63話 潘公主の事情
「太るかどうかは、食事量と運動量の兼ね合いですから。
運動と聞いて、潘公主が戸惑う様子を見せた。
「それは、殿方のように剣を振るのですか?
は首を横に振る。
「いいえ、散歩でいいのです。
「......そうね、だから余計に外に出るのが億劫で」
聞けば太子の出迎えは、やはり相当頑張ったようだ。
「せめて、お屋敷内を一周できる程度の身体を作りましょう」
「ええ、利民様に大変なご心配をおかけしていることですし、頑張るわ」
後宮では特に減量なんてしていなかったそうなのに、何故急にやろうと思ったのか。
この辺りの心因的なことを解明しないことには、根本解決に至らないだろう。
そして誰かに愚痴って楽になることも、治療の一環である。
「わたくしが痩せなくてはと思った、原因ね......」
潘公主は一瞬口ごもったものの、やがて事情を話してくれた。
潘公主は子供の頃から、どちらかというとぽっちゃり体型だったそうだ。
しかし後宮にいた頃は、そんな自分を特に気にしたことがなかった。
故に潘公主に面と向かって体型を批判するような宮女も女官も宦官も、周囲にいなかったのだという。
「まあ、影では言われていたのでしょうけど」
そして降嫁が自分に決まったのは、こうした見た目に対して拘らない潘公主の性格もあったのだそうで。
「皇族から降嫁することが決まった際に、わたくしを望んでくれたのは
なので美術品のような女ではない方がいいという注文が、利民側から入ったのだそうだ。
「通常では、皇族からの降嫁に注文を付けるなどないでしょうが。
潘公主はそう言ってなんとも言えない笑みを浮かべた。
太子からも聞いているが、黄家は海の支配者として名を馳せており、皇帝へ従順であるとは言い難いらしい。
――ああ、だから公主を降嫁させて監視しようって思ったのか。
「わたくしは姉上方のように日焼けなどには、あまり頓着しない質でしたの」
太っていることで見た目の美しさを諦めていた潘公主。
だから髪や肌を痛める日焼けや潮風を厭う姉たちに比べ、港町で暮らすことに大して嫌悪感を抱かなかったそうだ。
むしろ今まで見たことのない海を見られると、うきうきしていたらしい。
美容よりも未知への好奇心が勝るとは、雨妹も共感できるところである。
へとやって来た潘公主だったが、黄家の中で暮らすようになると状況が一変する。
「屋敷の使用人達が、わたくしのことをあからさまにひそひそと噂するのが聞こえるようになって」
曰く、「あんな太い公主を押し付けられ、利民様が憐れだ」というのがたいていだそうで。
――ただの使用人が、皇帝の娘である公主の悪口を堂々と話すの?
普通に不敬だし、後宮だけでなく宮城だったら物理的に首が飛びそうなものだが。
違和感に首を捻る雨妹に、後ろで話を聞いていた
「なるほど、お土地柄ってことですか」
雨妹たちのヒソヒソ話に、潘公主は苦笑しつつも話を続ける。
「中でも黄県主、つまり利民様の伯母様とその御息女からの風当たりがきつくって」
県主とは地方を治める諸侯の姫を指す。
黄家がそれほど力のある一族ならば、黄県主もさぞかし誇り高い人なのだろう。
「黄県主曰く、利民様の妻となる人は、本来ならば黄家の娘から選ぶはずだったのだそうです。
「はぁ」とため息を漏らしながら話す潘公主に、後ろから立勇が補足する。
「ははぁ、つまり利民様の結婚相手は、ゆくゆくは大公夫人となるってわけですか」
――もしかして黄家内でドロドロの争いが嫌になったから、外の娘をと黄大公が考えたとか?
全くの想像でしかないが、皇帝からの横やりが入りやすくなることを承知で公主を引き入れたのだから、あり得なくもない話だ。
Chapter 63
"Gaining weight would depend on the amount you are eating, as well as your exercise. If you exercise more than you eat, then you'll get thinner. On the other hand, if you eat more than you exercise, you'll get fatter."
