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460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vdTBi7EKb
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2HCzFaTaU
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBkHXVFJ5y
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLtwmxwT28
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3cTDtRaf0
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafQOkgo6x5
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1bNSKd19w
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEGCn6G4Tt
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y9c3lRGb0
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXfR6VRta5
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqTZKM9UTR
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02jmz7DOdn
框啷！460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYS9kC6mWu8
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvU8g5Mgbf
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLvDm0BYUt
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSGuHyL16y
框啷！460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRCVr8Ux3U
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENraV8bLA9
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrWGfyjt6L
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGG3DnaJ2bV
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTysaIYfiQk
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0Kd9M9eBS
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPyxGc2pGz
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqR6vF1PCd
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9RFwQOZpx
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDeG1ohAgn
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSkVj4beAh
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCvUt5V8eO
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikmNllQU2T
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNdpScClYX
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx7XTrDuui
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmltxcXxvWm
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzvsVaenqI
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C5omxWfHW
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn49mvJrLab
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8UqsP61v3
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIXTRHfV1i
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViCedDSsqV
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVLPZUzTQ0
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye4sOlxMui
「咦？這話的意思是——」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1kFofFHKq
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVYEi2FcGj
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBBXEIrM03
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ptO4XIPjB
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzQi9ipwbO
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk6ekywkRU
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq9RUhAoVd
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB6gcnAalB
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgHRPfkyRa
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAXXllZdW4
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWy8MhB51A
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf73j3Uuvlo
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5cxhSbljm
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcgVwzp9oW
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5D7RMB62x
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YY8NQWHCp
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0sDfTo19J
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClZUEo7yPY
「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。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsKXaTnkRD
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDA60TjBo5
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuxlb7qhmo
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J8dBl2Oq5
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDKavcShxE
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ23pAHO9Y
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kd5rGwfiT
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlXKGSpTHW
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazUOHFFOx6
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10HFha686a
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZbxcXbD6n
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMvtBKadBV
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ0kKDt9rg
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1A7Udcc9z
「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？」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxbeTVZ5nP
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZK8yBW8iE
「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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3cuXWx942
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnc4e6kaVJ
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcySyYMawB
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq17mVQp680
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SBKSfbNV7
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsZN1qYesY
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！460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaBqtBMScV
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5Rn1lkGHI
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrN5Gl5b9K
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt2SntkPJw
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO200vR9FMF
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG80AkAV9WP
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaBGQ5M5F8
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLvSE7ys4L
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。460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xhRxblmVY
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOeyeN4SDo
所以——460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xyhM1KbxY
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL1yFYkKOB
「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......」460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpKIJxahtX
460Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4shky8SvZv
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
