Well considering the fact that she apparently wouldn't consider emperors worthy of her respect, I think that one could conclude that instead of their gap in power isn't that vast, it would be more likely that it is indeed that vast...just the other way around than what you would've thought.

Can't blame her for misunderstanding him as a mastermind with what he did just now though. Going from might be evil to apparently good, to apparently evil, even with some evidence telling you he's good, one would think he is scheming something.