Yeah.... Kiel is great and all, but I just cannot ship him with Marie for a few reasons.
One, he's TOO perfect. Rael is a lot more relatable as a person who has flaws, he feels more REAL. Kiel is so perfect that it feels fake. I might have been ok with Kiel in another story with no other main leads, but Rael is the superior choice here.
Two, Rael feels the more... useful... lead. I mean, he's always working and trying his best for the empire. You do not feel that he's just being there, posing to look pretty.
Three.... the long hair. Just no. Sorry, I understand the needs of the manga target demographic, but the IMPERIAL GUARD, whose main job is to be great at combat and to defend the emperor, with super long hair is just so stupid I have no words. Do you have an idea of how much of a problem super long hair like these would be in combat? Once more, it's a thing that makes Kiel feel "fake". A fake knight.
I have nothing against him, he just does not work for me in this story.