56話 公主との対面
宿で寛ぎの一時を過ごし、一夜が明けた翌朝。
天候は晴天、旅日和である。
宿を出た
太子と他愛ないお喋りをしつつ、軒車が小高い丘に差し掛かった時。
「雨妹、外を見てごらん」
ふいに太子がそう言った。
素直に小窓から顔を出して外を見た雨妹の視界に飛び込んできたのは、丘から見下ろす先にある、日の光を反射して光る景色だった。
「......海だ!」
異世界の海もやはり青かった。
そして吹き抜ける風に潮風が混ざっているのを感じる。
――潮風って、世界が違っても同じ香りなんだなぁ。
妙に感心してしまい、ずっと小窓から顔を出していると、「落ちたら危ないだろうが!」と
ともあれ軒車は海へ向かって走り、昼頃には佳に到着した。
街中は都である
――建物に西洋風が混じっているんだ。
宿場町で寄った店も西洋風だったが、こちらは街並み全体が中華と西洋が混じったような雰囲気で、前世で言えば香港の街並みが近いだろう。
雨妹がどこか懐かしい気持ちで通りの様子をじいっと眺めていると、太子が小さく笑って語る。
「街並みが少々珍しいだろう?
「そうなんですねぇ」
太子の話に相槌を打ちつつ、雨妹はとある事に思いを巡らせる。
ということは、海の向こうには西洋風の文化を持つ国があるということで。
そちらにはひょっとして既製品のパンツが流通しているだろうか。
そんな事を考えている雨妹を乗せた軒車は、やがて街の中心部にある大きなお屋敷へと入っていく。
こちらもまた、西洋風な様式が混じっている大きなお屋敷である。
他の土地の諸侯の住まいを、辺境から出て来た時に遠目に見たことがあるが、どれも城塞のような造りであった。
それに比べてまるっきり洋館のようなこの屋敷は、この佳の街並みには溶け込んでいるが、諸侯一族の住まいとしては異色だろう。
そして軒車の中で太子から聞かされた情報だと、ここに住む公主の夫である男は
屋敷前では、大勢が地に額付いて軒車を迎えていた。
そして太子が軒車から降りると、出迎えの一同の中から一人の青年が身を起こして進み出る。彼が利民だろうか。
「太子殿下、ようこそお越しくださいました」
「久しぶりだね利民」
そう言って首を垂れる青年に、太子も微笑みかける。
「太子殿下、どうか我々の出迎えが遅れたことをお許しください」
利民はそう言って再び額付く。
太子を迎えるとなると本来ならば、黄一族の治める領内に入ったところで出迎えるのだろう。
利民はそれを行わなかったことを謝罪しているのだ。
「利民、皆もどうか立ってくれ。
――なんか、ずいぶん痩せているなぁ。
というか、痩せ過ぎている。
顎がずいぶん骨ばっており、衣服に隠れているが、身体つきも見るからにガリガリだ。
太子が彼女を見て絶句している。この様子だと、かつてとはまるで違う姿なのだろう。
「潘公主って、以前はどんな風だったんですか?」
太子の背後に控える雨妹が隣の立勇に小声でひそっと尋ねる。
「......以前はどちらかと言えば、なんというか、ふっくらとしたお方だった」
すると立勇が表情を変えずに教えてくれたが、その言葉を探りながらの表現に悟るものがあった。
――ああ、潘公主ってぽっちゃり系だったのか。
それなら痩せ過ぎだろうし、驚くのも無理はない。
「玉、痩せたとは聞いていたが、一体どうしたというんだい?」
驚きのあまりに思わずこの場で尋ねてしまった太子に、潘公主はそっと目を逸らす。
そう告げて顔を伏せた潘公主は、本来ならば今の姿を人前に晒したくなかっただろう。
痩せ細った身体を兄に見られた羞恥故だろう、一人身体を震わせる潘公主に、利民が腕を伸ばしてそっと肩を撫でた。
「太子殿下、このような場所で長話もなんですから、ぜひ我が屋敷へお入りください」
「......そうだね、そうさせてもらうよ」
こうして雨妹達は利民の屋敷へと入っていき、庭園の見える一室へ通された。
――うわぁ、遠くに海が見える!
