おばさんがため息を吐く。
「けど、観察はできました。
こうもズバッと聞けるのは、美娜の性格故かもしれない。
楊は別段隠すことではないのか、すんなりと話した。
「ああ、私と同じ土地から同じ時期に都へ出てきた男さ。
楊の口から、昨日は聞かされなかった初耳の情報が出た。
「明様、楊おばさんと同郷の同期だったんですか?」
「おや、言わなかったかい?
懐かしそうに語る楊の様子を見ながら、雨妹は考える。
明の屋敷にいたあの老女曰く、おしめまで替えていた間柄だという。
となると、明は少なくとも付き人がいる生活だったはずで、裕福な家柄だろう。
そんな明と付き合いがあった楊も、それなりの家柄であると想像できる。
そうならば楊は宮女として入ったのではなく、女官から仕事を始めたのだろうか?
そうであれば、明との交流も可能であろう。
雨妹はそんな風に推測してしまうが、だからどうだという話ではない。
単に華流ドラマオタクの血が「考察したい」と騒ぐだけだ。
「もしかしてその男って、独り身かい?」
「そうでしたね、屋敷の世話をしている方はお年を召した女性が一人で、連れ合いの方は見られませんでした」
「なるほどねぇ、独り身男ってのは、酒におぼれがちじゃあるか」
「楊さんの同期ってなると、結構いい歳だろう?
首を捻っている美娜に、楊が「はぁ~」と大きく息を吐き出す。
「......まあ、問題といえば問題さね。
雨妹はなんとなく言われることがわかる気がするが、一応尋ねる。
「今日の仕事は休みでいいから、これからあの男の家に行って、きちんと身体について言って聞かせるついでに、酒を飲みに出るのを阻止してくれないかい?
想像通りといえば想像通りで、雨妹は不思議に思う。
あの明に対して楊は、一体どうしてそこまでするのだろう?
同郷の同期というだけで、そこまでするものだろうか?
――身内ならともかく、同郷でも所詮他人だしなぁ......。
雨妹であれば、おそらくそこまではしない。
雨妹はお節介焼きな質だという自覚はあるし、見える範囲の人は助けたく思うが、視界から外れた人までは手を回さない。
そのあたりの線引きをしておかないと、キリがないのだ。
それで言うと、楊にとって明は近衛を休職して飲んだくれていても、まだ視界から外れていない人なのだろうか?
「楊おばさん、どうしてそこまで明様のことを気にするんですか?」
雨妹が直球で尋ねてみると、楊は目を伏せて言った。
「......あの男もぼちぼち夢から醒める時が来たんだと、そう思ったんだよ」
Aunty Yang sighed.
"However, I did manage to check him. His illness stems from drinking too much liquor. He will get well if he changes his lifestyle into a normal one, and if he abstains from alcohol."
She could interject without any reserve, probably because that's her personality.
Yang didn't have anything to hide, so she explained readily.
"Yeah, this guy came from the same region as me, and both of us entered the capital at around the same time. We did have a good friendship, but recently, I heard nasty rumors about him so I wanted to check his situation."
From Yang's words, Yui Mei learned something new that she didn't hear about yesterday.
"So Lord Ming is your contemporary from the same village?"
"Oh, I didn't tell you about it? Well, you can say that, since I started working at the Inner Palace, and he started his job as a soldier at the same time."
Yang seemed to reminisce as she said those words, and it made Yui Mei think.
The old lady in Ming's mansion said that she had been the one who changed his nappies.
In that case, Ming had been living with servants at the very least, so he probably came from a wealthy family.
She deduced that Yang also came from a good family, because she was acquainted with Ming.
In that case, then Yang didn't enter the Inner Palace to work as a court lady, but to be a maid?
If that's what happened, then there was also a possibility that they were in a relationship.
Yui Mei's mind was filled with such guesses, but then, there was no point in it.
It's just that her addiction to Chinese dramas made her want to pry into it.
"Hey, is that guy a bachelor, by any chance?"
"I think so, there's only an elderly woman taking care of the house, and I didn't see anyone who seemed to be his madam."
"I see, I see, well, it's easy for a bachelor guy to indulge in booze."
"If he's the same age as Yang, then he must be pretty old, huh. If he's an imperial guard then he should be popular among the women, so maybe he's a guy with some kind of problem?
Mei Na tilted her head in confusion, while Yang heaved another deep sigh.
"... Well, if it's a problem, then yes, he has one. He's still harboring regrets from the past no matter what. So, Xiao Mei, I have another favor to ask."
Yui Mei had a feeling that she already knew what Yang would say, but she still asked.
"You can take the day off, so can you go to that guy's house, and properly ask him about his body condition? Oh, can you stop him from going out to drink while you're at it? I'm not saying you have to go alone, I'm going to prepare someone to help you."
It was exactly as Yui Mei thought, and it made her wonder.
Why would Yang go to such an extent for that Ming guy?
Was being contemporaries from the same village enough reason to go this far?
'It's a different story if they are relatives, but at the end of the day, even if they were from the same village, she's still an outsider...'
Yui Mei herself probably wouldn't bother this much.
Well, she was aware that she was a nosy, meddlesome person, and that she wanted to help the people around her as much as possible, but she wouldn't go so far as meddle in the business of people who were out of her sight.
She had to set the boundaries, or else there wouldn't be an end to it.
In that case, maybe Yang didn't consider Ming to be outside her scope, even if he already took a break and had become a drunkard?
"Aunty Yang, why do you have to go this far for Lord Ming?"
Yui Mei asked frankly. Aunty Yang closed her eyes, then replied.
"...I figured it's high time he woke up from his dream."
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