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503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeVtZY4Ux3
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5Lulp9B3t
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIeWeGsypd
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacmpyJCGkP
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETOdA7atXJ
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGB4DJJrJN
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKnubwWbak
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKatppqwLK
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQqS4mgnif
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihrM6MSoRR
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDgMmO8kz0
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyMtLhnFiR
框啷！503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwpirTWo4j
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWASd5dH8EQ
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4cqsoWhv0
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyjHMzLTAI
框啷！503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvWARMKnok
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6YaD9XDpG
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrou0VHuXZz
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzygVxLmhu
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeoDQY7IEr
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ152958nE4K
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yxRHIT7xS
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61i5udUV5a
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrk4lcxHdGN
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDvw66sJgl
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsujilacrm
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jEPm7k4w2
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdZ6sSGWC8
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0hLvp31YN
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0GXuzoJwe
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4sfFtI43r
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QoOeTYyid
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVANtSN0xZ
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpGZYNR7jD
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhQdlrSKNx
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2Heo3heOy
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGvP0A5RJe
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsi2vesqZy
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm8EkiQvol
「咦？這話的意思是——」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gNNNHE0Qq
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOjT9JupDz
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACoAwGCOO0
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtljT6xVKDQ
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7bJnPVe4t
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtLCPu4u2X
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZtFb5UUy6
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSMOWHIiYX
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTENT46pqcp
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAKOphzxLs
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxqnSnZfEp
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mhjURwi9Y
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qqpHeJqfG
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwDfCAEbyb
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsk4i8VQBK
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuOdU1d3eN
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj2Ygb0sEk
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9qypACnxb
「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。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30m5KMcJC3
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yc14MfqPO
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhJVHzRA9e
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOGhSYqFQy
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb2xPlGtzD
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3aycwWpaM
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizCztc5hHF
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyYqtYx8sh
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTo9hXAwRU
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFKfu4NxaO
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G8MDIFoOs
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55vJ58eDfC
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1BLukolfj
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiBfjtfmC1
「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？」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFh8zZv8ltM
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcxOAg6q47
「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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ6eKaS8g9
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9en5TTzsIM
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEh0j6XVIt
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFl2pjqRoj
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSAZ0RKf7v
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQxxPmQens
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！503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrZkKTEvUO
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxfdyDYh6D
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLwosBM55d
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡun0ua3YFGo
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr8r2tybOR
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzkZtdX2CV
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mMg8fQH69
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU03rImNjqH
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。503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GHZJI7ypI
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDwjkzuzE3
所以——503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM1h3jgzKt
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsichuBmrT
「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......」503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY56R8ghje
503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtLTpdZaK1
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
