Anyone else notice that in the "novel" Ibelina read there's no attempt to catch the culprit who cursed the poor guy to begin with? I mean, she's way more focused on helping Alejiandro, so her lack of attention to it makes sense, but not the country's — it's a political issue, no? Especially given the way the curse gets worse all of a sudden, it smells of a culprit.
That said, Ibelina is so dense; even having read the novel, she still has yet to notice that his affection has a beneficial effect? I'm not sure if said affection is required to be romantic, considering just how abysmally he is treated, however, it is very clear that his feelings for her are romantic (he's at the right age, too). That proposal in the previous chapter, while not stated out right is pretty damn obvious. While their relationship is heartwarming, it also reeks of future misunderstandings (she's just way too dense and natural, and Alejiandro has only begun to notice it; if he doesn't notice then things will become very annoying).