x
＊＊＊
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn6ed8VhJF
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkINTQ7cg2
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5eG7Yre7r
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OoJ5fThTl
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbbFU5En43
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoOCdnL25r
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVswe1mKi2K
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYH3e5Mi8N
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlEWc2SAKU
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4Dkc9ED6f
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5ICUiojt7
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7yXp6Uu3C
框啷！426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dlDafqBaP
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxHbPWMvnP
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwnGtwl6Ao
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd3x5o76wf
框啷！426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLT3xJOYHu
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpVw6K9Zke
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ7sxbryrh
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT40Ug0fpzI
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVQwAeLkas
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV98axsrA6
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3PIgyTLld
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWFJiEilRk
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2KP2iidxM
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jwjXeBrhC
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcdj9NrmPU
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWbLqnvayT
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nLRcu6t4e
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHM4y3Edt5Q
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCymiQLqJH
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uFafEpGul
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJADcJXRxd
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8uSqf8ImX
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJJHmp595U
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEngZB9dRM
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWS7oQS17y
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3HV0PXtUN
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIhWCLQrrL
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrhPqbMaLH
「咦？這話的意思是——」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4SYnF47LZ
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm3ciDspWo
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Gi79FYwZ0
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1s4fpOmSH
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVRGCQPaev
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKF2mrMTl8
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHSEXxpy9k
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLMls3MLMS
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G6exWPquF
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhDtQAqt2V
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡho4qRiG4T0
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD3G3xncWJ
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqg3viEC3J
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tQp1ZLioZ
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIf1ppYx2R
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj4P2S1pUB
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebYnTSy3Ks
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUqN77VWYj
「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。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLxDZEjyZH
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRNSwwg1n9
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkmes4JWtd
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9a96dxCLT
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu80ftLk72
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkFSUGx0Si
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyg75baJHR
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZt5XrhmoKw
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq0UNB4ygV
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0iemDRt0m
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XMykVGFTW
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFIK3bhu6X
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cwtdJi0in
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jj9WYLVOR
「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？」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHTzEGguG4
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3lPuDladw
「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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHDvQjqJ5j
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrb8XWamHUb
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblz6HUgxjb
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ19JFrkQ0
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFZR33JbBD
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge1ardHPG1
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！426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiKo5QEHdf
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gOzKlFgEk
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEwlYqFHzV
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxn0mhYnmwR
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbvkHNOtG3
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqLw261wly
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoJuOazruN
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHoxXTrWJc
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。426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bk55OKXza
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYjNlHlYlW
所以——426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCTVldEnkX
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90uQNXOOV7
「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......」426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq3zBg8VnQ
426Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfpRRrxcWW
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
