The Saintess and the Villainess is a serial webnovel by Teddy Asplund.
When normal office-worker Anne dies unexpectedly one day, she finds that she has suddenly become the main character of the novel she was reading just before her death.
The original novel, The Foundling's Wings, was the story of an orphaned elf who was raised by the Church of Coris and became the Saintess, a religious figure that helped lead a rebellion against the Wyernwolf Empire, falling in love with the Grand Duke in the process.
But as a reader, Anne couldn't stand the Grand Duke. Instead, her favorite character was Lady Corvina Wyernmal, the main villainess of the novel, who died violently at the hands of the Duke during the rebellion.
In her new role as the Saintess, Anne is determined to find a way to save Lady Corvina, as well as many of the other characters who died in the course of the original novel.
The problem is, the world of The Foundling's Wings is a dangerous place run by political maneuvering and social manipulation, and Anne has never been very socially skilled.
But Lady Corvina is a master of the social order, being highly skilled in subtle schemes and politicking.
So in order to change the flow of the original novel and save the life of the villainess, Anne will need help from the villainess herself.
The Saintess and The Villainess can be read on Tapas
, Wattpad, or Royal Road (here).
The Saintess and the Villainess contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: The Emperor to both Corvina and Prince Sebastian. When they were children, he threatened to kill their governess if they would not kill a bird each. When Sebastian refuses, the Emperor ends up killing Sebastian's mother in front of them, instead.
- Black Magic: Eva seems to make use of this.
- Butch Lesbian: Anne is initially uncomfortable in the role as Saintess due to the feminine appearance and demeanor expected of her and eventually cuts her hair short and refuses to wear dresses, insisting that wearing pants will bring her closer to the Goddess.
- Doorstop Baby: Anne and Eva were both abandoned by their parents and subsequently raised by The Church, although Eva was more a Doorstop Child, having been abandoned as an 8 year-old rather than as a baby.
- Falsely Reformed Villain: Duke Marshall as he appeared in The Foundling's Wings is implied to have been faking his remorse.
- Gayngst: Prince Sebastian is dealing with this.
- Girl Posse: Played with. The other girls in Corvina's Bastard's Club were minor characters in the original novel who fulfilled this role, but are people with their own opinions and goals when Anne meets them.
- Good Shepherd: The original saintess was this in The Foundling's Wings. Anne seems less dedicated to her official church role, although she still plays the part.
- Hates Wearing Dresses: Anne had not worn one for years before being transported into the world of The Foundling's Wing.
- Heroic Bastard: Although she was the villainess of the "original novel," Corvina is one of the main viewpoint characters and heroes of this story.
- Hidden Elf Village: Most elves in this world live in a hidden city inside The Sacred Forest, the magic of which protects them from outsiders. An important plot point in The Foundling's Wing involved the burning of this forest and this event is part of what Anne is trying to keep from happening.
- Important Haircut: Anne cuts most of her hair off when she decided to go Off the Rails from The Foundling's Wings.
- Manipulative Bastard: This book is full of manipulative bastards, but Corvina is especially notable as a quite literal example (being the illegitimate daughter of the emperor).
- Missing Mom: Corvina's mother fled to another country after she was born, and she was subsequently raised by her father (sort of) and her uncle. Anne was raised by The Church as an orphan, but while she later found out who her father was, it's still unknown who her mother might be.
- Nephewism: Corvina's Uncle Ulrich stepped up to take care of her when her mother ran off.
- Next Life as a Fictional Character: Anne dies in her previous world and wakes up inhabiting the body of the main character of a novel she had been reading when she dies.
- Prince Charming Wannabe: Duke Marshall attempts to court Anne who actively dislikes him.
- Show Within a Show: The Foundling's Wings was the novel Anne was reading when she died and got transported into.
- Sinister Minister: Bishop Geist, the leader of the Church of Coris, seems to have no problem with blackmailing Eva and using both her and Anne to further the power of the church among the Wyernwolf Empire's nobility
- Son of a Whore: Corvina's mother was a sex worker, a fact her father likes to remind her of.
- Technicolor Eyes: Corvina has pink eyes.
- Transparent Closet: Downplayed. While both Duke Marshall and Corvina know about Sebastian being gay despite his deep desire to hide it, they are also the two people who know him best and both known for their cunning.
