As I grappled with the revelation of my identity, Odessa’s expression shifted to one of confusion. “Why are you wearing my gown?”

I couldn’t even bring myself to answer her. How terrible was my luck? I’d thought for just a minute that I was finally going to have something good, and now all of that was gone, because Felicity, the woman whose body I currently inhabited, was doomed.

My lack of response didn’t seem to matter as Odessa quickly brushed it aside. “I need your help, Felicity. The duke is on a rampage.”

That brought me out of it. I was more than familiar with the duke’s outbursts, which often happened at Odessa’s expense.

But none of this made sense. There must have been some kind of mistake in the game, a bug or something, because Felicity was such an insignificant character. She had absolutely zero to do with the game’s plot or any of the possible outcomes, which meant she—or rather I, in this case—couldn’t do a thing to help Odessa.

This had to be some kind of bug in the update. There was no other explanation.

“Please, Felicity, you must help me,” Odessa said again, tears pouring down her cheeks. Even crying, she was beautiful, not a hair out of place. Damn, life is unfair.

“What could I possibly do to help you?” I asked her, genuinely shocked that she was even asking. Felicity was just a maid, no one of consequence.

But Odessa gripped me tightly by the shoulders. “You have to hide me! If he finds me, he’s going to beat me.”

I pulled away, somehow still feeling her grip. This girl is stronger than she looks—physically at least. “You want me to hide you from Duke Inferno?”

Really? Felicity of all people?

Odessa nodded, clearly panicked at the thought of the duke finding us. “He’s going to be here any minute. I don’t have anyone else to go to! Will you help me?”

Confusion gave way to panic as I realized what could—and likely would—happen. If the duke came here and even suspected that I had helped to hide Odessa, it would only hasten my death. Not that I wanted Odessa to be hurt—of course not—but putting my life on the line? That was out of the question. Felicity might have been doomed in the game, but I wasn’t her, and I wouldn’t allow that to become my fate if there was something I could do about it.

“No,” I told her. “I can’t help you.” And I was sorry, but what choice did I really have here? There was no question that the duke would kill me if he discovered me helping her.

“What am I going to do?” Odessa sobbed. “My brother is so angry. I still have welts on my back from the last time.”

As much as I felt pity for her, it wasn’t enough for me to risk her brother’s murderous ire. “I’d like to help,” I said gently. “But I can’t.”

That was enough to send Odessa into a full-blown panic. She began pacing erratically, only pausing to look under her bed. “Can I hide under it?”

As soon as the question left her lips, she shook her head and started toward the bathroom. “Maybe I can hide in the tub?” Halfway there, she paused, eyeing the walk-in wardrobe before changing direction. “I can hide behind the clothes!”

The whole time, I watched from the side, saying nothing as Odessa stepped into the wardrobe and struggled to make room for herself among the clothes.

As bad as I felt for her, this wasn’t my problem. And I really needed to get the hell out of here before the duke appeared.

I started toward the bedroom door. There had to be somewhere outside this room where I could hide from the duke, but my hand had only just brushed the handle when Odessa called out to me.

I turned back, finding her struggling to shut the wardrobe door from her hiding place. “Please, Felicity!” she called. “Can you close it?”

I made my way back to her, but as I started to close it, I remembered something. In the game, the duke found Odessa in the closet very quickly and only grew more furious with her. And for Odessa that would only mean more and harsher lashes, more pain and suffering.

I couldn’t just leave her to that fate. It was too cruel.

“Here,” I said, grabbing her hand and guiding her over to the small balcony. “You should hide here instead.” Though I wasn’t sure how much better it would be than the wardrobe, at least it was a little less certain that he would find her.

“Thank you!” Odessa whispered before stepping outside.

I quickly drew the drapes, and a second later the door burst open and Duke Inferno himself stormed in. “Where is my sister?!”

I froze. What was I supposed to say? Words wouldn’t come, and it was hard not to cower a little at the sight of the duke. He was somehow even taller than he appeared in the game and possibly just as attractive as he was menacing, with a severe face and piercing blue eyes. If his striking features hadn’t been twisted in anger, my thoughts would have been going in a very different direction.

My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. And I refused to believe it was even partly because of his absurdly magnetic looks. No, it had to be because of his horrible reputation for being a sadistic bastard.

Of course he didn’t even notice me standing there as he moved around the room like it was his and not Odessa’s. But then, why would he? I was just a lowly servant in his eyes.

In this case, I was glad of it. Because to draw his notice could spell doom—for me especially.

He immediately marched toward the bathroom and looked inside before moving over to the wardrobe, where I had to bite back everything I wanted to say as he threw the beautiful gowns to the floor as if they were rags. You rotten asshat.

When he didn’t find Odessa there, he growled and turned back, walking toward the balcony concealed by the drapes.

I stood off to the side, terrified and unsure of what I should do. If I ran, he would find Odessa. But if I stayed…

I stiffened as the duke suddenly paused, his icy gaze zeroing in on me. “Have you seen my sister?!” he bellowed.

Trembling with fear, I barely managed to shake my head. Had he ever been this frightening when I played the game?

The duke snarled, and for a split second, I was sure he didn’t believe me and was about to draw the drapes aside and reveal Odessa hiding on the balcony.

But to my shock, he turned more fully toward me, his cold gaze taking me in from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. I tried not to squirm under his stare as his hand went for the dagger strapped to his side.

“Who are you?” he demanded suspiciously.

“I-I’m…I’m L-Lady Odessa’s maid.”

The duke stepped closer, and it took every bit of courage I had left not to move away from him as he stared down at me. “Does my sister’s maid have no name?”

“Ga—Felicity!” I choked out, almost biting my tongue. I forced myself to look up at him. It almost hurt, that close, to tilt my head back far enough to see his face. Why is he so tall?

The duke stared at me for a beat, his gaze completely unreadable. “If you see my sister,” he said softly, a dangerous edge to his words, “tell her that I’m looking for her.”

I could only nod. Please go away—now!

The moment he turned away, releasing me from his gaze, I felt as if the coils of a snake had been relaxed, and I gave a quiet gasp, still trembling a little as he strode halfway across the room before pausing to look back.

I froze up again at the look on his face, filled with such disdain that it made me feel smaller than I ever had in my life.

“Do you not bow in my presence?” he asked coldly.

I tried not to panic at the perceived insult. “Y-yes, no, I-I mean—” I broke off and bowed awkwardly, praying it would be enough to satisfy him—if such a thing was even possible.

I heard his quiet, disgusted scoff. “I will remember this, Felicity.”

I waited until his footsteps receded before rising again. And in the silence left behind by his departure, I knew immediately that I’d screwed up—big time. Because rather than being some no-name servant who could avoid his ire by being overlooked, the duke now had my name. He knew who I was.

And he’d vowed to remember.