Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Living Together
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"We're married. So we should live together."
Grrrrowl.
Silence.
"......"
"......"
Her ears flushed bright red.
Elma mumbled with her head hung low.
"I-It’s the equipment noise. Resonance sound. S-So..."
"Right. Let’s say that’s it."
"It’s true, though."
"Then I guess you don’t need dinner?"
"No!"
Elma’s head snapped up.
"I need calories to recharge my mana! A ton of them!"
"Yes, yes. Got it."
I chuckled and stood up.
It was already well past lunchtime anyway.
My stomach had been rumbling.
...Though that incident earlier hadn’t exactly helped my appetite.
"Anything you’re craving?"
"Pizza."
No hesitation whatsoever.
She didn’t even ask what I wanted.
"Got it. Want me to order delivery?"
"Takeout."
"Then I’ll go grab it."
I grabbed my wallet and headed for the door.
That’s when a heavy tug pulled at my shirt hem.
I turned around.
Elma was climbing down from the sofa, clutching the edge of my T-shirt.
"Together."
"Huh?"
"Let’s go together. Darling."
"...?"
A goth-style dress adorned with ornate lace.
Twin tails neatly retied.
How the hell did she change that fast?
"You sure you’re okay? After what happened earlier, going out might feel awkward. I can just—"
"Don’t worry."
Elma snorted and snapped her fingers.
Snap.
In that instant, she vanished from sight.
"Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes in surprise.
Nothing there.
"Right here."
Invisibility magic.
I’d only heard of it before—first time seeing it for real.
Supposed to be high-level stuff.
Professor really is a professor.
"This work?"
Her voice floated down from empty air.
At the same time, something latched onto my waist.
"Pick me up."
"Huh? I can’t see you."
"Are your ears just for show? Don’t make me think you’re some dim undergrad. Spread your arms toward my voice!"
Every other sentence, that undergrad jab.
Her personality wasn’t going anywhere.
I swallowed my grumbling and reached out into empty space.
My fingertips brushed fabric—flowing lace.
Beneath it, firm, supple skin.
"Up you go."
I scooped up the invisible her.
She was heavy.
Without sight, my smell and touch sharpened.
Warm body heat.
Firm pressure.
And the nutty aroma wafting up.
"Let’s go. I’m hungry."
Hot breath tickled my ear.
She must’ve whispered right up close.
"Uh, Elma. You’re speaking too close..."
"Why? Feel something?"
"It tickles."
"Deal with it. Oh, and pop in some Bluetooth earbuds. That way you won’t look like a weirdo."
We’re already at weirdo levels carrying a professor to buy pizza.
But I couldn’t say it out loud.
I just awkwardly shoved one earbud in with my free hand.
The pizza joint near campus.
I stood at the counter.
In my arms, the still-invisible Elma clung tight.
The clerk gave me a weird look.
A perfectly normal guy standing there cradling empty air like a mime.
"C-Can I help you order?"
"Ah, yeah."
I casually readjusted my grip on Elma, acting natural.
My left hand supporting her invisible butt.
Squish.
Firm.
Ahem.
I forced my eyes on the menu.
"One large potato pizza. And cola..."
[Family size, not large.]
...Pinch.
"Ow!"
Pain shot through my side.
"Sir?"
"Ah, no. Static electricity... I’m fine."
A whisper drilled into my ear.
[Family size, not large.]
‘How are two of us supposed to finish a family size?’
[I eat large alone. Family for two. And no olives. I hate olives.]
A mumbling voice.
Side dish complaints, even.
No matter how small she was, this was adult-level pickiness.
"Uh, make that family size instead. And no olives on the toppings."
"Yes, sir."
[Add sweet potato mousse. Two lines.]
"Add two lines of sweet potato mousse."
[Extra cheese. Double.]
"Double cheese toppings too."
[Cheese crust!]
"Oh, and cheese crust dough, please."
[Cola. Not zero. Two larges.]
"Just two regular colas. Large ones, not zero sugar."
I was starting to get fed up.
How did this little thing eat so damn much?
Did she even have room in that belly?
[You just had a weird thought, didn’t you?]
"N-No..."
"Sir?"
"Ah, sorry. I’m on a call."
I tapped the Bluetooth earbud demonstratively.
This professor had sharp senses even invisible.
"38,000 won."
Pricey.
Days of groceries gone in one meal.
But the invisible glutton in my arms seemed pleased, humming a little tune.
15 minutes later.
Heavy pizza box in one hand.
Elma in the other.
Out we went.
"Heavy."
"You said high density was good."
"Ow!"
A tiny hand flicked my forehead.
"Hurry back and eat. I’m getting dizzy."
"My place? It’s close."
"No."
Elma’s firm refusal.
"To our house."
Our house.
The department head’s place, huh.
Had to be some luxury mansion.
I’d heard Elma had amassed a fortune from patents and consulting.
Obviously picturing a high-end apartment or penthouse condo.
But she led us back to the Magic Engineering department basement.
The department head’s office.
"Here? Pro— I mean, Elma’s lab."
"Wait."
Elma dropped the invisibility.
Poof—she appeared.
"Hop down."
