@beazacha
Oh definitely. In fact, Marielle already knows better. Before, she would have kept all of her thoughts private and only spread them in the form of fictional writings.
She's only voicing out her thoughts here because Simeon accepted that part of her, but Simeon's reaction is a reminder that she is too much or at least that might be how she takes it. With that said, I'm not sure Simeon's reaction is due to this being of national importance. Marielle did notice that he appeared to be avoiding the subject, and it's possible that it was striking a nerve in him because you could easily swap the prince and Michelle for himself and Marielle. He is of higher status, so his marriage proposal isn't something that can be refused easily by Marielle. He is also clearly in love with Marielle and he wants this marriage, but Marielle on the other hand still doesn't quite understand this and hasn't really sorted out her feelings for him; in fact, she's kept her distance, emotionally speaking, even if she's accepted that he really is interested in marrying her, she doesn't understand why and continuously questions it.
I wouldn't say that the thief is making him out to be a monster, but he is toying with him since he's well aware that Simeon and Marielle are not at a point where they both love each other and trust each other. As for Marielle, even if she was getting out of hand, she still faced rejection so she might end up withdrawing into her shell. Well, this is normal as they are both fairly awkward.
I'm looking forward to see how it will progress in the next chapter. And also, what's up with Michelle.