72話 思わぬ人を捕まえる
イカ焼きに夢中な雨妹の様子を見て、立勇も意を決したように己のイカ焼きを食べた。
「......不思議な食感だが、確かに美味いな」
「でしょう? 食べず嫌いはいけません」
目を見開く立勇に、雨妹はにんまりと笑う。
このイカ焼きは日本で馴染んだタレの味とはちょっと違うものの、十分満足できるものだ。
焼き立てをハフハフと食べていると。
「雨妹、口についているタレを拭け」
そんな雨妹の口元を、立勇が拭ってくる。
確かに気が付けば、口の周りがタレでベットリとなっていた。だが、イカ焼きというのはこういうものだろう。
そして拭ってもらってなんだが、絹の手巾は肌触りがいいものの、吸収が悪く、むしろ木綿の方がいいと思うのだが。
しかし同じように食べているのに、立勇の方の口元は綺麗なもの。
一体なにが違うというのか。
もしやこれが育ちの差というものなのか?
雨妹はそんなことを考えつつイカ焼きを食べ終えたところで、さらなる海鮮料理を求めて視線を巡らせる。
「あ、なにあれ!?」
また新しい海鮮料理の匂いを嗅ぎつけ、駆け出そうとしたところ。
「うわっ!?」
横手の通りから出て来た女連れの男とぶつかりそうになり、立勇に首根っこを掴まれて静止させられる。
――私、猫じゃないんだけど。
しかしおかげでぶつかって転ぶのを回避できたのだから、礼を言うべきなのだろう。
「あの、ありがとうございます」
そう言いながら立勇を見上げると、しかしあちらは雨妹を見ていない。
そして雨妹を掴んでいない方の手で、誰かを掴んでいる。
それは、雨妹とぶつかりそうになった男で、身なりの良さげな人である。
それに、どこかで見たことのあるような......
「このような場所で、なにをされているのですか、利民様?」
「あっ!?」
そう、潘公主の夫の利民であった。
立勇に捕まった利民は、戸惑っている様子である。
「......そっちこそどうして、お偉い都人がこんな港まで来ている?
なるほど、普通都のお偉いさんは港を嫌がると。
「そんなの、美味しい海鮮料理が食べたかったからに決まっているじゃないですか。
「私はその付き添いだ」
正直に目的を告げる雨妹たちに、利民は呆気にとられた顔になる。
「都人がイカだと? 普通怪物だって騒ぐだろう」
利民は愚痴っているが、そんな普通は知らない。
立勇だけであれば、怪物だと思ったかもしれないが。
――あれ、でも潘公主だって、利民様に頼んで港に連れて行ってもらったという話だったよね?
もしやこれも、都人としては非常識な行いだったということか。
となると、潘公主は自己肯定感が低いわりに行動力がある人である。
ともあれ、この場で話をすると通りの邪魔ということになり。
なおかつ立勇が「話をしたい」と言って引き下がらなかったため、「仕方ねぇなぁ」とぼやく利民に連れられた雨妹たちは、とある店に入った。
そこは料理店で、そこそこ客で混んでいたが。
「おう、奥の部屋使わせてもらうぜ」
「はいな、ごゆっくりぃ」
利民が店員に声をかけると、気軽な返事が返ってくる。
どうやら馴染みの店らしい。
ちなみにだが、雨妹がぶつかった際に利民と一緒にいた女だが。
ともあれ、勝手知ったる店である利民の後について奥にある個室に入ったところで、利民が椅子にドカリと座った。
佳は俺の家みたいなもんなんだから、どこにいたっておかしくないだろう?」
そう言って立勇をギロリと睨む。
――ガラ悪いな!?
屋敷で話した時と違って、乱暴な物言いであることに、雨妹が驚いていると。
「なるほど、そちらが素か」
「立勇様、冷静なんですね」
雨妹がそう告げると、立勇がチラリと視線を寄越した。
「言っただろう、黄家の男は船乗りだと。
言われてみれば確かに、海の男として考えればこちらの方が自然な気がする。
雨妹が納得したところで、自分たちも席について、早速話を聞くことにした。
「それで。そちらは屋敷へ戻らずになにをしていた?
立勇の質問に、利民が肩を竦める。
「そんなもん、俺がいない方が清々するだろうと思ったからさ。
Chapter 72
Li Yong also strengthened his resolve and tasted his own portion when he saw that Yui Mei was in a blissful daze as she ate the grilled squid.
