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519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eKfWvdi2J
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlscQuwaDw
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonRcOJ5yQC
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCfxFjLGeE
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnnv5FQEsF
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QzQ3aeYYY
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdX5y6sLQO
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEwr7lFf6o
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnwujUBnK9
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4XRaOcf5d
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP54M6mEKf
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxh3eRkQos
框啷！519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzP2s26TjB
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqFTGbbZ9O
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wZmrpEuNB
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZO8dcXrTk
框啷！519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42DcwYvJNR
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNhhI6cGQq
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7HsXlIPYh
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MHF7VYSH0
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoRvhvcjRJ
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XRn4BE8o5
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqmUSEDKvx
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZrWjRomCn
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViwbRakS2E
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wsz2ELV6Q
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQtgz7pGav
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoQ4JmrjJI
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg9Oz9kj9t
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsLmUk5bLC
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7FsIlWOIF
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMDMZhrtzF
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNWIjq0yRV
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWss2nuaO6q
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGM9AyAZOx
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwS6FLFgA37
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHIgyD5vnl
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGnAMqtp3r
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC89wTyXyKP
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTh3HiUp1z
「咦？這話的意思是——」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPPB04vsSh
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqWZ7KXjuG
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocZh5Bc5yN
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko6N7LRc3N
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UnO1HCq2M
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfItD2go4y
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc0jIsOjLD
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbrCKQwY8X
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ETsSzkBW1
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5crzpT0tv
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGEAllMWlZ
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MyhUpFFB4
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RKbcD5Lmo
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhZk1dWKKH
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoz28x5EpL
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87zT6yjWQr
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0lKgMEmPz
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThO9EeqLsi
「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。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEoPWut7Av
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiF580twCI
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCa93ybcQN
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SKvPUxNXR
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaPfCbTlSp
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTQ8T9Jcai
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItCR107Nix
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF1ESBlQ2O
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGCi0AiEil
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBtbngJHyg
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhFtpB9sjj
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDUZUWR67A
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UoxTEbkqW
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu4FxvO9Jb
「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？」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCTck1kxew
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJRmfbnDB1
「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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucDWGPsQB5
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxC6iyinHO
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5yGPazcBv
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vekOeJXtr
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBFK82wg03
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbIz7RsBrm
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！519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjEv9U0q6h
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tjSofahx7
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovanTYCUyl
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UJHs1zdfy
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBVMhaEoeg
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8feFPcAsz
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeA4ysedb9j
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6jiuaH1BA
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。519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZxJ78tCVu
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSzvzXf1E7
所以——519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEJFqE1uwe
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dL0vfSu9m
「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......」519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasICMdd2pL
519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtwEK07VPw
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
