Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Prototype Underwear Complete
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Heini really delivered everything I'd asked for in just two hours.
"Ugh... Hng..."
She'd poured every last drop of her mana into processing the materials, so mana exhaustion hit her the instant she finished. She collapsed to the floor, her face deathly pale, cold sweat streaming down. But even so, she'd kept her promise all on her own—no one had forced her.
"Heini, the payment..."
"Guh... Hieeek..."
As I carefully broached the unfinished topic of money while gathering the completed items, Heini laboriously raised a single finger and let out a guttural groan from her lips.
Probably meaning one gold coin. I pulled one from the cloth pouch hanging at my waist and set it on the desk.
Then I approached Heini, helped her up from her seat, supported her over to a nearby chair, and said,
"If it's not enough, just let me know later. I'll make up the difference then."
"Hng-"
Heini's head nodded very slowly, dipping down and coming back up.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"......"
Heini's head shook ever so slightly from side to side.
I'd heard mana exhaustion cleared up with a bit of rest, but she looked like she desperately needed help no matter how I sliced it...
"Are you really okay?"
"Yess..."
"...In that case, I'll see you next time. Good work."
"Yesss..."
I left the laboratory, her near-death rasp echoing in my ears.
A nagging unease lingered, but if she said she was fine, she must be...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ With all the necessary materials in hand, I returned to the townhouse and dove into the serious work of cutting and sewing.
Unlike my usual approach, I focused on functionality over aesthetics, carefully marking lines across the fabric.
To distribute the weight properly, the torso band and shoulder straps needed to be wide and thick.
To cover and properly support the breasts, the cups had to be large enough to encompass most of them.
To prevent deformation in the cups, I prepared the fabric one layer thicker than elsewhere and readied some wire to hold the shape.
Once the lines were drawn on the fabric, it was just a monotonous cycle of cutting and sewing—no surprises there.
Well, except once in the middle, when I had no tool to cut the wire and had to ask Lady Rachel to do it for me.
"Cut."
"Eek!"
"Wow..."
She didn't use a knife or scissors—just touched it barehanded, and it snapped clean in two.
She didn't even swing her hand, just gave it the lightest tap, and that was it.
The moment I realized I'd asked someone who could slice through a normal human like tofu about underwear, cold sweat poured down my spine.
I was so terrified that my hands shook uncontrollably for a good five minutes—I couldn't even grip the needle and thread.
Somehow pushing past the fear, I worked my hands diligently, stitching every seam until—three hours after drawing the first line—I finally completed the brassiere.
"Hmm..."
I inspected the final seams to confirm it matched what I'd envisioned.
I'd sewn the side seams far sturdier than usual, and with four hooks per row, it wouldn't burst open unless the fabric itself rotted away.
The shoulder strap adjusters worked perfectly.
The shape came out exactly as planned.
Now, if it held up in durability tests, all I'd need to do was add a third row of hooks for 1cm adjustments.
"Looks good."
I muttered to myself as I set the brassiere on the desk and spread out the remaining fabric again.
With the top done, it was time for the drawers that would serve as panties.
Drawers weren't hard to make.
Unlike breasts, hips didn't shake violently, so it was just a matter of cutting the fabric to size and sewing it up.
No complex curves either. The trickiest part was finishing the seams meticulously.
As I mindlessly cut and sewed, let me share an amusing bit of history from my old world: the precursor to drawers had a split at the crotch.
The reason? Pure practicality—the toilet.
Normally covered by buttons and fabric, you'd unfasten it when needed, do your business, and close it back up.
This design arose because, back when women first wore them, outer garments were tunics and primitive stockings. Spreading the underwear was far quicker and simpler than hiking everything up to pee.
Even after full trousers came along, the remnant lingered—as a hole in the front of square trunk briefs.
Not that anyone uses it, of course.
Thankfully, in this world, once trousers that fully enclosed the lower body appeared, the crotch got sealed tight.
Though if women here start wearing drawers in the future, split-crotch versions will probably make a comeback—bigger splits, even.
Obvious why: for long dress wearers wanting quick bathroom breaks.
Personally, I think it's the right direction for the future.
Adult underwear with a gaping split crotch doesn't exist for nothing.
