I haven't read the novel so I could be completely wrong, but part of me wonders if her child did indeed die and they're just playing her. Rashta isn't an evil person, hopefully she gets more development. The trashta memes have been funny but imo the true awful people would be her past owner (?) and the emperor himself, the pathetic man child that he is.
Rashta is putting herself before everyone else because that's how she'd had to live her entire life. I don't blame her.
I love love love the empress though. She is so calm, intelligent, and above all kind.