185話 怪しい商人
「え、アリなんですかそれ!?」
「さすがは元大店の娘、よくわかっている」
徐の解説に、男が感心の声を漏らす。
その商人はなにも商品を持っておらず、大店の端に座っているだけで、時折話しかける宮妓と会話を交わしているだけだったそうだ。
「その大店っていうのが、アタシに妓女になれって言っていたあの男の店でね。
そう語る徐によると、それ以後だんだんと、これまで孤立していた彼女と行動を共にする宮妓が増えてきた。
しかも、あまり素行のよくない者たちばかりだ。
それから次第に教坊の雰囲気が悪くなり、恋人を待つための場所が壊されてしまうのではないか? という恐怖に襲われるようになった。
そしてその頃、例の手紙が届けられた。
恋人が、国境の戦場で死んだという知らせだ。
恋人がこの世からいなくなり、待つための場所だったところは徐に平穏を与えてはくれなくなった。
強烈な死への欲望に支配されるようになり、後は雨妹も知る通りなのである。
刑部の役人が出入りする事態になり、徐は「これを利用すれば死ねるのではないか?」という思いに囚われた。
もっと真摯に琵琶と向き合う気持ちを、彼女に植え付けてあげられなかった自分も悪いのだと。
「真面目ですねぇ、徐さんって」
彼女の罪を被ろうとした理由を聞いて、雨妹は呆れるやら憐れに思うやら、微妙な心境であった。
死にたくても死ねないから殺してくれそうな手段を利用したというのは、これまでの徐の話から想像できるし、そういう心境に至ってしまった経緯も呑み込めなくはない。
けれど、彼女の罪の一端を己に見出すとは、さすがにお人よしが過ぎるのではないだろうか?
それにしても立彬の話だと、彼女は徐の可愛がっている妹分だということだったのに、実情がかなり違っていたみたいである。
最初に徐が彼女の世話係だったのが、宴席の参加者には二人が関係性をずっと続けていると思われていたのかもしれない。
そして徐もそれを否定せずにいたということか。
宮妓から堕ちた女の行く末を知っている徐は、いくら彼女の態度が悪くても、そちらの道へ向かわせるのは不憫だと考えたのだろう。
その気遣いも、こうして無駄になったわけだが。
雨妹は徐のこれからが心配になって、徐の両肩をガシッと握って真面目な顔で告げる。
「徐さん、人って話し合えば必ず通じ合える、なんてことはないんですよ?
「まあその通りだと思うが、この中で一番の若造なお前に言われると違和感があるぞ」
――確かに、成人したばかりの小娘に言われたくはないか。
Chapter 185: Suspicious Merchant
"Eh, is that even possible!?"
"As expected of a former lady from a huge store, you understand them well."
The man commented, apparently moved after Xu explained.
That merchant didn't even bring any wares to sell, and he would only sit at the fringes of the huge stores. From time to time, he would talk to the palace courtesans who would call out to him, but that was it..
"That particular large-scale store belonged to the guy who told me to become a prostitute. I was disgusted, so I returned home right away, and I don't know anything else more than that. Maybe that girl is relying on some kind of unknown sorcery or something."
According to Xu's, more palace courtesans started to hang out and work with that girl even though she had been isolated before.
Not only that, those new girls were mostly undisciplined people.
From then on, the atmosphere around Jiaofang started to worsen, and Xu was filled with anxiety that the haven where she waited for her lover might have been destroyed.
It was also at that time that the letter arrived.
Her lover had died in the national borders, it said.
Her lover was gone, and Xu could no longer find solace in the place that had served as her waiting place.
An intense desire to die consumed her, and the rest of the story was as how Yui Mei already knew it.
The personnel from the Ministry of Justice come and go, and Xu was filled with thoughts such as "won't I die if I use this situation?".
Perhaps, it was her fault for not being sincere enough in  helping that woman face the lute earnestly.
"You're such a diligent person, Miss Xu."
Yui Mei was filled with complicated emotions, both of dismay and pity, after listening to Xu's reason as to why she wanted to cover her sins.
Based on Xu's story, Yui Mei could understand why she reached that state where decided to use the hand that could bring her to her end, since she couldn't die even if she wanted to. She could only swallow the circumstances that led to that mental state.
However, wasn't it too soft-hearted of Xu to just take on the sins of that woman unto herself?
Still, according to Libin, Xu had been very fond of that woman enough to treat her as her younger sister. But then, it also turned out that reality was quite different, apparently.
Perhaps, Xu had been taking care of her from the start, so it made the banquet attendees mistake their relationship for a long time.
Xu didn't deny it, either.
She already knew what would happen to a woman who fell from the ranks of the palace courtesan, so she probably thought it would be unfair for the woman to let him down the path of destruction, even if she had a bad attitude.
All her goodwill and concern was just wasted, it seemed.
Yui Mei was worried about what would happen to Xu from this point forward, so she grabbed Xu's shoulders and squeezed her as she looked at her with all seriousness.
"Miss Xu, misunderstandings are inevitable even if humans face each other, you know? In fact, there are a lot of people who went their own ways without being able to properly communicate with each other until the end."
"That might be true, but it's uncomfortable hearing that from you, the youngest greenhorn among us."
'Oh, right, she might not like hearing it from a girl who just barely became an adult.'
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