x
＊＊＊
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhttnJUegM
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKEa861VtR
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegXwA4Dpsg
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSzVxzYrW6
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HkxjpZQg0
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxY8S4dqYJ
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFMICUTYf9
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MyII4FYC2
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLCaDR3awF
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4DaZTfFQ5
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelF8Hg4zWK
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizyGUIL9Bo
框啷！387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSIecx111v
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaApWuM32f
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbuZPw26bW
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGpujd5Alh
框啷！387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMI3Fg2uDS
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDceUh3NXQ9
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3K0bqXvnF
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uqg4lZFWY
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGkn9T8aer
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYe7Ey2Hr3p
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1pPoysFQm
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlODHgK9eHS
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99WJiruQzh
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDVwl5AZ35
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1k37jNUMJ
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOS5ohf3FDx
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIsgYQhDzt
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlJVk41rzg
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVs1kVORvV
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zCrFhrff9
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGcKIBri1B
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7PDJWSVFm
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZ5YnbjYYM
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRrlAtZW8I
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVklXn5YAxh
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqsx2FYrPa
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbR1CIJUlGt
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjukYTAfHI
「咦？這話的意思是——」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTx5hVnSKi
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERc1V19tc7
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yVfnJVC9f
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrkUjH8oqs
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DtOxOCCd8
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh9KafOylC
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaciaMZGgtE
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpC1GHEY8az
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF62vQEcuPg
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvxHvGPhAj
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV723YelDu
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvKcOuK6II
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPV7QpHg6x
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLdcRFfN57
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FJQs5yIC1
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR6RBVb1S4
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXLUt6qmiT
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT37y9n9M4
「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。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuKnGa5X6P
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4mS3rP3Vp
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwG7mgoGMyK
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaP81AzOOb
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRSv7j0VfK
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwg7mjcnEd
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8D6ItSsZc
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oDZzYd10c
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEYUvPbsTp
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AAqUQSWVv
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hXdlemBSh
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo1UKVNqp2
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUGo2QEepx
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDGe9FKava
「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？」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0zvWHKYjV
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCVQ6Uk4SK
「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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRmpx67Q5h
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PJZrfZk7P
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwFGWdj4MW
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL6CPJrpXy
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoP6kcawhA
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRigMKwJee1
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！387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhdOg7VmJ3
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae0RDEIg1b
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOol8TWPRtn
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YOu0uyukp
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaaN6HrADi
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77ldVafdH7
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7EEY63AFI
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD3vMB5pch
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。387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGKvmyIdaQ
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQzKPPrtb0
所以——387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQQRI4LWSq
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfogx2SFX2M
「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......」387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnlLwApJvU
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMALhhNe9oZ
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
