x
＊＊＊
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzndcpFHJoR
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukt9CMveB2
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl8tO9QVxx
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPVnzQtkEo
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4bLXZDwWM
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBvuh8MKK4
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE92JORzUa
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcyglL1Qjs
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2iweQ8uWm
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKlb2NZk8R
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDLKov7pAI
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBCq0Z3mkb
框啷！389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSVkFqZmJg
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUwxwyBwR1
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJXXVSJgtI
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjfdAHRTIY
框啷！389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM18LOBWeZ
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5T89qv8lz
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pLavGFebW
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfA2rhER9c
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYEDzKQRdf
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ1rjhiSqx
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPQnXyblN1
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bJPwV6o4n
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd3EtbZe0f
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7KlBeKtsQ
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbJLicG4Nl
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3qokM3sr5
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYXB4cHsJV
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJWP5Hfxj0
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OsrLLtXOe
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mdej7hdah
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5Z7RG37DZ
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHI1KR8vVpv
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw46hNFLNCw
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlPFVnnd1D
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP305ADBaD
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAEW97PzPm
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY0zfyUiSm
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsTkrADej8
「咦？這話的意思是——」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLgiUNWwfj
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpObZw9Glrn
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSaXg16KFf
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93BS6SdQ7C
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9Fqdd8Wb2
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZPbvbYqRA
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpNxWgTWUd
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hDK4FFzwu
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkCqn6klGr
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezac274Pka
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulXDJfEb4c
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRXV9D9UOE
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi4HOPPpU0
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlsQiSqKt5
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJiycVRamC
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTgus62mqP
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8xi86cslZ
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hfOR8frfy
「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。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprZrZ8CSfX
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkygZVoruaD
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfV9yrVjc6Z
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2hU4a0u4R
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rdcY9TKR7
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKF12rTHKz
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSihaubRGu
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8LmNVjRvA
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFwoOJETLM
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4GoQeCjX5
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1n81BEGKc
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSRejSBUZW
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRhu0bfWEu
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7U3xNnsbp
「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？」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0jcWIOG11
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnz5269WwAD
「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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV6AH8DCaR
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevBHe52ub5
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqszADNxqS
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswg0bgCb64
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVhYuQQ4pR
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUmiCelfGB
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！389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmPTEUNUrK
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8797UFsIM
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugw5tLajjc
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqTWHq1m9Q
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyPLvPqLSE
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQyUixPcxF
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiDqfJhdQP
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu1CJT55Y7
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。389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2tZObIZbT
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviyMCqapiJ
所以——389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43eu8tX013
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx39pKABxj
「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......」389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMuJQuDYih
389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmJ2MBUCBz
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
