48話 名前
ここで太子と皇帝の会話は途切れ、しばし沈黙が流れる。
――え、話ってこれで終わり?
皇帝はその後も「その宮女を引き渡せ」などということは言わなかった。
拍子抜けもいいところだ。
としては肩透かしを食らった気分だが、とりあえず話がわかって満足した。
気付かれないうちにさっさと戻ろうと、
ガサガサッ
雨妹は気が緩んでいたのか、茂みの葉に身体が当たってしまい、結構大きな音を響かせた。
「うん?」
こちらの方に皇帝の視線が向く。
――ヤバい!
焦る雨妹の隣で、立彬が「阿呆か」と声を出さずに言っているのが見て取れる。
自分でもそう思っているので、反論できない。
とにかく存在に気付かれまいと、雨妹は懸命に存在感を消そうとする。
ここで盗み聞きしていたことが発覚すれば、叱責では済まないだろう。
――私は風、私は空気!
雨妹が己に言い聞かせつつ息も止めてじっとしていると。
「野良猫ですよ、父上。最近よく見ますから」
太子がいい感じに助け船を出してくれた。
ここで雨妹が上手に猫の鳴き真似でもできれば完璧なのだろうが、不細工な猫の声になりそうなのでやめておいた。
――ここにいるのは猫だから、早く行っちゃって!
「そうだ、父上」
太子はなんとそのまま会話を続ける。
話ならどこかの部屋に入って、お茶を飲みながらにしてくれと、雨妹がやきもきしていると。
「その雨妹が言っていたのですがね。
太子が朗らかな様子で意外なことを話し始めた。
――はい? 突然なに言ってくれてるの?
雨妹が驚いて立ち上がりかけるのを、立彬にぐっと頭を押さえられて止められる。
「適当とは、そんなことは......!」
皇帝は声を荒げかけ、途中で黙る。
「父上なら、その両親はどういった気持ちで名付けたのだと考えますか?」
太子の質問を聞いて、雨妹は心臓が破裂しそうに煩く鳴っているのがわかる。
――なに、これはなんなの?
立彬に頭を押さえ込まれているため、皇帝がいる方は見えない。
雨妹は今まで親なんて実感がない、正直どうでもいいとすら思っていたはずなのに。
自分が皇帝の子かもしれないなんて、そんな夢みたいな話よりも、旅の夫婦の娘である方があり得ると、自分を戒めたりもしていた。
けれど今、自分がずっと聞きたくても聞けなくて、最近では聞かない方がいいかもしれないと考えていた真実への手がかりが、示されようとしている。
――もしかして、太子殿下は知っている......?
雨妹が、後宮を追い出された張美人の娘であることを。
皇帝が沈黙していたのはほんの数秒だったのだろうが、胸をドキドキさせて変な汗をかきながら待つ間が数時間にも思えてきた頃。
「......そうだな」
皇帝が口を開いた。
「丁度あの娘が生まれたであろう時期は、雨が降らぬ日が続いて干ばつ被害が酷かった年だ。
皇帝の口から語られたことは、雨妹が知らなかった事実だった。
自分が生まれたのがそんな厳しい年だったとは初耳だ。
尼たちからはそんな話は聞かなかった。
もしかすると、辺境の方では干ばつ被害が及ばなかったのかもしれない。
「そんな中で久しぶりに降った雨は、まさに恵みの雨だったのだよ。
皇帝のこの言葉は、雨妹の胸の中に静かに染みわたっていく。
そしていつの間にか、頬を幾筋かの涙が伝い落ちていた。
立彬が泣いている姿を驚いたように見つめているが、雨妹は涙を止められないでいる。
雨妹にいくら前世の記憶があっても、それは「寂しさ」を補ってくれるものではなかった。
むしろ前世での家族の愛情を覚えているからこそ、なおさら愛情に憧れてしまう。
そして親の愛情なんて諦めたのだと、大人ぶってみても。
やはり心の奥底には、愛情を求めて泣き喚く小さな幼い雨妹がいて。
ちゃんと愛情は与えられていたのだとわかり、幼い雨妹が「名前」という愛の印を得て、嬉しそうに笑っているのがわかる。
雨妹が声を上げずに静かに泣きながら、その場から動くことが出来ずに蹲っている間に、太子は皇帝を伴って去っていく。
「......おい」
「もうちょっとだけ、待ってください」
『ありがとう、お父さん』
雨妹は本当は皇帝の背中を追いかけて、そう叫びたい。
しかし言葉にすれば、それは必ずどこかしらに漏れるもの。
そうなれば雨妹は後宮にいられなくなる。
成人した皇帝の子は、後宮を出るのが決まりだから。
――大丈夫、私はこれで十分だから。
自分は愛されて生まれてきた、それがわかっただけでも幸せ者だ。
感動に浸るのはいつでもできるし、今はするべきことをしよう。
「さあ、バレないうちに戻りましょう!」
雨妹は涙の痕を拭いて立ち上がり、笑顔で立彬に告げる。
太子には二人がここにいる事はもうバレているのだろうが、それでも知らぬフリをするのが大人というもの。
それに部屋にはまだ蒸しパンが残っていたはず。
――泣いたらなんだかお腹が空いたし、早く戻ろうっと!
