I thought My Time Was Up
by Essie, Hyeyong, and Ari Choi
published by Webtoon (chapters 1-64 (Season 1), ongoing)
2023-present
Lariette Blanche is the neglected younger daughter of Duke Blanche, who is running House Blanche to ruin. While the Blanches spoil their eldest son and allow him formal education, they keep Lariette uneducated and untrained in using her magical abilities, allow her brother to push her around, and hatch a plan to sell her off to a creepy old man who can bail out their business.
Meanwhile, Lariette doesn’t feel well. When her doctor tells her she has a terminal illness and just a few months to live, the shock shakes Lariette out of her docility, and she decides to boldly enjoy her last few months of life. She resolves to leave her abusive family’s home, ditch the creep her family sold her to, and enjoy herself with a handsome man in her remaining months of life before she will literally (and literarily, because this is fiction) explode.
With her strong-yet-underdeveloped abilities as a purification mage, she encounters handsome Sword of the Empire, Duke Ashrahan Kandel, who happens to be suffering from a terrible curse that has afflicted him his entire life… Which is exactly the niche thing that purification mages are good for! She offers to work for him, signs a contract, and also asks him out – she’s gonna die, so why not go big?
Look at the LACE! Look at the great hair! Look at the EYELASHES!
Lariette gets to live in the Duke’s manor, flirt with him relentlessly (overcoming his self-consciousness about the icky curse and his bloody reputation), and has someone who has her back when others try to abuse her again.
But, as in all of these stories, there are misunderstandings and overt deceptions. She won’t admit that she is terminally ill, so some of her actions and bravery go unexplained; the sexy “deacon” who heals her doesn’t admit he is a powerful senior cleric, nor admit that she is his equal in magical power; one of her “friends” really just wants to steal the duke away; and people get misgendered because of their fantastic hair. (I see you, handsome princess!)
Season One ends in blood, but we know that there are more episodes coming, so it can’t be the end! OR CAN IT?
Essie’s art is super fun – I love everyone’s hair (ooooh, Doha), but especially their eyelashes. They are colorful! They match their hair! They are so THICK! It’s an amazing look which I can’t emulate because I wear glasses and can’t stand the feeling of mascara beating on them, but it makes me want to be that cool! (I already had pastel pink hair, and people were so sweet to me… but it was WORK.)
Fun, bold, cheeky heroine! Action rather than pining! Women who flirt! Beheadings in public spaces! Women who kick rude men down hallways! A long suffering and stealthy knight, Gerard (I want one!)! Loving couples who get to share a bed! Magic that removes bloodstains! Sexy yet modestly dressed potential popes with gorgeous hair!
This is a fun series that reminds us to live our best lives. I look forward to future seasons, and want to see many more projects drawn by Essie.
