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424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ah4uXUN61
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ap3vqHuaN
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT3rCk7d0r
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxzzBKQNEa
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Is2fx6FOE
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzknNYaEMV5
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3NZo7bTZw
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jdEryx6up
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28OdM41TcK
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D4jmZpHm1
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FiNYM7ZgG
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eYEhSxnso
框啷！424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HJgt4zUql
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjrWYN6pm2
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPRIC8L7Gn
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUtwGMK6Tj
框啷！424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVB7BkDDAh
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURzYjdtM1b
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH4LEMoWf4
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjWgiq3uqO
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcaoRQVMlx
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLGg4En4xl
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBRBqgqpoM
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8Mc31pBAo
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmmF51da0O
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpc6I7wYS4d
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPaHvl4FFR
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qFWPaTCsX
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gTiwyY8wo
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfv8S8y8QF
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODMVNpHS8V
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezNYtjsFGE
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaeWJXx6ve
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceSljjgJyP
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuhBS7emsA
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLOu1HzqD3
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZL0vQZVE5
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOwjkYOSL7
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjRJ73yLa8
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmLv2SYYJy
「咦？這話的意思是——」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6pBKitvM9
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6ZpP7azj3
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5keKnDS7h
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6t2NQnJIcN
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWI7HLtJTZh
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ9FButc9q
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79Rf1eHwVW
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dtUPQ0Cae
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG3e8GAhKW
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJ6TVwniqH
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2SrmNsv5b
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5ZBTB5wKH
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYefqI567J
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqcz8ve1XS
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeuLxhQ02S
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT8eaTXYRS
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHmOuDoTh9
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNglaRPIQxG
「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。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnT3yqpcGl
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVZQTJUsQP
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JDGY9GfGT
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8bZLvfupB
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2oA56l2Ck
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiOdh0urjV
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQxl0rUlD6
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYQWWyTmfJ
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xprOghawd
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYqGKA4vQb
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZDiFG7yrp
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHbpAULcgH
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqZTM4gTIO
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vKciwalu4
「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？」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU12gZokAMj
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDeYe23Mjl
「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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBy0SL4zRn
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cZSRxFXke
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQiQYgfYDM
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkaiSIf7ap
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0udcsaLg7
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRe6krYdZlT
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！424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DhwmiXsLG
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4WSs24azD
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKwwTnZO0K
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1Ac4hiREq
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4uxxofnYa
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUshWIF9kj
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfd1kv5tn1p
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw1OxBfgma
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。424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlYOjsprHt
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipoJ6wffvH
所以——424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HzO0D3f3m
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpfYq42I8L
「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......」424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1CzUPzx47
424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXN7vGPg23w
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
