Car's break down

I find it very interesting, Car's interest in her. (He does NOT deserve to be called emperor and the name Carlos is too good for him. He is a vehicle, nothing more.)

Personally, I don't think it's romantic. Having broken what's gone down up until chapter 32, rather than saying it's romantic, it's more that he views her as "his". I don't mean as a possession but rather an extension of himself. It's implied that she might be the new sage, his "successor", and therefore would quantify as "his" in that way, for his twisted mind. Her rejecting him so vehemently would hit even harder, since it's like a piece of himself rejecting himself. It's not a pill he's willing to swallow. He's looking at what and who he could have been, if he hadn't chosen greed. He's literally looking at the "what if" future, looking at the "better future" he can never have. He chose greed, so he'll never be "better". And for someone with a MAJOR inferiority complex, this would start driving him mad.

Yes, tying her up and cursing her was about stealing her powers but that wasn't only it. He didn't act until it became blatantly obvious that she would always chase after something/someone else. She wouldn't choose him. Something/someone else would always be more important to her, to the point that she was willing to sacrifice her everything, even her life, rather than choose him. Then, he curses her, leaving her powerless, so she can't leave him but she still chooses to leave the area in the end. But that's alright because she's in his land and he'll always know where she is. I'll bet anything that the ONLY reason she was sent across is because the emperor, Hayden, requested her.

And yes, this might seem romantic on the surface but if it's implied because she's the sage instead, then he could have done this to all of the ones who came before her. Instead of a tired romantic subplot, please please PLEASE be his obsession over the future sages. Have him desperately chasing after successor after successor, only for them all to choose something/someone else. He chose greed and having not a single one choose him after all he's done and accomplished and built up on stolen glory would be haunting for him. Over 400 years and he can't make a single person choose him. She chose her parents and wanting to serve her country. Others could have equally chosen something fairly straight forward and normally commendable, but to him? To him, it would be the greatest betrayal of all time. With each one choosing something/someone else, he's gotten better at curses. And her final part of the curse, not allowing her to kill herself, is because a previous successor actually succeeded. Bonus points if THEY were the one he actually fell in love with and she's just a remnant that he's chasing after, a successor but not the person he truly wants. Yet her rejection is still haunting enough that it'll leave him floundering. That would be the best case scenario.