The pounding footsteps of pursuit filled the air.

“Ch-Chase them━!!”

“Don’t let her reach the royal palace━!!”

“Hurry, run to the palace and report it! The Crimson Mad Dog has breached the northern gate!!”

As the gladiators following me blocked the soldiers, Raphne quickly took advantage of the opening and sprinted past the gates.

‘She’s incredible… I-I blinked, and the scenery changed!’

It was a strange phenomenon, as if the entire view had shifted while my vision was momentarily darkened.

Carried at her waist, I was now experiencing her skill firsthand.

“Hey! I don’t know my way around here!”

“Huh? Then what should we do?”

“Just tell me where we can hide!”

A hiding spot…

I felt a little sorry for Raphne, but while I might be valuable as a hostage, I was utterly useless as a guide.

After all, since I’d entered this body, this was my first time stepping out of the coliseum.

But—

‘From the terrace view, the least crowded area was….’

Using nearby structures as landmarks, I identified our location and raised my hand to point.

“T-There! Head to the alleyways in the slums! It’s a maze over there; they won’t find us easily!”

“Got it!”

And once again, the scenery changed.

Flap.

The sound of our clothing flapping in the fierce wind echoed briefly.

Before I knew it, we had moved from the northern gate to a secluded alley.

“Haaah… So exhausting… Let’s rest for a moment…”

Raphne set me down on the ground and leaned against a crumbling wall in the alley, sliding down to sit.

Her shoulders and chest heaved with her ragged breaths, and her expression was visibly fatigued.

“You’re really tired, huh? I guess the Instant Acceleration skill drains your stamina…”

“Huh? You know about my skill?”

“…Ah.”

“And now that I think about it, you knew my name too…”

Wiping away her sweat, Raphne squinted suspiciously and scrutinized me.

Her eyes were filled with doubt.

Of course, they would be.

Everyone else only knew her as the Crimson Mad Dog and didn’t even understand the mechanics behind her attacks.

Yet here I was, knowing everything about her.

If it weren’t for the helmet concealing my face, my panic would have been written all over it.

‘Still… even her suspicious face is beautiful.’

Even in this moment, I found myself captivated by her stunning features.

Fortunately, after staring at me for a while, Raphne shifted her gaze and began fanning herself.

“Well, whatever. You helped me out. And you don’t seem like a bad person. That’s all that matters right now.”

Whatever mattered more than questioning a strange person who knew her identity—

“By the way, Raphne… Why are you here? You were shouting for someone earlier, weren’t you?”

“Ah, yeah… I need to find someone.”

“Is that person here?”

“I don’t know.”

“…What?”

“Well… I’m not sure. Adrian referred me to a seer, but their prediction was too vague and covered a huge area.”

Adrian.

A name I recognized.

He must have been one of the main characters from Epiris Academy.

“So my companions—friends? Family? Whatever, my comrades—are searching through nearby countries.”

“Then… have you come here from another nation as well?”

“Yeah. At first, it wasn’t so bad, but the further I went, the more checkpoints kept blocking me. And I’m in such a hurry it’s driving me crazy.”

Why had her travels been met with increasing resistance? The answer was obvious.

The Crimson Mad Dog.

Just as at the northern gate, she must have made quite a scene in other countries, earning her that nickname.

And word of it had likely spread to neighboring nations.

‘She was always temperamental, but…’

Still, the Raphne I remembered wasn’t this hot-headed.

Sure, she would beat up anyone who crossed her, but—

I had never seen her this frenzied, as though she would tear her enemies apart.

‘Could that person be that important to her?’

Even as she caught her breath, Raphne stared vacantly at the empty space ahead of her.

Her gaze was filled with longing, tinged with sorrow.

…Squeeze.

I felt a pang of jealousy.

We had only just met, but I had fallen for her at first sight.

Even now, just sitting beside her, my heart raced and my eyes were drawn toward her.

Simply being near her filled me with an inexplicable happiness.

This was a first for me.

‘…It’s not a man, is it?’

I could only hope. But the possibility couldn’t be dismissed.

‘Selfishly, I want Raphne to see me… as more than just a companion.’

Noticing how special that person must be to her, I began to feel an unfamiliar desire rise within me.

It was a simple, primal longing—something every man in love might feel.

The hope to make the woman he loves his own.

But… I was nothing more than a player inhabiting the body of some stranger.

In reality, I had been painfully average, with no idea how to win over a woman I had only just met.

‘Wait… this body I’m in now….’

It was ridiculously handsome, wasn’t it?

‘Back in reality, it could have easily launched someone into the top tier of the entertainment industry…’

Even in Perion, every woman who saw my unmasked face couldn’t help but swoon.

Sure, it wasn’t my face originally, but—

This body’s face was mine now.

Wouldn’t it be okay to use it? No one could blame me, right?

‘…Wait.’

I froze, my hand halfway to removing the helmet.

The reason I had kept it on came back to me.

‘Oh, right. Because I’m a wanted man.’

━I was a fugitive.

‘I can’t! If I show my face, it might only disappoint her!’

Sure, maybe she wouldn’t care.

But who in their right mind would fall for a criminal?

The plan to reveal my face and charm her was a no-go.

