I think that she just sees the prince as someone way more evil and underhanded than he actually is. Everything that he’s done/ is doing plus his personality changes can be explained is you consider him to be book smart and caring for his people, but socially awkward and unable to see the lines in class in society
From what we've seen so far: he's an asshole one day, then really kind the other. He's naive (at least I think he is when it comes to Irene's true nature--though it could be some elaborate scheme idk) but also super smart. An inexperienced guy, but then super forward with no real shame. He's a real mixed bag, and I don't know what to think of him just yet tbh.
am i the only one who thinks the prince has like 5 different personalities? he goes from being a flirt to blushing when he touches her and from cold to calculating to nice and caring