and twenty times as dear

[Baheth]

“Never mind,” said the Prince.
“You are twice as pretty as all the Kings’ daughters put together and twenty times as dear.”


This is from E. Nesbit's 'The Prince, Two mice, And Some Kitchen-Maids' a tale in her book 'Nine Unlikely Tales'


Would you please explain this phrase?

 

[The Newt]

"Dear" here means something like "precious." The "twenty times as" is pure rhetorical exaggeration.

 

[PaulQ]

Dear = beloved.

dear - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

1. beloved;
   much loved;
   precious:The burglars had taken our dearest possessions.

 

[Baheth]

@The Newt @PaulQ Then, dear here is not a way of addressing her; it is not as '..., dear.' or '..., my dear.'?
He is just saying that he loves her more than the other girls, or that she is more close to his heart than them?

 

[PaulQ]