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372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUoCeR3Sxj
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdrCEULCza
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVci7BlSxX
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBLmAIoRXN
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMv46kX7or
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfQMnVYT3R
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpMljsAOj8
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KCQAa3gvr
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Kk6y3UUuk
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKMay70tgZ
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTO9UbKBEq
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5IkL8qDVZ
框啷！372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDky7QFLUc
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6bzcl0JqQ
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2APRwzDFQj
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFsLSoAH3W
框啷！372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkvZ5NcBMF
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJh4LOkuJQg
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMn3SkAhPh
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt9gFF4TBy
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOnyovXx3I
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlVa8gdO5w
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAlvEjoqYh
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a1rFviRbZ
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc5cERieO2
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANaj2w7beS
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8oO0DyGgY
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAlrB0cqAH
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiFHpoWdAH
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMgyiwYlJR
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDHSqkiXJN
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg5b9qR3J7
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENHuZ4v7LT
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQTGr75XEc
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5Ky6ZqhND
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDx3kcP88l
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7OY1d8iTJ
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18omDfo5gG
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMGLPqZKnD
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6M1pwqDVYS
「咦？這話的意思是——」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j3SMrbRWL
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ntqocE2av
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTFdfFIlnn
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ19rX2Ej3P
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8o8DARirtO
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOGk4RegqI
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2b44Q65BA
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPpc0mnV1v
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrMvU6CGEC
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntiL7bpSpC
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufGgquQsNM
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyuOMphNv4
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1V7XnhAhZA
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIC4tZmvZYY
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdIqgFkBWY
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPOe8cKg9a
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbbeQmOWyP
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FVv68rXVC
「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。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKy1dQmuaC
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR7rnPvvDX
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeDcqRTd3t
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVWNMmeCut
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkNWvUOj6H
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe9gfvWggL
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsMOSnLZhC
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDZhcJ6fKi
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkXUb8Rw7G
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnBMj1EReB
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONtizlAVNZ
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwJyeMZ94B
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGRex21gjq
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGZ1GhluE3
「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？」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpX8sjp4QCB
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdhtZ3yhEa
「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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2SckjlbCh
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBjevGSujG
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVdmzX6LUA
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXT6bc2b2op
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGG8uQ2Wsi
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66f9Rf0d9P
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！372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcs7widDM8
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4hnhzfAD5
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEzbnZYCkn
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFz5zzgCqw5
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmETTdR8e7e
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENv484EBun
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtBtj9Cyz1
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMnL807olS
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。372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknQOrwION5
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkU2o1paMWW
所以——372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcBkZv7T5y
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgclpi9erfs
「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......」372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh0Yrf6dNe
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHKLo0RSnx
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
