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469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzWCgd7Uuh
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp6MnfHAGr
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLGB5slEch
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY3Z21vtuJ
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU69gVX3Zz
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq9nXQRdtE
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzmWLBN57H
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzBDKywsaw
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr7hC9n3aR
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHZiiI5y0M
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DW5nyNkGH
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWoyhI0mB4
框啷！469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdX0j443CtI
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ0uUfAJaU
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZivWANVhoK
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOt0GX4cwE
框啷！469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJiP8PcvA7
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLHli36IMz
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyJ7kEGJaN
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTM1Jyu0YBd
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLaEdCfHmb
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwtrv5agco
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvopUY8WzN6
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAuIyDweCH
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAX9cjrZoS
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpg6KESNlo
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKJs11mFIu
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvY2mWicIG
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNxT2Z2lgg
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrtcDN0CHu
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZYCyDeTZV
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsduT53DDN
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfdqrefchQ
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UwPKJGMny
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VLwVbJzPR
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAoWkujrmR
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqodtGPFNl
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNvI4zYxJa
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiifT46LNn3
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJzUEXUw2Y
「咦？這話的意思是——」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbql1XYoa9G
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhV8Xw0spJR
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjat4MwjPpb
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hnrQoXbqw
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrcDhSPK8z
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡits6OVCCMF
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9EsFCMBBJ
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMT6G8YwhEs
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLMuGPxfK2
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfiQ2lM18D
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAqxAhMyFY
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1j9zjU4W6j
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMxUHUH2PD
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8q00FsEw5j
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEmbZ5LVUI
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaltWXMLHsD
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ4B7BkuRz
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmbMwR3Pmw
「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。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaILJdmJz3
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7YwtuW6Cu
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz6T512EJ3
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2ppreyj2D
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3G5xWZb5e
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95jywJWpoj
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirlaeYr7g3
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52dqLtpozY
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx42BpPYlCD
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOzkGmFDD5
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnXDi8j5b5
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ83pI4CCDA
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmGToXuEId
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOJizMcd62
「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？」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkVWADHkSl
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLlSza17Sl
「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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGOIE9PJRJ
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0jH3KEp0p
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WclacgCjN
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFz7BLXjP8
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAaRPl9lRm
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hR7nRDGFI
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！469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYOOB6pNep
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTapT81fTZ
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY62PTEq5vW
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7xPJVGSdM
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoza4iJ7Ii
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfdRpyo50C
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgWBH3vw0u
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2esDZ2Gpl
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。469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbQzmfics5
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4NCOzhWAF
所以——469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyvcLLtSa6
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosvATpAkWf
「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......」469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogPiLIT5ez
469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvlu6wOOX8
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
