Responses
he's also aware that his younger brother likes her so that means making a potential enemy out of someone else who can take the throne if he wanted. （￣へ￣）
Rather it sounds to me like some kind of pleading from the king for removing him from his place - he make everything for Duke to love this child, also in the meantime act as if was bad king (decisions make his mother and he is allowed only to play a little). He knows that righteous Duke won't make a move unless it is something groundbreaking for him and maybe King believe that Clarisse may be it for him.
what exactly is the emperors endgame? start an uprising/war when the Duke refuses? then what? You lose a pillar of your country for nothing. The duke doesn't even want the throne, yet you're anatgonsing him while simultaneously doing him favours. The emperor doesn't seem like the type to be pointlessly cruel, so I don't see what he gains by dragging this out. Petty revenge?