I understand your sentiment, if a character is perusing unrequited love, it puts me off too. They should respect the boundaries of the other person, and move along.
This may contain spoilers….However, I think you judged this story too fast, at least as of now, mc had only confessed her love once, and within the same scene he told her how he feels. Since then, she has kept to herself, and didn’t even approach ml family, even when she had to sell her house because her father went missing, had no income and had no choice but to look for a job elsewhere.
If anything, she’s been keeping a distance, stretched far enough that she didn’t even know that ml dad was basically on his death bed, and is simply following a strategic plan and not her feelings, that they both agreed on for mutual benefit, which is to regain power. She hasn’t been pursuing him at all, which aligns with your ideals.

From what I read,(chapter 21) I don’t wanna read more of this because it’s kind of sad that she has a unrequited love for him and I know for most of the chapters she’s not gonna get that. I’m not saying it’s a waste. I do love slow burn love. if you ask a person multiple times for ╮( ̄▽ ̄)╭ love and it’s not reciprocated then I think you should just stop cause it kinda does get weird.