ある時潘公主に呼ばれた雨妹が、お付きの人に頼んで誰も近付かないようにして。
念入りに人払いをされた部屋で言われたことは。
夫婦というものは、皆どのように夜を過ごすものなのかしら?」
「......はい?」
雨妹は一瞬、なにを尋ねられているのかわからなかった。
そこへ潘公主がさらに言う。
「わたくし、色々疎いの。
だから雨妹が立勇殿と二人でどのように夜を過ごしているのか、参考にしたいと思って」
――いえ、どうにも過ごしていませんけど。
仮に立勇と一緒に過ごせと言われれば、雨妹が医療談義と甘味談義で一方的に喋っている気がする。
もしくは、立勇からの説教が延々と続くか。
そして眠くなったらお互いの間に衝立を立てて、とっとと寝るだろう。
この辺りの神経の持ちようは、雨妹と立勇で案外似ている気がする。
それにしても、何故この話題を雨妹にするのか。
いわゆる閨教育という奴である。
嫁ぐ公主に施していないはずがない。
この雨妹の疑問に、潘公主は困ったような微笑みを浮かべた。
「実はわたくし、夫婦で行うべきことについて、なにも聞かずにここへ来たのです」
潘公主曰く、この婚姻自体が突然持ち上がったらしく。
その中でも潘公主にまで話が回ってくるなんて、誰も考えていなかったのだそうだ。
なにせ黄家と言えば崔国でも有力氏族。
そこへ嫁ぐとなれば、当然有力な家の公主が選ばれるもの。
そして当時、潘公主よりも位が高く、美しい公主は幾人もいた。
しかし黄家の特性ゆえに、誰もが黄家へ嫁ぐことを嫌がり、潘公主まで話が回ってくることになり。
短期間で婚姻の準備をしたせいで、色々な事が疎かになったことが否めないらしく。
「夫婦のことは、何事も黙って夫に従い、分からなければ尋ねればよい、と言われました」
雨妹は頬が引き攣りそうになる。
間違った助言ではないが、なんというざっくりとした教え方なのだろう。
「あの、では閨事については?」
雨妹が無礼を承知の上で、恐る恐る尋ねると。
「閨事、ですか?」
真っ先に教えておくべきことを忘れられているとか。
「あの、では利民様との初夜は、どのように過ごされたのですか?」
「はい、初夜というのがどのような儀式かわからなかったので。
――聞いちゃったんだぁ......。
尋ねられた利民がどのような気持ちを抱いたのか、想像もつかないが、きっと驚いたことだろう。
「それで?」
「利民様は微笑まれまして、『なにも儀式などありません』と仰られて。そのまま二人並んで寝ました」
――うわぁ......。
雨妹は頭痛がしそうになってきた。
初夜で妻になった人から――しかも皇族から降嫁された公主から無邪気に尋ねられ、閨事について教えられる男がどれだけいるだろうか?
しかも二人並んで寝たとか。
女の雨妹でも、利民が不憫に思えてきた。
結果として潘公主は子作りの方法も知らず、「子どもは仙鳥が運んでくる」というおとぎ話を未だに信じていた。
もしや利民と潘公主の仲がこじれた大元は、この初夜にあったのではなかろうか?
家から足が遠のいて船に乗ってばかりいたのは、無垢な妻と顔を合わせ辛かったのかもしれない。
けれど、このままでいいはずがない。
子作りについて知っておかないと、いつか悪い男に騙されそうだ。
なにせ公主はお世話係に囲まれて育ち、着替えすら他人任せな生活である。
故に他人に肌を見せるという行為に対して、庶民よりも抵抗が薄いのだ。
そんな状況で悪い男に騙されたら、そのまま閨行為になだれ込んでしまう気がする。
かくして、雨妹はある種の使命感に背中を押され、潘公主に「子どもができるまで」を図解付きで熱弁することとなった。
――前世での、小学校の性教育を引き受けた時のことを思い出すね。
となれば、紙に男女の絵を描いて説明することになり。
絵でも分からないならば、女の身体は自らの肉体で知ってもらうしかない。
男の身体については、後日利民に見せてもらえばいいとして。
「殿方の身体には、そのようなモノが付いているのですね。
図解によって閨事情を知った潘公主は、恥じらうというより、呆然とした様子である。
そして閨での行為をようやく知り、深刻そうな表情になった。
「ねえ雨妹、そのような事をして、身体を壊さないのかしら?
どうだったのと聞かれても、現世での自分は清らかな乙女であるからして。
経験済みの前提で尋ねられても困る。
ここは百花宮ではないからいいものの、雨妹の身の清らかさを疑われるような事態になれば、色々と面倒な事態になるかもしれない。
前世の経験を語るのは簡単だが、医療の話とは違って、雨妹の実際の経験だと思われては駄目なのだ。
だからここまでの話でも、雨妹は万が一の時に言質をとられないために一般的な事実として語り、自分を主語にしていない。
そう思った雨妹は、慈愛の微笑みを浮かべて言った。
「大丈夫です、身体は壊れませんし、怖い事でもありません」
でも雨妹が言うなら、そうなのよね」
断言する雨妹に、潘公主がホッとしている。
あとは、利民様に頑張ってもらうことにしよう。
Princess Pan summoned Yui Mei one day, and she instructed her maid to stand guard and not let anyone near them.
