119話 話を聞きたい!
お腹を満たして後宮へ戻った
、どうだったかい?」
尋ねられた雨妹は、まず門に
李
楊が顔を引き攣らせている所を見ると、彼女にも予想外であったらしい。
「あの、楊おばさんが頼んだんじゃあないんですか?」
雨妹が尋ねるのに、楊がしかめっ面をした。
「私にそんな伝手があるもんかい!
楊は頭痛を堪えるような様子だが、一体誰を介すれば李将軍にまで行き着くというのか?
尋ねたいような、聞いてはならないような微妙な心境である。
「それでですね、起きている明様に会うには会ったんですけど。
「あの男はなにをしているんだか......」
雨妹の話に、楊がため息を吐く。
「じゃあ、とんだ無駄足を踏ませちまったわけか。
「あの、こうなるとですね、明様がなににそんなに怯えているのかが気になるっていうか」
明が雨妹の母の名らしきものを口走ったことは、楊に話したりはしない。
雨妹としては、いっそ忘れた方が今後の平穏のためな気がするのだけれど、忘れようにも忘れられないのだ。
それでも大きな声で「教えて!」とは言い辛く、多少遠慮しつつ言ってみる雨妹を、楊が真っ直ぐに見てくる。
「知りたいかい?」
雨妹はその視線の強さにドキリとしながらも、コクリと頷く。
でないと大の大人にあんなに怖がられた私が、よっぽど鬼女みたいじゃないですか!」
雨妹が力説するのに、楊はふっと表情を和らげる。
「お前さんは、本当に揺れないねぇ。
楊はそう話すと、雨妹と目を合わせる。
「......! はい、お願いします!」
そんなわけで、楊から話を聞かせてくれる人と会えるように設定してくれたのは、翌日の夕刻であった。
雨妹にとっては夕食後ののんびりした時間だが、その相手がその時しか身体が空かないのだそうだ。
待ち合わせ場所になっている回廊の隅で、雨妹は日が陰って来ると共に秋の風が冷たくなるのを、建物の影に入って凌いでいると。
「小妹、待たせたかね」
楊が誰かを連れてやってきた。
顔を伏せ気味に歩いてきているあの人が、話を聞かせてくれるという人であろう。
宦官の格好をしているが、明とはどういう関係なのか? と雨妹は目を凝らしてその人物を見る。
――なんだろう、どこかで会ったことがあるような......。
ふと、雨妹はそのように思った。
それも、よく見知った相手などではなく、数回顔を合わせたことがある、くらいの人物な気がする。
しかし、雨妹の交友関係はそう広いわけではないし、宦官となれば
相手が何者か、わかってしまったのだ。
あまりのことに全身が固まってしまって礼の姿勢もとれない雨妹だが、何故すぐに皇帝だと気付かなかったかというと、その顔に髭がないからだ。
この国の男にとって髭は、男らしさの証である。
庶民だと手入れが面倒で剃ることが多いが、偉くなると髭を生やすようになるものだ。
若者だと髭を生やすと、逆に「偉ぶっている」と思われるそうで、生やさないようにする気遣いがいるらしいが。
それが、まさか国で一番偉いはずの皇帝が、髭を剃って宦官になりすますだなんてこと、あるのだろうか?
Chapter 119
Yui Mei returned to the Inner Palace after filling her belly, and she went to Yang to report.
"Welcome back, Xiao Mei, how was it?"
Yui Mei first recounted her shock when she saw General Li waiting for her at the gate.
"Oh my, General Li, what in the world is he..."
Yang's face was twitching, so she probably didn't expect this, too.
"Ahm, Aunty Yang, so you're not the one who asked him?"
Yang stiffened when Yui Mei asked that.
"As if I had the means to do that! I only asked somebody else if they can prepare a person who can go with you, that's all."
Yang seemed to have a headache coming as she replied. Who on earth did she ask that it would reach General Li's ears?
She wanted to ask, but had the feeling that she shouldn't -- it was perplexing.
"Okay. So, I managed to meet Lord Ming when he was awake. Unfortunately, he was terribly frightened, so we couldn't talk properly to him."
"What was that guy doing..."
Aunty Yang exhaled heavily when she heard what Yui Mei said.
"So, it was a useless trip, huh. Sorry, Yui Mei."
"Ahm, in this case, I can't help but be bothered about why Lord Ming was so terrified."
Yui Mei didn't plan on telling Yang that Ming called out her mother's name.
Actually, Yui Mei felt that it would be better for her to just forget about what happened for the sake of peace from hereon, but no matter what, she couldn't let go of it even if she wanted to erase it from her memories.
Regardless, it was difficult to say "Please tell me!" out loud, so she tried asking that, albeit hesitantly. Aunty Yang stared at her intently.
"Do you want to know?"
Yui Mei's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Yang's intense gaze, and she nodded.
"Yes, I want to know. Otherwise, won't it look like I'm some kind of demoness for scaring such a huge grown man like that!"
Yui Mei stressed those words out. Yang's expression softened.
"You really are an unshakeable lassie, aren't you. Alright then, there's someone who knows all about the details. If you want to know the story, then I can arrange for you to meet that person."
Yang said those words, then she stared into Yui Mei's eyes.
"....! Yes, please!"
And so, it was decided that Yang would setup a meeting between Yui Mei and that person in the evening of the next day.
The period after dinner was considered Yui Mei's free time, but that person was only available at that time, apparently.
It was already sunset and the autumn wind was chilly, but Yui Mei endured it as she stepped into the building's shadow. She was at the corridor's nook where they were supposed to meet.
"Sorry for the wait, Xiao Mei."
Yang came, accompanied by someone.
That person was looking down as he walked towards them. He was probably the one who would talk to her.
He was clad in the garb of an eunuch. Yui Mei wondered about his relationship with Lord Ming, so she trained her eyes on him.
'How strange, I feel like I've met this guy somewhere before...'
That thought suddenly crossed Yui Mei's mind.
Still, it was not a very familiar face, and she had a feeling that she only met him a handful of times.
However, Yui Mei's circle of acquaintances wasn't that wide, and Libin was the only eunuch that she knew.
She realized just who this person was.
Yui Mei was frozen solid because of the shock, and she even forgot to bow. She didn't immediately notice that he was the emperor because he didn't have a beard.
In this world, the beard was treated as the proof of manliness.
Commoners usually shaved their beards because it was too troublesome, but the elites would grow them.
However, young men should have to be careful not to grow their beards because they would be considered "pompous" if they did.
And yet, would the emperor, who was considered to be the person standing at the pinnacle of this country, shave his beard and impersonate a eunuch?
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