Princess Pan blankly stared when she heard the word 'exercise'.
"Shall I swing the sword like the gentlemen? Or perhaps train in martial arts?"
Yui Mei shook her head.
"No, taking a stroll is fine. That is also a good exercise. However, right now, Princess Pan doesn't have muscles in your legs and arms. You do get tired just walking normally, right?"
"...Indeed, that's why I also find going out troublesome."
So she really did her best just to welcome the crown prince.
"Let's build your body so that you can go around the mansion for even just one round."
"Yes, I'm already making Lord Li Min worry too much, I'll do my best."
She was fine when she was in the Inner Palace, so why did she suddenly want to lose weight?
If the princess refused to answer these doubts, they would not be able to solve the problem from the roots.
Besides, voicing her concerns was also a step towards healing.
"The reason why I wanted to lose weight, huh...."
Princess Pan remained silent for a moment, but she eventually started to talk about it.
The princess was chubby since she was a small child.
However, she did not notice that fact when she was in the Inner Palace.
That's why, not a single maid and court lady faced the princess directly to tell her about her body weight.
"Well, they must have been gossiping about me behind my back though."
Besides, her own marriage was decided to be with one of the emperor's subjects, so it seemed that Princess Pan's lifestyle wasn't really affected by her figure.
"The emperor decided to bestow me in marriage, but the one who wished for that marriage was Lord Li Min."
That's why Li Min's side had requested that it should not be a delicate, art-like woman.
"It's actually unheard of for a subject to make a request to the emperor when a marriage is being bestowed. Well, the Huang family is the exception, though."
Princess Pan smiled vaguely as she said that.
The crown prince also mentioned this, but the Huang family was widely known as the lords of the sea, so they were not docile and meek towards the emperor.
'Ahh, so Princess Pan was bestowed in marriage to monitor them huh....'
"I'm not too concerned about getting sunburned, unlike my older sisters."
The princess had already given up on the notion of being beautiful, because of her heavy figure.
That was why she was not against the idea of living in a port city, unlike her sisters who hated the sea breeze, and were very concerned about their hair and skin being sunburned.
She was even ecstatic to see the sea that she had never laid her eyes on before.
Yui Mei could also emphatize with how she was more inclined towards feeding her curiosity than taking care of her appearance.
With those feelings in her heart, Princess Pan finally arrived at Kei. However, everything changed once she set her foot inside the Huang family.
"The mansion servants kept on gossiping about me within earshot, and deliberately, at that."
They were saying things like 'Lord Li Min is so pitiful for having that kind of fatty princess forced on him.'
'Eh, can a mere servant slander the daughter of THE EMPEROR like that?'
That was blasphemous, and if they were in the Inner Palace, no, even in the Imperial Palace, their heads would probably fly already.
Yui Mei was perplexed. Li Yong was listening to the whole story behind her, and when he saw her like that, he drew his face nearer and whispered.
"I see, so it's within their territory, huh."
Princess Pan bitterly smiled as she watched them muttering to each other.
"Well, the Huang County Lord, in other words, Lord Li Min's aunt and her esteemed daughter had the real influence among them."
The county lord was the title given to the princesses of the lords governing the territory.
The Huang Family had such a huge power, so of course the Huang County Lord was also someone who had a very high status.
"The Huang County Lord, or should I say the person who was supposed to become the bride of Lord Li Min, was supposed to be chosen among the daughters of the Huang family. However, Grand Duke Huang had talked to the emperor and selfishly took me in, so they were extremely furious."
The princess then heaved a deep sigh, and Li Yong continued from behind Yui Mei.
"Aah, so that means Lord Li Min's bride will become the future madam of the Grand Duke, huh."
'Don't tell me, maybe the Grand Duke didn't want the muddy strife within the Huang family, so he brought an outsider maiden in?'
It was a wild guess, but it was highly probable that he was already aware how the emperor would easily slip in the Huang family when he dragged the princess into this mire.
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