What I love about The Villainess Turns the Hourglass is that Aria is actually a villainess. Yes, she was manipulated, but she actually did most of the things she was accused of.
I root for her more because she's the main character and comes from a common background. She didn't have the same education or support as Mielle did. However, there are absolutely parallels between her original fate and that of Mielle's.
In the first timeline, Aria was manipulated by Emma and Mielle into being cruel to others. She knew next to nothing about noble etiquette. Yes, part of that's her fault because she rejected any attempt to get her tutors, but she was at a distinct disadvantage having spent the earliest years of her life in poverty. So when maids advised her to do certain things, she didn't have a good sense of when they were giving her good advice or bad.
We also see that her mother was kind of hands off. She loved her daughter but didn't really know how to parent. So Aria had basically her maids, and Jessie was the only one giving her good advice.
Mielle was born noble and had all the benefits of education and growing up in that life. However, she was manipulated by Emma. She was just a kid when Aria and her mother came to live with them, and she had the only mother figure in her life whispering in her ear about how Mielle was better and these people were threats. In Mary Sue world, sure, she could have rejected Emma's words, but realistically, kids of that age don't question what they're taught. Maybe when they get older, but not without something to shake their world view. Then, of course, Aria later started manipulating her in the second timeline.
It's a refreshing change from manhwas that have the villainess really be a saint and it all being a misunderstanding.
Honestly that’s why I still like “The Villainess turns the hourglass” despite becoming a bit more aware of its flaws and not being as into it compared to the past. Aria is an actual villainess and acknowledges that she had a part in her original downfall. The “villainess” title isn’t something just for marketing, Aria actually does things that are villainous
