Responses
P.s the reason the Emepror eventually abdicates after Adellai plot to harm Blondina fails and she is killed instead and it causes chaos, is because he acknowledges he is to blame for how Adellai turned out the way she did. He created a mini me that was a reflection of his worse trait and impulses.
I blame the Emperor... she is clearly his favorite child who takes the most after him in her ruthless ambition. And disregard for others. Both her and Emperor have little affinity for meaningful relationships with others unless there is a benefit for them. This is demonstrated by how Adellai uses those around her and how she tries to manipulate her brother when possible. Also by how she mistreats her own sister for being "inferior" and a potential rival for her current spot as the favorite child.
The Emperor is of a similar nature by how he used and deceived his lover (Blondina's mother), because she had blond hair and golden eyes (believed to mean you are descended from the one who can control the divine beasts) but since she had no powers as he hoped, he left her to seek the throne and power. He blatantly lied to her that he would "return" which she still believed even while she suffered in hardship and poverty waiting for him and as she laid on her death bed.
Meanwhile, he had taken the throne and acquired himself a high-status aristocratic wife, and started a new family. Neglecting the one he had already created to live like dirt. The only reason he "claims" Blondina years later as his child is due to a relic of his that she had being discovered after it got pawned and in fear she could be used by his enemies as leverage. Not due to fatherly sentiment.
For all his flaws. Lart is different.
As we can see from Lart's feelings for Lucy and his desire to "woo" her not as a lover but his wife despite her status as a "fallen noble" shows he is different from his father who used and abandoned his lover for the throne. And ditched her because in his eyes she wasn't "worthy" enough to be his wife or future empress due to not having powers to control shinsu as he had hoped and her being a "commoner".
Whereas, Lart wants the throne to protect and uplift the one he loves. For the Emperor power and status took precedent over his commoner "lover" and responsibility to his child both of whom he abandoned. Even Lart asks his father how he could have done that?
Since to Lart, his Love for Lucy means more to him than the throne. He is only pursuing it because it means he can protect her and raise her family's status if she were to marry him. And he doesn't care what people think or say about his choice of bride. The heart wants what it wants.
The Emperor is such a bastard he is purposely pitting the twins against each other in hopes they will both do his bidding in pursuit of the throne.