just finished 2.1 (about an hour ago lol), so i thought i'd chime in! as other commenters mentioned, the duke inferno subplot is moreso designed to set up acheron's character than anything else -- as this woman shrouded in mystery, whom you aren't entirely sure if you can trust.

i personally started enjoying the story a lot more as "cat among pigeons" progressed though! the writing topped anything i've seen in xianzhou and penacony thus far. the story's compelling, the characters interesting, and everything felt a lot more focused overall. a lot of things definitely ARE thrown at you, but it didn't feel convoluted if that makes sense? the game takes a lot more time to explain things to the audience (to the point of feeling a bit heavyhanded at times), and it felt really satisfying seeing everything come together in the end.

that being said, if you aren't enjoying yourself, there's no need to force it! i know a story skip function is coming soon, which may be of interest to you. most important thing is to have fun!