Yeah, I also don't understand how she would be marry him but I'm contain seeing them dating despite their social status
The author seem to forgot that this is fantasy. They could just instantly make Shirayuki x Zen as lovers, instead of adding that political stuff.
The thing is Zen's personality is very consistent that he is so princely responsible. It's true that he runaway from the castle sometimes but it's just because he wants to see his kingdom, even if he is having casual relationship with his aides he is still act as their prince in formal activities
at least in skip beat their feelings are clear and not this vague I'm telling you but I don't between the MC and the side characters . and honestly if you read skip beat in one go there is a continuation and a reasonable timeframe . here everything is so vague
It took about 15 Years for "feelings to be clear" and she still isn't 100% on board, at the End it's Ren who pushed the narrative and both still don't really Date bc she is only 18 or whatever
I don't know where this Story is heading at moment. It's currently impossible for those two to ever marry bc he a Prince and she just an apothecary, but I don't see how any of what's currently happening would ever push this into a possible positive situation.
I fear this is turning into a Skip Beat Story where the author just keeps going and going and going with no End in sight for years and years, with an exhausted Viewership.