利民の屋敷での宴を早々に退出した黄県主は、娘と共に軒車の中にいた。
黄県主は佳を訪れた際、いつもであれば利民の屋敷に滞在する。
こちらから特に先ぶれを出しておらずとも、利民側が自分をもてなすのは当然のことだと思っていた。
いかに利民が公主を娶ったとはいえ、ここは黄家の土地。
皇族よりも黄家が上に立つのは当然。なので黄県主が潘公主にへりくだったりはしない。
ゆえに利民の屋敷に押しかけた黄県主は、本日もこれまで通りに家令に命じて、いつも使う部屋を用意するように告げた。
だがこれに、想定外の答えが返ってきたのだ。
「使えない、ですって?」
これまで一度たりとも己の意見を否定させたことのない黄県主が眉をひそめるのに、家令の男が丁寧に頭を下げつつ言う。
「はい、仰られている部屋は、現在他の方が滞在されておられるので」
黄県主がいつも滞在に使っている部屋は、この屋敷で最も広い部屋であった。
何故最も広い部屋が潘公主の部屋でないのかというと、その部屋から海が見えないからである。
せっかくの港町であるのに、海が見えないなど勿体ないという意見を利民が取り入れ、二番目に広い、しかし佳が一望できる部屋を潘公主の部屋としたのだ。
しかしそのような事情を知らず、海などには全く興味がない黄県主は、ただその部屋は自分の専用なのだという認識を持っていただけである。
それにこれまではなにも言わずとも、あの部屋は自分のために整えてあった。
そのため部屋のことなど尋ねもしなかったというのに、使えないとはどういうことか?
いつも港で働く者に紛れており、上流の者たちとの交流をほとんどしてこなかった利民のことだ。
どうせ客人というのだってそうした下々の類だろうと、黄県主は考えた。
「そんなもの、追い出しなさい! わたくしを誰だと思っているの!?」
黄県主は目の前の家令を怒鳴りつける。
だいたい、どうしてこの男が家令なのだ。
このような男を、黄県主は知らない。自分が用意してやった家令は、一体どこにいるのか?
自身が知らぬ間に屋敷の人員が変わっていることに、黄県主は苛々するのを隠せない。
これまでは自分が屋敷を訪れると、屋敷を挙げて出迎えたというのに。
今回は「お約束はされていたのでしょうか?」とこの家令からいらぬことを言われ、何故そのような詮索をされるのだと怒ったものだ。
黄県主がわざわざこの屋敷のために用意してやった者たちは、一体どこにいったというのか?
分からないことだらけで混乱する黄県主の一方で、怒鳴られた家令は困った顔をする。
「そのようなことはできかねます。
黄県主は驚く。
彼女とて、利民の下を太子が訪れたことは知っていた。
病に臥せる妹を見舞ってのことだったとか。
けれどすぐに帰ったという情報が届き、その後はなにも聞こえてこなかった。
なので大した用事ではなく、本当に見舞っただけだったのだと思い、気にも留めていなかったのだが。
それがまさか、太子の手の者がまだ滞在していたとは。
――そのような者が、どこにいたの?
黄県主は先程の宴の場を思い起こす。
少なくとも、黄県主に挨拶をしに来た者の中にいなかったのは確かだ。
それに宴の席にいたのは誰もかれも醜く日に焼けて、佳固有の衣装だという奇妙な意匠の服を身に纏う者ばかりで、黄県主には見分けがつかない。
黄県主にとって付き合うべき人らしい人は、都人だけであった。
そして都人とは、宮城にいる上流階級の者を指している。
――けれどそういえば、あの場に都の武人らしき格好の男がいたか。
その男があの場にいた唯一の都人だと思ったのだが、都人らしからぬ容姿と格好の女を連れていたので、都落ちかと意識から外したのだが。
もしやあれが、太子の使者だったというのか?
とにかく、相手が太子の手の者とあっては、黄県主の方が下がらねばならない。
The Huang County Lord hastily left the banquet. Her daughter was with her as they rode the carriage home.
Normally, the Huang County Lord would always stay in Li Min's mansion whenever she visited Kai.
She had taken for granted that Li Min would always prepare a room for her, and that he would take the initiative even if she didn't inform them beforehand that she would come.
This was Kai, territory of the Huang family, so it didn't matter even if Li Min took a princess for his wife.
It was only natural that the Huang family was above all else, even the imperial family, within these lands. Thus, the Huang County Lord never attempted to ingratiate herself towards Princess Pan.
And so, the Huang County Lord intruded in Li Min's mansion, and haughtily ordered the servants to prepare her usual room.
However, she never expected the response that she would get.
"What did you say? I can't use it?"
The Huang County Lord fiercely scowled. She was infuriated, because she had never been refused or rejected before. The steward only bowed politely.
"Indeed, the room you are referring to is currently occupied by someone else."
The Huang County Lord had always stayed in the most spacious room in the mansion.
The only reason why Princess Pan didn;t use that room was because she couldn't see the sea from there.
Li Min had suggested that since she was to live in the port city of Kai, it would be a waste if she didn't enjoy the scenery. And so, Princess Pan's room was the second largest room, which afforded a panoramic view of Kai.
The Huang County Lord didn't know this backstory, and she didn't even have any interest in the sea. Thus, she had assumed that the room was dedicated exclusively for hers.
Besides, they always prepared that room wordlessly.
So why on earth did he say that she couldn't use the room, when she didn't even inquire if it was available or not?
Li Min didn't interact much with high-ranking nobles and officials, preferring instead to mingle with the people working in the port.
Thus, his guests could only be part of the lower class-- that was what the Huang County Lord thought.
"Then just drive them away! Who do you think I am!?"
The Huang County Lord yelled at the steward.
And why was this guy the one managing things here, in the first place.
She didn't know this man at all. Where was the steward that she had planted here?
Her people had been replaced before she knew it, so the Huang County Lord could no longer hide her irritation and anxiety.
The servants would welcome her pompously whenever she visited the mansion.
However, this time around, this steward, who came from goodness knows where, asked her whether she had an appointment. She flew off the handle and scolded him, saying that why did she have to be subjected to such prying.
Where on earth did the people that she had gone out of her way to prepare and plant in the mansion go?
The Huang County Lord's thoughts were in chaos, while the steward, on the other hand, was bothered.
"I cannot do that since the people staying there are His Highness the Crown Prince's envoys."
The Huang County Lord was dumbfounded.
Yes, she knew that the crown prince had visited Li Min.
It was said that he came to visit his sister who had fallen ill.
However, she received word that he left soon after, and she didn't heard anything about that afterward.
Thus, she thought it was not a big deal and that he really did come to see his younger sister, so she no longer paid attention to that matter.
She couldn't believe that the crown prince's envoys were still staying here.
'Where were they?'
.She tried to recall the banquet earlier.]
They were not among the people who greeted her, that's for sure.
Besides, each and every single guest that attended had that ugly tan, clad in clothes characteristic of the citizens of Kai, so she couldn't pinpoint whether there was such a person there.
For the Huang County Lord, the only people she deemed worthy to associate with her were those from the capital.
To be more precise, they were the influential people living in the palace.
'Come to think of it, there was a guy who looked like he could be a soldier from the capital in that place.'
She thought that he was probably one of the guests from the capital, but then, he was accompanied by a girl clad in clothes that she couldn't imagine a person from the city would wear. She assumed that maybe he must be dismissed from his position in the capital, so she no longer thought anything of it.
Could it be that he was the envoy of the crown prince?
At any rate, the Huang County Lord had to retreat if the other party was the crown prince's people.
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