Thats how she could survive and her mom emphasised this. And in the first place she didnt really want the favor of the prince nor the empress. It was unwanted attention that she couldnt quite get rid of because in the end she was at a big disadvantage. Shes not seducing him. Neither is she trying to persistently sabotage the prince and iris's relationship. She went with it because if she didnt it would cause inconvenience to those around her and itll come back to beat her. She didnt care tho if the inconvenience was iris's feelings hurt cause shes a bitch who is privilidged. So she weighed the circumstances, inconvenience for those struggling with their low status or create inconvenience for those who are of higher status and has more privileges. If she chose the first shell lose both ways because the result would be all of them blaming her for not accepting the princes demands and favors and theyll start saying "you're so full of yourself to reject the prince." And iris would bully her either way. So the first option is a much easier way to get a breather.
I get that but that's exactly why I don't like her. Acting like "I don't wanna bother anyone" "oh alec don't act like that in front of eris" yet she chose it to be that way. The same with the other guy (i forgot his name) she just LET him make a vow to her. What was her reason for that? Idk about you but I'd rather reject the prince and deal with what comes after instead of watch people suffer and feel guilty about it and act as if I couldn't have done anything else.
I know a lot of it is the prince's fault but she fake af. She acts innocent as if she doesn't know the prince favors her knowing full well that he's someone's fiance. That's why she feels guilty towards eris but that doesn't stop her from getting close to the prince. I get eris was a bitch but but at least she's not a homewrecker ┑(￣Д ￣)┍