When My Doorbell Rang at 5am, I Got a Wife - Chapter 10: "Age is irrelevant when it comes to falling in love ♡"

Chapter 10: “Age is irrelevant when it comes to falling in love ♡”

“Umm, why? We’ve only just met, like literally at this moment, right? What’s the logic behind this?”

What I wanted to know was, “how did that happen?”

“The logic is simple. ‘Those who are summoned must dedicate their body and soul to the summoner!’ That’s the first rule of interworld summoning, as decreed by our goddess of interworld summoning. Dedicating one’s body and soul means getting married, according to the goddess’s teachings.”

“What? The reason is the goddess’s teachings…?”

“In the core world of Di Maria, the goddess’s teachings are absolute. Those who do not follow the warrior’s path must commit seppuku.” 

“But Erika isn’t a warrior, she’s a shrine maiden. There’s no ‘warrior’s path’ (maybe a ‘shrine maiden’s path’?) meaning no seppuku too, right? And Erika seems to know a lot about Japanese culture. It’s not like we’re in the Shinsengumi era, where you’d cut your stomach open for not following the warrior’s path.”

“I have that much of a strong resolve, that’s all. And ‘Moeyo Ken’ by Ryōtarō Shiba is one of my favourite books. The scene where they charge at Goryokaku—that’s the true warrior’s path!”

“Why can you even read Ryōtarō Shiba’s books in this other world?”

“In the core world of Di Maria, some of Ryōtarō Shiba’s works have been translated and widely read as teaching materials for old Japanese culture.”

“Ryōtarō Shiba is amazing! His books are being read not just abroad but in another world!”

“Now that I’m in this world, I’d love to read other works by him that haven’t been translated.”

“Okay. I get that there are rules for people who’ve been transported to another world. But hold on a second.”

“Yes?”

“Umm… Being suddenly asked to get married like this is like a bolt from the blue. I’m quite troubled…”

“I’m not…”

“That so…”

I was left speechless after being so firmly told that, as I’m not very good at debating or discussing.

“Fumu, so it’s an issue of age, then?”

“That’s one too. Erika, you’re around 20, right?”

“I’ll be 21 this year.”

“Right? But I’m in my 30s, so that’s a difference of almost 10 years…”

“Age is irrelevant when it comes to falling in love ♡”

“Yes, that’s a very sound argument… that’s not the point…”

“So, what is it?”

“Well, it’s not like that’s not a possibility, but actually, I’m currently unemployed. The company I was working for went bankrupt. So being suddenly asked to get married is a bit of a high hurdle…”

To put it bluntly, I don’t have enough money to live with someone else.

“If it’s too soon, we could just get engaged first?”

“Haa…”

I don’t really understand, but an engagement is probably more relaxed than a marriage…?

I’ve never really had anything to do with love or romance or boyfriends or girlfriends, so I can’t really get my head around it.

“Well then, as a token of our engagement, here. Please sign and stamp this first.”

That’s what Erika said as she took out…

“What’s this piece of paper…? ‘Notification of Engagement…’? ‘Mar-ri-age Re-gi-is-tra-tion’?”

“Yes ♪ With this, we can get married as soon as the time is right, whenever that may be ♪”

“No, that’s not what I meant! I mean, where did you even get this marriage register from? Did you go to the ward office before coming to see me after being transported to this other world?”

“This marriage register was a supplement to the wedding information magazine Zexy that I somehow had in my hand when I came to this world. I suspect it was a special gift from the goddess.”

“Oh, right…”

I wonder if that gift was really necessary?

The goddess gave it to her, right?

Shouldn’t they have given this girl who was transported to another world something more amazing?

So what’s the point of giving her a wedding information magazine called Zexy?

I’m genuinely curious.

“Hmm, it seems you’re still not convinced?”

“Of course I’m not.”

If a stranger shows up with a wedding information magazine called Zexy, all men would react the same way.

“I’m sorry, I surrender. What other issues are there besides age and income?”

Erika tilted her head cutely, as if to say she was at her wit’s end with my attitude.