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400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6EeU6fggq
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtq1BQQ6N7
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjZiowcxld
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSChOagVcSw
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrsLBJzrcA
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4NbIUK0V5
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVqZWFjRUq
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURvAKk3fQg
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG93vFQnUs
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPFugASyIA
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbSYcKovsy
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7q7yzbNO2
框啷！400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO4UZgSe11
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanzNDapoCo
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q8KHMJRH9
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuMCeEK1UV
框啷！400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDa8zPwjF4
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskbRE87abq
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORfkMEKKjQ
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxFLPU2uKO
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmDgciMCVn
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBugtgRfXA
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwVG4sBKcQ
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNe1MJBl18
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOXN1dkEKN
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnDIlEVMOt
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK91p0rBVVp
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7MZZe8Ofo
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpArshAa6bD
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN31XVfEml9
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuliPq1wM74
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGC1Px2L6n
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Yvb58GeIE
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y405sGSPv
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4ft5mIdq7
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4s9Lfi6OAv
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6CwWxhjHM
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8BQLNBKQe
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGuoUwIgTN
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatc1IGb5YW
「咦？這話的意思是——」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyVejBB2wT
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z7Z5jsddD
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6E2dqLof5
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIM6lFh0lS
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKkBOXTWGr
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8bEGXPUvz
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqmygbTKg4
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyleEMj5M40
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3q8knQdHQ
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJ7xPpTnCs
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8uXO69IwW
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8zQHnaWoE
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNwvwgap23
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZovYnHizP
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0tEWmPBtz
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mI29yfxXd
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFuBRlK1Oj
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlFbkHW3Kn
「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。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrJD6c0EXp
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQuwA9u8XJ
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCIZUd7HWI
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yYztFlXYg
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjIbCZSkVT
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKaeIQsX7c
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28N3Sq0iy4
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkvk8mJL4A
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q1cQylHXw
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIvoxZIpWO
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUvFQKOORy
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1QXN4um91
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWpeiofSlx
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ01uS2n17t
「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？」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZ7RZ67KY9
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXJEW8YrwY
「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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2J2tYaJrmG
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKmI3Ot0ji
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudlxlBcBoD
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFGTVNKLwi
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSefsY3EnXU
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaFiXX9w1L
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！400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXap09V52hZ
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMXfW6FX3G
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBcI45GW2A
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEWrYa28Ze
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx13PSU2n9U
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa892GQ87qV
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZS7rlCVVmT
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkuvGB3TO5
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。400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G9XDkCsjN
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TjSRVe9dl
所以——400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM3IyY9X4q
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkc6Klw2Lg5
「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......」400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQdmGN9Ftl
400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hAsoWFJsn
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
