59話 病の原因
――うーん、それにしてもさぁ......
食事も食べたくないし水も飲みたくないと、こういう主張をする人の状態を、雨妹は前世でよく見ている。
「太子殿下、
雨妹は、太子と利民にそう申し出た。
「玉と二人でかい?」
要するに内緒話をしたいと言った雨妹に、太子がちらりと利民を見る。
「部屋からは出ませんし、長く時間もかけません。
見えない場所には行かないと話す雨妹に、最初は渋い顔をしていた利民だったが、最後には頷いた。
「......わかりました、玉殿をお願いします」
こうして話がついたところで、控えていた娘が部屋の隅へ椅子と卓を設置した。
雨妹は隅でちょっと立ち話をする程度のつもりだったのだが。
――もしかして、痩せ過ぎて立ち話する体力もないとか?
雨妹はそんな疑惑を抱きつつ、潘公主をそちらへ導いたところで、ひっそりとした声で尋ねた。
「潘公主、もしや体型を気にして減量をなさっておいででしたか?」
これに、潘公主が固まって息を呑む。
そう、潘公主の言い分は前世で脅迫的にダイエットしようとする人達と、まるっきり同じだったのだ。
しばしなにも言えずにいた潘公主が、やがてため息を吐く。
「......あなた、なかなか鋭い娘ね」
減量をしていたことを認めた潘公主だが、やり方がマズい。
「潘公主、痩せたからと食事を再開すると、以前よりも体重が増えやすくなったのではないですか?」
そう言って前のめりになる潘公主は、今までの会話で一番の食いつき具合だ。
――ああ、やっぱりねぇ。
「潘公主、食べずに痩せる減量法は間違いです。
雨妹の勧めに、しかし潘公主は難色を示す。
「でも食事をしては、太るのではなくって?」
食事と運動の均衡が、食事の方に大きく偏っているから、太るのです」
「食事と、運動ですか......」
これが身体を動かす兵士などだったら、実感として知っている知識なのかもしれない。
「こうしたことはその日その日の短期ではなく、長期的視線で見るのが大事です。
――まあ日本でだって、楽して痩せるっていう商品は良く売れてたみたいだしね。
しかし楽に痩せるやり方は、リバウンドしやすいものなのだ。
痩せた末の今の状況なため、潘公主もさすがに思うところがあったようだ。
「......あなたは、その健康的に痩せる方法を知っていると言うのね?」
真剣な眼差しで尋ねる潘公主に、雨妹は大きく頷いて見せる。
わたくしに正しい減量方法を、教えてくださらないかしら?」
そう決意する潘公主に、雨妹は拱手で応じた。
こうして潘公主との話がついたところで、太子達の待つ場所へと戻る。
「二人とも、実のある話ができたようだね」
太子が潘公主の表情を見てそう言った。
確かに、潘公主の雰囲気が少し柔らかくなった気がする。
もしかして誰か第三者に、減量の事を相談したかったのかもしれない。
けれど先程は前世看護師として見過ごせず、安請け合いしてしまったが。
自分はそもそも太子のお供、おまけなのだ。
それがどうやって、この屋敷への滞在許可を貰えばいいのか。
そしてそれ以前に太子に話を通さねばならない。
しかし、その際に潘公主の減量の失敗についてバレるのは、彼女の名誉のためにも避けたい。
――どうやって話をしようかな?
「あの殿下、お願いです。
Chapter 59
'Hmm...Still........'
Yui Mei saw plenty of people insisting they didn't want to eat nor drink water in her previous world.
"Your Majesty the Crown Prince, Lord Huang, can you please give me time to talk to Princess Pan privately?"
Yui Mei asked the crown prince and Li Min.
"Only you and Yu?"
The crown prince thought it must be a secret conversation, so he glanced at Li Min.
"We won't leave the room, and it will not take too long. That corner is fine."
Li Min was scowling at first, but he nodded when he heard that they would not go to a place he couldn't see.
"...I understand. Please take care of Lady Yu."
The maids then prepared a table and chairs in the corner of the room.
Yui Mei planned to talk while standing, though.
'Wait, so she became so thin that she couldn't even chat on her feet?'
Yui Mei held those doubts. When Princess Pan finally came to this side, she whispered.
"Princess Pan, perhaps you've been conscious of your figure, so you were trying to lose weight?"
Princess Pan gasped, dumbstruck.
Indeed, Princess Pan's words echoed the sentiments of people who did extreme dieting in Yui Mei's previous world.
The princess heaved a deep sigh after a moment of silence.
"...You're a sharp girl."
Princess Pan admitted that she was trying to lose weight, but her method of doing so was inappropriate.
"Princess Pan, it's easier to gain weight when you started to eat again after getting thinner, right?"
Princess Pan enthusiastically joined the conversation that she had been avoiding so far.
'Aah, just as I thought...'
"Princess Pan, I understand your sentiments, however, not eating to lose weight is a mistake. Your body would think that it's starving, so it would conserve the fat in your body, instead, in order to live."
However, Princess Pan disapproved.
"Won't I get fat when I eat, then?"
"Eating is not the sole gauge for getting fat. Think of it this way. If the balance scale of food and exercise tipped more on the food side, the person will then get fat."
"Food and exercise, huh..."
Soldiers probably had this knowledge gained from actual experience.
"This is not a short term, day by day matter. It is important to consider the long-term effects. If you manage to return to your previous weight, it would be easier to control your weight gain. In short, properly eating to build up your body is important in losing weight."
'Well, a lot of stuff claiming easy weight loss were also sold in Japan, too...'
However, resorting to short-cuts would definitely result in rebound.
Princess Pan could relate to some of Yui Mei's words, since she also lost weight.
"You said you know how to do that 'healthy method for getting thinner', is that correct?"
The princess stared earnestly at Yui Mei, and she energetically nodded in return.
"Alright. Would you please teach me that proper method?"
Yui Mei folded her arms as she responded affirmative to the determined princess.
Afterward, they returned back to where the crown prince and the rest were waiting.
"Seems like both of you had a good chat."
The crown prince was observing Princess Pan's expression.
Indeed, the princess seemed to have loosened up, probably because she was able to vent out the problem that she had been carrying on her own.
Maybe she also wanted to consult somebody else about this weight loss matter.
One problem, though, Yui Mei unwittingly brought out the 'nurse-mode' of her previous life once again and had promised to help without consideration to her current status.
She was the crown prince attendant in the first place, just an extra.
How would she obtain permission to stay in this mansion, then?
She needed to talk to the crown prince before that, too.
However, she wanted to avoid disclosing Princess Pan's weight loss failure, in respect for the princess's honor, too.
'How should I handle this?'
"Ahm, Your Highness, I have a request. Please do let this girl stay for a while with us in our mansion."
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