. He has a surprising amount of self-awareness (especially for a shoujo manga lead).
The support characters are done pretty well as each of them has personalities and interests. They're friends of the main characters and are reverent towards them, but also have their own love interests. I wouldn't call them well-developed since the series is so short and you only see a snippet, but it's enough to draw you in and hope for their happiness. However, one criticism I do have is that all the female faces look very, very similar. You end up relying on hair to tell people apart.
My favorite thing is that the plot that Bertia pushes them towards makes sense. She knows the alternate endings and outcomes if the prince loses. She recognizes and embraces that this reincarnated world is her life, and there are consequences for choices. Her stubbornness ultimately pans out, as the fact she and not Heronia was the one to thaw the prince's heart made for a happier outcome for everyone. I might go as far as to say one of the themes is to be kind and do things for other people. A simple lesson to learn but hey, this is a shoujo manga.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this manga and anticipate I'll be revisiting this in the future on many, many re-reads when I'm tired of waiting on releases for manhwa that have gone on for many times the length (lol). Honestly, that's one of the best parts of this story--it ends.
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