I think it’s both, like she obviously has genuine feelings for Izek but I think her desire to be queen is also tied into those feelings. Like it became part of what he could provide/offer as a potential life partner and if she liked him anyways, then social status/becoming queen was a cherry on top.
I don’t think she loves him. I think she loves the idea of him and what he can provide - power and a high position for her. I think that she thinks she deserves it all since she’s been beside the ducal family all along so it’s automatically her spot.
I think that’s true but if Izek was from one of the lower ranking noble families would she still want to be with him or would she aim for whoever was in the ducal family? Hopefully they dive more into her thoughts I love villain backstories lol
She definitely feels entitled to everything from them including their love and loyalty but perhaps she feels that way because she herself has put a lot of love into them too?
I’m inclined to believe she has genuine feelings for him and part of it is her having expectations for her loyalty and investment in the relationships she’s formed with the siblings but his status totalllllyyyy plays a part and I think I agree that she’s more in love with the idea of him and his status than Izek himself BUT I think she really does like him and Ellen and how perfect she thinks he is for her and honestly if he wasn’t who he was status wise she would probably be one of those ‘first love’ types who like him on the side but marry for status and then lament over what could have been and romanticize her commitment/feelings for him like if she hadn’t married for status she would have married him
I wonder if she really did mean to aim for the queen spot of if she genuinely does love Izek because it seems like she does