x
＊＊＊
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoW5vesAzeP
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqW7VgB5FbG
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIogHL3Xc8I
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9cOYDdU0R
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jYCG2S3qE
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAdffduaiB
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetlRhuYQgH
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRk3F9DMkM
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzkXc1Yq4G
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7hbhviHQS
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxr6E7DKJ6
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRabZsA1jyT
框啷！461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo7CvZGrCV
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tQX77X4n1
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEmYaOE6x9
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q5BZmtWMJ
框啷！461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrWi5YJR9k
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA0ibeo5ji
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEspGwDFfy
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD7lWe7C1f
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXv2mGpErd
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQ7mjVVYo7
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnegIEupyJ
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMIdBmN5b0
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrqOFBeKdQ
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IKGtxdV5R
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAMkrU0SZn
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPkkCXyYn5
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlwrFcvkVc
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tRgPmy8im
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREncuvLw8t
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmSvFgpv0C
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEKZeLIquE
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqToHFzS50K
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmvfOpNwse
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ0V42yzDM
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLMfmDmSIz
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvppRAUdpt
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3FIjZYkN0
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQI7G661bRd
「咦？這話的意思是——」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiIlKwOEQV
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6UCrhwDF4
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXncMq3GeDr
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz88kfpZNb
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVkndwMY9c
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UiVcBYCQS
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXymRs7z2K
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC9BUrbYCD
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBJXzb9HxC
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdIHJBzXrJ
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrphQQ2ndqZ
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTNPkb6EIv
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cco1Ixdyf
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaueGaZkwV
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO2879Vyz9
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFre6FWqbk
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29SXSkOd0e
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbYI0uC9QF
「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。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xt6DY88cf
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAS9glWnCH
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoxooD5nXs
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RO5Tu71o1
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kyx8VQe8x
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1V8Fbm5lL
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnyVC51TqL
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQr94R5HQ9G
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnC4ZHVdFv
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXGYkxqhHN
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLYugmXNWz
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4rBFkVpkC
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCpTH8ej9k
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspbEdaYL0g
「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？」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C4urR3at4
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV2l8Ftm8a
「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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKvzsJrDYT
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUADNXc172N
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSBaHajhkZ
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZHi2i9a6q
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89UMdjkvTv
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7PvIif4lC
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！461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS7KpWGE1G
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWk00KeWNs
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIdsShPKwA
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTeTaLKrMl
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0Jr8M3tRR
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cfh9rlMR6
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbjnIetWfG
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5sge4tcF7
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。461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ967gE4al5k
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7DA0QMIUA
所以——461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2ibYGK13F
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkThWkjgWPh
「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......」461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Bwj8boAA4
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwfdns10Hx
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
