I just had this exact same experience! I was recommended the game by a friend, started playing, I thought by "zealot" she was going to be an extreme cultist and I was down for that but she's not, she's a normal religious lady with religious woes which was a turn off. That is no offense meant to the writing, the character or people that enjoy her, it's me that's turned off by and doesn't understand or relate to that kind of faith. I went back and tried the heretic route and I was afraid she'd be annoying or the stereotypical "bad*ss woman", but she isn't either of those things in the slightest. She's charming and I ended up really liking her. I prefer romances where I can understand why they fall in love with the MC so I want to at least like the MC myself or it never clicks, but the game instantly clicked for me with the heretic route and now I love it. Cue the Danny Devito "I get it now" meme.
Like you I'm hoping she can withdraw until there's a talk with Valdricht after all that chaos. The woman has PTSD and he didn't know she did when it happened but it makes sense she would need some space. It also made sense when he told her why he did it and how it reminded him of a person similar to her torturers, but the drama is awesome and I want to prolong it. It's karma for all the teasing at the beginning, the least she can do is make it the teensiest bit harder to fall back into her good graces.
It's great to have both protag options because I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the game otherwise. Props to the creator, I know it's extra work but I think it pays off!