As much as the archduke seems to many people that he is too harsh on Ebony, I take it the other way instead. He is making Ebony question the laws and diplomacies of the country that condemned her for an alleged homicide she did not commit. "Why is this the way it is? Is it because I am a woman...
It's kinda problematic that the prince is so sadistic, and those servants acting as his enablers. Maybe this manga is suited more toward people who are just here for the occasional sweet vibes, but even if you are as dense as mercury, you will still notice the underlying uneasiness this story...