With a cute little grunt, she hopped out of my arms.
She headed to the bookshelf in the corner.
"Lemme introduce you to our home."
She tilted one book at an angle.
Rumble rumble.
A heavy vibration.
The bookshelf slid aside, revealing a hidden space.
A spiral staircase winding down.
Mana stone lamps embedded in the walls glowed softly.
"......A secret base?"
"Our home, I said."
Elma led the way down the stairs.
Clack. Clack.
I followed carefully.
"Hand."
She turned back and held out her hand.
A small palm thrust out.
"Huh?"
"Hold it. Stairs are steep."
She snatched my hand.
Her fingers interlaced with mine.
Small.
And...
Rough.
Hard calluses.
Rough texture at the fingertips.
A stark contrast to her doll-like appearance.
That gap tickled my chest oddly.
"Careful going down, darling. Fall here and they won’t even recover your bones."
"Y-Yeah."
We descended forever.
"Hey, Elma."
"Hm?"
"This underground... uh, house? School-provided?"
"As if. Dwarves have pride—we don’t buy homes."
She snorted.
"Obviously, I built it myself."
"Huh?"
"Dug it out personally."
"......"
Dug it?
Under a national university building?
By one person?
"Isn’t that illegal construction...?"
"Illegal? I officially approved it as department head."
"Approved what?"
"Drilling for geological research on deep crustal shifts and experimental mana stone vein surveys."
Elma puffed out her chest proudly.
"Oh, and built my house while at it. What’s the big deal? Research done, housing solved—one stone, two birds."
Stamping her own papers and calling it legal.
Cheeky as hell, but arguing would just hurt my mouth.
A memory flashed by.
No way...
Before reenrolling, back when I was a freshman.
Unexplained vibrations and booms nonstop around the engineering building.
Rumors of earthquakes or shoddy construction.
That was this?
The culprit: this mole professor digging tunnels under school.
I just swallowed a dry laugh.
"Dwarves like living underground. Surface is noisy and crowded. Underground’s cozy. And..."
Elma pressed my hand to her cheek.
Her freckled face beamed.
"Wouldn’t want my ‘pretty’ face ruined by the sun, right?"
Cute.
And soft.
"We’re here."
A massive iron door loomed.
Elma placed her palm on it.
Whirr—
The whole door glowed blue.
Clunk.
"Come in, darling."
Elma grinned and flung the door wide.
"Whoa."
This was really under the school?
A whole other world.
Floor: wolf beast pelt rug, head and all.
Walls: antique dark wood paneling.
Every stick of furniture bore the marks of age—real antiques, probably.
The problem: the ceiling.
"Ugh..."
I ducked instinctively.
"Ceiling’s kinda low."
"Is it? Feels perfect to me."
Elma spun in place.
Ideal height for her 90cm self.
For me, my hair nearly brushed it.
"Built to dwarf specs. Might feel cramped for humans."
"Gonna get a crick in my neck."
"You’ll get used to it. We’re living here from now on."
Elma snatched the pizza box and toddled to the sofa.
"You live here? Forever?"
"Yup. We’re married. Gotta live together."
"..."
"Oh, the height? Don’t worry. I’ll have the golems expand it bit by bit. Two months or so and..."
Unexplained quakes and booms incoming again.
But that wasn’t the issue.
"No, uh. My lease still has time left..."
"How much?"
"Huh?"
"Total deposit and remaining rent."
Elma set the pizza box on the table casually.
"Uh... deposit included, about ten million won..."
"Account number. Sending now."
"......"
Overwhelming wealth.
This was the youngest professor’s clout.
"Still, moving in together feels fast. People at school might talk..."
"Who’s gonna blab? We just live together here."
Elma yanked off her dress.
I averted my eyes in a panic.
"H-Hey, stripping like that outta nowhere...!"
"What? I’ve got stuff on underneath."
I peeked through slitted eyes.
Negligee.
Goth-style silk with fluttering lace.
I’d glimpsed it before, but my head was elsewhere then.
Sane now, it was impressive.
Trim waist.
Soft pooch of belly below the curves.
Then hips flaring wide—beyond "easy birthing" territory.
And the chest.
Big. Plush.
No bra...
Prominent points.
"Why’re you standing there spacing out? Change, darling. Don’t eat in your stiff going-out clothes."
"Got nothing to change into."
"Then make some."
Elma snapped her fingers.
Snap.
"Make?"
"Sewing Golem Unit 2! Here!"
A golem lumbered over from the corner with a clatter.
"Scan darling’s measurements and whip up some ‘comfy loungewear.’"
[Whirring— Scanning.]
[Body measurements complete. Production starting.]
Soon, sewing noises rattled from its belly.
Whirr, whirr.
Ptooey.
A garment popped out.
[Production complete.]
"Ooh, fast."
In just three minutes.
Peak magic engineering—Elma Bronzebeer’s handiwork.
I picked up the dropped clothes in awe.
Wait.
Training suit shape, sure.
But...
"......"
I froze, holding it open.
Black silk.
Flowing frill lace.
But worst of all...
It’s see-through.
Sheer enough to see right through.
Same fabric as Elma’s negligee.
Just longer.