50話 外への誘い
するとそこには既に太子と、雨妹と同じく着替えて腰に剣を下げた
けれど二人とも服装が地味で、一見どこぞの商家の子息とそのお供のようだ。
どうしてそんな格好なのか気になるところだが、まずは待たせてしまったことを謝罪する。
「お待たせしまして、申し訳ありません」
深々と頭を下げる雨妹に、太子がニコリと微笑む。
「いいんだよ、急に声をかけたのはこちらだからね」
全くもってその通りなのだが、それにしても太子が他の宮女を連れている様子がない。
「あの、何故私を呼んだのですか? 太子宮の宮女は?」
雨妹の質問に、太子が答えたところによると。
「私が信頼している女官や宮女を、今はできるだけ太子宮から動かしたくないんだよ。
その信頼する者たちの代わりとして、雨妹に目を付けたということか。
つまり自分はよからぬことを考えない女だと認識されているというわけで。
「えっと、じゃあ他の人は?」
「いないよ、お忍びだからね」
この外出がお忍びとか、今初めて聞いたのだが。
いやでも、それならば太子のこの格好の理由も納得できる。
けどそれでも護衛が必要だろうに、ここには宦官の立彬しかいない。
がいれば十分だよ」
もしやこの剣を下げた男は、立彬ではないのだろうか。
「立勇さんは、双子の兄弟でもいますか?」
「そういうことにしておくんだな」
「そうだ」とも「いない」とも違う答えに、雨妹は普段通りの顔を張り付けたまま、内心では壮絶に嫌な顔をしていた。
――絶対面倒臭いヤツだこれ!
今から逃げ戻ってもいいだろうか?
しかし当然そんなわけにはいかず。
かくして雨妹は、非常に胡散臭い太子のお忍びのお供をすることになった。
「へー、珍しーい」
「面白ーい」
雨妹は現在一人、大通りの露店をウロウロしていた。
その間太子と
太子は馬車に乗って梗の都から出るらしいのだが。
後宮の外へ出たことのない雨妹のために、内城の入り口から外城の入り口まで伸びる大路を少し歩いて行ってくれるという、太子の心遣いである。
太子が徒歩で大通りを行くなんて大丈夫かと心配したのだが。
この太子はどうも街を歩き慣れているようで、道行く人に溶け込めている。
そしてむしろ全く溶け込めていないのは、雨妹の方だった。
いや、雨妹とて最初は太子の歩みに後ろから静かに付いて行こうと思っていたのだ。
日本のような便利な品が手に入るわけでなし、そうそう露店に惹かれたりしないぞとも考えてもいた。
そんな風に斜めに構えていた雨妹だが、今は前言撤回したい。
――強がっててゴメン、外って面白い!
興味をひくものが目に入ると、つい足を止めてしまう。
そしてハッと気づけば、数歩先で太子たちが待っている。
「気が済むまで見ていいんだよ」
太子の許しが出たので、開き直って露店巡りをしているというわけだ。
「ああしていると、普通の娘に見えるねぇ」
「女の買い物は長いですから、待っているとキリがありませんよ」
興味津々で露店を巡る雨妹を見て微笑ましそうな太子に、立勇はそんな悟ったようなことを言う。
二人のそんなやり取りが聞こえつつも、雨妹は目の前の物を眺めるのに忙しかった。
太子公認での露店巡りだなんてもうないだろうから、この機会は最後かも知れないのだ。
梗の都は港が近いらしく海からの渡来品もあり、雨妹が初めて見た物もあれば、現代日本の便利グッズに近いような物まであった。
特に気になったのが、動物や花の形などの模様にくぼみが彫ってある鉄板である。
サイズは小さめのホットプレート並みで、例えばこれに卵を流せば可愛い卵焼きができるわけだ。
雨妹がうっとりと鉄板を眺めていると。
「欲しいのかい?」
背後から、太子に声をかけられた。
「欲しいっていうか、珍しいなって思ったっていうか、でもやっぱり欲しいかもと思わなくもないっていうか」
大人なんだから欲望くらい抑えられるぞと言いたかったのだが、最終的に欲しいが勝ってしまう。
「......店主、いくらだ?」
結果、立勇がその露店にお代を払ってくれた。
またしても買ってくれるらしい。
この鉄板は雨妹の部屋まで届けてもらうこととなり、露店巡りに満足した雨妹は太子のお供に戻る。
そしてようやく門に着くと、御者を乗せて待っていた
――おお、軒車って初めて乗る!
軒車を前に、雨妹は気分が上がる。
庶民が乗れるのは屋根も壁もない荷車のようなものなので、辺境から出て来た際も非常に辛かったものだ。
しかし軒車に乗るのは雨妹と太子だけで、立勇は近衛として馬に乗って並走するようだった。
「あの、お忍びとはいえ仮にも太子殿下なのに、色々大丈夫なんでしょうか?」
Chapter 50
The crown prince and Libin were already there. Libin also changed his outfit, and he wore a sword at his waist.
