In all honesty, I get where the father is coming from. He was r*aped by the queen and forced to impregnate a woman he does not love, creating a child that only reminds him of a horrific experience. Unfortunately, the MC wasn't a product of love from both his mother's and father's sides.
Obviously, a child shouldn't be blamed for their parent's sins, but human emotions are more complicated than that.
I’m a bit more sympathetic after skimming through the raws with no context. Still, unless his lover was Richards father, I don’t get why he favours him over Etie.
I also suspected that Richard's father was the king's former lover or unrequited love. But I see where you're coming from.
I think I hate the father more than the mother.