Nah.. About Baron thing-thing.
We have a sample that came from Victoria, MC is a mayor in name only but the actual ruler is Victoria. [She has been controlled by our daughter, so she will never betray us and as a commoner, MC has a quite solid base for his harem]
Simply replace Baron with Baroness [female term of baron].
******
And when asked who is the father of baroness's children, just say he's a commoner but has great skill.
Baron can't give count ranked, So Most noble will cut ties with baroness (one of MC's mistress).
This choice allows Tinkerer to expand the story about MC and the feudal class society.
[Maybe get a quest to help our wife gain support and solid her position or new storyline when more higher-ranked noble have an interest in this mystery commoner who has great skill]
Actualy just cos its "in name only" dosent mean MC isnt the actualy Mayor or Weirdwood. Victoria is ruling in his stead. The town would never knowingly let a woman rule them. So it's a technical situation. MC is the mayor while Victoria runs things behind the scenes, he is the face. (I would also like to point out that it's easy to miss the brainwashing with the daughter so I wouldn't say it's a given she is "under MC's control, I feel like that was a 1 time thing with Victoria)
A Baraoness is the wife or daughter of a Baron & they have as much power as any other woman in medieval times. They are married off/to other nobles. They only inherit so much,. They cannot become a ruler in the eyes of anyone unless dire situation demands it (for example no male aire to replace the patriarch). To say "oh the father of her children is a commoner" will most likley have 3 outcomes, 1) She is disowned bybthe Baron & kicked out, 2) The children are raised within the family as bastards with little inheritance or 3) MC will be executed... just the way of the times. Dosent matter what MC's skill is, he is not a noble, therefore he will defo not just be hand waved away. Would probs be done for treason.
I think the 2 most interesting paths would be BD is trying to usurp her father behind his back.
OR
Cath is a bastard daughter trying to take "what she deserves" & BD is her sister who has everything she wants.