71話 海鮮食べ歩き
というわけで本日、雨妹はありがたくお休みを貰って港へ繰り出している――何故か、立勇も一緒に。
まあ、雨妹が休みで立勇に休みではないというのは、不公平だというのはわかる。
けれど、今一緒にいるのは何故だろうか。
「私、一人でも大丈夫なんですけど?」
隣を歩く立勇を見上げた雨妹がそう言うと、ジトリとした視線が返ってきた。
「今のお前は太子殿下の使者という立場なのだ。
そしてこんな言葉が返される。
――まぁ、確かに。
雨妹を攫って太子に言うことを聞かせようとする輩は、いるかもしれない。
それは自分でも十分にわかっているのだが。
これから海鮮料理を食べ歩きしようというのに、立勇が隣にいると気になってしまう。
「見張り付きみたいで、楽しめないんですけど」
そんな愚痴を言いつつ立勇を連れて港に向かって歩くと、やがて雨妹の鼻を、魚介の香りがくすぐる。
――ああ、なに食べようかなぁ......
雨妹はとたんに浮き立つ気持ちを抑えきれず、「くふふ」と声を漏らす。
どんな海鮮料理だって嬉しいが、やはり目指すはイカ焼きだ。
「イカがあったらいいなぁ、イッカイカ~♪」
自作の歌を奏でながら歩く雨妹を、立勇が隣から見下ろす。
「......楽しそうではないか」
立勇のそんな呟きが聞こえたが、雨妹を待っているであろう海鮮料理の前には、些細な問題である。
こんなやり取りがあったものの。
やがて到着した港という場所は、異世界でも雰囲気はかわらないものらしい。
そして港に並ぶ漁船に、そこから水揚げされる魚介類。
そして、それらを調理している屋台!
――楽園だ、楽園がそこにある!
目を輝かせて屋台に突撃しようとする雨妹を、しかし立勇が止める。
「むやみに人込みに突っ込もうとするな。
「むぅ......」
立勇の正論に雨妹は動きを止めるものの、気分はさながら「待て」を言われた犬である。
しかし現在の雨妹の持ち物は、全て太子から与えられたものであるからして、それを掏られるのは確かに嫌だ。
もし弁償なんてことになったら、掃除係程度の給金では絶対に払えない。
「一緒に行くので、私から離れないと約束しろ。
どうやら引率してくれるらしい立勇に、そう尋ねられ。
雨妹はそう答える。
どうせ一緒に歩くのなら、第二の胃袋として活用させてもらおうではないか。
量が多い料理だったら、立勇と分け合えばいいのである。
というわけで、宣言通り屋台が並ぶ通りの端から、海鮮料理を買っていくことにした。
特に人気なのは大ぶりの貝の串焼きだ。
ピリッとした味付けで、周囲ではこの串焼きを片手にお酒を飲んでいる海の男たちがいる。
もし雨妹が大人だったら、同じようにお酒を飲みたくなるだろう。
他にも魚の一夜干しの網焼きも身がフワフワだったし、エビが丸ごと入った湯も絶品だ。
そして雨妹が現在手にしているのは、サザエのつぼ焼きである。
「うーん、美味しーい!」
雨妹はホクホク顔で、サザエのつぼ焼きをモグモグしているのだが。
「......お前、よくそれを食べられるな」
そんな雨妹を、立勇が不気味なものを見る目で見る。
恐らく彼は、あまり海に馴染みがないのだろう。
――確かに、この見た目が受け付けない人っているもんね。
味も独特の苦みがあって、慣れない人には手を伸ばしにくい料理かもしれない。
けど、慣れたら癖になるのだ。
こんな風に雨妹はアレコレ食べつつ、もう食べられないと思ったら立勇へと横流しする。
そうして食べ歩きしつつ屋台通りを結構進んだところに、それはあった。
店先に洗濯物みたいに吊るされ、干してあるモノ。
――あれは......イカだ!?
その干してあるイカの横で、香ばしいタレをつけて焼かれているのは、まさしくイカ焼き。
「あれ、アレを食べたいです!」
「また、不気味なものを......」
キラキラした目になる雨妹の横で、立勇がしかめ面をする。
「不気味なんて、失礼な事を言わないでください!
そう言い置いてズンズンと進む雨妹に、立勇も仕方なくついてくる。
「くださいな!」
そして屋台で無事に油紙に包まれたイカ焼きを手に入れた。
イカ初心者の立勇のために、一口大に切り分けてもらっており、比較的小さな部分を立勇へ渡す。
雨妹は早速、イカ焼きにかぶりつく。
「ああ、幸せ......」
口に広がる焼かれたイカの香ばしさと、絶妙なタレの絡み具合に、雨妹はうっとりとした顔になる。
Chapter 71
And so, Yui Mei gratefully accepted her day off, and she set off towards the port -- and for some reason, Li Yong was also with her.
