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340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ggA6tDals
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡat4jmnfkbt
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3WetPswDe
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJbpA0zKVo
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmyKYIRgXP
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlzPUJ8PMD
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFqyBjmLHd
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JRRYo1CJq
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmSXS2KJyH
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW89cg0mXYb
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG7xqRHyOO
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb5d4dya52
框啷！340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzUuizMcXT
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPguyPRmCm
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr9JDf2eV4
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfBLzkU5az
框啷！340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1hsjhS37x
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfRIm7fUaI
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGy49HfTvF
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpc7goQF9Y
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VpkQQrbLD
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQPLbupqYq
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrijD64BWp
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArHHShq0rT
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6PSYRnMhP
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHVMlHo8ZF
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqlO2wspo4
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzXmQPXcMb
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzZT0WrVws
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYazUkxhm3L
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkeimKGf4a
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8j9ccv9FT
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloa7wDBn8a
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4Em6KG0RL
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZLxvPcFbP
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIRX5ZdeUK
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko3s70oH4F
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dGvmQyPSX
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo04uXrWjfo
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rMcW6vLi8
「咦？這話的意思是——」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VMxiAA0Gs
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQuAK5CEVf
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH8xYm3kac
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJpIjWPUYR
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyzIKKgQbz
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AZhnGrnTb
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCcNMUXSkr
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7hFfSf39g
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTl49ctRe4
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCH69qJnPG
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47LeqHhrbt
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmPukEUedQ
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBKejtZCwK
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx47rGZRKvh
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFrhu4QdfG
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjU3KdZyz9
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu6Pas8dyI
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUVII5VeCg
「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。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVN7jQXvHD
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbeBAFui6w
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5I5V2dOSz
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshMMWvSiRJ
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRzMOxod6n
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRbzSINe76
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y6Vj38XPz
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOR4yAHUMke
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDSLEzixbT
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfucvskGfwp
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4O16nL7AU
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbASkYyhydq
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6CqAuyisv
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0WoW7Y94A
「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？」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8wmyzx8dc
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvWX04IAjF
「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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBmEsGXfw5
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVhUPCopIC
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MuIYKFBEL
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsc6yUzMEH
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13c6ClN64x
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUsRygM3cj
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！340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJJqjGCrM5
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYF6KIDcFR
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvccBu5k4cW
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0he7i79yrY
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhK1lhnQsK
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAATDwvdHQZ
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NMWQFroff
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKtY2VbLih
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。340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIHmC8fotR
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnSATuj4Ow
所以——340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP7LLyLTVR
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKkmkrFoKg
「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......」340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5r0dKOnabc
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYdJF9KyzB
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
