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428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yIb3Uw9jD
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet0mc57Nce
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sZK0YXzAS
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwpAjdIzHh
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi0gyWhfwB
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86Vu0pVuDL
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzT0aeRyhUh
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZcGbWizKG
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUMXKBL0BG
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ce5Ch17bI
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nOXckn8Xw
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6knuedQF2y
框啷！428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhgYLIDvNk
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCQXgxI9VJ
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotMBJvvG8H
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw6LZKuA6E
框啷！428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UUUCwxkDF
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4MRKfHEF4
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAPbe8wpBf
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0rDlvpbQD
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqScesOLvbT
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2S62nzpzK
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsAHhwgYFu
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dtfxJnZKk
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIL8jkq2Ao
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPfAgSYEct
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8I5PUGP2u
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxtz73EFkR
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAOAT9f6Os
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBSI6fjEsb
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7WjF6HW8U
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4JXKEcFsk
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkgZpST67K
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2jb5Ixe0P
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3WZ7lRl5C
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxOmcs3kTo
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xL5vXvsc6
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHpSC0Bzmy
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiwjj0lM1S
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kFzlCCNAl
「咦？這話的意思是——」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GJEhhFiHW
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggYL5SnS6Y
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwWFhdjf9I
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshrUgTVTVw
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzytRvSKDX
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZhBs1mCtZ
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpZTtSQS1j
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYg4WB8P20p
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm4BPkfsH8
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkgcSrNPGF
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ol7I4ljuA
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxW37UEpdb
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH507dhC49N
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cWhQInfbX
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuD7ytWHRQ
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND3p6Dtdxz
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZNcMblO9F
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J7ZujPbEj
「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。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCNwzkX7KM
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5O7ML9PkX
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNlVfhj4Eu
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNUkK7CTqE
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEneQfYC8pl
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDenY6ZMYR
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlATerCul5
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmxhQZklCt
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0KqbszGx4
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NbQCPie5P
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3uVKYWMyb
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9j4TC441Vk
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqxTPz6qX6
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxbJR7ZfSY
「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？」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cAV67jvu9
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEujkHMNoY
「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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLsqEG6TCn
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtE9EeqTeST
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lPmYw4Uy7
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSd4BLKC6SE
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ696rHlg4Su
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOuj8cXqHP
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！428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJm7ulAtiz
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0Mlfb4Fpn
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkobWUrl3S
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q23iKgO9x
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73Mt9Tg6kr
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo4IfKlbhc
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFWmh0wwx6
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vJXcnlAF1
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。428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iPV4cx3og
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9s3nmbtKo
所以——428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOKbMYKLyW
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCuzA4tMLR
「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......」428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CdYujMhAf
428Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0yqxMRSH5
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