Well, it would be unfair if Li Yong didn't take a break, too.
However, it was a mystery why he had to go with her.
"I'm fine even if I'm alone, you know?"
Yui Mei looked up at Li Yong as they walked side by side. He glared at her in response.
"Your status right now is that of the Crown Prince's attendant. You'll invite unnecessary trouble if you act like you always do at the Inner Palace."
He then retorted.
'Well, that's true.'
There might be people who would kidnap Yui Mei in order to have her relay their words to the Crown Prince.
She's also fully aware of that fact.
However, she wanted to eat around the port, and Li Yong's presence beside her bothered her a bit.
"It feels like I'm being guarded, so I won't be able to enjoy this."
She grumbled as she led Li Yong towards the harbor, when the scent of seafood wafted to Yui Mei's nose.
'Ahhh, what should I eat, huh.'
Yui Mei giggled, unable to contain her excitement at that moment.
She was happy with whatever fresh food cuisine was available, but her main goal was grilled squid.
"It'll be nice if there's squid, squid~y squid squid~"
Li Yong glanced down at Yui Mei as she skipped to her own song.
"...aren't you having fun."
Yui Mei heard Li Yong's whisper, but it was just a trivial matter compared to the seafood cuisine that's waiting for her.
They finally reached their destination while having this conversation.
The ambience in the port didn't change despite this being another world.
Various fishes and seafoods were being hauled to the fishing boats that lined up the harbor.
And there! There were the food stalls that cooked those fish!
'Paradise, that's the paradise!'
Yui Mei was about to pounce a food cart with her eyes shining, but Li Yong stopped her.
"Don't recklessly plunge into a crowd of people. You're a stranger here, so you're the prime targets of pickpockets."
"Hmpf..."
Yui Mei stopped on her tracks when she heard Li Yong's fair reasoning. She felt like a dog being told 'stay'.
However, everything that she had now was given to her by the crown prince, of course she didn't want to be robbed.
In case she needed to do reparations, her entire salary as a mere housekeeper would never be enough.
"I'll go with you, so promise me you won't leave my side. So, which store caught your eye?"
Li Yong will apparently lead her, so he asked.
Yui Mei answered.
If he's going to insist walking with her, then might as well treat him as a 'second stomach', then.
If there's too much food, then she could share it with Li Yong.
And so, just like what she said, they started walking towards the end of the row of stalls to buy seafood.
The skewered, large shellfish was especially popular.
It was spicy, and many seamen around them were eating this with a sake in one hand.
If Yui Mei was also an adult here, she probably would have eaten this with alcohol, too.
She also tried the grilled fish that was dried and salted overnight; it was spongy, and the broth with a whole shrimp was also a superb masterpiece.
Yui Mei was currently holding a turban shell that was cooked in its shell.
"Hmmmm!! Sooo yummmy!!!!!"
Yui Mei's face was stuffed as she ate the turban shell.
"....It's amazing how you can eat that stuff."
Li Yong was looking at Yui Mei as she's something weird.
Apparently, this guy was not that familiar with seafood.
'Well, there are folks who can't accept this appearance, right.'
It also had a unique bitter taste, so people who weren't used to it probably wouldn't try this dish.
However, if they get used to it, it would become a habit.
And so, Yui Mei kept on eating a lot of things, and when she thought she couldn't eat anymore, she would pass it to Li Yong.
Just when they already finished their eating tour halfway through most of the stalls, something caught Yui Mei's eye.
They were hung to airdry like laundry in front of the shop.
'That's....Squid!!??'
And the thing being grilled beside the hanging squids, brushed with a fragrant sauce, was no other than grilled squid.
"That, I want to eat that!!!"
"Another weird thing..."
Yui Mei's eyes were shining brightly, while Li Yong grimaced beside her.
"Don't say that it's weird, that's too rude! It's super tasty, you know!"
Yui Mei left those words, briskly striding away, and Li Yong could only follow.
"Please!"
Finally, she secured a grilled squid wrapped in oil paper from the stall.
For the sake of squid novice Li Yong, Yui Mei requested the shopkeeper to chop it in bite size pieces, then she handed a relatively small piece to Li Yong.
Yui Mei immediately bit into the grilled squid.
"Ahhhh, I'm in heaven...."
Yui Mei was spellbound as the fragrance of the grilled squid spread throughout her mouth, combined with the exquisite taste of sauce.
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