のビフォーアフターを見るためにここへ来たわけではないのだ。
「ところでですね、噂の記憶喪失の方はどこにいらっしゃるんですか?」
雨妹がキョロキョロとする様子を見た明の肩から力が抜ける。
「目的はソッチか」
おばさんからも頼まれちゃいまして」
明からそう確認されて、雨妹はそう告げながら頷く。
これに明は「アイツめ、相変わらず物見高い女だ」とぼやいた。
「今度はなにをされるのかと思ったが、俺に用事ではないのならいい」
どうやら明はさらに己になにか騒動が降りかかるのかと警戒していたようだ。
本当に明は好奇心の繋ぎなのだ。
はどこだ?」
自分に興味がないことに安心したらしい明が、老女に尋ねる。
「さて、散歩に出ると仰って出ていかれましたが、そろそろ戻る時分だと思いますがね」
これに老女がそう答えた。
「その方は、名前を東さんというのですか?」
雨妹が質問するのに、明は「いいや」と首を横に振る。
「なにせ本人が自分の名前を覚えていないので、呼び名がないと不便なので仮の名だ。
明がそう説明するのに、雨妹は納得すると同時に、明の意外と細やかな心配りに感心していた。
人は案外名前などなくても、「おい」とか「お前」とかでも会話は成り立つものだ。
それをわざわざ呼び名を用意してやるとは、なかなかに親切ではないか。
記憶喪失は戦場で多く出ると、立勇が立彬である時に言っていた。
ならば明はその対応にそこそこ慣れているのかもしれない。
――でも、名前を適当に付けないのって偉いよね。
本人の行動の由来から名付けるなんて、そこも好印象だ。
雨妹は一度だけ辺境の里で、砂漠を越えてくる際に嵐に巻き込まれたショックで記憶を失くした人を見たが、里長はその人に対して「
雨妹がほんの少し明の事を見直していると。
「もぅし、戻りました」
玄関の方から知らない男の声がした。
「おお!?」
好奇心のおさえられない雨妹は、しかし表面上は普通の顔をして明の後について玄関まで向かうと、そこで野菜を井戸で洗っている男がいた。
彼は立勇と同じくらいの年頃だろう、スラっと背が高く、容姿は美形というわけではないが不細工ではない、どこか素朴な雰囲気の親しみやすそうな人であった。
体格はがっしりとした筋肉質で、商人っぽくはないが、農民でも筋肉はつくのでどうだろう? と雨妹が考えていると。
「兵士だな」
立勇
「そうなんですか?」
雨妹がヒソッと尋ねるのに、立勇が頷く。
「筋肉の付き方が、農民のそれとは違う。
雨妹が立勇の考察に聞き入っていると、その男――東の方が雨妹達に気付いたらしい。
「明様、戻りました」
東が改めて挨拶をする。
「散歩の成果はあったか?」
シュンとしている東に、明がそう気楽に話す。
「それは、野菜を買ってきなさったのですか?」
次に老女が洗われた野菜について尋ねると、東は「いいえ」と首を横に振る。
「これは貰ったのです、そこの露店の野菜売りから『形の悪い売れ残りだから、持っていけ』と言われて」
東がそう答えて、ようやく雨妹たちの存在について口にした。
「そちらの方は、明様のお客人ですか?」
「客ではない、押しかけ野次馬だ」
東の質問を、明が修正する。
――まあ、合っているけどね。
今の雨妹は正しく野次馬なのである。
However, Yui Mei didn't come here to check Ming's before and after transformation.
"By the way, may I know where the person rumored to have lost his memories is?"
Ming's shoulders slumped when he saw Yui Mei looking around her.
"So your goal was that guy, huh?"
"Yes, Aunty Yang requested it."
Ming tried to confirm it, so Yui Mei replied while nodding her head.
He then muttered,"That woman is as gossipy as ever."
"I was wondering what you're up to this time around, but as long as it doesn't have to do anything with me then good."
It seemed that Ming was on his guard just in case they would disturb him again.
Ming was really just a link that would satisfy her curiosity this time around.
"Where's Dong?"
Ming seemed relieved that they weren't interested in him, so he asked the old lady.
"Well, he said that he would go out for a walk, but I think it's time for him to return any moment now."
The old woman replied.
"So that person is named Dong?"
Yui Mei asked, but Ming shook his head in reply.
"Nah, it's just a temporary name. He doesn't remember his own name, but it's a hassle if he doesn't have any name to call him by. He did tell me that he came from the east when I asked how he got to the capital."
When Ming replied with those words, Yui Mei understood, and she was once again filled with awe at the same time. He was unexpectedly a sincerely considerate person.
Even if a person didn't have a name, people could still hold a conversation with him by calling him "Oy" or "You".
However, he didn't do so. He even went out of his way to prepare a temporary name to call him; didn't this show how kind he is?
Li Yong said (as Libin) that many of the amnesiacs came from battlefields.
Then perhaps Ming was used to interacting with such people, then.
'But, the mere fact that he didn't just arbitrarily name the guy with just about anything also shows how remarkable he is.'
Ming giving a name related to the person's origin also gave a favorable impression.
Back when she was in the borderland village, Yui Mei once saw a person who lost his memories due to shock after being caught in a sandstorm while crossing the desert. The village head had called him with such a crude name -- "Wuming", literally 'No Name'.
Yui Mei reconsidered her impression of Ming, albeit just a bit.
"Hello, I'm back."
An unfamiliar guy's voice resounded from the entrance.
'Ohhh!?'
Yui Mei could hardly suppress her curiosity inwardly, but she still put on a stoic face on the outside. She followed Ming to the entrance, and the sight of a guy washing vegetables by the well greeted them.
He seemed to be around the same age as Li Yong; he was tall, and even though he wasn't really handsome, he didn't look plain, either. He exuded that naivete ambiance that would make people feel he was an amiable person that's easy to befriend.
He has a toned, well-built physique with solid muscles; he didn't look like a merchant, and were farmers this brawny? -- that was what Yui Mei thought.
"He's a soldier, huh."
Li Yong whispered.
"Is that so?"
Yui Mei softly asked, and Li Yong nodded in return.
"The way his muscles are toned is different from that of a farmer. Besides, his hands have calluses from holding the sword. The position of calluses is also different when holding farming tools versus a sword."
Yui Mei was listening intently to Li Yong's pointers, when that guy -- Dong suddenly noticed them.
"Lord Ming, I have returned."
Dong repeated his greetings.
"Did you get something out of your stroll?"
Ming lightly said to the dejected looking Dong.
"Did you buy those vegetables?"
The old woman then asked about the vegetables that he washed, but Dong shook his head in response.
"One of the street stalls' vegetable vendor gave it to me. 'They're leftovers because they're in bad shape, so take them', he said."
Dong replied, before commenting about Yui Mei and Li Yong.
"Are these people Lord Ming's guests?"
"Nah, they're no guests, just nosy rubberneckers."
Ming corrected when Dong asked.
'Well, he's right, though.'
Yui Mei was indeed a rubbernecker.
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