The Emperor has always loved the duke but he just didn't realize his feelings were romantic. Basically the Empress is an self centered noble who tried to flirt with the duke and he rejected her so she fell in love with him. The duke only agreed to the engagement due to political reasons. The duke ad emperor were political rivals despite that the emperor wanted to have a "close friendship" with the duke not realizing these feelings were romantic. He asked the empress for advice on how to become close with the duke, So the empress convinced the duke to develop a close bond with the emperor. After some time she begins to realize the duke is in love with the emperor(the duke hasn't realized this yet) so the empress breaks off the engagement and tries to hook up with the emperor after rejecting the empress multiple times the emperor finally agrees to the engagement. After this the duke realizes that his feelings for the emperor were romantic and tried to kill the empress. This makes the empress happy as she desires to have the duke attention whether it's love or hatred she viewed them both the same. After the engagement the duke cuts off contact with the emperor, the emperor who is extremely hurt from losing his close bond with the duke and the assassination attempts on the empress confronts the duke but the duke rejects the emperor pleads to stop and wanting to be close friends again and this makes the emperor feel betrsyed by the duke and develop a deep hatred for him. In the side stories the duke gives up his title goes on a fishing trip with the emperor and proposes a sword fight for the empress body. The duke inevitably loses the fight and the emperor has his sword on the dukes neck. For his final words the duke confesses his feelings to the emperor but the emperor hesitates becuase he knows he would have deep regret if he killed the duke and basically reiterates that all he wanted was to have a close friendship with the duke but the duke emphasizes that he wants to be in a romantic relationship with the emperor not friends after a moment of silence the emperor drops his sword and violently makes out with the duke and says he won't let the duke die and keep the duke by his side as "punishment" in his own twisted mind after that they violently make out again. The next time we hear from them Richard brings up a rumor of the emperor and the duke having an affair when the emperor questions how Kailus will continue the royal lineage feeling embraced the emperor ends their conversation.
The Emperor has always loved the duke but he just didn't realize his feelings were romantic. Basically the Empress is an self centered noble who tried to flirt with the duke and he rejected her so she fell in love with him. The duke only agreed to the engagement due to political reasons. The duke ad emperor were political rivals despite that the emperor wanted to have a "close friendship" with the duke not realizing these feelings were romantic. He asked the empress for advice on how to become close with the duke, So the empress convinced the duke to develop a close bond with the emperor. After some time she begins to realize the duke is in love with the emperor(the duke hasn't realized this yet) so the empress breaks off the engagement and tries to hook up with the emperor after rejecting the empress multiple times the emperor finally agrees to the engagement. After this the duke realizes that his feelings for the emperor were romantic and tried to kill the empress. This makes the empress happy as she desires to have the duke attention whether it's love or hatred she viewed them both the same. After the engagement the duke cuts off contact with the emperor, the emperor who is extremely hurt from losing his close bond with the duke and the assassination attempts on the empress confronts the duke but the duke rejects the emperor pleads to stop and wanting to be close friends again and this makes the emperor feel betrsyed by the duke and develop a deep hatred for him. In the side stories the duke gives up his title goes on a fishing trip with the emperor and proposes a sword fight for the empress body. The duke inevitably loses the fight and the emperor has his sword on the dukes neck. For his final words the duke confesses his feelings to the emperor but the emperor hesitates becuase he knows he would have deep regret if he killed the duke and basically reiterates that all he wanted was to have a close friendship with the duke but the duke emphasizes that he wants to be in a romantic relationship with the emperor not friends after a moment of silence the emperor drops his sword and violently makes out with the duke and says he won't let the duke die and keep the duke by his side as "punishment" in his own twisted mind after that they violently make out again. The next time we hear from them Richard brings up a rumor of the emperor and the duke having an affair when the emperor questions how Kailus will continue the royal lineage feeling embraced the emperor ends their conversation.