93話 祝いの宴
利民が海賊退治に成功して戻ってから、あっと言う間に時間が過ぎた。
現在、利民の屋敷は朝から賑わっている。
それもそのはず、佳の有力者や周辺の氏族を招いての、海賊討伐成功の祝いの宴が行われるのだ。
「お前たちも参加してもらうからな」
雨妹と立勇も、利民からそう言われていた。
太子の使者という枠での参加らしいが、公の場に出るとなると面倒臭い点がある。
それは、雨妹もそれなりに着飾る必要があることだ。
雨妹としては当初、太子から貰っている服は宮女のお仕着せよりも断然いい服なので、特別に着替える必要性を感じなかったのだが。
「いや、我々を通して太子を見られるのだから、貧相な格好ではいけない」
そう立勇に指摘されてしまう。
コレで貧相というならば、宮女のお仕着せはどうなるのだ。
襤褸だとでも言いたいのか。
――まあ、どれだけ汚れてもいい格好ではあるけどね。
宮女のお仕着せは、洗濯のしやすさが利点な服なのだ。
ともあれ、なにか服装を考える必要があるとなり。
雨妹はどうするかと考えた末、とある荷物の存在を思い出した。
――そうだ、佳までの道中で太子に買ってもらった荷物に、服があったじゃない!
その服は都に送っておらず手元にあるため、雨妹は部屋で慌てて服を引っ張り出す。
その服は漢服と洋服が混じったような珍しい意匠で、下が前世で言うワイドパンツみたいなズボンになっていた。
早速着てみると、布地の肌触りもいいし、意匠からして大勢の中で地味に埋もれることはないだろう。
それに雨妹はズボンを久しぶりに穿いた気がして、足さばきが楽だ。
「いよっし、コレにしようっと!」
立勇に服を見せに行くと、「殿下が選んだものだから、悪いはずがない」とのお言葉を貰った。
どうやらこれでいいらしい。
というか、この服の存在を覚えていて、これを着ろと言いたかったようだ。
逆に買ってもらっておいてすっかり忘れていた、雨妹が薄情なのだとなじられた。
けれど雨妹にとって、甘味以外の脳内の割合なんてそんなものである。
一方の雨妹にやいのやいのと言っている立勇はというと、いつもと大して変わらない近衛の格好であるという。
――自分だけちゃっかり楽してる!
文句を言いたい雨妹だが、立勇曰く、護衛が目立つ必要はないとのこと。
それを言うなら宮女が目立つ必要もないと思うのだが、今の雨妹の立場は宮女ではなく太子の使者であるため、仕方ないのだろう。
――くうっ! 早く楽な身分に戻りたい!
雨妹はそんなてんやわんやがあってからの、宴への参加であったのだが。
他にも同じように、慣れない場に招待された仲間がいた。
「よぅ、お前らまだ佳にいたんだな」
「胡さん、来てたんですね」
「おぅよ、こんなところに顔を出すにゃあ服がねぇっつったら、コレを押し付けられた」
そう言って胡が今着ている服を指でつまんで見せる。
にしても、胡は利民と親しい発明家であるとはいえ、貧民街に住んでいるため、こういう場に出てくるのに誰かになにかしら言われそうだが。
どういう経緯での参加であるのだろうか?
疑問に思う雨妹に、「これだよこれ」と会場の隅にある布が被せてある大きな荷物を指さした。
そこに隠してあるものを見せてもらうと、中身は三輪車であった。
胡の目的は三輪車の売り込みで、利民に乞われてのことなのだという。
――どんだけ三輪車を気に入ったのよ、利民様ってば。
公主復活の立役者には違いないので、そういう意味でも呼んだのだろう。
胡以外では、会場には利民の船の乗組員も大勢来ていた。
というか、彼らこそが本日の主役であるのだ。
なので今回の宴も格式ばったものにせず園遊会方式となっている。
宴の参加者たちはそれぞれに庭園を歩き回り、それぞれの場所で会話に花咲かせていた。
「どうしてわたくしが、あのような下品極まりない連中と同じ場にいなければならないのかしら?」
「本当に、利民はその品位が知れるというものですわね」
Chapter 93
The days passed in a blur since Li Min succeeded in obliterating the pirates.
