User blog comment:Miskos3/Fairy Tail 525: Why Did the Emperor Never Love His Child?, Review/@comment-7418318-20170304171546

So August isn't a sadist/rapist/whateverist, but was just trying to provoce Gildarts?

But why? It doesn't seem like he needs such underhanded tactics to win. So is it just pure curiosity?

Either way if it holds true, I am very happy that those two evil grins were just provocations toward Gildarts and August wasn't reduced to cliché villain #574 after all.