| “ | … You are good with people who are higher to you. I am good with people who are under to me. | „ |
| ~ Isis's thoughts about Mielle (chapter 39 Manwha) |
Isis Frederick, commonly referred to as Princess Isis, is a main character and an antagonist in the series The Villainess Turns the Hourglass. She is the eldest child of Duke Frederick and the most prominent figure of the Aristocratic Fraction.
About[]
Isis is described as a young noble lady at the pinnacle of power, being immensely influential in noble society to the point where she is generally referred to as "Princess Isis" in reference to her near-certain engagement with Asterope Franz. In the original line of events, the Aristocratic Fraction was successful in pressuring the Crown Prince into entering a political marriage with her; as the Crown Princess, Isis is said to have been the true regent of the Empire, with the Imperial family being de facto powerless and the entirety of noble society being subservient to her. She was also the one to have organized Mielle Roscente's engagement to her brother Oscar Frederick, giving her considerable power and influence in noble society and effectively rendering Aria Roscente powerless against her stepsister.
It can be argued that Isis serves as the true main antagonist of the series, being Mielle’s most influential benefactor as well as the person who encouraged Mielle in carrying out her schemes against Aria in the first place, telling Mielle to get rid of her and her mother because she thought they besmirched the name of the Count. As the head of the Aristocratic Fraction, she is also the main political opponent of Asher, who originally lost the struggle for power against her but, thanks to Aria’s advice, manages to hold his own and avoid critical mistakes (such as continuing to operate the casino under his watch). The Aristocratic Fraction is drastically weakened following the casino disaster, the Crown Prince cutting of trade with faraway provinces, and the rise of successful businesses under Aria’s watch that finally end up on Asher’s side.
As her influence dwindles over the course of the story, Isis begins to conspire to marry King Lohan Croa and overthrow the Imperial family, recruiting and housing large amounts of Croan soldiers in the estates of the Aristocratic Fraction; however, she is betrayed by Lohan, who is revealed to have been on the Crown Prince’s side all along, and the entire front row of the Aristocratic Fraction, including Isis, is executed for treason.
At the end of the series, Isis is reincarnated into the body of Neke, a commoner who came back from the dead, and uses this opportunity to teach the commoners how to read. Much like Mielle’s new ending, both women eventually changed.
Appearance[]
Isis is a tall young woman with an appearance befitting of her prestigious position, wearing high-class jewelry (such as earrings) which makes her look decidedly regal. She has a slender build, wide shoulders and golden eyes that resemble those of Oscar Frederick. Like most noble ladies in the series, Isis has very pale skin, though her most noticeable physical attribute is her long black hair, which she keeps in a bun with distinctive shoulder braids on each side that frame her face and luxurious hair accessories. Her eyes and eyebrows are quite slanted and small, unlike those of her brother, leading her to appear much more villainous. Most prominently, Isis is seen using a multitude of fans throughout the series, which she employs in a variety of ways for the purposes of gesturing. In a manner reflective of her position in society, Isis wears long and extravagant clothes with particularly luxurious sleeves that are quite closely tied around the waist region.
Personality[]
Much like Asher, Isis is a twisted and calculating individual, caring about power and influence above anything else. Isis carries herself in a highly refined manner and is generally rather calm, rarely losing her composure and thinking first and foremost about the success of her plans. She is noted to be quite manipulative, arranging Oscar Frederick's engagement to Mielle Roscente without his consent and pressuring Mielle to get rid of her stepsister and stepmother because they were inconveniences to her as the head of the Aristocratic Fraction. Isis also appears to be quite cold, tossing Mielle aside following the failure of her attempt to set up Aria as the one who injured the Count after figuring out she was no longer useful.
When her position at the pinnacle of power is weakened, however, Isis is shown to have a noticeably arrogant side, expressing extreme contempt for Aria Roscente as a prostitute's daughter and showing highly supremacist attitudes towards those of common bearing. She feels a degree of entitlement to being the Crown Prince’s consort after having been raised as the daughter of the most powerful noble in the country and quickly starts seeking connections with monarchs of other countries in an attempt to increase her social standing upon finding out that Aria was likely to become the Crown Princess of the Empire. Isis is shown to be afraid of not living up to the expectations of her father as the eldest child of Duke Frederick, feeling responsible for the future of the house. This character trait is the ultimate source of her downfall at the end of the story, when she continues executing her plan despite realizing Lohan was likely not on her side upon seeing there was no way to go back without damaging her family’s reputation.