People secretly want it—that's why it does.
But that's a tale for the distant future.
Even making women's underwear, since it'd go under pants, none of that applied now. Swallowing tears, I neatly sealed the crotch.
Finished by adding buttons at the waist to cinch it and prevent slipping.
"Hmm... Nice..."
A faintly bittersweet smile crossed my face as I set the completed drawers on the desk.
Four and a half hours total for the matching set.
Would've taken two or three more usually, but my hands were flying today.
The women's underwear factor, maybe?
"Ng~"
I stretched long and stood from my seat.
Too long in one position—sharp pain shot through my neck and lower back.
"Already finished?"
"Yes. It's a prototype, so some tweaks needed."
As I rotated my neck to loosen my stiff body, Lady Rachel drew near, eyeing the completed underwear curiously.
She reached out tentatively, hesitated, and glanced at me.
"Mind if I touch it?"
"Go ahead."
With my permission, Lady Rachel carefully lifted the garment, pressing here and there with her fingers. She eyed it dubiously before speaking.
"...It's soft and looks comfier than what I've worn before, but I doubt it'll hold the chest firmly."
"This is my first time making one, so we'll need all sorts of tests."
"Tests?"
"Yeah—like whether it holds the body steady without tearing while riding horseback, running, wielding a polearm; how much sweat it absorbs, that kind of thing."
Lady Rachel frowned at me.
"Hard to trust after just a couple tries. How do you figure it all out in days?"
"Set up extreme conditions for testing—it saves tons of time. Situations no normal person or environment would hit."
"...?"
As I spoke to Lady Rachel, I turned my head toward Emily.
Normally, her vibe made my IQ feel like it was dropping in real time, so I avoided focusing on her—but today it was essential. Korean-style 70H overwhelming bust in my sights, I continued.
"If it holds up in non-standard situations—way outside the norm—then it'll be fine for anyone."
"Ah..."
Lady Rachel followed my gaze, let out a wistful sigh, and nodded.
Her expression looked oddly forlorn, probably feeling the sheer gap.
Lady Rachel's were decently sized, but anyone seeing those would react the same.
"...Why's everyone staring at me?"
Noticing our eyes on her, Emily looked uncomfortable and covered her chest with her arms.
"Emily, mind doing me one favor?"
"This sounds super embarrassing, so no."
"Wear this for a while."
"Young Master, I said no?"
"I'll show you how to put it on now, so don't worry."
"Not listening?"
I'm a noble who doesn't do rejection.
If Emily truly hated it, I'd remember—but I knew this was just her being lazy.
"Got it?"
"Sigh~"
I kept talking over her pretended deafness, and she finally let out a long sigh, eyes narrowed.
Pouting, she grumbled,
"Give me extra vacation later, loaded."
"Easy—I can do that much!"
I laughed and nodded.
Today, too, I'd successfully persuaded Emily.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After convincing Emily, I threw myself into teaching her how to wear the new underwear with utmost enthusiasm, then suggested she try it on as a test.
She bobbed her head and ducked into the changing room. When she emerged, the usual tightness of her maid uniform had eased noticeably.
"Put it on just like I showed you?"
"Yes, properly."
"How's it feel?"
"A bit constricting, but it holds the chest nicely. Shoulders feel way better."
"Hmm~ Yeah?"
Basic wearability: pass.
Time for the next step.
"Emily, can you jump for me once?"
"Jump? Hmm..."
She looked reluctant, but gripped her skirt hems with both hands and started hopping lightly a few times.
"Hup!"
With a grunt of effort and a determined face, she leaped into the air.
Her maid skirt fluttered, her body rose buoyantly, then settled back down.
"......?"
She landed lightly and blinked rapidly at her own chest in a daze.
"Hup!"
She hopped again, kicking off harder than before. Her eyes went wide, staring at me like a startled rabbit.
"It doesn't hurt...?"
"For real?"
"Shake is way less, too. Even light running used to hurt a ton, but jumping's fine."
"Good. Perfect."
I grinned in satisfaction and clapped lightly.
Basic test successful—just as I'd hoped.
This was solid enough for proper trials.
"Emily, tell the coachman we'll head out first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
Been too long since I went for a proper ride.