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376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqmdj7HTDw
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIwXy9yvqr
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLS6ZdSYSA7
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9SK8hpWSm
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVsPKujbv9
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe0g0UP22k
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiFfTTu21f
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap4KKQ1ege
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAzPmIKQSE
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2RrUiwUHF
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavSEi55dlh
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUAHhoPRbh
框啷！376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFRcraNlkE
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExTOyfN9OB
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeUSmzpOOd
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKTX0kIfmS
框啷！376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz1jfaNC9N
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRiVo2Aokx
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu4UZ77knp
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAc51cqJJ5
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86kZCfTves
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KWLpEUhYl
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskkaKbnv9z
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj249G8PV5
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEkiAosU6W
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60kzv6T0ai
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJusBK9YCG
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNK52LzwU41
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuXjfdiAmF
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ085TpTIkEH
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2P8wPm6O5
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNkS8sEylo
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6gVUjGlEb
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbH5HLBira
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuqALlQs95
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqvCZK4dYj
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiNUodpvt9
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5K3w8hRRL
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOuOovjvaG
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRbmFtSF8T
「咦？這話的意思是——」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7vX90xqVq
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm8a0ZfhnN
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0cBIaMYUu
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1Sv8OO32o
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQd6btQd1h
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOk7zfKefN
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUicas7ucG
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdm2Z9hLLq
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ImuReqYa6
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejlRjVRPOC
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ068qeVE3um
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu4KvpRqCo
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE6NM9TxbX
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUQm7OSVgT
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugXQ0eERbV
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8HSeEuhIg
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XeYeDepvk
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf6FR8qeSt
「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。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkidElBdIw
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhxsLLSygj
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Fsttw15pf
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jOE8rDU0M
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHa2nxMfrp
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghE6oAWnFW
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiabGReUHH
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmVCzSz6bR
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWtSEldVyn
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwqUbJJJvF
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcSmKgx8yx
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW3g2jZmwm
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywXs2fJ3wo
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYvbwPupFH
「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？」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYecHD9q8x4
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtWYcLgH3X
「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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBch1OTDXjW
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQOSxMo5UK
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4gY1uBJJZ
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ4cFh7tFS
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrteQvArT5
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5w42Qsihj
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！376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOapmRH90R
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5n1WINbrP
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNpniRPkyM
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRSpSfkBIH
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyRCTwZpvT
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8xa3c4L93
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hLJJ7KrIP
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oxklY5Lbg
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。376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8FNduodCO
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarLdbU00Sj
所以——376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJF4pRR2DcM
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mve4vbtQV
「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......」376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbB9bcT3uB
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutSynxGKpt
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
