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430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wFVxoL6Yz
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG901KVYkq
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6vixHOnFk
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFA8mEmm45
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuZmUPZVzG
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaolezmGJI
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL8NY3WavR
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEpLgrWoyZ
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0IUYbbqRa
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GzeyGrbI1
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2EwLok8OJ
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXJ20npJUO
框啷！430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERPiOPjA31
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQI0wPhISUS
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjOzblebaU
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoB0MEnGMV
框啷！430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpbTthZu8y
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH6pVsDlDJ
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRBgFnWDja
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9AV94J0VX
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEwK6XxMdp
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLomxiCdIN
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJB1789wTO
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9m5KCH5pq
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYyU871WhL
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ213ajbvCAh
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBK0wSWNhz5
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MFdczfueZ
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbl1Fr358W
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUm8Y0MuXL
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nH7U5JdYk
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzwcryNTrp
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCyb1ndt9Y
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEJwjgbJnR
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBxPwt61Gb
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUHbMswYVs
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNMzVmympu
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOHfgXSnvQ
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfxOL8V8af
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fQVQWd1MB
「咦？這話的意思是——」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrTBDbc9QC
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWEEpqp5lS
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK9AFjcXjx
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SM6AN8atM
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b6T3ht6KR
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwaxDL9vmV
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI5BlbMHYS
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfNqPgjSR4
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKpWIo6Ytt
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGPFUfHOQw
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEC3aUtdhr
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGc209YTyY
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6ORBiqR1g
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEeBFpXnmB
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWgkSK8c7R
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEpMvkXAYz
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dmk6FkT0x
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOfS9WlJAd
「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。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0VhyHf8M1
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFxIcJkdgo
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuymxGL05U
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMvMnBfgvs
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjkJ9RcRuJ
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxXwnskAzE
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDf1GuSB3J
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpQGTCdNK3
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky0VsK8CcK
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jScyjnIM4
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ271I7YQGA7
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcqCLDgw8k
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGFYnSCOAg
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz7ol2kGrk
「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？」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAd3FltbNO3
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8UuifQc4m
「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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVL6sYDif8
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZl0UyTlHm
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCcg1Uxule
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucwkgwzwKh
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyzIYThCsG
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZLZVMbzwe
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！430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSEEi1K9vI
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaUDTDDNb6
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WbgsZAhsT
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaT0bgzyTw
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiZq1W98vL
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvi7H9EBwd2
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL7MQ8zrEL
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYQbJrEJSE
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。430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2mdwuPVGM
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa0Zh4BaqG
所以——430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3HHw5ZhPo
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRC41UeTYH
「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......」430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfI7vCCJAw
430Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1BVcgu8Qt
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