His mansion was brimming with guests since early morning.
Various bigwigs and the clan members around attended the banquet held for the celebration of his success.
"You guys should attend too, alright."
Li Min also invited Yui Mei and Li Yong.
They would participate as envoys of the crown prince, but public appearance had also its own troublesome points.
That included Yui Mei's clothes, as she needed to dress up according to the occasion.
At first, Yui Mei didn't feel the need to change her dress, because the clothes that the crown prince gave her were much, much better than the court lady uniform.
"Nah, we're representing the Crown Prince here, so you can't go around looking so drab."
Li Yong pointed that out.
Well, well, if this was 'drab' then how did he see the uniforms of court ladies?
Was he trying to imply that they were rags?
'Well, it's fine, I guess, since I don't have to worry no matter how dirty the uniform becomes.'
The court lady uniforms were made of easily laundered fabric, too, and that was its advantage.
Still, she needed to find a suitable dress, at any rate.
Yui Mei was thinking about what to do, when a certain package suddenly crossed her mind.
'Oh yeah, there's a set of clothes among the stuff that the Crown Prince bought for me on our way to Kai!'
The clothes hadn't been sent to the capital, so she still had them with her. She hastily dashed towards her room to take it out.
The clothes' design was quite peculiar, and it looked like a mixture of Chinese and Western  clothing. The bottoms resembled the baggy, wide flared pants from her previous life.
She hurriedly tried it on, and the fabric felt great against her skin, and there was a lesser chance that she would be lost in the crowd because of the unique design.
Besides, Yui Mei felt that it had been a long while since she last wore pants, so it was easier to move her legs.
"Alright, I'm going to wear these!"
"His Highness chose them, so there's no way they'll be bad."
And so, it seemed that it was fine to use this.
Well, actually, it seemed that he also remembered this dress, so he wanted to tell her to use it.
He even reproached Yui Mei for being heartless and forgetting all about it, despite being gifted with it.
However, Yui Mei didn't really have much space in her brain for objects that weren't sweets-related.
Besides, Li Yong had been nagging her about this, but he himself was wearing the same soldier uniform as usual.
'You're the only one taking it easy, the nerve!'
Yui Mei wanted to complain, but Li Yong told her that there was no need for a soldier to stand out.
In that case, a court lady doesn't need to stand out, too! -- was what she wanted to say, however, right now, Yui Mei's position was not a mere court lady, but the envoy of the crown prince, so there was nothing she could do about it.
'Ugh!! I wanna go back to my easy-going life!'
Yui Mei still attended the banquet, despite all the chaotic thoughts she had.
There was also another person, who was probably not used to such an event, just like her.
"Yo, so you're still in Kai, huh."
"Oh, Hu, you're here."
"Yep, told him I don't have any clothes to wear so I can't show up, so he pushed this on me."
Hu pinched the clothes he was currently wearing and showed it to her.
Still, even if Li Min considered Hu as his inventor friend, he was still living in the slums, so it was highly probable that people would talk negatively about his presence in such an event.
What were the circumstances behind his participation?
Yui Mei curiously asked, so Hu said 'It's that thing' as he pointed to a large object covered with a cloth in the corner of the venue.
She asked him to show her the hidden thing, and what she saw was a tricycle underneath.
Hu's purpose was to sell the tricycle, and he said that Li Min had requested so.
'Hey, aren't you way too fond of this tricycle, Lord Li Min?'
However, the tricycle also played a major role in Princess Pan's recovery, so it was also possible that he summoned Hu because of that.
Aside from Hu, a lot of Li Min's crew also attended the event.
Well, it could also be said that this celebration was their moment.
Thus, it was a garden party rather than a formal one.
The guests walked around the garden, and they also had pleasant conversations in their respective places.
"Why do I have to be in the same place as that bunch of extremely vulgar people?"
"Really, does Li Min even know what dignity is?"
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