User blog comment:Omega natsu2/Episode 178: Fairy Strategist, Review./@comment-24277053-20140419123530/@comment-7418318-20140419141718

I don't think we can judge either one that well.

Cream was never confronted with a situation where he had to choose him self over his people, so we can't say how many of his people he would have sacrificed for his own gain. One one side he did very casually order Éclair's death as if it was nothing of consequence and chose to have her burn alive, but on the other hand Éclair was an enemy, rather than one of his subjects.

And neither can we be sure that Hisui is quite that benevolent. Since she would have died just as surely as any other Human, no matter where she tried to hide or flee to, preventing the Dragon Invasion would also have been the choice or someone caring only for their own life.

Just look at how she saved Acradios. As the princess she most likely has the authority to get Arcadios out of Hell's Palace simply by ordering it so, but instead she chose to trick Fairy Tail's rescue team into saving him and at the same time make it appear as if she caught Natsu & Co for breaking into the palance.

In other words she risked the Fairy Tail Mages lives in order to keep it hidden that it was her who saved Acradios. Not exactly the way a fully benevolent and selfless person would act in her place if you ask me.

Though I have to say that this makes her all the more interesting as a character, since she combines possible benevolence with possible selfishness and rounds it up with cleverness even though she ended up falling for F-Rogue's manipulations. Apart from keeping us in the dark about her true nature, it also makes her seem far more realistic than a completely self-sacrificial person who doesn't waste one second on thoughts for their own wellbeing.