I know people ship medea and heli and I admit they do like nice together but

I respect your opinion regarding this matter but Lord Heli didn't stay by Lady Medeia's side just bcuz of devotion, it's been pointed out several times in the story that he loves her but Lady Medeia doesn't know the ways of love even if her Nanny was beside her as result of abuse from his parents and the way the general public sees her. Maybe all she ever sees from Lord Heli is a reliable and trustworthy comrade but you can still see that she cares for him with no ill intent (by ill intent I meant that she is not treating him as a mere pawn for her plans not bcuz he's useful but bcuz he's been by her side since way longer in the past)

If anything I'd prefer Lord Heli over the Crown Prince. Two Psychopaths (Crown Prince and Lady Medeia) ending up together just do not sit right with me, they're better off as enemies as they have strategies and tactics that a ruler should have, a battle for crown and ruling.

As for the cardinal. Well, his role hasn't really been solidified yet. It's either he helps either the Crown Prince or the Lady or he just ends up as a mediator in the story. Let's wait and see how his character improved.

I think you misunderstood me, love can be considered a sort of devotion too? but that's not what I was stressing about. it doesnt do much for his character to be entirely defined by his relationship to her and thats what I have an issue with. I prefer is when characters have other motivations and agency outside of their romances or relationships status's to people, other events going on in their lives and differing opinions. same applies to female leads, it annoys me when FL forfeit any previous ambition/goal after meeting their destined ML and become these sort of one Note characters who's entire world revolves around now emotionally supporting the guy of her dreams.

I dont think you can say Medea's entirely naive in the ways of love when Hali didn't attempt to convey those emotions with his own words, he sort of cockblocked himself by telling her it was loyalty or familiarity that he goes so far (making up excuses) that, and his presence has remained a constant since she was younger which makes it harder for her perceptions of him to change so drastically just from one simple revelation.

lifelong friends getting together happens. sure, but then again more often it doesnt and ends there. shes known him all her life and never once seen him outside the manner of a "good friend" even when she started becoming more of a woman, the odds aren't looking good.

prince dudes an irredeemable asshole. if it had to be hali or him, of course hali would be better but I was talking about the Red Head specifically and how he seems more interesting as I cant tell what his motivations are, or what kind of person he even is. he's kind of hard to read and I'm not sure what his role in the story is going to be just yet, that why I'm invested in learning. in comparison hali is kind of simple and we already knew everything we needed to know about him near the start.