23話 痩せた子供
皇帝と初遭遇した数日後。
「おっそおっじしっましょ~♪」
は今日も掃除に精を出していた。
皇帝、そして自身の父かもしれない存在に会った直後というのに、普段と変わらずである。
――我ながら、心を動かされなさ過ぎてビックリだわ。
雨妹だって、実際皇帝を目の前にすれば、前世で見たドラマのように
だが、実際目にしてみれば、「あ、ふーん、そう皇帝なの」くらいの感情しか搾り出てこなかった。
――今世の実の両親っていうのに、実感が持てないんだろうなぁ。
なにせ両親の温もりすら覚えていないのだから。
ただ、後宮に生きる女の宿命で亡くなった。
雨妹にとってはそれだけの情報だ。
父も同様で、会ったこともない雲の上の人に、どんな思いを抱けというのか。
薄情なようだが、人間なんてこんなものである。
――よし、休憩!
掃除道具を片付けた雨妹は、休憩場所を探してキョロキョロすると、回廊から見え辛い場所に手ごろな石を見つけた。
「ふっふっふ」
そしてニマニマしながら懐から出した包みにあるのは、美味しそうな饅頭だ。
雨妹は早速食べようと、饅頭にかぶりつこうとした時。
ガサガサッ
後ろの方で茂みが揺れる音がした。
――動物かな?
これだけ広い敷地だ。
どんなに管理していても野良犬や野良猫、たまに猿などが入り込むことがある。
じっと茂みにいる何者かが去るのを待っていると、去るどころかこちらへやって来る。
そして、やがて姿を見せたのは。
「......あ」
茂みから頭だけ出したのは、一人の幼い男の子だ。
雨妹がいると思わなかったのか、大きな目を瞬かせた。
雨妹はちょっとした違和感を覚えたものの、石から飛び降りて丁寧に頭を下げた。
「驚かせて申し訳ありません、ここで休憩するところだったのです」
「......」
雨妹の態度に、皇子が無言ながら茂みの中から出て来た。
どこを通って来たのか、全身葉っぱまみれであるものの、服装も豪奢なものを身につけている。
「あの、葉っぱをたくさんつけてますよ。取りましょうか?」
「......?」
「ほら、綺麗になりましたよ」
「......ありがとう」
雨妹がニコリと笑うと、皇子が小さく礼を言った。
それにしても皇子殿下なのだから、堂々と回廊を歩けばいいのに。
しかしこの皇子は、ガリガリに痩せて顔色も悪い。
これは一体どうしたことか。
そんな疑問を抱いた雨妹が、皇子と無言で見つめ合っていると。
「なにをしている?」
回廊の方から男の声がした。視線をやると、こちらを眺めているすっかり見慣れた宦官の姿がある。
「お前は、休憩するならもっと......」
立彬は雨妹の休憩場所に文句を言おうというのか、こちらに歩み寄る。
「......ちょっと来い」
立彬が雨妹を手招きした。
Chapter 23
A few days had passed since the first encounter with the emperor.
"Let's clean up~ !"
Yui Mei was cleaning vigorously today, too.
She just met the emperor who was possibly her father, yet she was still calm.
'I was shocked that my heart wasn't moved the slightest, even though I say so myself.'
When the moment of the actual encounter with the emperor came, Yui Mei expected it would be like the drama she watched in her previous life, with lines like 'That is my father......!' coupled with overflowing emotions.
However, when they actually met, she could only muster enough emotion to think that 'Ah, hmm, so that's the emperor.'
'They are my biological parents in this life, but I can't feel anything for them.'
It was no wonder since she couldn't remember receiving any warmth from them. Her mother already passed away by the time she developed an awareness, so she didn't have any special feelings toward her mom.
She died due to the fate of being a woman in the inner harem.
To Yui Mei, that information was all she was.
Her father was the same. She never met him, and they were like heaven and earth, so it was only natural that she didn't feel anything for him.
She might seem heartless, but humans were generally like this. Rather than the parents who did not appear in her memories, she treasured Mei Na who gave her sweets more.
'Alright, break time!'
Yui Mei finished tidying up her tools, and she looked around for a place to rest. She spotted a boulder that was hard to see from the corridor. She promptly went to that stone and sat down. She removed her mask, and gulped water from the bamboo container.
"Fufufu."
Yui Mei beamed as she took a package from her bosom. It contained some delectable manju that she got from Mei Na.
Yui Mei wanted to immediately gobble her food. Just as she was about to sink her teeth into the manju -
Rustle.
It was the sound of the thicket shaking behind her.
'Is it an animal?'
This was an expansive site, afterall.
No matter how good the management was, there were instances when stray dogs, stray cats and sometimes, even monkeys got in. Yui Mei deftly wrapped the manju again and placed it in her bosom. She did not want it to be snatched away by those animals.
She stared at the thicket, waiting for whoever it was to go away, but instead of leaving, she heard it approach.
Finally, it appeared.
"...Ah."
The one who poked his head out of the thicket was just a boy.
He didn't expect Yui Mei to be there, so he batted his big eyes. He had well groomed black hair, and blue eyes.
Yui Mei suddenly remembered her manners, and she hurriedly jumped off the boulder, and respectfully bowed her head.
"I apologize for surprising you. I am just in the middle of taking a break."
"..."
The prince wordlessly climbed out of the thicket. He did not say anything regarding Yui Mei's attitude.
She did not know where he came from, but he was covered all over with leaves, although he was wearing magnificent and luxurious garments.
"Ahm, there are a lot of leaves sticking to you. Would you like me to remove them?"
"...?"
"Look, you're all clean now."
"...Thank you."
Yui Mei smiled brightly, so the boy gave thanks in a tiny voice.
Regardless, His Highness was a prince, so he could have walked normally through the corridors. Why would he go through the thicket to come to this hidden place?
However, this prince was malnourished, and he had a sickly pallor.
What on earth was happening here?
Yui Mei held her suspicions, and they stared at each other wordlessly.
"What are you doing?"
A male voice came from the corridor. Yui Mei directed her gaze towards it. It was the eunuch, whose appearance she had totally become accustomed to seeing.
"You, if you're taking a break then be more..."
Libin started to complain about Yui Mei's resting place as he walked towards her. However, the prince's figure entered his field of vision, and their eyes met for an instant.
"...Come here for a bit."
Libin beckoned to Yui Mei.
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