131話 稀な住人
雨妹
この国では一部の金持ちの嗜好品である煙草だが、女はどこからかそれを手に入れているらしい。
それに焼き芋を受け取る袖から覗く女の手を見れば、指先の皮膚が厚くなっている。
――この人、楽師かな?
弦のある楽器の演奏者だと、指先がああなるのだ。
前世でギターを弾くのが趣味だという看護師が、程度の差はあれども、ああいう手をしていた記憶がある。
女は演奏するのは琵琶か筝あたりの奏者だろうか? と雨妹は推測する。
その楽師としての特徴とは別に、雨妹にはもう一点、気になることがあった。
それは女の関節が腫れているように見えることだ。
――これは......。
雨妹が手をじっと見ていることに気付いたのか、女がサッと手を袖の中に引っ込める。
「楽師の指なんて、見ていても綺麗なものじゃないだろう?」
女はフイっと斜め下を向いてそう零す。
これに、雨妹はフルフルと首を横に振る。
「綺麗な音を奏でるには、きっとすごく練習するんですよね?
雨妹の言葉に、女は顔を上げて驚いた表情を見せて、すぐに苦いものを飲み込んだような顔に変化させる。
「ここに馬鹿がいるよ」
そして女は吐き出すかのように、そう言う。
――なんか、いちいち言葉に棘がある人だなぁ。
まあ、そういう性格なのだろうと思うことにする。
ここで女については終わりにして、このまま知らんぷりをしてもよかったのだろう。
けれども雨妹はどうしても無視できなかったので、迷いながらも口を開く。
「......あの、その手、痛みませんか?」
これを聞いて、女はハッとした後で、ギロリと睨んできた。
「余計なお世話さ」
そう言い捨てた女は、立ち上がるとごみ焼き場から足早に去っていく。
――失敗しちゃったか。
雨妹の言い方が少々直球過ぎたようだ。
けど、女は焼き芋をしっかり持って行ったので、心底腹を立てたわけでもなさそうでもある。
これが、妙な宮妓との出会いであった。
それから時間が過ぎて、夕食時。
雨妹は交代で仕事終わりだった
本日の献立はすじ肉の煮込みだ。
冬の冷たい風で冷えた身体が温まるし、添えてある饅頭を煮汁に浸して食べると倍美味しくなるという、嬉しい料理である。
「う~ん、お腹からあったまりますねぇ」
「余り物のすじ肉でも、こうして食べるとごちそうさね」
煮込みの温かさを噛みしめるように食べる雨妹に、美娜がそう言って笑う。
そう、この煮込みは妃嬪たちの宮で使われた肉をそぎ落とした余り物の料理なのだ。
けれど案外こうした部位の方が栄養があったりするし、生ごみを出さない環境に優しい料理でいいではないか、と雨妹は思っていたりする。
しばし、料理を夢中で食べていた雨妹だったが、皿が空になりそうになったところで、ふと美娜に例の宮妓について聞いてみようと考えた。
「美娜さんは、宮妓の人に会ったことはありますか?」
「なんだい、急に?」
首を捻る美娜に、雨妹は「実は」と今日の出来事を話す。
ごみ捨て場での出会いについて聞いた美娜は、「はぁ~」と感心する。
美娜が感心したように言うのに、雨妹も頷く。
なにせ宮妓は、宴を盛り上げることが仕事である。
そして大なり小なりの宴が開かれる時間は夜が主で、花の宴のように昼間に開かれる宴は珍しい。
そんな宴が仕事の場である宮妓たちの生活は当然夜型だ。
さらには、一日の活動時間を全て歌舞の練習につぎ込む宮妓たちは、彼女たちの活動場所から出てくることなんてほぼない。
仕事の邪魔をしたとか、悪戯をしたとかかい?」
「いえ、そうじゃないんですけど」
美娜に問われて、雨妹は「う~ん」と唸る。
Chapter 131
Yui Mei noticed the scent of tobacco wafting from the woman.
Tobacco was a luxury product that only the few wealthy people of this country enjoyed, but the woman got her hands on them from somewhere.
The fingertips peeking out of her sleeves as she received the sweet potato were thickly callused.
'Is she a musician?'
The hands of the performers who play stringed instruments were usually like this.
Yui Mei recalled the hands of her fellow nurse who played guitar as a hobby. They had similar hands, although there was a difference in the amount of calluses.
Yui Mei wondered which instrument she played -- the lute or the zither -- during her musical performances.
There was also another thing that bothered Yui Mei aside from the characteristics that point to her being a musician.
The woman's joints looked swollen.
'This is...'
The woman noticed Yui Mei staring at her hands intently, so she hurriedly withdrew her them in her sleeves.
"Musicians don't have pretty fingers no matter how you look at it, right."
She muttered while averting her eyes.
Yui Mei shook her head in response.
"I'm sure you spent a lot of time practicing in order to play beautifully, right?  There hands are proof of your hardwork, I think."
The woman lifted her head in surprise when she heard Yui Mei's words, but she scowled right after, as if she just swallowed something bitter.
"There's a fool here."
Those were the words that the woman spat out.
'Oh, sounds like she's got a sharp tongue, huh.'
Well, Yui Mei just thought that that was probably how she was.
She could've just ended things here and ignored the woman, pretending not to know anything.
However, Yui Mei couldn't do that, so she tried to talk to her again, albeit hesitatingly.
"...Ahm, your hands...do they hurt?"
The woman was stupefied for a brief moment when she heard that, then she glared at Yui Mei.
"None of your business."
The woman spat those words out. She stood up and strode hurriedly away.
"I failed, huh.'
Yui Mei had been too direct with her words, apparently.
However, the woman still brought the sweet potato with her, so she probably didn't hate Yui Mei to the extreme.
And so, this was how she met such a peculiar court courtesan.
A few hours passed after that, and now it was time for dinner.
Mei Na had already finished her shift, so they had their dinner together.
Today's menu was stewed sinewy meat.
It was such a delightful dish that warmed the body after being chilled by the cold winter breeze, and it also tasted twice as good after dipping the manju that came with it into the broth.
"Hmm, it's warming me from my belly."
"Even left-over sinewy stew can be enjoyable by eating it like this."
Mei Na laughed as she gazed at Yui Mei, who was gulping her food as if trying to gorge herself with all the warmth of the stew.
Indeed, this stew was made from the scraps of meat from those served in the concubines' palaces.
However, this particular part of the meat unexpectedly provided more nutrition; it was also an environmentally-friendly dish because it didn't contribute to more waste. Thus, Yui Mei thought it was a great dish.
Yui Mei focused on her food, but after a while, just when the plate was about to become empty, she decided to bring the topic of the court courtesan that she saw earlier.
"Mei Na, have you ever met a court courtesan before?"
"What's up all of a sudden?
Mei Na seemed perplexed, so Yui Mei recounted what happened earlier during today's trip.
Mei Na sighed in admiration when she learned that she met her at the dumping site.
Mei Na was moved, so she said those words, and Yui Mei also nodded.
At any rate, a court courtesan's job was to enliven banquets.
Usually, both large-scale and small-scale banquets were held in the evening, and banquets held during the daytime -- like Cherry Blossom Viewing were very rare.
And because the court courtesan had to work during such events, it was only natural that they were night-owls.
Moreover, these court courtesans spent most of their days practicing their dance and song, and they rarely step out of their residence.
"What's wrong with that courtesan? Did something happen? Did she disturb you while working, or did she play a prank on you?"
"No, it's not like that, but..."
Yui Mei hemmed and hawed for a bit at Mei Na's question.
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