Reading chapter 2

I wonder if the wicked witch accidentally trapped herself in a body that can't use magic. Serves her right, if so.

I like the art, I like the premise, I don't like the dedication to nothing actually happening

Slice of life is fun for some of us.

Though something is on the brink of happening by chapter 15.

Pretty stereotypical cottagecore SOL, but the body swapping aspect is interesting. Looking forward to when the witch and the queen confronts each other and we get to hear the witch's backstory. Though, I feel like it'd take until 50+ chapters before it happens.

last edited at Sep 9, 2024 2:36AM

We did get a glimpse of Marietta's old body, suggesting the premise won't be completely ignored. But this is a manga of a web novel, so who knows how much material there is.

Oh right, also Marietta having a bleed-through memory of the witch being burned. So there's some shadow on the fluff.

Well, at least it's not a gender bender. It seems like every time there's a body swap story, a gender bender is bound to be involved.

This is kinda neat. I wonder if this kind of multinational production is a new thing in manga?

I'm not sure if the Melve Tree really adds much to the story. To me it seems like it should have been a recurring character, but not a regular one. I hope the author will prove me wrong.

I wonder if the witch intentionally chose her to body swap in order to get rid of her magic. Considering what little we've seen of her past it doesn't seem unlikely that she wanted to live her life powerless. This does raise the question of how she found Marietta in the first place, though, especially since they didn't even live in the same country. And there's also the fact that they look alike, could it be more than just a coincidence?

My guess is classic villain stuff. Swap in with the adjacent royalty and then guide that country to strike down the people in her home country whom she has a grudge against, all from a position of privilege and with beauty unmarred. But swapping into a magic-less body is the kind of twist she couldn't see coming. The girl's from nobility, and expected to do a fancy mystic rite, how could she possibly have no magic at all! And thus why she's gone listless when the story cut to her. Without magic I don't think she has any leverage over that cold eyed prince, nor can she bail. All she's got is the presumably still soulbound dragon. Which, wicked witch that she was, may have been forced into things in the first place, and if so is probably chafing now she's powerless.

Yeah I would expect a development like "turns out the evil witch is kinda complicated and I sympathize with her and lets be friends" due to how the MC has already repeatedly thanked the witch for what she did. Maybe they'll work together to overthrow Asshole Prince, ala "The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady" (this will probably not be yuri lol but maybe!)

My guess is classic villain stuff. Swap in with the adjacent royalty and then guide that country to strike down the people in her home country whom she has a grudge against, all from a position of privilege and with beauty unmarred. But swapping into a magic-less body is the kind of twist she couldn't see coming. The girl's from nobility, and expected to do a fancy mystic rite, how could she possibly have no magic at all! And thus why she's gone listless when the story cut to her. Without magic I don't think she has any leverage over that cold eyed prince, nor can she bail. All she's got is the presumably still soulbound dragon. Which, wicked witch that she was, may have been forced into things in the first place, and if so is probably chafing now she's powerless.

Yeah, this does seem quite likely. I hadn't considered the possibility that she's looking for revenge (even though it seems like the most obvious route now that you brought it up). Considering how the cat was bound to the house against her will, I'd imagine the same to be true for the dragon as well. I'm still wondering about their similar appearances, though. Was it only added to accentuate the contrast between the two? I hope it turns out to be actually relevant to the plot in some way.

This is cute. I will happily read more.

Pretty stereotypical cottagecore SOL, but the body swapping aspect is interesting. Looking forward to when the witch and the queen confronts each other and we get to hear the witch's backstory. Though, I feel like it'd take until 50+ chapters before it happens.

I agree with all of this, and share your sentiments and suspicions as well.

But mostly I just wanted to say that I'd never heard the term "cottagecore", before, but I completely understand the idea in an instant.

Progress: chap 2

Oops that witch kinda shot her own foot. Being a routine magic user before swapping into a body without magic capability is going to feel like suddenly losing an arm and a leg (or even losing ability to see and hear, either temporarily or permanently)

Progress: chap 15

Wow it ends in a very precarious place...
Though my guess would be "I'll interrogate her personally" - "wtf are you doing here do you know how much those people hate you"

Progress: chap 16 (not yet available on Dynasty)

Okay that turned to be better than I thought.

last edited at Jan 26, 2025 7:06AM

So few comments, such a great series!

...I guess I should subscribe over on mdex, where several chapters had gone up earlier...

last edited at Apr 24, 2025 6:53PM

Cute and fluffy as always, but I kind-of wish the makeup didn't completely hide her scar and she learned to accept it, but because it would have differentiated further shown the differences between her and the witch and because it raises questions about why the witch didn't just use some makeup, if the scar bothered her so much.

i wish i can read het content... Looks nice though, hope yall have fun

I'm not familiar with cottagecore stuff, but I like how she's unironically a Disney Princess.

Cute and fluffy as always, but I kind-of wish the makeup didn't completely hide her scar and she learned to accept it, but because it would have differentiated further shown the differences between her and the witch and because it raises questions about why the witch didn't just use some makeup, if the scar bothered her so much.

The original Witch seems to have been deeply traumatized and driven primarily by spite and anger at past grievances, so the scar probably bothered her for mostly embodying said trauma moreso than for being unattractive.

She obviously didn't socialize with anyone, so she probably didn't care about it "being seen" as much as she just obsessed over it being there at all, hidden or not.

On a characterization level, I think their different ways of handling the scar illustrate the major differences in character between Maria and the original Witch.

The original Witch did nothing to change herself or face her problems and instead forced her surroundings to conform to her, covering the mirrors in the house and scaring people away rather than try to compromise "herself."

Maria does the opposite, covers the scar so "it won't bother anyone" and tries to find a middle ground between her and other people to make peace wherever there's friction even at her own expense and even though she's not actually the one at fault. She "compromises herself" to adapt and make peace whereas the original Witch clung to the past and obsessed over herself at the expense of being able to co-exist with others.

...Though yes, I do agree it would be nice if she comes to accept the scar without hiding it.

On that same note, the old Witch became so miserable she eventually rejected her life entirely and assumed someone else's, while Maria does the opposite and wholeheartedly accepts a new one that was forced upon her.

last edited at Apr 25, 2025 4:55AM

My guess is that the makeup will fail at a dramatically appropriate time in the future. Bonus points if the previous witch is somehow in the picture by then and sees the knight shrug at the reveal. Double secret bonus points if the scar is then later used to foil attempts at identity based skullduggery.

And wow, if she shares her story the knight and her really have a lot in common with regard to medieval high society making them miserable. But there's also the political aspect to consider; she is from a rival nation' aristocracy after all. Probably wouldn't matter to him so much, but it might be enough to convince her to not fully disclose things.