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399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKogCuFCgl
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODnnWPgBJ3
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkinTSF8fqT
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPEbzJ02Lz
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRUQ6vND6O
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHkc9O4fUl
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclLpXaRCF5
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPL8kzhU3D
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSFLPHtJrv
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhGRKEDER5
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR7iFWfVvp
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDE6cUe06Z
框啷！399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk5ju3lNLS
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHz3hmhfZQO
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiu3FYLsYV
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lWUIiEqv9
框啷！399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4Dpg6hIyL
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeenN1tnFK3
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXLUnw745t
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaoRP2KfNx
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96gKdB3yGt
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLV7Lo1aHi
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvq0aG6EAT
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTV9CZjIFF
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHYTZPTLAG
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm3aXoAYmI
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeMo6DrrNj
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKjkl6Gx8e
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrPffHF7mH
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UyxmCvHBK
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVEqMA8tLC
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcBoRoBinR
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcd9cIXAQF
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54uNWMTYH8
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHpQUGsVAN
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsC6guG5qe
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88u9eLS35A
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFKN2dytdJ
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBFLuKii6O
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkwWyFXyfX
「咦？這話的意思是——」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J0s30pGGH
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj2Pr2Zxwb
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZoMCgJxuw
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTdHnZxEUe
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLIYNaWUMH
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoz2PtunGD
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISw3Xn5Fy8
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCRqw9gw03
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r9mpOpsB2
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhbvNbAJ6Y
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjsAKsRbfp
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOT6dJhz2w
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WfSgYVTma
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EWr7LZJ55
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGxqUS5sIO
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8JJfXo7v1
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZ8FaZIl1A
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYeeEtjog1
「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。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8TUY2uk8P
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5A8LeRzWzy
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhq81nTZmjQ
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J5v7UzZuu
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZuHNrKyzS
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCSlyylsm2
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMvUFGqWkQ
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkNO53wOdB
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuRgV6gidv
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0JmlRCh3O
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpneeOzdb1D
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyzZMzAd1u
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNlvNKWdjR
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjFZqv8nzt
「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？」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CPyXOb3Jo
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs21YGT6kYy
「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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcC8BkdhBxH
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbwBI0YEWJ
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XLr9mHh6P
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKWAQKfjo6
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbnHMzdbU8
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRbIF3m8ql
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！399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I2PT7em2a
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRhdTPpAw8
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwF6zuU2U8t
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KqyFAzu2N
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPOjcqHluE
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFI2t8c0TDK
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjlga0KMqT
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEXRPlS7Ea
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。399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U5VDCYOQ3
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfIxqoQE0l
所以——399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKtoMEPPaX
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEguQm3jsXj
「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......」399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoakE0NDJLe
399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNflWcUUW4k
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
