CrimsonN7 wrote...

I don't think Liara is in love with Shepard if she isn't romanced.
In fact, she isn't in love with Shepard even on some romanced playthroughs. Say for example the player romanced other characters in Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2, and doesn't romance Liara until the third game. In that playthrough Liara will not tell Shepard that she loves him/her. Of course she cares a lot about Shepard, but the relationship hasn't progressed to the stage where she's in love yet.
Liara is always devoted to Shepard regardless of her relationship status, but the motivations are different if she isn't romanced. If unromanced she's devoted to Shepard as one of her closest friends and a comrade-in-arms, and as a leader she greatly admires. Few bonds are tighter than those forged between men who've struggled and fought and bled together. Why shouldn't that be true for Asari as well?
If unromanced I don't think Liara and Shepard are an example of unrequited love.
That being said, the image does have 'head canon' stamped on it.