I actually like this ML because for all his privilege it's still so very obvious he's only being this passive agressive out of feeling torn between the life that's about to be imposed on him out of sheer "family duty / honor duty" (the shackles that are about to close in on him), and what he feels is his very last chance to experience something for himself, by himself, of his own choosing. ..Feels like, he's only being this inevitably unfair to her (by lying, etc) bc he just wants to take this one last chance, offered by sheer luck, to experience something REAL... to experience at least ONE relationship he actually chooses for himself (and moreover, one without the additional burden of doubting if the other person chose him only for his name... etc) before letting himself surrender to being forced by others into a life the idea of which he obviously, very obviously, hates even to imagine... He's practically in the same situation as her, his only advantage is the women forced onto him might not be abusive, ugly old hags, like the men that the trash uncle was choosing for the FL, but he still has people with a powerful hold over him (the royals, his own grandmother) trying to get him sold off in marriage with a list of potential partners he never chose himself, just because they're "convenient" for "the family"... Can't hate the guy for wanting just a bit of time out of a life of obvious constantly being shackled by others (it's obvious this is not the first time his grandmother and the royals have taken away his choices) in order to just for once choose someone (something) for himself, in his life, before submitting to a life imposed on him by others and which he obviously, VERY obviously, deepy hates.
I actually like this ML because for all his privilege it's still so very obvious he's only being this passive agressive out of feeling torn between the life that's about to be imposed on him out of sheer "family duty / honor duty" (the shackles that are about to close in on him), and what he feels is his very last chance to experience something for himself, by himself, of his own choosing. ..Feels like, he's only being this inevitably unfair to her (by lying, etc) bc he just wants to take this one last chance, offered by sheer luck, to experience something REAL... to experience at least ONE relationship he actually chooses for himself (and moreover, one without the additional burden of doubting if the other person chose him only for his name... etc) before letting himself surrender to being forced by others into a life the idea of which he obviously, very obviously, hates even to imagine... He's practically in the same situation as her, his only advantage is the women forced onto him might not be abusive, ugly old hags, like the men that the trash uncle was choosing for the FL, but he still has people with a powerful hold over him (the royals, his own grandmother) trying to get him sold off in marriage with a list of potential partners he never chose himself, just because they're "convenient" for "the family"... Can't hate the guy for wanting just a bit of time out of a life of obvious constantly being shackled by others (it's obvious this is not the first time his grandmother and the royals have taken away his choices) in order to just for once choose someone (something) for himself, in his life, before submitting to a life imposed on him by others and which he obviously, VERY obviously, deepy hates.