Im not saying the emperor isn't a horrible person but the actuall villain in all this is the mother/empress. Like how are going to be a homewrecker bc I'm pretty sure the Duke already had a wife thus the ML being a child in one of the flashbacks, cheat on your husband who loved you so much that he didn't punish you, then neglect the bastard child to have the emperor raise him (well questionable but he didn't throw him out/abandon him so I mean