179話 徐の決意
一方で
「アンタは、変わった娘だよ」
そう言って苦笑する徐に、雨妹は首を捻る。
――普通に挨拶をしただけだっていうのに、変わっている呼ばわりとはどういうことなのさ?
謎に思っている雨妹の頭を、
「刑部でそんなに朗らかに挨拶をする奴は、まずいないだろうが」
そして告げられたことに、雨妹は「そうかもしれない」と納得する。
刑部に収監されている人は基本犯罪者で、犯罪者に愛想を振りまくなんて無駄な行為だということなのだろう。
甘い顔をして「もしかすると助けてもらえるのかもしれない」という妙な期待を抱かせるのも、確かに気の毒かもしれない。
徐はそうした刑部の冷たい対応に数日で慣れてしまっているのだろう。
――まあでも、私は別に刑部のお役人じゃないし。
雨妹としてはただ知り合いに会いに来ただけなので、その知り合いに朗らかに挨拶をするのは、特におかしなことではない。
「私はただの掃除係ですので、刑部のやり方なんてものは知りませんってば。
時間は有限であるので、雨妹は早速目的について切り出す。
話を振られた徐は、意を決するように大きく深呼吸をしてから、口を開く。
「アンタに言われてからね、アタシはここでずぅっと考えていたんだよ。
「......そうですか、それで答えは出ましたか?」
―― 徐さんは大店のお嬢様だったんだよね?
ということは、徐はかつてこのような話し方ではなく、もっと丁寧な言葉遣いをしていたのではないだろうか?
それに基本的に裕福な出自が多いであろう宮妓の中で、庶民の中でも荒っぽいであろう崩した言葉遣いは悪目立ちをするだろうに。
これは彼女なりの反抗、もしくは過去との決別の意味があったのかもしれない。
そんな雨妹の内心をよそに、徐が話を続ける。
「ずうっと昔、まだあの方と会ったばかりの頃だったね。
兵士であった恋人は、当然命の危険が徐よりも高い仕事である。
そのことを不安に思い、安全な仕事をしてほしいと願う徐に、恋人は「自分にはこれしかできないから」と述べた。
それに己は身体が頑丈だから、そう簡単に死にはしないとも。
それでも「もしも」があると詰る徐に、恋人が言ったのだ。
『では、もし自分が死んでしまったら、葬送のために琵琶を奏でてください。
これを聞いて徐は「縁起でもない」と怒り、それに恋人だって来世ではきっと徐よりも器量がよくて愛嬌のいい娘を好くに決まっている、と拗ねた。
そんな徐に、恋人は「そんなことはない」と告げ、困ったような顔で宥めてくれたものだ。
その後で仲直りをして、以来この件で口論をしたことがなく、さらに恋人の婿入りを両親が考えていたため兵士を直に辞めてもらえる予定なこともあり、徐はこういう話をしたことをすっかり忘れてしまっていた。
「そうさ、アタシが葬送の琵琶を弾かないと、あの方は冥府に行けずにずぅっと戦場をさまよっているのかもしれない。
そんな目の悪い人だから、道しるべがないと迷ってたどり着けないに決まっているよ」
徐は泣き笑いのように、そう語るのだった。
『仙女』とは、優れた女性を例える意味でよく使われるが、その中でも多い使われ方が美人を称えるものである。
女同士の微妙なやり合いというやつである。
しかし、たまに純粋な意味で『仙女』と称える人も出てくるもので、徐の恋人の男はそういう裏表のない人だったのだろう。
Chapter 179: Xu'S Determination
On the other hand, Xu slumped down, as if her strength left her the moment she saw Yui Mei.
"You're such a weird girl, you know."
Xu wryly smiled, but Yui Mei just tilted her head.
'I just greeted her like normal, so why did she tell me that I'm weird?'
Yui Mei looked baffled, so Libin poked her head.
"This is the penitentiary, so naturally, no one who would greet people as cheerfully as you do."
Libin commented, and Yui Mei couldn't help but agree and think that it must be true.
Most of the people imprisoned here were basically criminals, so it should be futile to show affection to such people.
It might even be unfortunate if they harbored false hopes that they would be saved after showing them such sweetness.
Xu must've gotten used to the cold treatment in the penitentiary after spending a few days here.
'Well, it's not like I'm one of the staff of the Ministry of Justice.'
Yui Mei came because she's an acquaintance of Xu, so it shouldn't be weird to greet her cheerfully as such.
"I'm just a mere housekeeper, so I'm not familiar with the practices here in the penitentiary, you know. Rather than that, Miss Xu, what do you want to talk about today?"
Time was limited, so Yui Mei went straight to the point.
The conversation was directed to Xu, so she heaved a deep sigh as if to strengthen her resolve before she started speaking.
"Since you told me off last time, I spent a lot of time thinking about it, about what that person would want to me to do."
"...Is that so? Then, have you arrived at the answer?"
'Come to think of it, Xu was the esteemed daughter of a prestigious merchant, wasn't she?'
In that case, then Xu should have used a more polite manner of speaking in the past instead of what she was currently doing, shouldn't she?
Moreover, there were many women who came from wealthy families among the courtesans, so her manner of speech that was considered crude even in the standards of the commoners must've put her in a negative light.
Perhaps, this was Xu's rebellion in her own way, or maybe it was her own method of bidding farewell to her past.
Yui Mei inwardly pondered these things while Xu continued on.
"It was a long time ago, when I just met that person. I just remembered how we disagreed about something trivial and ended up making an odd promise because of it."
Her lover was a soldier, so it was only natural that his job was far more high-risk compared to hers.
Xu had been worried because of that, so she implored that he took another safer job. Her lover replied that it was the only thing that he could do.
Besides, he said, his body was sturd so he wouldn't die so easily.
Still, Xu thought about the 'what-ifs', so he then told her this.
'Well then, if I did die, please play the lute in my funeral. If you send me off with the music of your lute, I feel quite sure that I'll be able to meet you once again in the next life.'
Xu got mad, and she also told him peevishly that he too would surely find a maiden who was more beautiful and charming than her in his next life.
Her lover assured her that there's no way he would as he tried to soothe her anxiously.
Moreover, her parents were also considering taking him in as their son-in-law so that he could quit being a soldier immediately, so Xu forgot all about it.
"Yeah, that person might not be able to go to the underworld and might keep on wandering around the battlefield for a long time if I don't play the lute. That guy's a huge fool who calls me a 'music fairy' when I'm so far from being a beauty myself..
That guy's eyes are so bad so I'm sure he wouldn't be able to find his way if there are no guides."
Xu was crying and laughing while saying that.
Outstanding women were usually likened to a "fairy", but most of the time it was used for gorgeous beauties.
It could be said that it was a subtle exchange between women.
However, there were also people who were sincere whenever they praised her for being a "fairy" from time to time. Xu's lover must have been one of those without malice.
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