精々食べておかなければと、モリモリ食べていると。
「ちょっといいかい?」
昨日雨妹たちが最初に会ったおばさんに声をかけられた。
「......」
なにか答えなくてはと思うものの、いかんせん口いっぱいに頬張っているため、なかなか飲み込めない。
「待つから、喉に詰まらせないようにしな」
楊おばさんは呆れた顔でそう言った。
雨妹が食いしん坊なのではない、ここのご飯が美味しいのが悪いのだ。
「なんでしょうか?」
王
美人から申し入れがあった、昨日の娘に今日も掃除をして欲しいとね」
雨妹は初めて聞く名に眉を寄せる。
「なんだい、知らずにいたのかい? お前さんだろう、昨日王美人の所を掃除したのは」
――ああ、昨日の建物の主さんか!
母と同じということで、雨妹の中でまた勝手に親密度が増した。
「事前説明もありませんでしたし、本人に尋ねるのも失礼かと思いまして」
「全く、あの娘は......」
雨妹が昨日の状況を説明すると、楊おばさんの表情が険しくなる。
あの世話役の女がなにも言っていないと思っていなかったのだろう。
そして改めて話を聞くと、王美人は昨日の雨妹の反応に心配になり、楊おばさんに直談判してきたという。
「私も話を聞いて様子を見に行ったが、よく半日であそこまでやったね。しかも一人で」
「掃除は要領と計画性ですから」
掃除の順序を守り、ここまでするという範囲を決めるのが大事だ。
「......お前さん、難しい言葉を知っているんだね」
楊おばさんが胡乱気な視線を雨妹に向けた後、大きくため息を吐いた。
「来た初日からあんなに働いたのは、雨妹だけだよ。他の娘たちは世話役から話を聞くだけで仕事なんてしてないっていうのに」
なんと、雨妹にも初日に労働させるつもりではなかったらしい。
「とにかく、王美人の屋敷の掃除、頼んだからね」
楊おばさんはそう言って布に包んだ饅頭を一つ、卓の上に置いて行った。
――やった、本日のおやつだ!
というわけで、食事を終えた雨妹が掃除道具を持って昨日の場所に行くと、王美人とお供の人が待っていた。
「今から留守にしますから、その間に掃除をしてください」
「わかりました。触ってはいけない物などはありますか?」
「......壺と鏡は陛下からの贈り物です、心して扱うように」
雨妹の確認に、お供の人は一瞬目を細めた後にそう答えた。
「お邪魔しまーす」
誰もいないのだが、つい声をかけながら戸を開けて中に入る。
――うーん、屋内もなんだか空気が埃っぽい。
雨妹はまず窓を全開にして空気を循環させる。
自分で掃除出来れば手っ取り早いのに、偉くなったら掃除をしてはいけないのだから。
掃除は宮女の仕事で、それを王美人自らがやってしまったら、他の妃嬪に馬鹿にされてしまう。
――皇帝の奥さん稼業も大変だな。
感傷に浸るのは後にして。
の上の布団を剥いで外に持って出る。それを昨日掃除したばかりの欄干の日当たりのいい場所にかけて干すと、お手製はたきの竹竿部分で叩いて埃を落とす。
「ふぁっ、埃っぽい!」
「まあ、綺麗になったわね。それに呼吸が楽よ」
埃っぽくない室内の様子に、感激して笑みを浮かべる王美人に、お供の人も一緒に喜ぶ。
「あの、なにか病気ですか?」
王美人の言葉に引っかかりを覚えた雨妹は、余計なことかなと思いつつ聞いてみる。
前世で看護師だった身としては忠告をしたくなり、思わずお節介を焼く。
目を丸くする王美人の隣で、お供の人が頷いている。
「お掃除本当にありがとう。あなたの名前は?」
「雨妹です」
王美人にお礼と一緒に尋ねられ、雨妹は名乗る。
「そう、雨妹。これはお礼よ」
ちょっとカステラっぽい香りが夕食前のお腹を刺激する。
「貰っていいんですか?」
「もちろん。言ったでしょう? お礼だって」
掃除は雨妹の仕事であって、お礼を言われるものではない。
「では、いただきます」
おやつが手に入って思わずにやける雨妹に、王美人は微笑んだ。
「私の事以外にも、この建物がまた以前のように綺麗になったのが嬉しいの」
どういうことかと目を瞬かせる雨妹に、王美人が語る。
「ここはね、私の前にも美人が住んでいたの。とても心優しい方だったと、いつか陛下に伺ったことがあるわ」
雨妹の胸がドキリと鳴る。
過去形で語られているということは、今は後宮にいないということだ。
美人の位の女は他にもいるはずだが、追い出された美人がそう多いはずもない。
母は早くに後宮を追い出され、美人として過ごしたのはほんの短期間の計算だが、可能性はある。
そうだとすると、雨妹はここで生まれたのだろうか。
――実家(仮)を発見、ってとこか。
「呼んでいただければ、また掃除に参ります」
雨妹はそう告げると、一礼してこの場を去った。
Yui Mei wolfed down her food. She had to eat as much as possible.
"Can you come with me for a second?"
It was the middle-aged woman they first saw yesterday.
"......"
Yui Mei knew she needed to reply, but her mouth was too full; she couldn't even swallow.
"I'll wait, so make sure you don't choke."
Aunty Yang looked exasperated.
Yui Mei was not a glutton; it was the food's fault for being too delicious. She hastily chewed her food, and after gulping all of it, she asked anew.
