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471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabXZZZnAyJ
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01OS9T9lwW
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDffnXnOHY
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTi28sC4sC
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4n3hMlJC87
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQWByYS4DK
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNsj8Mmsyw
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo0JUeOszp
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUaJUb9VM9
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiiNDtPQLZ
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUaisPeKvy
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsK7zz1eQK
框啷！471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ADkeWfiMI
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCHOFDJNok
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhB1CjDSupx
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1tLxwf35y
框啷！471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7enrJvGis
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzp9UPbb5d
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wcMsoDEDX
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7YrFXXLYz
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7nUfE0laB
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlhbwtmaLh
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLURZNDOc7
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx7WMoYHWo
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfeTNNtota
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvFWo7bCpf
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46IZ4J4I4h
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuJsXFn18M
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fKicZFq63
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZriHdhlc7
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8vmODNRGl
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnGoZ3c3LN
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRlCAMZsrw
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsWeGOaHmN
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEUTvpTWD7
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmovKxtgKG
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePcadPAkQm
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqWCN8s5Tt
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZ5YkWzPQo
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl2WtBHbJi
「咦？這話的意思是——」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHSW5syOnL
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkBVpyzvqv
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaGdYe9Sm3
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lOiqHoHEL
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FLfidLDPJ
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrB90p9W1f
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrty8fwQbTT
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYnQh0dObz
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZuI0Rt2rT
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UHYNSjihh
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52V2rY4NWV
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPY1f7nDitY
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytVwb5kGQM
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyz9g8XF0I
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eBCzHCiUe
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlns9sBZAj
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BaonUKBg1
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuOZpdmQpw
「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。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh5rjHqkeD
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerj2hzdoaL
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PLgwpqbyY
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9sPzMuem1
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ56lVcg7yw
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw8qlovaGJ
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoYMf3Q42e
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Bi9Pdol7N
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6ekCRmHLN
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUMNpoKUFS
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9hgJ6tI1d
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAnKcikgA2
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotLHaDNqLb
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CqGZIg49P
「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？」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlAk79OWMi
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEj95IxiB1W
「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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzwJNwLkz8
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4W6SGwR49
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVkA2bcEhN
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqZnVblUst
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEky1yRWzz
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdFxVLEuHc
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！471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNym7I9O6VU
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwao91GsqR
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKRAEdYCP3
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04iGdjWwaO
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZEhu9XNqw
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHia69h02R
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsmIPTkgzj
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKCkhkytDJ
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。471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmuw459qpY
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6LGyRLg12
所以——471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGxo0dd2O7
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyYy8ntNGF
「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......」471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ977F8nxxU2
471Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIl4oZhhRx
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