They were wearing plain clothes, looking like the sons of some merchant family.
She was curious why they were donned as such, but she had to apologize first for making them wait.
"I apologize for the wait."
Yui Mei bowed deeply, and the crown prince smiled in return.
"No need to worry, I'm  the one who summoned you suddenly, after all."
That was absolutely true, but the crown prince didn't seem to bring any other maid with him.
"Pardon me, may I ask for what reason did the Crown Prince summon me? Where are the ladies-in-waiting?"
The crown prince answered her.
"I don't want to move the maids and court ladies I trust from the palace as much as possible. People with ill-intentions abound."
It meant that the crown prince saw Yui Mei as a potential substitute for the people he trusted.
In other words, Yui Mei was not considered as a malicious person.
"Ahm, how about the other people?"
"None, we're travelling incognito."
It was the first time Yui Mei heard that this excursion would be done covertly.
No, that explained the crown prince's outfit.
However, guards were necessary, but only the eunuch Libin was here.
"Li Yong is more than enough."
So this man with the sword was not Libin?
"Li Yong, perhaps you have a twin?"
"Let's leave it at that."
It was not even a 'yes' nor a 'no' - Yui Mei did a poker face, but she was scowling fiercely inwardly.
'What an absolutely troublesome guy!'
Would it be alright to escape now?
Of course, there was no way she could do that.
Thus, it was decided that Yui Mei would accompany the crown prince in travelling incognito alongside this extremely fishy guy.... Supposedly.
"Oh, how rare..."
"So fascinating..."
Currently, Yui Mei was wandering around on her own among the street stalls along the highway.
Meanwhile, the crown prince and Libin - no, Li Yong were idly standing at the side, waiting for her.
The crown prince was supposed to ride a carriage to leave the city of Kyo.
However, for the sake of Yui Mei who had never left the Inner Palace before, he decided to walk through the main street stretching from the entrance of the Inner Palace  to the gates of the Outer Palace.
She had been worried about the crown prince walking on foot through the mainstreet.
The crown prince seemed accustomed being in the city though, as he blended well with the people walking down the road.
And the one who completely didn't blend in was Yui Mei.
No, initially, Yui Mei also thought she'd obediently follow behind the crown prince.
It was not like she could get convenient tools like the ones in Japan, and she didn't think she was longing for the open air.
Yui Mei was already posed beside them, however, she wanted to take back what she said.
'Sorry for trying to be tough, didn't think the outside world would be so fun!'
She unwittingly stopped when something fascinating caught her eye.
When she came to her senses, the crown prince and Li Yong were waiting for her a few steps away.
"It's alright, go ahead and look around until you're satisfied."
The crown prince gave his permission, so she started to go around with more vigor.
"Seeing her like that makes her seem like an ordinary girl, right."
"There's no end to it if you wait, women take forever to shop."
The crown prince was beaming, chuckling as he said that while he watched Yui Mei absorbed in wandering around the street stalls. Li Yong then replied sagely.
Yui Mei must have heard their exchange, but she was too preoccupied staring at the thing in front of her.
She might never have the opportunity to go around the street stalls with the permission of the crown prince.
The city of Kyo was near the harbor, so there were also imported goods. While plenty of the items were new to Yui Mei, there were also products that were similar to modern Japan's convenient things.
She was particularly interested in the iron plate that had animals and flower patterns engraved on it.
It was roughly the size of a small hotplate, and she could make cute fried eggs on it.
Yui Mei stared at the iron plate raptly.
"Do you want it?"
The crown prince called out to her from behind.
"Hmm, rather than saying I want it, it's like it's something rare, ah but I'm thinking if I really do want it, or something like that..."
Since she was already an adult, she thought she could suppress her desires, but in the end, her desire won.
"...Storekeeper, how much is it?"
And so, Li Yong paid for it.
Apparently, they would buy anything she fancied.
This iron plate was to be delivered to Yui Mei's room. She returned to the crown prince's side, finally satisfied after wandering around the stalls.
After a while, they reached the gate, and the coachman was sitting on the horse-drawn carriage, waiting for them.
'Whoa, it's the first time I'll ride a horse carriage!'
Yui Mei became excited as she stood in front of it.
Commoners rode in carts with no walls nor roofs, and the journey from the borderland had been difficult.
However, only the crown prince and Yui Mei was to ride in the carriage. Li Yong was to ride a horse as the Imperial Guard.
"Ahm, I know we're going incognito, but it's the crown prince, after all, so would it really be alright?"
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