Yeah, at first it was kind of enjoyable that she could stand up for herself, have clever moments and all, but now... I think for the incident in this chapter, he shouldnt have required her counseling, maybe a small discussion, but not... Seems too pointless that despite being the capable and powerful duke, he cant even think of how to counterattack when powerful people should be atleast able to handle *some* situations himself.
(￣へ￣）
I don't think the duke has necessarily been dumbed down. They are in this thing together so they like to discuss things with each other before doing anything. Plus, she was the one who was kidnapped so he must have wanted to know her opinion first before doing anything. He could've had already thought about it for all we know or he might've had a different solution but decided to follow her plan instead. He could have a different style than the MC, like using his own power and people instead of sneaky tactics. That's not necessarily dumb, just different. Also, the way he was threatening the kidnappers was very effective, saying how he would've preferred to get rid of them instead of using them makes the kidnappers much more willing to cooperate since the sense of danger is bigger, so he's pretty capable.
you should read light and shadow the mc is really strong and enjoyable
I've observed this a lot in mangas like this... they dumb down the male lead in order to let the female mc shine..i mean he is a famous duke well known throughout the country but he is unable to think simple solutions like what the mc suggests.manga looses its edge for me this way