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493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOpM5lI9mk
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hzNoPM3Za
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikOC8CTorM
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GbosePzWR
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJ3BqdknAF
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eTA66qtmS
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKSCb26qRr
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUNoIlJXIy
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCQ7pbwzyK
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKARD2VIVS
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wi4BGpAs0
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBxXBndJZ5
框啷！493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2af6oR1wB
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLn1GiJxgPC
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIO1URatPb1
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVrHbKSs7U
框啷！493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF8iFP4th6
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDF1PbFGtm
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzapQez1KpK
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nBTnCQfOU
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtXd88GjWR
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ65KwrvJId
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFs2Do9dmZ
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqzZYVSqSo
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMqaFtpDIv
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0VVISppsx
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdum1pHX1JQ
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNpYym7M8x
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPGhcCRis2
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqGsuQhqHK
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Sapqumsq1
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EhNsLfSlL
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRKiwh5hQs
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNNYy527yS
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5iL58NpC1
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9CLHHXOYD
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaF2wtduiHb
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9OHMJt2ig
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgcLVkvIC3
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e2APwr4Mw
「咦？這話的意思是——」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmmufPi6nh
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38h8EU2xyU
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdXIUOlKkl
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Dbndhsktv
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9pOKcUMZY
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRarcL2PSa
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1en7iZBY2
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoM0pm23D3w
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMVxJa9zcq
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadL6bnVKVu
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYx0G62XEtq
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mRnbRjol9
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwynmz8Ezkw
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEO5BcWpIKD
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCXnWSWod0
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWuw0iiPKX
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmJ4S6o4Y4
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡze2xHH8hZT
「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。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVrPmtLnSP
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8tt8lqy9L
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnBlimcJgN
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWalxQz5bvi
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MrmQbdONg
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1224ZiVnlW
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJGYolb1Mh
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEhiZ0VNMI
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiwjpLHpxn
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY56wLpu8AD
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHRRNSI4Bx
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ51WEXKZUb
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBS1iTCephN
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo6xum3Mpj
「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？」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoHMIUIYSq
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadpKZSuqDW
「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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcbxeZPiAQ
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eUrreErHe
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVETw95vsw
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEanfxxpn84
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJnhY4uBVW
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7gkqclJ5q
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！493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNgxBIwTDy
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5wlfLz6Iu
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUBaaCevMq
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlUUzCgE8p
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEQmf2uYte
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfCaWKAEUP
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61d0Z1QRIl
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhus7LTvmWI
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。493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCWiyXbqL7
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg95jT8wAl
所以——493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXDBvsWyfp
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyGaALErHu
「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......」493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz99Z6rmW3
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SUIF5mAZc
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