And the topic that she wanted to discuss in the deserted room was --
"Yui Mei, do you have any idea how married couples spend the night?"
"....Yes?"
Yui Mei was stupefied for a moment.
Princess Pan continued on.
"You know, I'm not actually familiar with a lot of things. That's why I wanted to consult you.
How do you spend the night with Li Yong?"
'No, we don't spend it together, in the first place.'
Well, for argument's sake, they were indeed staying in the same room for the meantime, but Yui Mei had the feeling that she was arbitrarily discussing medicine, desserts and sweets with him during that time.
Li Yong would also continue with his never-ending sermon at other times.
And when they finally felt sleepy, they would put a partition between them, and sleep on their respective sides.
Li Yong and Yui Mei were surprisingly similar in that both were very dense regarding these matters.
Still, Yui Mei wondered why the Princess brought this up to her.
It was the so-called "education for affairs in the bedroom".
There was no way the princess didn't undergo this before she was married.
When Princess Pan heard Yui Mei's question, she smiled, but she seemed troubled.
"Actually, nobody taught me anything regarding the affairs of a husband and wife before I came here."
The marriage had been very abrupt according to Princess Pan
Nobody imagined that the princess would be the one to be wedded.
After all, the Huang family was considered as one of the most influential and powerful families in the entire Sai Kingdom.
If it was the matter of the bride, then they would choose a princess, naturally.
And at the same time, there were a handful of princesses who were more beautiful and had higher status than Princess Pan, so they all thought that one of those women would be chosen.
However, not a single princess wanted to marry into the Huang family because of their idiosyncrasies, so the opportunity fell on the lap of the princess.
Because the marriage was so sudden, the preparations were in a whirl, and everybody was busy, so it couldn't be denied they had been sloppy in handling a lot of things.
"I was told that the wife should listen and obey her husband without a word, and if there were things I didn't understand, I should ask him."
Yui Mei could feel her cheeks twitching.
It might not be thoroughly incorrect advice, but their slipshod way of teaching was absurd.
"Ahm, how about the affairs of the bedroom?"
Yui Mei carefully asked, although she knew she was being totally rude.
"Affairs of the bedroom?"
'Don't tell me...they totally forgot to orient the princess?'
"Ahm, pardon me, but how did you spend your first night of your marriage with Lord Li Min?"
"Yes, I didn't have any idea what to do on the so-called 'first night', and so, I asked Lord Li Min if there was anything I needed to do."
'Uwah,so she asked him.....'
Yui Mei couldn't imagine Lord Li Min's feelings when she asked him, but he must have been very shocked.
"And?"
"Lord Li Min just smiled and told me that 'there is no ceremony'. We then slept beside each other afterward."
'Uwaahhh................'
Yui Mei felt a headache coming.
His new wife -- and the princess who was bestowed by the emperor, to boot --asked him with all innocence... How many men could explain the affairs of the night in such a situation?
And they even slept beside each other.
Yui Mei was a woman, but she couldn't help but pity Li Min.
In the end, the princess didn't even know how babies were made, and she held onto the fairytale that 'mystical cranes bring the babies'.
Was this one of the reasons why Li Min and the princess' relationship became complicated?
Li Min was always in a rush to get out of the house and board the ship, as if his bottoms were on fire. Maybe it was because he found it difficult to look at his wife who was still 'pure'.
However, this situation shouldn't continue on.
If she didn't have any idea about child-makingactivities, then she might be tricked by men with ill-intentions.
After all, a princess was always surrounded by servants, and she was even dressed by other people.
She was used to showing her naked skin to others, so she might not have any qualms about that compared to commoners.
If an evil guy took advantage of that and tricked her, then she might be deflowered right there and then.
And so Yui Mei, pushed by her sense of duty, fervently explained, complete with illustrations, how a child was made to the princess.
'Alright, let's do this the way they taught me in elementary school.'
And so, Yui Mei drew a picture of a man and a woman on a piece of paper.
If the princess still didn't understand, then they should start with her own body first.
As for a man's body, Li Min could just show it to her in the future.
"So, all men have this thing on them. And that's...."
The princess didn't seem to feel bashful after learning about the night activities based on the illustration, but she was thoroughly stupefied.
When she finally knew how to do the deed, her expression turned very grave.
"Yui Mei, won't my body break by doing such a thing? How did you fare, Yui Mei?"
Even if she was asked that, her present body was still that of a pure maiden.
It was actually worrisome if the princess assumed that she was already experienced in this matter.
Well, this place was not the Hundred Blossom Palace, but still, it would spell nothing but trouble for Yui Mei if a situation came up and her purity was doubted.
If it was her previous life's experiences, then it would be easy. However, it would be terrible if the princess mistakenly assumed that she was not talking about medical information, but her own experiences at present.
For this very reason, Yui Mei generalized it, and she didn't refer to herself, nor did she use the pronoun 'I' when she explained, just as a precaution.
Thus, Yui Mei could only smile ambiguously.
"There is no need to worry, your body won't be broken, and it is not a scary thing."
"Really? Well, if Yui Mei said so, then that must be true."
The princess felt relieved at Yui Mei's assurance.
Now, all that was left was for Lord Li Min to do his best.
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