That said I think the Emperor is a very complex character, and that is what makes him interesting.

I 100% that he is evil, and self-serving. Good, that is what he is. This game is full of various evil play-through options, all of which are valid. Players get agency, be evil - good, whatever but the choice is yours.

Which is why the Emperor is fascinating. In the game you see that he did seem to care for the Duke and had small personal items of hers, and if you do the ending right - you get an ending alongside the Emperor where the Tav character remains with him and they work to rebuild Baldur's Gate. At some point I might do a details breakdown on the evil that is the Emporer. That said, I think he did care for the Duke and wanted her at his side...only by his terms and his terms alone. We of course don't need to go into the huge spoiler of that Knightly Order he talks about in that special ending, but its....."fun".