＊＊＊
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheSpgBL0pw
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6B8wxEtDzh
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DodAq56pa
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc3QyePYBt
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflhDxqZlSm
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupBRwl5VAG
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK7W2QubKU
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigiLVKzJ1n
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw8F9Kith6
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fXFJ0cjvV
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0G0SQwM4h
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L4nTJVfqw
框啷！505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdoI1tX5VE
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpZFZ6LMuw
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jQJbuxnCM
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEJSvh3sAz
框啷！505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6C8tvtbog
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eSQlzGUgn
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7elzjpK5bK
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNwSfQ5C1u
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVnkwoIKc5
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXxAnSN9W8
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc5zhmxDZQ
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fu7y7cn1K
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DsYk7EX5G
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUqjDpD9U9
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTswRfjvUd
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHEq5gsr7Z
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSjdZAe2zD
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyEOVggX8h
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlevyuzcxM
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAj5aZ34eS
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yDYU4d0rM
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqI6hU2LNiR
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANtRThXhcv
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZSbvmYPO7
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGwyAE7qZD
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYIQU4xhrt
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VlYmlPHRa
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPh4ECD817
「咦？這話的意思是——」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs7gTFz5jJ
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB5Ldqn7fh
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkX9zAmpDs6
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrMIGCHSqY
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf61DNwnjF
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoePm63rJZi
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4laj4WE3mz
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75LHJ0XeXO
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx0N6M2bzR
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQbkRHsNUR
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVXEY8tq9g
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtllrPRxt1j
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuHa2s3QF2
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g9XPB0LOi
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwDYowKjgh
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlGs2R2RG5
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zv336GI3u
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdy89JcRzQL
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyXelpbCd9
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgDBFbdtcB
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuACEeOnnCG
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lMagz0do4
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEMe7PqhLa
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaR6avM790
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pX9vuahTj
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJyuJ8m3zg
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnWXCQ7jBT
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfamcIBn6iL
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWZrpfdrSS
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEByYNVPLlH
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvRPTicM8u
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOjrQKYMA7
「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？」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMjADfA8kF
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2xdUoK9Ww
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkOCrRvOZe
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBH4SGZeOBE
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pcdCeb53h
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqicE88FwtL
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9PaGW4jwI
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4Rg1uRMre
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！505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkkxi8gMPJ
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5I4J4sNmKn
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ169Gvq4v3F
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdHFsfWzyY
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjehydBZOEX
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fQmG6hsQg
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeX9PoCsdZe
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgMjRGQFr1
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4deMYZGjPF
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRz846cIEj
所以——505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0scyf6RiX
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlrxNSqpU5
「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......」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OmKGoh5k3
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BbIaK4nVs
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
