Almost as soon as I had the idea, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to make it happen. In addition to playing matchmaker, I would have to help Odessa avoid her brother’s wrath while becoming invisible to duke at the same time.

My one comfort was that the duke had probably already forgotten me and my name. He said he’d remember our encounter, but with all the servants he saw every day, would he really recall my face, my name, specifically? Why should I—a lowly servant—make an impression on the duke? It should be easy enough to steer clear of him. The only reason he’d noticed me in the first place was because I was close to Odessa. So, all I had to do was make sure I stayed out of his sight as much as possible.

And in the meantime, I would just have to continue to help Odessa, to become invaluable to her—maybe even close enough to be considered a friend, so that when the time came for Odessa and her love to ride off into the sunset, she would insist that I accompany them.

Which meant that I would need to make sure Odessa was at her most charming and beautiful when she attended the ball. That shouldn’t be too hard. Odessa looked good in everything and had a pleasant disposition that made her easily likable. She was the heroine of the game, after all.

While Odessa continued to rummage through her clothes, I considered what I knew about the three suitors: Tristan, Avery, and Grim. Tristan was the quintessential handsome prince, Avery the brave and loyal knight, and Grim the werewolf bodyguard. Any of them would do, and I’d played through the game all three ways more than once. The only question was: which to have Odessa romance?

“Felicity, what do you think of this one?” Odessa held up a gauzy lavender dress. “Does it suit me?”

“They all suit you,” I said, because it was true. “And I’ll help you prepare for the ball.”

Odessa squealed in delight and ran back to the wardrobe. I joined her, eyeing the various dresses. What was the best approach for the first meeting? Something that gave off princess vibes? That would be ideal for Prince Tristan or possibly Sir Avery. Or maybe something a little more daring? Grim would probably appreciate that. Not that there was much of the latter to be found since everything had to be approved by her tyrannical brother. It was honestly kind of a shock that she was allowed to have anything nice at all considering the way he lorded over her, but then I supposed he had to make an appearance of things being civil between them and couldn’t have his sister going out in plain clothes like a servant.

No, he just kept her locked up like a bird in a gilded cage. And he was the cat prowling around outside and making sure she never stepped a foot out of line. He really is the worst.

As we went through the seemingly endless collection of gowns and the cases upon cases filled with jewels to match, I decided to start strategizing.

“What do you know about your potential suitors?” I asked. If she was already even a little bit acquainted with one of them, that would make my job a whole lot easier.

Odessa glanced up from comparing a light blue dress with a diamond necklace and gave me a blank look. “I know nothing about them. I’ve never even seen them. But oh!” She clutched her heart. “I know he will be there.”

Which meant we were basically at the beginning of the game. So any one of the three could be the one in this case. “Of course,” I said, pushing an emerald choker in her direction. “What about something like this?”

After what seemed like forever, we managed to narrow it down to three gowns, all quite different but each one equally beautiful and alluring. A pink and green floral dress, another pale blue with a billowing skirt, and the last deep violet with amethysts set in a belt at the waist. Odessa would look great in any of them, but which one would be the best for attracting a suitor?

Odessa picked up the floral dress. “I think—”

She broke off as the duke’s booming voice echoed from somewhere down the hall. We both winced and clutched each other’s hands, frightened that he would burst in at any moment.

Even though I was terrified of him, it occurred to me that the more I learned about the duke, the better my chances would be to avoid crossing paths with him. The trouble was, I didn’t know very much about how the duke’s vitriol against his sister had come to be. At the beginning of the game, he was already a cruel tyrant, and no explanation was ever given. It wasn’t exactly an important detail in the game’s main quest, so I guess no one had thought to include it.

As the duke’s voice faded away, I looked at Odessa. Her hands trembled against mine. “Why is your brother so cruel to you?” I asked.

Odessa seemed to consider the question for a moment before shrugging. “He just is.”

Guessing she was too frightened to open up about it, I decided to reassure her. “It’s all right,” I told her. “I’ll do my best to help you avoid further conflict with the duke, but it would be much easier if I knew why he treated you so badly.”

She stared at me blankly. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Trying not to let my frustration show, I considered how best to make her understand. “I’m just trying to say that there must be a reason,” I explained. “Did something happen when you were children?”

The question only garnered another blank look.

Okay, so not childhood trauma then. “Or maybe he was jealous of you? Or he blames you for the death of a beloved cat or dog?” That seemed totally plausible.

But Odessa dismissed it by laughing. “My brother hates pets.”

Of course he did. “Maybe the duke has had his heart broken by a lover then?”

She rolled her eyes. “The duke loves only himself. Please stop asking such absurd questions, Felicity. The duke has always been horrid to me, and that’s just the way it’s been and will always be. Which is why I need to find my true love and escape.”

***

Later, after Odessa had gone off to have her riding lesson, I found myself alone in the small, dim servant’s room staring at the plain walls and running over everything I’d failed to learn.

It had quickly become clear to me that it was futile to quiz Odessa about her brother. In this game, the characters were exactly who they appeared to be on the surface, very one-dimensional. And for a game that was just about finding the perfect suitor, I guess that was enough.

I slumped on the small bed, unable to stop myself from thinking about what my life had been before I ended up in the game. Was it really that different from this? Maybe there hadn’t been a chopping block, but when people were mean to me, when the rent was overdue and the landlord was unsympathetic, had I ever pondered why they were so mean? And would it even matter if I did know the reason?

Maybe it was better to live a one-dimensional life, something easy and free of those burdens. I knew all too well that life was hard enough. Not so long ago, I’d been a struggling student working low-paying jobs just to make ends meet. My one real escape from the drudgery of it all had been playing Three Chances for a Kiss.

The irony that I was now trapped in the very game I’d always escaped to wasn’t lost on me either. But all I could do was try to make the most of it, to survive here just like I had back there, even if it was hard—especially if it was hard. I refused to let my fate be decided. If there was a way I could change it, I would.

I was so deep in thought that I almost jumped out of my skin at a sudden knock on the door. Half expecting an angry duke to be on the other side, I opened it nervously but only found another servant there, just one of the many vaguely familiar faces I remembered from playing the game. But who really paid attention to all those minor characters?

Not me. And it’s clear now that I should have.

The servant smiled and held out the pile of sheets in her arms. “I have fresh linens.”

“Thank you,” I said, accepting them. As I started to turn away, I saw that the servant was still standing there, a curious look on her face.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s just…” She hesitated and glanced around before leaning in and whispering, “I was wondering why the duke is asking about you.”