67話 確執だらけのお屋敷内
突然の料理長交代で確執がありそうなものだが、彼が大人しく譲ったのには訳があった。
この副料理長もそういう内容で雇われたらしい。
けれど潘公主が嫁いできたらそうはいかない。
それなりの料理を出さなければならないし、客人だって来るだろう。
そうした理由で、現在の料理長が急遽召し抱えられたというわけだ。
彼はそれまでそれなりの料理店で働いていたらしい。
しかし副料理長はこうした現状がわかっていても、不満が溜まるというもので。
そしてこうしたことで揉めている現場は、なにも厨房ばかりではない。
この料理長のような、潘公主との結婚がきっかけで雇われた重要職の者というのがあと数人いるらしく。
――それまで利民様はほとんど屋敷にいなくて、使用人はのびのびと好き勝手していたんだものねぇ。
「言ってはなんですけど、このお屋敷の人って外からの客人に慣れてませんよね?
は大きな港を抱えるのだから、その港を管理する人のお屋敷とは、前世で言うところの大使館的役割も持つものではなかろうか。
これまでは外の料理店で持て成していたそうだが、今は潘公主がいるのだから、ここで客を迎えることだってあるだろうに。
様々な客人をもてなすためには、このような偏見ありきで話をする人を置いておいていいものか。
この体たらくでは、招かれた客はこの国に不信感を抱いて帰ることになりそうだ。
未来の展望が明るいとは言えない状態に眉をひそめる雨妹を、立勇がちらりと見た。
「先程の話に戻るが。
「まあ、そうですね」
立勇の言葉に、雨妹も頷く。元から反感を持っている土地の者たちを上手く使うのは、非常に難しいだろうことは想像できる。
だからこそ潘公主に過剰な重圧となったのだろう。
――でも、このことで潘公主が悪いってなるのも可哀想だし。
「うーん」と考える雨妹に、「だが」と立勇が話を続ける。
「そこをうまく言い含めるのが、降嫁を望んだ利民殿の役割のはず。
これに、雨妹は目を丸くして驚く。
「あれ、じゃあ結婚話って本当に、皇族側から出た話じゃなかったんですか?」
「そうだ。突然黄大公から陛下へ申し出があり、急ぎで進んだと記憶している」
潘公主がああ思っていても、どうせ裏事情とかでの取引などがあったのだろうと考えていたのだが、どうやら真実だったらしい。
「そんな状況だ、なおさら迎える準備として屋敷の中の人事も整えておくのが道理だろうに。
言うことが辛口の立勇に、雨妹も今のところ庇う要素が見つからない。
「話した感じだと、良い人っぽかったんですけどねぇ」
「善良であることと有能であることは、必ずしも一致しない。
雨妹はしばし考えて、首を横に振る。
太子宮にお邪魔したことは数回あるが、見知らぬ宮女に影でヒソヒソされることはあっても、面と向かって悪意をぶつけられたことはない。
何故なら太子宮を訪れる雨妹は宮女であっても、お客様だったからである。
そのくらいは弁えておかないと、宮女としてやっていけないのだ。
Chapter 67
There was a reason why the former chef submissively stepped down, even though the abrupt change of head chef could have turned into a nasty feud. That's because the deputy chef could not produce dishes worthy of being served in a banquet for invited guests. Apparently, Li Min did not bring his guests into the mansion, and if he needed to entertain them, he would bring them to a restaurant outside.
The deputy chef was also hired for that purpose.
However, everything must change now that Princess Pan was wedded over.
They must prepare dishes of a different caliber, and guests would also surely come.
The current head chef was employed hastily because of this.
He had been working in a high level restaurant until that time.
However, even if the deputy chef understood the reasoning behind this, it didn't mean that his dissatisfaction would disappear.
The contentious atmosphere was not limited in the kitchen only.
Just like the head chef, there were also employees that Princess Pan had brought with her when she was married into the family.
'Lord Li Min had been almost always absent from the mansion before they were married, so the servants were used to doing whatever they wanted, huh.'
"I know it's weird coming from me, but the servants of this mansion weren't used to receiving guests from the outside, right? Why didn't they just replace all the personnel of the mansion instead of just the people in charge? It'll be less troublesome that way."
Because Kai had a huge harbor within its territory, the residence of the people who governed this land can be considered as the embassy of her previous world.
Although they had been entertaining the guests in a different restaurant previously, they could not continue doing so because Princess Pan was here.
Wouldn't it be better to just fire these narrow-minded people, especially since the residence would now receive guests with varied backgrounds.
If this continued on, the invited esteemed guests might go home offended and distrustful.
Li Yong glanced at Yui Mei as she knit her brows because of the bleak prospect of this situation.
"Going back to our previous conversation -- In normal circumstances, the one who should manage the mansion should be Princess Pan, the bride. However, because the servants are looking down at the royal family and the city residents, I don't think they'll obediently follow."
"Well, you have a point."
Yui Mei also agreed to what Li Yong said. It's extremely difficult to make use of people who are prejudiced right from the start.
That's why the princess also felt so pressured.
'But, in that case, Princess Pan's pitiable since it'll be considered her fault.'
Yui Mei was deep in thought, when Li Yong followed up with "But --"
"If we're diving into the details, it should be Lord Li MIn's role, because he was the one who requested this marriage from the Emperor, all the more because it was the Huang family who started it."
Yui Mei's eyes widened in surprise.
"Eh, so it's true that this marriage talk didn't come from the Emperor?"
"Yeah, that's right. I remember how Grand Duke Huang abruptly requested an audience from the Emperor, and how hastily this proceeded."
Even if the princess told them this story, Yui Mei thought that there must've been someone pulling the strings behind the scene, so she did not expect that it was true.
"That's the circumstances, so they should've completed all the preparations to receive the bride, and the people in the mansion should've been arranged properly. However, after seeing this predicament, it's only natural that Lord Li Min's management is being questioned."
Yui Mei couldn't find a single reason to refute Li Yong's scathing remarks.
"He seemed like a nice person when we talked to him earlier, though."
"Virtue and capability don't always come hand in hand. In the first place, Yui Mei, have you ever seen such vulgar court ladies in the Crown Prince's palace?"
Yui Mei sank again in deep thought, then she shook her head after a moment.
She visited the crown prince's palace a few times already, but no one directly threw spiteful words at her right in the face, even if she could see unfamiliar court ladies whispering in the shadows.
That's because even if Yui Mei was just a mere court lady, she was still the crown prince's guest.
If they couldn't even bear that in mind, they shouldn't have worked as court ladies in the first place.
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