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502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv60bPfDWt
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSxmvRzdDc
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSCR7Ul5B5
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWhO3Bs0sZ
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC90s88lO0M
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDo5wO8Tft
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUCMuFQhd5
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDT3JZK5Mu
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkTjaJeH32
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT80KjudXYi
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgy3KhnOcWo
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJSJvqA2NG
框啷！502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EMQJkYcOC
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3tbDvF5mF
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT5EDvp2Nv
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMKfIU6Qyq
框啷！502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6vn55Ov66
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNNqcTkIPh
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQclfJ57w
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpeJzwgMV2
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGXWv7i1Uk
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4UGRqbEep
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51Ga25ILyw
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpRoqJkumy
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBbFfpW282
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYCs3201oy
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5brGRGvVXE
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkd0RBbtnbo
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkbpzxCyOD
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0YGKjtzqK
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOZCxApztt
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVB2LwjTdO
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfEB5H5d6a
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOPHxhpzra
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3zTCeIKWZ
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y6HXrw8Md
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0Pp0mnlvN
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1wEsChVuO
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz6fCBWx3m
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMKB2YInne
「咦？這話的意思是——」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7sNzDTkfL
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BsqJE8Kpx
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4UtsJtLe6
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOSL4O7nq3
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAa0SNkLNP
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcNARyohdA
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBz6Shbj9I
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgypH6pm8u
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBPTXtthid
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1US9oY0exv
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpA3mOamoT
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IiOVFHmRh
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcq2q8byTi6
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecmtxL5jxt
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbY2IF6wvL
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67CHKDkVxr
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFrgveTFz1
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIIVDNe758
「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。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWnwkc4jnw
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwKjl83D2A
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdIcyrWHIF
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EvxLYdNyh
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCng0iaUC9G
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fwWhVjM41
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJamSSrJXG
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHSb7VQDW6
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60Ni7HqFNu
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VmFExWMCJ
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7T81bcf87
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34biojz8KW
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfLRn2TpX1
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK0fhhBJjy
「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？」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnWHtlTuPb
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9yHW3Smxr
「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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gkgCCcr3j
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mhLArQHwO
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6BuFSOVkm
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOt5SgEXEb
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TIskjo2RJ
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljwLi4lQge
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！502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKabkU4eSJ7
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIlQr7ffEl
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmUL75nxGD
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuakn9ae6Xt
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHe28B1hja
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeYXdlRsH8
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoybRZ8l1W3
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhsWIAm0J8
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。502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bObQd7Vli
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhYBHMCi9S
所以——502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvkVqK5aFR
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw77k5O87q
「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......」502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzUahbhevI
502Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LWXjTDUzD
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
