の現状を理解してもらえたのはよかった。
けれど、肝心の本人への説明が最も重要である。
そして当人は飲んだくれた挙句に爆睡中で、起きる気配は全くない。
「あの、旦那様はこれからどうしたらよいのでしょうか?」
「まずなによりもしてもらわなくてはならないのは、お酒を飲まないことなんですけどねぇ......」
はそう答えつつも、明を見て「う~ん」と唸る。
「それは無理じゃないか? この様子だと」
「そうですね、旦那様は私が注意しても聞く耳を持たないお人です」
老女も困った風にホウ、と息を吐く。
いや、元々は酒は好んでいなかったという話であったか。
――飲み方が酷いみたいだし、依存症なのかな?
そうした人は大抵心因性の原因があるものなのだが、この明の場合はどうだろうか?
老女はなにかしらの心当たりがあるような口ぶりであったけれど。
それは後で楊にでも聞いてみるとして、今日のところは雨妹にこれ以上できることはない。
「この方はもうこのまま寝ているでしょうし、今日は帰りますか?」
「それがいいだろう。
雨妹の提案に、立勇も頷く。
明を飲み屋で発見したのが遅い時間だったため、現在はもうとっくに空が暗くなっている。
――はっ!? ということは!
雨妹は大事なことに気付いてしまった。
「私の夕飯は!?
雨妹の唐突な大声に、老女が驚き、立勇がやれやれと呆れ顔をする。
「何かと思えば、そんな話か」
「そんな話とはなんですか!」
軽く流す立勇に、雨妹は唾を飛ばさんばかりに文句を言う。
雨妹は一日を食事のために生きていると言っても過言ではないのである。
その食事の貴重な一回である夕食が食べられないというのは、大問題ではないか。
――このまま、ハラヘリのまま朝まで待たなければならないなんて!
これだったら、外城にいた時になにか買い食いするのだった。
あの時は楊の用事を先に済ませようと思って、寄り道をすまいと思っていたのだ。
まさかそれがあだになるとは......。
立勇が意外な提案をした。
「近衛の台所......食堂って、どこですか?」
「外廷の端だな。
「特に出入り禁止の規則はないな」
近衛の食堂は案外近く、雨妹が行ってもいいらしい。
そうなると、雨妹は近衛の食堂というものに俄然興味がでてきた。
どういう献立があるのか?
確かこの国は女の近衛はいなかったはずで、故に宮女の食堂と違って全てが男飯なのだろうか?
ちなみに近衛の女人禁制は別段男女差別というものではなく、近衛という皇帝や太子に近しい立場に女がいたら、そこから男女の仲になられては困るという後宮からの物言いのためだと聞く。
今はその話はいいとして。
「近衛の食堂に行ってみたいです!」
絶望から一転してワクワク顔で手を挙げる雨妹に、立勇が「変わり身の早い奴め」と苦笑する。
「では外廷へ行くぞ、邪魔をしたな」
「お邪魔しました!」
そうと決まれば即行動、雨妹たちは明の屋敷をお暇することにした。
「いいえ、こちらこそ旦那様を送り届けていただき、ありがとうございました」
二人の賑やかなやり取りに老女は目を白黒させていたようだが、表まで出て見送りをしてくれる。
そうして雨妹と立勇の姿が見えなくなった老女は、一人首を傾げる。
「そう言えばあの娘の方、どこかで見たような気がするねぇ?
It was good that Li Yong and the old woman were made to understand Ming's condition.
However, the most crucial thing here was to explain the situation to the person himself.
Ming was totally wasted and fast asleep with no signs of waking up.
"Ahm, so what should the Master do from now on?"
"First, the most important thing for him now is to stop drinking, but...hmmm."
Yui Mei said that while looking at Ming.
"Isn't that impossible, in this case?"
"Yes, you have a point, Master just turns a deaf ear to all my advice."
The old woman also heaved a sigh of frustration.
But then, wasn't it said that he didn't like drinking before?
'He seemed to be drinking heavily, so maybe he is an alcohol addict?'
People like that were also usually affected by mental stress, but was that the case for Ming, too?
The old woman seemed to hint at it too, with the way she was speaking.
Yui Mei decided to ask Yang about this. There was nothing more they could do for today.
"It seems like this person will just continue sleeping at this rate, so maybe we should call it a day?"
"Yeah, that's better. It isn't good for us to stay this late."
Li Yong agreed to Yui Mei's proposal.
It was already late when they found Ming at the pub, so the sky had long since darkened by this time.
'Huh!? Then in that case!'
Yui Mei suddenly realized something important.
"What about my dinner!? Don't tell me I already missed it!?"
The old woman was shocked when Yui Mei suddenly shrieked, while Li Yong looked stunned.
"I thought something happened, so it was just that, huh."
"What do you mean by 'just that'!"
Yui Mei retorted and grumbled when Li Yong just treated her words lightly.
It was not an exaggeration to say that Yui Mei lived for her meals.
For her, it was already a huge problem is she missed dinner, which was considered as one of her precious meals.
'No way, don't tell me I have to wait until morning with a rumbling stomach!?'
If she had known earlier, then she would've bought something to eat while they were still in the Outer City.
At that time, she wanted to finish Yang's matter first, so she refrained from making a detour.
She didn't expect that it would backfire on her...
Li Yong made an unexpected suggestion.
"The imperial guards' kitchen...messroom... where is it?"
"It's at the end of the Outer Court. It's in the corner of the building used by the Imperial Guards. It's not that far from here."
"Well, there's no rule forbidding outsiders."
The imperial guards' dining hall was unexpectedly nearby, and even Yui Mei could enter.
Because of that, Yui Mei suddenly felt curious about that place.
What kind of menu did they have?
She was pretty sure that there were no female knights in this world, so did that mean it was different from the court lady's dining hall in that they only served men's meal?
By the way, the reason ladies were forbidden to become knights didn't lie in gender inequality, but because the Inner Harem decided that it wouldn't be good if the emperor and the crown prince would develop a 'relationship between man and woman' with their female knights, since they were spending time close to each other.
Anyway.
"I want to go to the imperial guards' dining hall"
Yui Mei rose from being depressed into extremely excited in the blink of an eye, so Li Yong chuckled, saying "that was fast, you changed your mind, huh".
"Alright, we're going to the Outer Court. Thanks, we've disturbed you."
"Sorry for the disturbance."
Once that was settled, they decided to move immediately and leave Ming's mansion.
"No, we are grateful that you send Master home. Thank you very much."
The old woman had been perplexed when the two suddenly engaged in a lively discussion, but she still sent them off.
She then mumbled to herself when she couldn't see the figures of Li Yong and Yui Mei anymore.
"Now that I think about it, I feel like I've seen that girl somewhere before? But then, when was it..."
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