"...It has a strange mouthfeel, but yeah, it is delicious."
"Right? Hating it without tasting is a no-no."
Li Yong's eyes widened in surprise, while Yui Mei had a complacent smile plastered on her face.
The sauce was a bit different from the one she was used to in Japan, nevertheless, she was extremely satisfied with it.
They then divided a freshly grilled one into half and ate it.
"Yui Mei, wipe the sauce around your mouth."
Li Yong wiped the sauce from Yui Mei's mouth.
Indeed, her face was messy and sticky. However, it was only natural when eating grilled squid.
He wiped it for her with a silk handkerchief; the texture was great, but it was not absorbent, so she thought cotton would have been better.
Still, they ate the same way, but Li Yong's mouth and lips were clean.
What was different?
Perhaps, it was the difference in breeding?
Yui Mei finished off her grilled squid while thinking about that, then she looked around once again, looking for more seafood to try.
"Ah, what's that!?"
A new fragrant seafood dish wafted, and she tried to dash off after a sniff.
"Whoa!?"
She almost collided to a man accompanied by a woman, when Li Yong grabbed the scruff of her neck to stop her.
'But I'm not a cat, you know.'
However, thanks to him, she was able to avoid bumping and falling over, so she still had to give her thanks.
"Ahm, thank you very much."
She glanced upward to Li Yong, but he wasn't looking at her.
He had seized another person with his other hand that wasn't holding Yui Mei.
It was the guy Yui Mei almost bumped into, and he was well-dressed.
Besides, she felt like she had seen this guy somewhere....
"What are you doing in such a place, Lord Li Min?"
"Ah!?"
Indeed, he was Li Min, the husband of Princess Pan.
Li Min, who was caught by Li Yong, looked really dumbfounded.
"....I should be the one asking you that. What are importantcity folks like you doing in this harbor? Normally, you guys hate this place, right, saying stuff like 'This kind of dirty place.'"
Indeed, normally, the big shots of the city didn't like going to the port.
"No way, of course we came here in order to eat delicious seafood dishes. We came here looking for grilled squids, especially."
"I am her escort."
Li Min was a little bit taken aback when Yui Mei honestly stated her goal.
"A city guy and squid? Don't city folks normally kick up a fuss when they see that, saying it's a monster."
Li Min was grumbling, but Yui Mei didn't have anything to do with that kind of 'normal'.
If it's Li Yong, then perhaps he did think it was a monster.
'Eh, but didn't Princess Pan say that she also asked Lord Li Min to take her to the harbor, right?'
Perhaps, this was a nonsensical behavior for a person from the city.
In that case, Princess Pan has that drive to act despite being a person with low self-esteem.
Anyway, they're in the way if they were to talk here.
Nevertheless, Li Yong stated that 'we need to talk', and he stood his ground, so Li Min didn't have a choice but to agree despite complaining, 'can't be helped then'. He led Yui Mei and Li Yong and they entered a certain shop.
It was a restaurant, and it was quite crowded.
"Hey, gonna use the room at the end, 'kay."
"Gotcha, enjoy your stay."
Li Min called out to the shop assistant, and got a hearty reply.
It seemed that it was a friendly shop.
By the way, the woman that was with Li Min disappeared without a trace before they knew it. She probably inferred that he was caught in a dispute.
Anyway, Li Min was incredibly familiar with this place, and they followed him towards a private room at the deepest part of the restaurant.
"So? You guys got any complaints? Kai is like my house, so there's no problem even if I go wherever, right?"
He glared daggers at Li Yong.
'What a punk!?'
Li Min's rough, rude words was totally different from how he spoke back at the mansion, so Yui Mei was shocked.
"I see, so that's your true nature."
"Lord Li Min was such a calm guy back then."
When Yui Mei mumbled that, Li Yong glanced at her.
"I already told you, the men of the Huang family are seafarers. Seamen don't talk so eloquently like the government officials in the Imperial Palace, in the first place."
Well, now that he put it that way, it was true; his current bearing was more consistent to her image of a seafarer.
Yui Mei agreed, then they also took their seats, and immediately asked Li Min to talk.
"So. What were you doing, not returning to the mansion and leaving Princess Pan all by herself?"
Li Min shrugged at Li Yong's question.
"Nah, just thought that she'd be relieved if I didn't hang around, you know. Anyway, she probably didn't come here 'coz she wanted to, right. I don't like a suffocating life myself, so we're just even."
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