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395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeT6oyYjwYt
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXczTkYMZXw
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIqo3gK3Nb
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrh2lPiObH
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7uuZ4oqSn
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVk7jyraT3
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9BVKUGrG7
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu8hDXcoQ9
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibzORq9Mu2
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhyZlLAgTK
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiToVMif15
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IC0dcnAHE
框啷！395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREHs9hfnbf
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKVa8AHsas
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEt6LxYGPeP
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlovhp4gM5j
框啷！395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUGmw0qt1j
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsIAE1NFWx
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaFGKY5KPf
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNxxgPMI3I
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz0vnckiNv
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH8FSkL67p
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyvyurGIVh
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9azNB1x8Mq
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWoU5bWHzd
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7aUhTqkWh
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZxCQM83zA
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwrRvxjcT6
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5Vi3YbZc3
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3I0uu7VQ7
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUc8uxXJ2H
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeOkmeUpnV
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6TJ3VClDG
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRSr7Rr4Yx
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3x34zkatfh
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEpJq9OFmR
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06Hbzg6EoY
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnrZcVcgmF
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMkVUKl6at
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp90JNUCxsw
「咦？這話的意思是——」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06UxcfA9qk
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5QQyNrmqn
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGapoMZtg4c
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPiLMZEEei
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJjbNqQ4oJ
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzwU9Qc4wU
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMRmRxnURk
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn97fYRa1t
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxYQZgaGog
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScekffBdCM
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzeg5RXFmy
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mv8yvPbba
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDbc1f6qw3
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHW97xDVDx
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rQjAWM1N8
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOtZucy2tx
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVZMKbM7BR
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYLX5Ux1wb
「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。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tk4OGgzqy
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFNxFzXzpU
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeM2mjdV2d
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbIwb7Dve9
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMiY5v1Xsa
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1I5ZVYfUvd
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8yibUpTzX
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdkJql62qJ
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCvpmEEUdU
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrDCXwf8eR
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRtbMsa9tP
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFbzilHjSl
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VdDOUc5GD
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwI2XbjCvDN
「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？」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWFYg1iJsy
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrVp8kIuXK
「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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5mYe2YQcB
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFFk7juC1Q
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmOVbAOijC
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTySygnrSS
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQesrh15sGb
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AoRfPg0hn
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！395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzA8yunI8u
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJzgY9flYZ
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jf1i4SN6v
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrd4dvLG7Lj
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2Jjip2lC9
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLbs77nTdi
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7U4tRjxoU
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61u6f1lFJH
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。395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZZrwodRme
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PLTvNZ757
所以——395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuX2JsSY8B
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqHhDvLQl4
「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......」395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTGAeKuoiE
395Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4W8j5Vq2H
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
