.net 6 API returns null model if byte property value is null or string

See more:

API

model

ASP.NET-Core

Model:

public class ClientSetupDto
{
        public byte Status { get; set; } = 0;

        public string ClientName { get; set; }

        public string ClientId { get; set; }
}

API Request:

[HttpPost]
 [ProducesResponseType(200)]
 [ProducesResponseType(400)]
 public async Task<ActionResult<BaseCommandResponse>> Post([FromBody] ClientSetupDto entity)
 {
... some code here ...
 }

Accepted API Request - No problem here

{
  "status": 0,
  "clientName": "string",
  "clientId": "string",
}

Not Accepted.

{
  "status": "",
  "clientName": "string",
  "clientId": "string",
}

I do understand the Status property is of byte type in DTO and can not accept string or null values. In this case

ClientSetupDto entity

returns null and API throws a null value exception.

I want to achieve one of below:
1-Disable DTO model validation at API level. I have exception handling at a later stage
2-ClientSetupDto return whatever values passed into it and does not return null.

What I have tried:

In program.cs I implemented below but it does not work:

builder.Services.Configure<ApiBehaviorOptions>(opt => {
    opt.SuppressModelStateInvalidFilter = true;
});