That caught me completely off guard. Without even considering what I was doing, I pulled free of his grasp. “Never!”

For a moment, heavy silence hung between us, and my eyes dared to drift to his broad shoulders, his sharp jawline, the trim waist and long legs and… Dear god, what had I just done?

Terror hit me like a ton of bricks then. I’d just said no to the infamously cruel duke. What was I thinking?! I wasn’t thinking, and now…it was too late. He was definitely going to do something horrible to me for daring to speak against him.

The duke was looking at me with a puzzled expression, as if he couldn’t quite make sense of what he had just heard. “What did you just say?”

I cowered, my gaze darting to the knife still gripped in his hand, the blade shining in the sunlight. “I can’t spy on Lady Odessa.” I was proud of myself for not letting my voice shake, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. It was only a matter of time until he condemned me to death or killed me himself. I could have backtracked, but I didn’t want to, and anyway, what was the point? He’d heard me refuse him already.

That’s it. It’s over.

Despite my terror, I was surprised just how much I managed to shock him. He took a step back, staring at me as if I were some creature who had leapt at him from out of nowhere. “Why not?”

What answer could I possibly give to satisfy someone who was seemingly impossible to satisfy? Only the truth, I supposed. “I am Lady Odessa’s loyal servant. How would it appear if I betrayed the one I am supposed to be loyal to?” I’d been willing to run, to flee for my life if there was any chance I could, but to openly betray her was a different story, especially after she’d been kind to me.

“You are daring to refuse me?”

I squirmed beneath his harsh gaze but kept one eye on the blade and the other on his face, unsure what I should say to that. I mean, what could I say?

He came closer, glaring at me. “Do you know who I am?”

I nodded. “Of course,” I squeaked. “You’re Duke Inferno…”

I trailed off as his eyes widened and his brows lowered in anger. “How dare you!”

Realizing my mistake, I quickly corrected. “You are Duke Leon Elrith,” I said, thankful that I knew his real name, though it didn’t come up much in the game. He was the villain, and a one-dimensional one with no real backstory.

His answering smile was grim. “I know what they call me. I should have your head for speaking it to my face.”

I swallowed thickly. “I won’t be much use to either Lady Odessa or you without my head.”

“We shall see about that,” he snarled before grabbing me and turning to address the guard. “Summon the executioner!”

I gasped, horrified. This could only mean one thing: that my time in the game was coming to an end—and after everything I had done to try to prevent it.

Ready to run, I tried to break away from the duke’s ironclad grip, but it was utterly useless, and soon I was dragged inside, the roses falling as I struggled to try to get free. But I was completely helpless against him. Why did villains always have to be so strong? And so mean?

The duke ignored my protests, striding all the way to the inner courtyard where the chopping block awaited its next victim. The sight of it had my blood turning to ice, and tears sprang to my eyes. “Please,” I begged. “Please have mercy!”

But his hand was around my throat, halting anything else I might have said. I could barely breathe around his hold, and I choked on tears, suddenly almost wishing for a swift end. Please…

We had just reached the courtyard when someone stepped into our path. “Dear brother,” Odessa said, regarding us curiously. She was still in her riding clothes, and I guessed she’d come looking for me when I didn’t return right away. “What are you doing to my maid?”

“She’s being punished for insubordination,” the duke snarled.

Odessa’s expression fell. “Please, brother. She is my maid. I sent her to gather roses for my bath. You can’t kill her. I will need her to prepare for the ball.”

If I hadn’t been terrified out of my mind, I might have taken issue with her reasoning, but then…what power did Odessa really have here? What other excuses could she give? Her brother ruled over her with an iron fist. That she was here coming to my defense at all came as a shock to me—and, it seemed, to her brother.

To my surprise, the duke actually paused as if he was seriously contemplating his choices. From the corner of my eye, I saw the guard enter with the executioner, the latter wearing his hooded robe. The large ax in his hand caught the sun, glinting dangerously as he made his way to the chopping block.

I felt cold sweat beading at my neck. This was it. I was going to die very soon. Why is my luck just as bad here as it was back in my world? Why can’t anything ever go well for me?

“Surely my brother must be mistaken,” Odessa said. “Who would dare disrespect Duke Elrith?”

I could tell he was just as surprised as I was by her words. His grip on me slackened, and I greedily gulped in mouthfuls of air. I didn’t want to think that this might be the last chance I had to breathe it.

“Leave,” the duke ordered his sister. “Go take your bath or whatever it is you were doing, lest I change my mind and decide to punish you instead.”

Odessa spared me a sympathetic glance before hurrying off, and all my hopes—few as they’d been—sank in an instant. I guess…this really is the end.

The guard approached. “The executioner awaits, my lord.”

I barely managed to choke back a gasp as the duke looked from the executioner to the guard. Some expression passed over his face, too brief to understand, and then he shook his head. “Dismiss the executioner,” he ordered the guard. “I no longer require his services.”

The guard was clearly as confused as I was. “Sir?”

“Are you suddenly unable to understand simple words?” the duke snapped.

The guard quickly bowed and retreated, taking the executioner with him. I stumbled back as the duke finally released me. His eyes held disdain, but that expression slowly faded to curiosity.

“You refused me,” he said flatly. There was no question there, but I could clearly hear the disbelief in his voice. “No one has ever even attempted such a thing.”

Probably because they would lose their head. As much as I wanted to say that, I knew I was already playing with fire. “I was nervous,” I confessed, but he didn’t even seem to be listening.

Duke Inferno, otherwise known as Leon Elrith, stared off into the distance, and I watched him cautiously, unsure what I was supposed to do. Try to run? In the span of just a few minutes, he’d gone from wanting my head chopped off to sparing my life…for now at least. But why?

From his silence and the expression on his face, I would have guessed he was asking himself the very same question.

He turned suddenly, fixing his piercing gaze on me again. “You said you are loyal to my wretched sister.”

I nodded. Where was he going with this?

“I can see why you were so hesitant to spy on her.”

That threw me for a loop. “You can?”

“Don’t question me!” he snapped, and I flinched as his eyes swept over me. But there was little anger in them, and the look in his eye...

My cheeks burned and I inwardly cursed myself for blushing. This was Duke Inferno! Why was I reacting like this?

“It’s a shame,” he said with a scowl. “That someone who is not unattractive to the eye is vile at her core. But never mind that. I have a proposition for you. I have spared your life, but only for now. You have 3 days to decide if you will serve as both maid and spy.”

Stunned, I could only stare at him. The duke was actually giving me a choice?!

“Well?” he snapped.

“I… And if I decline?” I asked hesitantly.

His eyes shifted back to the chopping block. “3 days.”

He swept past me without another word, leaving me to fall against the nearest wall in shock. This…made absolutely no sense. There were so many questions I had, so many mysteries that I wanted the answers to, but most of all I wanted to know…why did he let me go?