Responses
I think he stopped saying that when they grew a little older, but he did have problems communicating his true intentions to her so she took it up as him hating her like when they were kids. They were 8 when he used to say that, and I imagine he already realized some of his feelings for her in his early teens and it could possibly be around that timeline when he stopped saying that he hates her. He just really sucks at communicating his thoughts lol. None of this would have happened if he just clarified that he wanted her to ACTUALLY choose to be with him instead of just staying to try to pay back the former emperor's kindness
I'll probably wait till its finished to read this. He obviously loves her and wants her to want to be with him because she likes him and not out of obligation, which is valid but telling her you hate her and that you don't want to marry her is not the way to go about it. Talk about not giving her a reason to stay.