空腹が雨妹を夢現から現実へと引き戻してくれる。
そう、雨妹は皇帝へ親子の名乗りを上げたくて、ここに来たわけではない。
あくまで己は、後宮ウォッチャーなのだから。
Chapter 48
The conversation between the crown prince and the emperor was cut off here, and there was only silence for a while.
'Eh? They're done talking?'
The emperor didn't say 'Hand over that court lady' after that, either.
What an anticlimax.
Yui Mei had been on guard, so it was quite a letdown. She's satisfied though that she was able to listen to their conversation.
She tried to urge Libin quietly so they could return quickly without being noticed.
Rustle.
Maybe it was because Yui Mei relaxed, but she ended up touching the leaves of the thicket, making a fairly loud noise.
"Hm?"
The emperor glanced towards their spot.
'Oops!'
Libin stared at the flustered Yui Mei, his eyes implying 'Are you an idiot?' to her.
She couldn't refute it since she also thought so.
Anyhow, she tried her best to erase her presence even if the emperor were yet to notice their existence.
It would not end well if it was discovered that they were eavesdropping here.
'I'm the wind, I'm the air!'
Yui Mei held her breath while chanting inwardly.
"It's just a stray cat, Father. I frequently see them these days."
The crown prince helped them just in time.
It would have been perfect if Yui Mei could imitate a cat's cry, but it seemed like it'd be cat' gargle instead, so she gave up on that.
'Only a cat is here, so hurry up and go!'
"Oh right, Father."
The crown prince continued the conversation as it was.
Yui Mei wished that they would go to a room elsewhere and have tea if they wanted to talk.
"That Yui Mei said something, though. She was grumbling that her late parents didn't give it a thought and just gave her that name 'because she was born on a rainy day'."
The crown prince cheerfully said that out of the blue.
'What? Why are you saying that so suddenly?'
Yui Mei almost stood up in her surprise, but Libin pushed her head down.
"Didn't give a thought, that's not....!"
The emperor raised his voice, but he fell silent mid sentence.
"If it's Father, what do you think were the feelings of her late parents when they named her as such?"
When Yui Mei heard those words, she felt her heart pounding in her chest as if horses were galloping, ready to burst.
'What, what's happening?'
Libin was pushing her head down, so she couldn't peek at the emperor.
Yui Mei had never felt her parents were real. Frankly speaking, she couldn't care less.
She had guarded herself. She'd rather believe that she was the daughter of a traveling couple, than accepting the improbable story of being a child of the emperor.
Recently, she thought that maybe it would be better off not knowing the things she had longed to ask before but couldn't. However, the clues about the truth that she didn't want to know were now within her grasp.
'Don't tell me, His Highness the Crown Prince knows...?'
That Yui Mei was the daughter of the court lady who was driven off from the Inner Palace - Lady Zhang.
The emperor was silent for only a few seconds, but to Yui Mei, it seemed to last for hours. She was drenched in cold sweat, and her heart was racing.
"...Indeed."
The emperor opened his mouth.
"That girl was probably born in the year of the tremendously severe drought. Rain didn't fall for days on end. Food was distributed in order to alleviate the hunger of the people, but many people did not make it."
Yui Mei did not have an inkling about the event the emperor was speaking about.
It was the first time she heard that she had been born in a harshly difficult year.
She didn't hear about it from the nuns, either.
Perhaps, the borderland was not affected by the drought.
"The rain that fell for the first time in the midst of that was truly a rain of blessings. The name 'Yui Mei' was given with the hope that she would grow into a caring, kind maiden, just like the rain that enriches and heals this great earth. That is what I think."
The emperor's words silently seeped through Yui Mei's heart.
And before she knew it, tears were running down her cheeks.
Libin was stupefied to see Yui Mei crying, but she couldn't stop her tears no matter what.
Even if Yui Mei had the memories of her previous life, it was not enough to make-up for her feelings of 'loneliness'.
It was precisely because she remembered the love of her family in her previous life that she yearned for that same love.
However, she tried to become an adult and give up on the love of her parents.
Perhaps, somewhere in her heart, there was still the young Yui Mei who cried as she craved for love.
Now that she knew she was loved before, the young Yui Mei in heart basked in happiness with that 'name' as her proof of love.
The crown prince left together with the emperor. Yui Mei couldn't move from her spot as she curled in on herself and silently wept.
"...Oy."
"Give me a moment, please."
'Thank you, Dad.'
Actually, Yui Mei wanted to run after the emperor and scream that.
However, if she put it in words, it would definitely leak out somewhere.
If that happens, Yui Mei could no longer remain at the Inner Palace.
The emperor's children who became of age had to leave the Inner Palace, after all.
'It's alright, this is enough for me.'
It was enough that she knew she had been loved when she was born into this world.
She could indulge in that deep emotion anytime, but now, she had something else she must do.
"Alright, let's go back while we're not yet discovered!"
Yui Mei wiped the traces of tears and stood up. She beamed at Libin as she said those words.
The crown prince probably already knew that the two of them were here, but pretending not to know that was the adult thing to do.
Besides, there's still some mushipan remaining back in the room.
'I got hungry after crying, so let's hurry up and return!'
Her rumbling stomach pulled her back to reality.
Indeed, Yui Mei did not come here to be acknowledged as the daughter of the emperor.
After all, she's an Inner Palace spectator.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