There were more otome-inspired isekai books (with or without explicit villainesses) than ever this year. This is just one of many titles J-Novel Club added to their library this year.
LADY ROSE JUST WANTS TO BE A COMMONER (Lady Rose wa Heimin ni Naratai), based on the light novel series by Kooriame and designs by Hidakanami, with art by Yura Kiyose. First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2023.
PLOT:
Like so many stories, this begins with the end of an engagement. Felicia Schwarose couldn't be happier about it, though. She knows this story all too well from her time watching it play out in her favorite otome game, and she knew that going forward with that marriage would only lead to her death. She's perfectly content to abandon her noble life for that of a humble baker, but the other noblemen/love interests have different ideas. They want to clear Felicia's name or claim her as their own, and it's going to take all of Felicia's cunning and knowledge to dodge their advances and continue her carefree life.