"What might it be?"
"...Lady Wang?"
"A Beauty made a request regarding the maiden who cleaned her residence yesterday. Lady Wang wanted her to continue again today."
Yui Mei puckered her brows upon hearing the unfamiliar name. Aunty Yang made another disgusted face when she saw Yui Mei's expression.
"Don't tell me you didn't know? Wasn't it you who cleaned Lady Wang's place yesterday?"
'Oh, so she's the owner of that residence!'
So she was a concubine with the status of a Beauty. It was the same as her mother, so Yui Mei's feeling of kinship arbitrarily increased again.
"I was not informed beforehand, and I thought it would be rude to ask the person herself."
"That girl, really..."
Aunty Yang's expression turned grim after Yui Mei explained her situation yesterday.
Most likely, she never expected that the 'supervisor' woman would not explain anything.
Aunty Yang continued on. Apparently, Lady Wang was worried about Yui Mei's response, so she negotiated with Aunty Yang directly.
"I also went there after hearing her story. You did well with just half a day's work, and all by yourself, at that."
"Cleaning is all about grasping the essentials and proper planning."
It was important to follow the cleaning procedures carefully, and the scope must also be established properly. She managed somehow, because she clearly decided that she would only clean the exterior.
"...You know some big words, don't you."
Aunty Yang suspiciously stared at Yui Mei, and then she heaved a great sigh.
"You were the only one who worked that hard on her first day. The rest of the girls just listened to their supervisors; they did not even do any work."
So it seemed that right from the beginning, there was no intention to let the girls, including Yui Mei, work on their first day. Everything was due to the reckless behavior of that supervisor.
"Anyway, I'll leave the cleaning of Lady Wang's residence to you."
Aunty Yang placed a manju wrapped in cloth on the table top.
'Hurray! It's today's treat!'
And so, Yui Mei gathered her cleaning tools after eating breakfast, and went back to the place she cleaned yesterday. Lady Wang and her maid were waiting for her.
"We will be going now, so please clean the residence while we are away," the maid said.
"I understand. Is there anything I cannot touch?"
"......The vase and the mirror are gifts from the Emperor, so please take care in handling them."
The maid paused for a while before replying to Yui Mei's question. After seeing the two of them off, it was time to start cleaning. She wore her hood and mask just like yesterday.
"Please excuse me!"
There was no one inside, but Yui Mei still greeted in a loud voice as she opened the door.
'Yeah, even the air feels dusty in here.'
Yui Mei opened the windows to improve air circulation. Even if the climate here was warmer than in the remote regions, the wind was still cold, so Lady Wang and her maid probably left the windows closed due to this reason. Regardless, as long as it was cleaned, then ventilation would improve, too.
The maid said that, so the dust must have accumulated since they didn't clean the residence themselves. If Lady Wang was indeed a former court lady, as Yui Mei had guessed, then she must have been frustrated at the dirty condition. It must have been faster if she did the cleaning herself, but since she became an esteemed person, she could no longer do as she pleased.
Menial jobs such as cleaning were the work of court ladies, so she would be mocked by the other concubines if word came out that she did her own cleaning. If that happened, then her status within the Inner Palace would plummet.
'The Imperial wives sure got it hard.'
But it's not the time to wallow in sentimentality right now.
After improving ventilation, Yui Mei removed the blankets on the wooden bed and brought them outside to be sunned. She hanged them on the sunniest part of the balustrades she had cleaned yesterday. She took the make-shift duster and vigorously beat the blankets with the bamboo end.
"Whoah, so dusty!"
"How nice, everything has become so splendid. I can also breathe more easily."
Lady Wang was moved to tears upon seeing the clean, dust-free residence, and the maid also rejoiced along with her.
"Pardon me, but are you afflicted by any kind of illness?"
Yui Mei was drawn to Lady Wang's words, so she blurted out the question, even though she inwardly thought that she was being a busybody. Lady Wang answered her honestly.
She wanted to give advice based on her experience as a nurse in her previous world, so she nosily said that, albeit unwittingly.
Lady Wang's eyes widened in surprise, while her lady-in-waiting nodded. The maid must be itching to prepare the hot water immediately.
"I am truly grateful for the cleaning work you have done. What is your name?"
"It is Yui Mei."
Lady Wang asked her while giving her thanks, so Yui Mei introduced herself.
"Well, Yui Mei, here is your reward."
The castella-like aroma assailed Yui Mei's senses, right before dinner time.
"Is it really fine for me to receive this?"
"Of course. Didn't I tell you? It's your reward."
Cleaning was Yui Mei's job, so there was no need to reward her. But she was a little bit happy that Lady Wang did not take her service for granted.
"Then, thank you for the food."
Lady Wang smiled at Yui Mei, who can't help but grin widely since she got some sweets.
"I am also happy that this place became beautiful once again,for a reason apart from my own satisfaction."
Lady Wang continued her story as Yui Mei's eyes twinkled in curiosity.
"A Beauty also resided in this place before me. I had the opportunity to ask the emperor before, and I was told that she was a very kind person."
Yui Mei's heart pounded.
She was speaking in past tense, so that meant the person in question was no longer residing in the Inner Palace.
There were numerous Beauties, but only a handful of them were chased out.
Her mother stayed for only a short period of time as a Beauty, and she was driven out soon after, so it was probable.
In that case, then Yui Mei might have been born here.
'So this means I've discovered my (provisionary) birth home.'
"Should you summon me, I will come again to clean."
Yui Mei bowed and left.
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