雨妹一人であれば、即座に庭園の方へ駆け寄るところだ。
景観が良いからこそ、この部屋に通されたのだろう。
けれどそこをぐっと堪え、立勇と一緒に太子の後ろに立つ。
Chapter 56
They spent a relaxing night in the inn, then they set out at dawn the next day.
The skies were clear, it's fine weather for travelling, indeed.
Yui Mei and the rest left the inn and rode the carriage once again, heading towards Kai.
She engaged in idle chat with the crown prince as the carriage approached a small hill.
"Yui Mei, look outside."
The crown prince abruptly said.
Yui Mei obediently peeked outside the window, and a sparkling scenery below the hill stretched before her eyes.
"It's the sea!!"
So Isekai's ocean was also blue.
The gentle wind that blew on her face had the feel of the sea.
'Even if the world changed, the scent of the sea breeze is still the same, huh.'
She was unusually moved, so she kept on sticking her face out until Li Yong scolded her, saying, 'It's dangerous if you fall!'.
Anyway, the carriage kept on moving towards the sea, and they arrived at Kai by noon.
The place was also bustling just like Kyo, the capital, but the atmosphere here was a bit different.
'The buildings also have that touch of the West.'
The inn they stayed in previously was also western style, but here, the entire city was a mixture of both Chinese and Western - it's appearance resembling the townscape of modern HongKong.
Yui Mei was overwhelmed with nostalgia, and she remained frozen, staring at the scenery before her. The crown prince chuckled when he saw her like that.
"The townscape is pretty unusual, right? The harbor part of Kai has blended with civilization beyond the sea, so their buildings are also peculiar."
"Yes, indeed..."
While conversing like that, Yui Mei's thoughts drifted to another direction.
In other words, a country with a western civilization existed beyond this sea.
In that case, perhaps, ready-to-wear panties were also imported here, so maybe she'd find them if she searched this city, and she absolutely wanted to do that while staying here.
Just as Yui Mei was immersed in these thoughts, the carriage they were riding in entered a huge mansion in the center of the city.
This mansion was also built in western style.
She also saw the residences of the other princes from afar when she left the borderland, but they had structures that looked like fortresses.
Compared to that, this completely western mansion blended with the surrounding townhouses, although it had the distinctive characteristics of a noble's residence.
According to the crown prince, the husband of the princess living here was called Huang Li Min.
A large crowd gathered and kowtowed in front of the mansion, waiting to receive the carriage that was heading towards them.
When the crown prince alighted, a young man got up and drew closer. He was probably Li Min.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, welcome and thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"Long time no see, Li Min."
The youth bowed deeply, and the crown prince beamed.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, please pardon us for our tardiness in receiving you."
Li Min said that as he bowed his head once again.
Usually, the Huang family should have welcomed the crown prince the moment he set foot in the territory that they governed.
Li Min was apologizing for not doing so.
"Li Min and everyone, rise. There's no need to apologize since we did not notify you beforehand."
'She's quite skinny.'
No, thin was an understatement.
Her jaw was very angular, and although her body was wrapped in layers of clothes, it was obvious at a glance that she was skin and bones.
The crown prince was rendered speechless upon seeing her, so that meant her current appearance was not normal for her.
"What did Princess Pan Yu looked like before?"
Yui Mei whispered to Li Yong as they stood together behind the crown prince.
"...If you're asking how she was before, how to say this, she was..well nourished."
Li Yong maintained a poker face while explaining this, but his words made Yui Mei understand.
'Oh, so Princess Pan was on the plump side, huh.'
So it was only natural that he was shocked because became too thin.
"Yu, I heard that you lost weight, but what on earth happened here?"
Princess Yu averted her eyes when the crown prince unwittingly blurted that out because of extreme shock.
Princess Yu said so with her face turned down. Apparently, she did not want to expose her current figure to other people, but she had no choice but to welcome the crown prince who especially came to visit her.
Her body was quivering with shame because her skin and bones appearance had been seen by her brother. Li Min extended his arm around her shoulders, and patted her.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, it would be a long conversation not suitable in this place, so please do enter our humble abode."
"...Yes, you're right. Let's go."
And so, Yui Mei and the rest of them entered Li Min's mansion. They went to a room overlooking the garden.
'Whoa, I can see the sea from afar!'
If Yui Mei was alone, she probably rushed towards the garden immediately.
Perhaps the scenery was exceptional, so they were led to this room.
However, she firmly held herself back, and stood behind the crown prince together with Li Yong.
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