x
＊＊＊
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUNiPYJTdI
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwlVxMUCBv
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUrnBkPBas
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidjlH9v7z8
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zArUHiuaq
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡie5y8TGgNb
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85xNefqmMs
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwaTlL5bxe
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKD4ACdcAza
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALPXRflbzy
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAm7F4hytKi
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnm2Ez1aTJ
框啷！427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaUrdOdxKL
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94sOEac5Ew
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWxQLvKc7Z
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdlSqPnnao
框啷！427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9dZ7zQ1Jh
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlmbMeXyJM
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYL4hpSBxN
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RO3Uc8dbc
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv75hOySE85
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7lCE7q61e
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCcAOAyVEB
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdNyQhg6F7
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjlqkh1lAn
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKshLaICCoL
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxdfLk2EsQ
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwDgJ5R20M
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84CRasYX6a
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQn4r5bG3O
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJJb6X0GG7
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOo5yKSWob
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtlHRupthl
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RV28RaZ9Z
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eOEmZFAqT
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6Siu0JScc
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIb5TMO8mj
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zejeS1cth
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2dO2mYd75
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplNt5dmIYg
「咦？這話的意思是——」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSL2teqdL1I
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJu4sfwQdU
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpMVDkqV5v
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGJSPPKPL2
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIruA8h1Gs
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkNCEKnNQw
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaBPAvnrKb
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84lxauiqug
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF5XY8TSAf
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNx1w3ELFuQ
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7v1NWFse7
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOR2wAM54X
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKUrCIzHLz
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoiJ5QPrqW
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJcFiogR4v
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYXQktej8Q
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfw3lGYjFK
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ235HEmKYOZ
「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。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWMvBeLQgB
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3slxCT7aAP
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXd0Drb6fC
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOdcFErGe9
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7IqSsYzbm
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJysHKAFZvr
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu65iHz3tNa
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSWFALNOfZ
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzz4f1krJ9I
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQKu6Vtopv
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9KpnXwq8S
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPtFfvk1f7
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn4eIahJn4
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXqybF0XqU
「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？」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsJSl9VQeV
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF0lFesAfJ
「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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4uQP31WRX
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEhZlyNOJ6
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczosflqlh6
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tId1DhLl8
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4elHqIV5Ec
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo88Rz3bj5L
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！427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0455Iar0u
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nH1TNKTtv
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FavjyBWNq
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSFFf4dse7
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpb0nddu9jx
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHpnQJH4cJ
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpHw06dYzv
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXMjqEZd9K
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。427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBS8lWmKYx
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuhvGtgAhd
所以——427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6raRNClCS
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqBn2pdh6H
「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......」427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWaCC9qKJV
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf0yCnmCN0
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
