i feel like its because the way they met and spent their time together in this lifetime changed. they knew each other for 8 years prior to the main events now and during those years the mc and ml told each other more of what they want and hate and thus the emperor changing his ways and loving the mc really well
You don't need spoilers it's literally in the first chapters, he disguised himself as that little kid right? And the Mc reached the kid how to express himself and manners and all. Simply put when the enperor was disguised the Mc reached him to be nice. That's also how in the past life the emperor found out about the mcs powers, bc the kid that he had healed was the emperor himself
I think its because of Yeo-dam's teaching and words when he was visiting Yeo-dam as Jin-ha. I think the difference is in his past life they didn't properly establish a relationship just after saving the emperor he was suddenly brought to the palace compared to his second life where they spend a lot of time together and get to know each other.
I already figured out the kid was the emperor, but I just find it odd how he just asked a really random question like "Do you like the Emperor?" or something on their first meeting. It's kinda out of the left field. And the way he behave earlier on was kinda odd to me because he was extremely attached to the MC even though they just met for like what? a day? but he acted distant with others. it's almost like either he kinda remembers like a little bit like some kind of dream thing (since he mentioned something about having nightmares that he can't remember) or the feelings he had from his last life came over to this one. So I'm wondering if that's the case.

So can someone spoil me on why the emperor's attitude changed in this life time? Did he have memories of his other life or something?