42話 意外な助け
後宮の外に住んでいる男が
それが一体なんのためかと考えれば、あまりいい予感がしない。
けれど雨妹の内心がどうであれ、相手が下っ端宮女より上の立場なことには違いなく。
「あの、私は今少々急いでいるのですが......」
雨妹が後ずさりながら、やんわりと立ち去るための言い訳を繰り出す。
「別にとりたてて時間を取ったりはしない。ただ、その髪を我に捧げよ」
すると男が平然ととんでもない発言をした。
「......は?」
相手がなにを言っているのか、雨妹には一瞬理解できずにいた。
――髪を捧げるってなによ?
呆然と立ち尽くす雨妹が反応できずにいると、男は大股で歩み寄って距離を詰め、あろうことかこちらへ手を伸ばしてくる。
「うひっ!」
雨妹がとっさにその手を避けようと身体を逸らすと、男は眉を寄せた。
「相応の礼をするゆえ、恐れることはない」
――いやいやいや! 怖いでしょう普通!?
勝手なことを言う男に、雨妹は内心で反論する。
見知らぬ男から「お前の髪をくれ」と言われて、平気でいられる女が世の中にどれだけいるというのか。
ここは逃げた方がいいとは思うのだが、相手が皇子だという可能性が逃走の邪魔をする。
あとで呼び出されでもしたら、余計に面倒になるだろう。
――なにかいい逃げる手はない!?
そう思考を巡らせながら手を避けていると、しつこく迫る男の手がついに雨妹の髪に触れた。
そして髪をわしづかみにしてから簪を引き抜き床に放り、結ってあったのをぐしゃぐしゃにする。
それらを乱暴に扱われて、雨妹はカッと頭に血が上りかけた。
しかし――
「おお、滑らかな手触りだ......」
男は手繰り寄せた雨妹の髪に頬ずりをして、うっとりとしている。
――なにこいつ、気持ち悪い!
雨妹は上った血の気が途端に下がり、全身に鳥肌が立つ。
「うぎゃぁぁあ! 離してよ私の髪!」
相手が皇子かもしれないという可能性も吹き飛び、雨妹はとにかく髪を取り戻そうとぐいぐい引っ張る。
髪フェチなのだとしても、これはちょっと通常と度合いが違う。
「さあ、これを貰い受ける」
しかしそんな雨妹のことなど気にもしない男は、そう言って短剣をかざす。
刃を向けている先は雨妹の髪だ。
――切られてコイツのところで保管されちゃうの!?
そんなことになったら、とられた髪の末路が心配で寝込むかもしれない。
「離しなさいったら、離せ!」
こうなったら男を蹴飛ばそうと、雨妹が足に力を込めた時。
おばさんの鋭い声が回廊に響いた。
雨妹が声の方を見れば、男の背後に楊おばさんが立っていた。
髪を切ろうとする短剣の方に意識が行っていて、彼女の存在に全く気付かなかった。
「まったく持ち場にいないと思ったら、サボっているんじゃないよ!」
楊おばさんは雨妹を叱りながら、大股でこちらへ歩み寄る。
すると幸運なことに、楊おばさんの登場に驚いた男の手から力が抜けた。
この隙にその手から己の髪を引き抜くと、素早く落ちている簪を拾って楊おばさんの元へ駆けていく。
――怒られてるっぽいけど、助かった!
楊おばさんから罰を受けることより、男から逃げることの方が大事である。
こうして脱出した雨妹と入れ代わるように男の前に出た楊おばさんは、深々と頭を下げた。
皇子殿下、この者は未熟な新人宮女ゆえ、粗相があったのなら監督者である私が代わって謝罪したく思います」
男は名を大偉というらしい。
楊おばさんが皇子殿下と呼びかけたのだから、皇子で間違いないようだ。
「......いや、我も彼女の仕事の邪魔をしたようだ」
第三者が乱入したことで暴挙を止めた大偉皇子は、楊おばさんの謝罪に応じるそぶりをしながらも、手にしていた短剣をさりげなく仕舞う。
後宮の女は全て皇帝の嫁候補であるも同然なのだ。
それを傷付けようとしたとバレては、皇子といえども叱られるどころでは済まされないだろう。
とりあえず身の安全を確保できたことにホッとしている雨妹に、楊おばさんが尋ねてきた。
「小妹、頼んだ遣いはちゃんとやったのかい?」
――え、遣い?
雨妹は楊おばさんになにかを頼まれた覚えはないのだが。
しかしここで「そんな話は知らない」なんて言えば、大偉皇子から「暇なら自分に付き合え」と言われかねない。
「え、いや、えっと」
どう返事をするべきか戸惑う雨妹の肩を、楊おばさんがぐっと掴む。
「いいから合わせるんだよ」
そして囁きよりも小さな声でそう言ってきた。
「まだです、申し訳ありません!」
雨妹は済まなそうな口調で謝りつつ、九十度のお辞儀をする。
「仕方のない子だよ、全く。だったら早く行きな」
楊おばさんからトン、と背中を押された先にある角に、見慣れた宦官の姿が隠れているのが見えた。
雨妹が振り向くと、楊おばさんが微かに頷く。
どうやら早く逃げろと言っているらしい。
「はい、失礼します!」
雨妹は楊おばさんとついでに大偉皇子にもう一度頭を下げ、立彬がいる方まで速足で歩く。
とにかくできるだけ早く、この気持ち悪い男を自分の視界から消したい。
Chapter 42
The only way a man would know about Yui Mei's bluish hair despite living outside the Inner Palace was that he must have gathered information deliberately.
