Honestly, if this is another "misunderstood father who only intended to protect their child" situation where the father immediately gets forgiven without any reconciliation, i'm gonna drop this series.
Edit: oh, and thanks for the update
Holy shit i didn't realize how satisfying this turn of events would be. I bet a good portion of people here have experienced class bullying and how fucking terrible teachers are at dealing with it. Teachers thinks this is complicated 4D chess because people could be lying and whatnot. Still...
This series is both ominous and wholesome at the same time, it's a feeling i have never had before while reading.
One second you thing someone is gonna die or a betrayal is going to happen, only for the most wholesome thing to happen instead. I like it.
I think Ash used their situation with the duchess as a threat. There is no guarantee that the duchess would actually cooperate, especially since she is at war with Ash's family.