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353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVbTxSLXO8
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTCifuubeR
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WxCJarogE
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGIC06MrlT
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGK8tyIq7sQ
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i1rpJu8h9
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSOeqxR1pe
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvobPbEr0a
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cujiN84Xu
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoKooYJAIp
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGKNhrUvA8
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyG5wPeaaW
框啷！353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HllZrtbCv
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWxeAmHGmr
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjUgAv0xTT
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ206psJrcSr
框啷！353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37Oc8WVwP2
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡok38MncSfM
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3198R0WzT
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzvQiLUmg7
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzHhc9LCYZ
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2K9SQb7nSu
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpHLYJhy6p
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GE3d9neBt
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndPn0eZPFN
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FH6uNK1BW
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7ACuI8Ak8
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhixzA4IOMK
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfXO9iwGuT
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzQKuHn2jI
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMujrqpvcrf
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGWMuminhE
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzx2y5kYCJE
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm5vk4LgDm
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTiGqbu41o
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAochuGUXv
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd6ypkuPsw
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaNtfXvUEP
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSoQN1PP2z
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡechO3gus9D
「咦？這話的意思是——」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG92eh5dMCA
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6vhGa446F
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPOOtOshov
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhR0H2swxn
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznTCL1ABdr
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAdQj9lEis
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc4KRFL1xe
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg03hn1aMh2
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTyEfvCmJB
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWScZnUtM8
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0opSg5FqV
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWutIBTrUKK
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW5RosuMoR
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtadD2uSJY
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWWv0DVFul
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxPzOcX9ja
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4xeg7KONe
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXiwTK6FjX
「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。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF1Wic3D4T
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNIUsS6KPk
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3ZICEpfic
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdaH7l8Rjq
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5pLDtBpcW
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7YLn6IWNp
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexeOZEeA15
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LnwY7W8qi
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw20wrhxfGS
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYSPnoGhLd
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9jYuGbsrS
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowgTAFRZjA
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7wVKZRFb9
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9BNAOUWTC
「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？」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdKf805Qiz
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9VLdNk9gB
「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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJP6z5rD0e
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5shuZIadx
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1s7y8CqTPI
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CIXQ9XKY2
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqxNTMkOFm
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ498YJPSbOq
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！353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj0d8I9qe2
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnY1kkZbyd
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EriDp6ziO
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEQfqfnd3A
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6hihIfF6t
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcnpcVLLYv
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvtKs64h0Q
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8xxqI757P
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。353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnh9EVqs8Q
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRL7dhMU6r
所以——353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX2B7FaQiP
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoC88nFVo0
「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......」353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnVEV3il8P
353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZoFEKsxdj
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
