Marquis come across he wants to use her, then actually be interested in her (considering their conversation often just end awkwardly or just repeat) and he hasn't shown wanting to get to know her, like Ian has.
He also, only shown interest because Ian did.
Brian is just the typical trope ml or second ml from og story who friends with heroine and bestie, who ends up liking the one whose processe one of those options in the alternative version of the story. So yea that not best way to show the story is going differently plus, he not been very good at protecting her at all ironically. He works all the time, he barely part of story beside childhood friends xD he barely adds drama beside making Ian show his emotions.
I hate how even the friend who was supposed to be "the original male lead" who marries her friend also somehow this whole time has been in love with her and he wants to protect her bcs somehow actually the 2 of them are the actual childhood friends and this marquis dude also wants her like dam everybody and they mama wants her