は掃除を始める前に、ガラクタが置いてある場所へ戻る。
掃除は効率的にしなければ無駄な時間を食うので、前準備を整えるためだ。
「ここにあるもの、貰ってもいいんですかね?」
「どうぞ、どうせ今度燃やすんだから」
雨妹が一応近くで休憩中の女にガラクタの処遇を尋ねると、そんな答えが返って来た。
ここはどうやらゴミ置き場らしい。
次に掃除で気を付けたいことは、綺麗にした後を自分が汚さないこと、汚れものを触って病気に感染しないようにすることだ。
なので雨妹は掃除を始める前に持って来た布を頭巾にして髪を纏め、埃を吸ってくしゃみをしないようにマスク代わりに顔の下半分を布で覆う。
次に感染対策だが、残念ながらこの世界にはゴム手袋がない。
そして後で消毒液作成用のアルコールを探したい。
身支度が整ったところで、掃除開始だ。
「うわ、夕食を食べ損ねる!」
雨妹は慌てて掃除道具を片付け、帰り支度を始める。
後宮に入る前に、おじさんから揚げ饅頭を買ってもらって本当に良かった。
でなければ、お腹が空いて体力が持たなかったかもしれない。
体力仕事をすればお腹が空くので、労働者はお腹が空けば昼食代わりに間食をするのだ。
掃除道具を抱えて戻ろうとしていると、そこにお供を一人連れた女がやって来た。
華やかな容姿というわけではないが、落ち着いた雰囲気のある人で、着ている服は絹である。
「まあ、綺麗になっているわ」
「ようやく掃除の人員を回してもらえたのでしょう」
がしかし、厳密には掃除は終わっていない。
「あの、中に入る許可があるのかわかりませんでしたので、中の掃除はまだですが」
中に入ってガッカリされてはいけないと思い、外から見える回廊部分の掃除ができただけだと伝えた。
そして喋りながら、顔に巻いた布を外すのを忘れていたことに気付く。
――危ない、怪しい奴だと思われるところだった。
「まぁ......」
布の下から案外若い顔が現れたからか、女もお供も驚いた顔だ。
「あなたが一人で掃除を?」
女が不思議そうに目を瞬かせる。
「一人しかいないもので」
雨妹は素直に答えた。
普通妃嬪に選ばれるのは家柄の良い女がほとんどで、そう言ったお嬢様育ちは掃除の苦労なんて知らない。
けれど目の前の女は、掃除を苦労だと認識している。
――もしかして、元宮女の人なのかも。
雨妹の母もそうだったのだから、あり得る話だ。
「では、明日にでも中をお願いします」
雨妹が勝手に親密度を上昇させていると、お供の人がそう告げて来た。
「っていうか、掃除道具はどこに仕舞うのよ」
誰かに尋ねようとした雨妹が目についたのか、離れた所からあの世話役の女が大股で歩み寄って来た。
「掃除できたんでしょうね?」
念を押す言葉とは裏腹に、表情が「どうせ大したことをせずに帰って来たんだろう」と言っている気がする。
「入っていいと言われませんでしたし、尋ねる人が誰もいませんでしたので」
雨妹の言葉に、女は鼻に皺を寄せた。この仕草は癖なのだろうか。
「......田舎者のくせに、こざかしい」
前世の華流ドラマでありがちなイジメパターンだ。
雨妹はため息をついて、掃除道具を仕舞う場所を別の宮女に聞きに行くのだった。
Before she proceeded with her work, Yui Mei went back to the place where trash was left lying around.
A lot of time would be wasted if cleaning was not done efficiently, so she decided to prepare some items beforehand.
"Can I have the things here?"
"Sure, we'll just burn them anyway."
Yui Mei asked permission from a court lady resting nearby.
This was the garbage dumping site, apparently.Yui Mei took a bamboo pole and a worn-out old cloth, and returned to her work place.She stepped on the tip of the pole to create a small crack, and she inserted the worn cloth in it.
She must also take note of two other things. First, she should be careful not to contaminate the place she already cleaned. Second, she should not touch those dirty things to avoid infection.
And so, Yui Mei took out the two pieces of cloth she brought beforehand. She used one as a hood to keep her hair back. She tied the other one to her face as a mask, so she could avoid inhaling dust and sneezing.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do much as a countermeasure against infection, since there were no rubber gloves in this world. She could only wash her hands properly after she was done.
She wanted to look for alcohol or antiseptics later on.
After finishing her get-up, it was finally time to start cleaning. She started doing the hallway, since she was not sure whether she was permitted to enter the room.
"Oh no, I'll miss my dinner!"
Yui Mei hurriedly tidied the cleaning paraphernalia, and prepared to go home.
She was really grateful that the mister bought them fried manju before they entered the Inner Palace.
Otherwise, she would not have the strength to do her job because of her empty stomach.
One would get hungry when doing physically demanding jobs, so workers who did heavy labor usually ate between meals, somewhat like having lunch.
A lady, accompanied by a maid, came just as Yui Mei was on her way to return with the tools under her arm.
The lady was not gorgeous, but she exuded an air of tranquility. She was wearing silken robes. Yui Mei surmised that she must be the owner of the residence, so she hastily bowed her head.
"Well, it has become lovely."
"Finally, they must have sent one of the cleaning staff."
Technically speaking, however, it was far from finished.
"Pardon me, this one did not know whether permission was granted to enter the residence, so the interior is not cleaned yet."
She did not want the lady to feel disappointed after entering, so she recounted that she was only done with the hallways that are visible from the outside.
She suddenly noticed that she forgot to remove her hood and mask as she was speaking. Her muffled words must have been difficult to understand. She hurriedly removed them to show her face.
'That was dangerous. They might think I'm some suspicious guy.'
"Oh."
The face behind the mask was surprisingly young, so the lady and her maid were both surprised.
"Did you clean here all by yourself?"
The lady asked while blinking her eyes in amazement.
"There was no one else but me."
Yui Mei answered honestly.
The lady answered sympathetically, so Yui Mei couldn't help but be inwardly surprised. Normally, concubines were chosen among maidens coming from well-to-do families. Those pampered ladies would know nothing about the hardships of cleaning.
However, the lady standing before her expressed that she had an inkling about those difficulties.
'Maybe she was a former court lady.'
It was a plausible story, since Yui Mei's mother had been one. Yui Mei suddenly felt a sense of kinship after ruminating about it.
"Alright, please clean the interior tomorrow."
The maid said while Yui Mei was getting arbitrarily hyped up at her self-perceived intimacy with the lady. Yui Mei would have loved to do as she said, but she was uncertain whether she would have a choice on her assignment.
"But where should I put these cleaning tools?"
The supervisor-like woman strode towards her; she probably caught sight of Yui Mei earlier when she was looking for another court lady to consult.
"Are you done cleaning?"
Contrary to the woman's attentive tone, her expression betrayed her inner thoughts. It was as if Yui Mei did nothing worth mentioning before coming back. Yui Mei looked straight at the woman and answered.
"I wasn't given permission to enter, and there was nobody around to ask."
The woman wrinkled her nose upon hearing Yui Mei's response. It must be her mannerism.
"How insolent, even though you're just a country bumpkin."
It was the typical bullying trope used in Chinese dramas.
Yui Mei sighed, and went to ask another court lady where the tools were kept.
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