107話 お宅訪問
「もし、もぅし!」
立勇
のこのようなぐてんぐてんに酔っ払った姿を表口で晒すのは忍びないという、立勇の気遣いからこちらとなっている。
「はい、どちら様で?」
するとやがて戸が微かに開き、そう言いながら一人の老女が顔を出した。
「おや、旦那様」
「上司を送り届けにきたのだが、中に入ってもよろしいか?」
立勇が尋ねると老女は返答代わりに戸を大きく開き、「こちらへ」と招き入れた。
「では、失礼して」
「お邪魔します」
そこに、雨妹も立勇と続いて入っていきつつ、ひそりと尋ねる。
「あの方、ご家族ですかね?」
明様は独り身のはず」
――なるほど、独り身の飲んだくれか。拗らせがちなヤツだな。
もちろん独り身でも自己管理ができる者もいるのだが、家で待つ者がいない寂しさから酒に逃げるというのが多いのも事実である。
二人してそれ以降は黙って歩き、その老女についていって屋敷の奥へと向かい、やがて寝所らしき部屋へ案内された。
「旦那様はこちらへ」
「ああ、わかった」
老女に促され、立勇が背中でいびきをかいている明を
ようやく背中から漂う酒臭さから逃れられ、大きく深呼吸をしているところへ、老女が深々と頭を下げた。
「旦那様の部下の方々、送り届けていただき、感謝しかありません。
老女が礼を述べつつも、そうボヤく。
雨妹まで明の部下だと思われたようだが、近衛の仕事場にも宮女がいるのだろうか?
お世話する係はいるだろうし、下っ端のお仕着せなんてどれも似たような意匠なので、それと思われるのも無理もないが。
それにしても、気になることを聞いた。
「もしや明様は、自宅で寝ないのですか?」
雨妹が尋ねると、老女がため息を漏らす。
「はい、いつも朝方に酒の臭いをさせて戻って参りますので。
老女はよほど苦情を溜めこんでいたのか、雨妹たちに向かって愚痴を漏らす。
「それからまた、ちょっと休んでまた飲みに出るのですか?」
「その通りです」
雨妹の問いに、老女が頷く。
――そりゃあ健康に悪いわ。
酔っ払って寝落ちして、起きたらまた酒を飲んでとは、もう廃人の生活ぶりだろう。
「明様はお酒がお好きなのですか?」
「私が知っているのは、既に酒を手放さない姿だな」
「じゃあ、昔からかぁ」
雨妹がそう納得しようとしたところへ、「いいえ」と老女が口を挟む。
「旦那様は、若い頃には酒なんぞ一滴も飲みませんでしたよ。
老女の妙に詳しい口ぶりに、驚いた雨妹は立勇と顔を見合わせる。
「あなたは、明様との付き合いが長いのですか?」
「ええ、昔におしめだって洗ってやったものです」
なるほど、道理で先程から口に遠慮がないわけだ。
「それがいつの頃やら、仕事でしくじりをしたのか嫌な事があったのか、そのあたりはわかりませんがね。
にも弱いようであったし、実は女に弱いというか、強く出られない質なのかもしれない。
雨妹はというと、今の老女の話について考える。
それがどういった理由なのかはまた別の話として。
要するに、明は酒の代謝が悪い体質なのだ。
「少々確認したいことがあるのですが、明様に触らせてもらってよろしいですか?」
「いいけど、お前さんのような若い
Chapter 107
"Excuse me, excuse me!"
Li Yong raised his voice as he stood in front of the door.
Li Yong considered Ming's face, and in order not to display his drunken, wasted appearance to the public in front of the mansion's main entrance, they opted to do this instead.
"Yes, who might it be?"
The door opened slightly, and an old woman poked her face out.
"Oh, Master."
"We came here to send the boss home, but is it alright if we come in?"
Li Yong asked, and the old woman opened the door wider in answer. She then invited them in.
"Then please excuse us."
"Sorry to disturb you."
They entered the house, and Yui Mei whispered to Li Yong.
"Is she a member of his family?"
"Nah, she's a servant. Lord Ming is a bachelor, as far as I know."
'Oh, so a drunkard bachelor, huh. What a complicated guy.'
Of course there were bachelors who could take care of themselves even if they lived alone, but there were also some who would turn to alcohol as a form of escapism from the loneliness of an empty home with nobody waiting for them.
Yui Mei and Li Yong walked in silence after that as they followed the old lady deeper into the mansion. Finally, she led them to a bedroom.
"Please bring Master here."
"Yeah, got it."
The old woman prompted Li Yong, and he lowered the snoring Ming onto the floor.
He finally got rid of the stinky smell of alcohol on his back, so he took deep breaths while the old woman bowed her head deeply.
"Master's subordinates, I could only thank you deeply for bringing the Master back home. With regards to the Master, sleeping on the bed properly is still the best for his body."
The old lady grumbled as she gave her thanks.
It seemed that she thought Yui Mei was also one of Ming's subordinates, so did that mean there were also maids at the imperial guard's workplace?
Well, there were probably some maids in charge of cleaning up and taking care of miscellaneous duties. Besides, the uniforms of the lower ranks were similarly designed, be it a maid or a court lady, so it was understandable that she would be mistaken.
Rather than clarifying it, Yui Mei asked the thing that bothered her.
"Does Lord Ming not sleep in his own home, perhaps?"
When Yui Mei asked that, the old woman heaved a deep sigh.
"Indeed, he always returned in the morning, reeking of alcohol. I wish he would consider the servants who stayed up all night waiting just in case he would return in the middle of the night."
Perhaps it was because the grudges had piled up within the old lady, but she couldn't help but complain in front of Yui Mei and Li Yong.
"And then, will he return to drink again after resting for a while?"
"That's right."
The old lady nodded at Yui Mei's question.
'That's bad for his health.'
Falling asleep after drinking, then drinking again after waking up -- his lifestyle could already be considered crippled.
"Does Lord Ming love liquor that much?"
"As far as I know, he can no longer let go of drinking."
"Oh, so it's been like this since long ago."
Yui Mei reaffirmed, but the old lady refuted it.
"Master didn't touch a single cup of wine back when he was a young lad. Besides, he was even considered weak against liquor, because he couldn't even tolerate cheap booze."
The old lady's detailed explanation took Yui Mei by surprise, so she exchanged glances with Li Yong.
"Have you known Lord Ming for a long time?"
"Yes, I even washed his nappies back then."
Oh, it's no wonder then that she ran her mouth without any reserve since earlier.
"Then, I wonder if he messed up his work or if something bad happened, and I'm not sure when it started, but he started drinking every single night, until he reached his current situation. Really, how pathetic..."
This guy seemed to be weak against his own mother Xiuling, too. Actually, he must be someone weak against women. Or, maybe it was more accurate to say that his personality was such that he couldn't behave assertively against women.
Yui Mei, on the other hand, was considering the old woman's words.
Maybe there was a reason for that, but that would be a separate story.
In short, Ming's body constitution couldn't metabolize alcohol well.
"There are some things that I want to confirm, but can I please touch Lord Ming for a bit?"
"Yes, you can, but young girls like you don't like touching drunk men, isn't that so?"
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