This is a fictional era closer to European middle ages. Which means royalty can do whatever they want. Droit du seigneur[a] ('right of the lord') a legal right in medieval Europe, allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with any female subject, particularly on her wedding night. Was it moral? Nope. But that is the historical and social frame of that era. So if you write a story taking place there you will take into consideration this. Royalty and church were above the law and morality. We don't have to like it, but it is what it is. You can't say "oh he is a bad man he knew that the people who he leads to his lord will be forced to sex", because simply at that era there was no consent required for the royals. Another reason they were called "dark ages" by the way, no big on human rights. That is why we evolved socially and morally.
??? No shit I can see that its literally in the tags what genre it is but it's not that serious bud its fantasy fic (￣∇￣"), I was giving my subjective opinion on what I thought so far about the characters not the setting or their morals which as I said before I'm only on chapter 13 so I still haven't seen much of this MANGA's world building. my comment was also initially for people who can't stomach this type of thing, giving them a partial warning for if they don't dig characters like this. No need to go all karen patrol on me.
I like the story but let's be real the author wanted rape in the story. They didn't have to put it and you trying to justify it is crazy lol. I've read other stories in this time period(books/manga ect) and nobody got raped.
FR lol
On chap 13 so far my impression of the Duke is he is a manipulative sociopath...but he's just to ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄.
His aid is basically a magical pimp (He in the past led men including MC to the "doom room" full well knowing the ML was going to have his way with them no matter what.)
& MC looks like how most MLs in straight romance mangas do lol except instead of the domineering persona that these types have in straight romance mangas he has the typical pushover uke persona & seems to be a facecon easily forgiving the ML for sum of the fkd things hes already done or threatened... Overall...I will keep reading because hot art.(▰˘◡˘▰)