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417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboSrrK01Tt
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCGOSU09Hk
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6snq0Pl6d
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnwE6Stuvw
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjz9NPNpDwc
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDdoBRH0UJ
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7cYJ8hKy6
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTFF0NkhZq
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrDuuVJsjy
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhslgTrCo8
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnVAM8fLB2
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0HxTEP6NY
框啷！417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGOFge7fh1
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMPznIM6JI
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhaIAL3zr5
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtylrptWfE
框啷！417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxeR5SaR8t
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRBfZBZjXd
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqCRK8844g
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFxB3szGdd
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5VbWiEygm
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbzWMd5bTi
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EtQJkfGNL
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4P0LJnqxc
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqJUy5Sm8B
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1IWjbYLtf
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyrvwtSsC4
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsAkOXGOEv
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKO2jC4xdt
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7R09vZoQw
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46UoLOeVKC
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatnMVAjiHw
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNgGZrwD10
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALx0nOPA05
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVFVdrrGI9
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ldcCNugfK
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvSA5QgsLA
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FxkMfN4cC
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpb1WXHjST
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJUA7lOqCJ
「咦？這話的意思是——」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjmH1xFizb
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ytvfDFffO
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcH00YFePx
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8h4Uc31Ry
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1z8SxH7rD
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEiJCpaLEQ
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvmq7AYyxw
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDApoFqaDsM
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXDnCDttZq
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINCHS58ijZ
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1bnB6WGse
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD5gcQIX4l
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q9AVi96oB
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpOdJQMOBa
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHeU9qqyOm
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj181EX4HsD
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TQ2NDISBx
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h36BX7TAo
「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。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkR2P6ePrC
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePupQDP9Dq
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfMcJNj7KG
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFmN5Jjml5
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiNOUW7vd8
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXBnfwBbUt
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffan9tf5LS
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6meLA13xw2
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSePQVnKiyg
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHedQb9elr
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNohqFqnH0
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4q41Ru8L4
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdGjFKibn3
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKkeXcgWJo
「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？」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMRehkgaJ9
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezZFlI1Phd
「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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovCyPtTaef
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvDJYSghu9
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSqvN0Jq78
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfavV4qe24o
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8al0r8nDF
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxKa0taTRP
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！417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi41q5gDRQf
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBHJGunbau
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjkV8mTUMk
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnSqCMkJT4
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49FWzFEqGI
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRa7bBzw31
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiwUOLLGHc
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv3ZopRBgo
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。417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb67CZVamlM
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vM5kHEEPT
所以——417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fSL5rzTFy
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUmsQVGtNL
「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......」417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnH9hA9RWL
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9UbWbf5md
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