No, I couldn’t remove this helmet—at least not until she understood I wasn’t a bad person.

‘Damn it, what kind of mess did this body’s original owner get into?!’

For the first time, I cursed the man whose life I had taken over.

“Hey… aren’t you hot?”

Just then, Raphne, who had been fanning herself to cool down, looked over at me and asked.

“Huh?”

“No, I mean, you were moving around a lot earlier when we fought, weren’t you? Take off your helmet and rest for a bit. Isn’t it suffocating?”

“A-Ah, well…”

Of all times, why bring that up now?

‘Actually, no… this might be a blessing.’

If she hadn’t figured out I was wanted, I might have removed the helmet without thinking.

“In fact, back where I come from, it’s a rule! You must never, under any circumstances, remove your armor in the presence of someone you haven’t definitively defeated…”

“…Is that so?”

“Y-Yes…”

Even I could tell how nonsensical and absurd that sounded.

But I couldn’t just outright refuse to remove my helmet without a reason.

I didn’t want her—or anyone else—to start wondering if I was a criminal or if my face was horribly disfigured.

Fortunately, Raphne didn’t press the matter further.

“Still, I mean, calling us enemies. …We’re friends now, aren’t we?”

“Friends?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how things work where you’re from, but you helped me out. That makes us friends. You don’t have to think of me as an enemy.”

She smiled softly as she looked at me.

That smile—

It was like an arrow piercing my heart.

‘I… like her.’

I felt like a young girl experiencing her first love.

What do I do? How can I keep my composure in front of her dignified gaze?

‘Damn it, …I really like her.’

I wanted so badly to tell her what was bubbling up inside me.

It’s the primal, undesirable instinct of a man.

The overwhelming need to convey his feelings to the woman who has captured his heart.

Like a peacock displaying its colorful feathers, desperate to show her my sincerity.

But I held back.

Blurting it out now would only make her think I was crazy.

“Alright, let’s go.”

At that moment, Raphne stood up, brushing the dust off her clothes, her face calm and composed.

“W-Wait, are you leaving?”

“Yeah, I’ve rested enough. If I stay here too long, the soldiers might find me. I need to start searching again.”

By now, she looked completely refreshed, standing tall and looking down at me.

She waved her hand in a casual gesture of gratitude.

“Anyway, thanks for getting me in. I’ll repay the favor someday.”

“W-Wait, are we parting ways here?”

“Huh? Well, you need to go back too, don’t you? You’re the champion, after all.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Don’t worry about me. Hurry back. Oh, and if it’s not too much trouble, could you tell them I escaped outside the city? That’ll give me more time to search.”

Parting ways… no, that can’t be.

I had assumed I’d get to stay by her side a while longer.

But that wasn’t the case.

My role had only been to help her get inside. That was all.

From here on, the only thing left for me to do was….

“…Wait a moment!”

“Hmm?”

But I called out to her as she began to walk away.

Raphne turned back, her wide, innocent eyes looking at me curiously.

‘I… like her.’

Her bright, earnest gaze made my heart race again.

And then I spoke.

“I-I’ll help you.”

“Help me? You mean with finding someone? Oh no, that’s…”

“No! I really want to help you! I’ll definitely be of use!”

Even though my helmet hid my face, I looked at her with earnest eyes.

“I’m the champion!”

There isn’t a soul in this city who doesn’t know me.

If I ask around with her, people will be much more likely to give sincere answers.

I can still be useful to her.

“Even so… there’s no reason for you to go out of your way to help me.”

“W-Well, it’s because…”

Raphne looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Am I coming off strange?

Maybe.

I mean, it’s odd for someone she just met—a guy in a helmet—to suddenly insist on helping her.

But even the puzzled look on her face—

I found it utterly endearing.

‘I like her.’

The overwhelming emotion in my chest felt like it was about to spill out.

“No matter how well-intentioned your offer to help may be, I have my pride. I can’t impose on someone I’ve just met…”

“No, I have a reason…”

“A reason?”

Think fast.

I needed to come up with an excuse—something plausible.

I've managed to navigate tricky situations so far.

Awkward, clumsy, and sometimes outright ridiculous, sure.

But I’d always found a way to justify myself.

This time would be no different.

“I…”

Right, I’ll say I’ve wanted to escape the coliseum too.

That’s not a lie.

Ever since the day I first woke up here, I’ve wanted to break free and leave this place behind.

“I want to help you because…”

For some reason, my instincts were screaming that I had to say it.

To leave this place and find something.

Yes, if I help her, maybe she’ll take me with her when she leaves.

It’s an exchange—a mutually beneficial agreement.

Yes, an exchange.

It’s the perfect reason.

And so, with that excuse in mind, I confidently spoke.

“I want to help you because… I like you━!!”

Of course, what actually came out of my mouth was something completely different.

“…Huh?”

“Ah.”

A stranger in a helmet suddenly confesses his love.

In short, it’s the premise of a thriller.

But Raphne, ever so kind, didn’t react with disgust or anger.

Instead, her face turned slightly red with embarrassment.

She avoided my gaze and gave me an answer.

“…Sorry. I’m already engaged.”

“…What?”

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