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366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVwT1Uqewj
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HBwXFziFu
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUNSEBjZ4E
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIGwceNdPr
等到我對這座花園的地形瞭若指掌後，我向王子殿下的貼身女侍——吉莎小姐——借了鏟子和其他工具，並且向她表示我想重整花園的意願。她一言不發就同意我的請求，甚至還派了幾名侍女協助我進行翻土作業。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTtSf3Ayta
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rUH1rLGsl
雖然吉莎小姐講話的口吻總是冷冰冰的，還時常對身旁的人或事物做出尖酸刻薄的評論，但我卻能在許多小地方感覺得到她的細心，就像她替我們準備餐點時所展現出的專注和洞察力一樣。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSEeiw1LpK
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklLjc9VLM1
某天早上，殿下起床後正好去外頭做野獸人宗教的晨間禮拜，而我則一個人待在房間內對至尊陛下做晨禱。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3C8zBRpQ2
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtVFiVxGRx
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeOHEvKNBD
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ESYgXEv5y
框啷！366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPgIFUfPT0
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJDSkCFNjo
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcd9Qs2Gy3
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRcaX4jKUp
框啷！366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g0jro9UbC
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hpjriUVMm
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQvrp3e1d8
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV46jHt5apP
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrpXUivfNS
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnP0ETa7qYb
據說吉莎的腰上系著一條皮製腰帶，腰上還掛著兩只小陶杯以及一個銅製壺器，裡頭總是裝著殿下愛喝的飲料。每當她走動一步，掛在腰間上的陶杯就隨之震動，發出叮叮噹噹的清脆聲響。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqjds1DmeW
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkzKzQ10GQ
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgtAtgUaCH
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvANatVNqr
吉莎缺乏抑揚頓挫的嗓音自我面前響起，隨即傳來的則是陶碗與陶盤擺在地面時發出的清脆聲響。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7cDAHUqDn
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnO409ZF0c
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmLVFApWF0
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYlBe1qIFp
「喔，這又跟人類的宗教有關了？聽說叫做暴食罪啥的......除了病人或勞動階級之外，普通人不應該吃早餐。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LrCPpWkQi
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28JyXj6Loy
「妳言重了。我們修女在隱修院內時常得做體力活，所以起床晨禱後會吃點東西果腹。出於宗教因素而禁用早餐一事其實是誤傳，最近也越來越多人習慣在早上吃東西了。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm7ytP7ldY
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb940D6smP
「可是奧絲雅閣下一開始很反對吃早餐，當初是我和殿下好說歹說她才接受的。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34g8DKHXsc
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQlvqmNjd2
「她原本就是一名貴族，而且還是來自非常傳統保守的貴族家庭，因此不吃早餐相當符合她的身分地位。」我向吉莎解釋：「但您這裡提供的恐怕皆是宮廷料理，我身為至修女不該食用那麼精緻奢華的食物。我吃我自己帶來的麵包就好。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAYCPF405n
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6N3hwcDhf
「請放心，我特別為海倫娜閣下準備了符合您原本『身分地位』的食物。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsAJSzMDSp
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJ6EgdN2to
「咦？這話的意思是——」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iU1mWNeL6
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhdk1NL0Oj
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRnNAquWbT
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjbIvzQJ7J
我伸出手，摸到一種薄如聖體餅的扁形麵包，放進嘴裡咀嚼時平淡無味，適度軟嫩的餅皮卻不會乾硬得難以下嚥。吉莎還同時準備了添加奶酪和酸奶飲料，替這道菜增添一點風味。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMjAdROOiU
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7tHmhTv2a
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPwO0oXNNK
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8MdvIt1Gw
「非常美味。」我誠實以對，「這餅的味道樸素得宛如黑麥麵包，卻又帶有一股異國風情。我從未吃過這種東西。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSIjQcVMR8
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzluVjrssh
「這是獸族常吃的一種家常餅，通常他們會佐以肉湯汁、鷹嘴豆泥或芝麻醬等配料搭配著吃。獨自食用的話它的口感稍嫌單調，不過正好符合您的需求。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87prYdR8Jz
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uW0V3ZEBc
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ9cn4RxKM
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroZjqTKfLb
「我當然也會準備您過去在修道院吃的麵包或蔬果，午餐或晚餐則提供清淡的白米粥或肉粥配青菜沙拉。但我勸您最好開始習慣獸族的飲食習慣，畢竟您現在有一半的身分是殿下的母獅。請您別忘記這一點。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeHUh91BYz
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbq1AXYEhf
「我知道了，謝謝妳這麼費心。」我深深地點頭致意，說：「想必王子殿下待人時展現出來的細心之舉，鐵定是從吉莎小姐那耳濡目染學來的。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePvFzSC3wf
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5Z4W0DKvw
「哼，如果您這麼當面稱讚王子殿下，那孩子會得意忘形起來，尾巴啪噠啪噠地甩來甩去。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP82OfMBha1
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRCtElQDIv
嗯？我記得奧絲雅也說過同樣的話。我暗暗心想著，獅子尾巴有那麼惹人注目嗎？真讓人好奇。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2sZTUeyAO
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr6VBCVDFq
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX5Z7gebU0
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvU9jaLRaHb
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4nKAfqOPk
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToSVcP2BLH
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFCB9zIbe4
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfqz7hRjxc
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrbptirMNB
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWz9dHRFoy
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqBcWkHPU8
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAue4qZTk5
「這麼問或許有些唐突——」我猶豫了幾秒，接著才開口問道：「您有什麼希望得到或期望的事物嗎？」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezBZZHeV4F
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXgnOSlGcU
「假如殿下順利成為獸族帝國的皇帝，我就感到謝天謝地了。」她立刻回答我。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0I673LAsW
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2oMrLnpFP
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNisP6ucNT
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPMsE4gFio
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI977d1qJfe
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNwC70F2DI
吉莎的期望之物感覺跟殿下有所關聯，看來她真的很在乎對方！366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopocsQbwZM
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqj3bjOT6R
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡje5SIadLM0
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgO56mtRz5L
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMN7D3UyEG
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCPYkjpoV8
聽見這個回答，我不由地露出微笑。看來她就跟其他普通女孩子一樣，渴望著美滿的家庭人生。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkJczv195D
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADUsRWYiAl
緊接著，兩只陶杯輕碰彼此的聲音重新迴盪起來，吉莎卻仍在喃喃自語著，不過我幾乎快聽不見她模糊的聲音了。366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMZqEwxIuV
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7OcfXTP2m
所以——366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGEgACBdcW
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYejvjMYGI
「假如妳和奧絲雅能懷上王子殿下的孩子，也許能讓他更成熟一點。呵呵呵......」366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06NvNKgPqZ
366Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71tuPKqNVA
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
