This is built for a competition arc, not a courtship one

Worth framing this correctly before going in — the setup is a formal selection process, eldest daughters from every province summoned to compete for the crown prince's attention, not a one-on-one meet-cute. The prince himself reads as deliberately withholding: stoic, snarky, rarely explains himself, prefers to observe from the shadows during his night walks rather than engage directly. Treated as a courtship scene it feels frustratingly slow. Treated as a competition where his attention is the actual stake other rivals are also chasing, the same reserve reads as tension instead of standoffishness.