122話 三度、明の元へ
皇帝にそっくりさんな宦官と話をした、翌朝。
――今日こそは、話をするんだからね!
そう意気込んで向かっていると、門で合流する雨妹の付き添い人が見えてきた。
今度は誰だろうかと思って、目を凝らして門を見る。
「おぅい、娘っ子ぉ!」
すると、大声で怒鳴りながらこちらに手をふる大柄な男がいた。
そう、なんとまたもや熊男がいたのだ。
それとももしかして別件で、たまたま門にいただけかもしれない。
「今日もあなた様なのですか?」
とりあえずそう尋ねてみると、李将軍が頷いてきた。
「いやぁ、俺も頼まれた以外にも、ちぃっとガツンと言ってやりたくてなぁ!」
――李将軍を寄越したのはもしかしなくても、あのなんちゃって宦官か!
あの人はよほど明のことが気がかりだと見える。
まあそれはともかく、雨妹が李将軍と合流したならばとっとと向かうことにした。
雨妹たちは三度目にして慣れた明の屋敷への道を行く。
「屋敷におられますかね?」
もしや飲みに出ていたりしないかと、雨妹が心配していると、隣で李将軍がニヤリと笑う。
「いるはずだぜ、出て行かないように部下に見張らせてあるからな」
なるほど、「見張らせるからな!」という前回訪れた時の言葉を実践しているわけか。
私服だが、李将軍の部下の人たちなのだろう。
ちなみに表と裏の両方の入口を見張らせているという。
「中の様子はどうだ?」
「それが、自分も明様と揉める心づもりだったのですが。
見張っている男が不思議そうな顔でそんなことを言った。
これを聞いて、雨妹と李将軍は顔を見合わせる。
――あの時、かなりの怯えっぷりだったしなぁ......。
もしやあれからずっと、雨妹のことを勘違いした母の亡霊に怯えているのだろうか?
雨妹はそんな懸念を抱きつつ、李将軍に連れられて裏の戸口へと向かう。
「おや、いらっしゃいましたか」
すると老女は雨妹たちを見て、もはや驚かない。
入口に見張りを張り付けてあるので、その内に来るだろうと考えていたのだろう。
「どうだ、明の奴は?」
「それがでございますねぇ......」
李将軍が尋ねると、老女は困ったようにため息を吐く。
どうやら、あまりよろしくない状態であるようだ。
「とにかく会ってやってくれ」と言う老女に案内され、雨妹たちは明の寝所へと通される。
するとそこにいたのは、目の下に酷い隈を作って牀にボーッと座っている明であった。
まるで幽鬼のような様子に、雨妹は思わず声を漏らす。
するとその声が聞こえたのか、明がこちらを向いた。
!」
そう悲鳴交じりの叫び声をあげると、慌てすぎて牀から転げ落ちる。
「また出たのか、やはり俺を恨んでいるのか......!」
しかし落ちた体勢のまま、起き上がることなくブルブル震えている。
――なんだ、私はオバケかなにかか?
明の様子に、雨妹は心配を通り越して呆れてしまい、出立時の意気込みも落ち着いてきていたりする。
「俺に意気地がないばかりに、お前を死なせてしまった!
Chapter 122
It was the morning after Yui Mei's chat with the emperor's doppelganger.
'I'm definitely going to talk to him today!'
She strode on with firm resolve towards the gate. It was then that she saw the person who was assigned to accompany her.
She trained her eyes towards the gate, curious about who it was.
"Oy, Lassie!"
A beefy man was energetically waving his hand while yelling.
Yes, it was the bear man once again.
Well, it was also possible that it was just a coincidence that he was at the gate, and he had other matters to attend to.
"Will you accompany me this time too?"
She tried asking for the meantime. General Li nodded in return.
"Yeah, well, even if they didn't ask me, I still want to knock some sense into him!"
'Ah, don't tell me...maybe that eunuch is the one who sent General Li!'
That person seemed to be concerned about Ming.
At any rate, Yui Mei already met General Li here, so they decided to move along.
They walked on the path leading to Ming's mansion. It was already the third time, so they were familiar with the road.
"Is he home?"
Yui Mei was worried in case he went to the pub again, but General Li just smirked.
"He's there for sure. I already ordered my subordinate to guard him so he can't go out."
Oh, he did say that 'I'm going to watch you!' when they visited Ming last time, and he actually did it.
They might be wearing civilian clothes, but they were probably General Li's subordinates.
By the way, both the front and the back gate were being guarded.
"What's the situation inside?"
"Well, we already prepared ourselves that we might have to fight with Lord Ming. However, it is strangely quiet inside, and he didn't leave the mansion, not even once."
The man standing watch was also bewildered while saying those things.
General Li and Yui Mei exchanged looks when they heard that.
'Seems like he had been really terrified out of his wits last time....'
Could it be that he was still shaking in fright ever since he mistook Yui Mei for her mother's ghost?
Yui Mei was bothered about this thought while General Li led her to the backdoor.
"Oh, you're back."
The old woman looked at Yui Mei and the general, but she wasn't surprised.
There were guards standing watch, so she probably expected their arrival sooner or later.
"How is Ming?"
"Well, that's..."
The old woman sighed in response to General Li's query.
It seemed that he wasn't in a good condition.
She just said 'Please do meet him at any rate', and she guided them towards Ming's bedroom.
The sight of Ming slumped on the bed with dark shadows under his eyes greeted them.
Yui Mei unwittingly mumbled when she saw his ghost-like appearance.
Ming turned towards her when he heard her voice.
"Hiii! Hui!!!"
He shrieked once again, and he fell to the floor, terribly horrified.
"You're here again, you're really blaming me...!"
He didn't attempt to get up, his entire body shaking crazily.
'What the, do I look like a ghost or something?'
Yui Mei was already exasperated beyond her worry, and her enthusiasm when she left the Inner Palace also died down.
"I didn't have the guts, so you died because of me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"
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