Tbh if one need requirement for antagonist-ori!Heroine, Sheria is perfect. I was bored with dumb bad ori! heroine or the pure white lotus one. Sly and clever type like this one is refreshing
Was thinking this while reading, sheria is an incredibly well done twist villain. Especially since she
is not evil bc she is innocent, feminine or the usual parameters that can end up with the villains feeling like they're leaning in on some misogynist tropes.
She arguably, is evil bc she
enjoys it and has been raised to see crushing people as the most effective way due to her status, privilege and entitlement instilled in her as a high ranking noble who finds it easy to be charismatic, particularly since she didn't at any point NEED to do these things in the cruel ways she does.
All the things she has, she (and her parents & now fiance) got on the basis of abusing mel on a personal level, and on the public front, the common people. Through exploiting systems that cyclically reward the people with good press, power, money and merciless tactics.
Its such an interesting way of exploring how people with bad intentions will put themselves in a position of both status, and moral authority, in addition to spreading false rumours to push their own reputation to even further heights to silence their victims. It feels... Realistic in its components even if the setting itself is fantastical.
(also on a more light hearted note here's hoping mel & isaac smooch soon lol)