She did not have a good feeling about it as she thought about what his purpose might be.
However, no matter how inwardly suspicious Yui Mei was, it was a fact that he had a much higher status than a low-ranking court lady like her.
"Ahm, please pardon me, but I am currently in a hurry..."
Yui Mei backed off as she politely gave an excuse.
"I do not have the intention to take too much of your time. However, please give that hair to me."
The man calmly uttered those outrageous words.
"Huh?"
Yui Mei did not understand for a moment what he was babbling about.
'What do you mean by getting my hair?'
Yui Mei wasn't able to respond as she stood dumbfounded when suddenly, the man walked towards her in large strides, closing the gap between them, then he reached out to her.
"Hiii!"
The man knit his brows when Yui Mei hurriedly shifted her body to avoid his hand.
"I will bestow an appropriate reward, so there is no need to fear."
'Nononono! Being scared is normal, right!?'
Yui Mei inwardly protested against the man's selfish words.
How many women in the world could keep their calm after being told 'Give me you hair' by a stranger?
She knew it would be better to escape from here, but her escape was hampered by the possibility that her opponent was an imperial prince.
If he called out to her later, things might get out of hand.
'Isn't there a good way to escape?'
She evaded his hand while trying to think, but the guy persistently approached until he touched Yui Mei's hair.
He then grabbed her hair, then he pulled the hairpin and threw it on the floor, disheveling her tied hair in the process.
Yui Mei's blood rushed to her head after those things were treated so roughly.
However -
"Whoa, what a smooth sensation...."
The man wound Yui Mei's hair around his hand and rubbed it on his cheek absorbedly.
'What's with this guy, so creepy!'
Yui Mei's fury went down, and goosebumps rose on her entire body.
"Aaarrggghh! Let go of my hair! "
All thoughts about the possibility of him being an imperial prince flew out of her mind, and Yui Mei pulled vigorously, bent on getting her hair back.
Even if this was a hair fetish, the extent was a bit different from the usual.
"Come, I will now obtain this."
He ignored Yui Me, and he took out a dagger as he said that.
The blade was pointed towards Yui Mei's hair.
'Does he plan to keep it at his place after cutting it!?'
In that case, Yui Mei won't be able to sleep with worry about the fate of her stolen hair.
"Let go, let go I said!"
Yui Mei began putting strength on her feet, prepared to kick the man.
Aunty Yang's sharp voice resounded in the corridor.
When Yui Mei looked at the direction of the voice, Aunty Yang was standing behind the man.
He was too absorbed in trying to cut the hair with the dagger so he didn't notice her presence at all.
"Goodness, thought I didn't see you at your post, stop slacking off!"
Aunty Yang strode towards Yui Mei while scolding her.
Fortunately, the man was surprised at Aunty Yang's sudden arrival, and his grip loosened.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yui Mei pulled her hair away, then she briskly took the fallen hairpin and ran towards Aunty Yang.
'She looked angry, but I'm saved!'
Fleeing from that guy was more important than being punished by Aunty Yang.
Aunty Yang bowed her head deeply as she stood in front of that guy as if taking the place of Yui Mei who escaped.
"Your Highness the Imperial Prince Dawei, this one is an immature novice court lady, so I would like to apologize on her behalf as her supervisor for any mistakes she might have made."
Apparently, that guy's name was Dawei.
Aunty Yang addressed him as His Highness the Imperial Prince, so there was no doubt now that he was indeed an imperial prince.
"...No, I seemed to have disturbed her work."
Imperial Prince Dawei stopped being violent at the arrival of a third person, and he pretended to comply with Aunty Yang's apology as he casually put the dagger he was holding away.
Naturally, all women in the Inner Palace were candidates for the emperor's bride.
If it was known that he attempted to injure one of them, even if he was an imperial prince, it would not be settled with just a scolding.
Yui Mei was relieved that she was safe for the time being. Aunty Yang then asked her.
"Xiao Mei, did you properly finish the errand I entrusted to you?"
'Eh, errand?'
Yui Mei had no recollection of being sent on an errand by Aunt Yang.
However, if she responded with 'I don't know anything about that', Imperial Prince Dawei would surely say 'If you do not have anything to do, then accompany me' to her.
"Eh, No, Err."
Aunty Yang gripped Yui Mei when she saw her worrying about how to respond.
"It's alright, go with the flow."
She then very quietly whispered.
"Not yet. I apologize!"
Yui Mei remorsefully apologized, then she did a 90-degree bow.
"Goodness me, what a helpless child. In that case, then hurry up and go."
Aunty Yang pushed her towards a certain corner, and she saw the familiar figure of a eunuch hiding from view.
Yui Mei turned around, and Aunty Yang nodded imperceptibly.
It seemed like she was urging her to hurry and escape.
"Yes, please excuse me!"
Yui Mei bowed towards Aunty Yang along with Imperial Prince Dawei, then she briskly strode towards where Libin was.
At any rate, she wanted to remove this creepy guy from her sight as soon as possible.
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