you have to keep in mind that this setting is from centuries ago so basically whether you give consent or not they wouldn't care just bcs of their status or titles being high
But that's the premise of the story Ripley transmigrated into isn't it? She unintentionally captured the obsessive duke's attention lol. Being as obsessive as he is, he will do anything to get her. I mean in the novel, he already anticipated that she won't remember the time they had sex last night. It's creepy yeah, but that's the obsessive and merciless duke(which gradually softened the more interaction he had with Ripley-- which resulted in him being more different than the one Ripley knows in the novel she read).
well as you have said that is clearly the plot lol
being the premise doesn’t make it any better tho, it still a point in the story that makes you feel conflicted to some point. even if the period can explain it, it shouldn’t excuse it... :/ there were still plenty of ways to make the ruthless duke soften his heart...
if he admitted fault in his actions as he becomes different from the original plot, it would be great too!
ive read a lot of the novel (no spoilers ahead) and even if the way zeronis shows he is worried is a bit twisted (he could have asked her about the nosebleed and all but he commands her here and there), you can see he loves ripley a lot, specially in the most recent chapters of this webtoon
my only issue with their relationship is the beginning of this story tho... the way he phrases he won’t let her go no matter what is supposed to be romantic but having sex with her while she was obviously too wasted to give actual consent makes me hesitate a lot... the way the aftermath was written makes it seem like he forced her into conformity for their marriage until she eventually gave up/fell for him
i like this story a lot, i keep reading it because it’s funny and cute and ripley faces some actual hardships (instead of just magically solving everything like other isekais) but i think if at the beginning he didn’t act so violently to earn her heart, specially after sex being sober while she was drunk, would have been even better...