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352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wumxdlzzW
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiUEWk8vgK
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qt4CRrxPa
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkWQLbTfJx
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1cg7JLC3I
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2W7H0ZBZu
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8OPeQcMlp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnJ591NXaM
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2mYxQgz8p
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRKjAVAJfE
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5lSXqGWDp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7gMLdYJ4S
框啷！352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCuaogDRIl
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkK50dH4d5F
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksdc7Fn4lG
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFYN4i94t0
框啷！352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp7kNIchzN
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcN74uHsbg9
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu0VXkluMW
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ685npTfJrH
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jHjJaF0aq
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq841DQcDx
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeHF04vT6U
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWayvhMn8N
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlO1nMNk6h
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1FCz0SuyM
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lOt9A1WOq
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Is82ExMS8
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhAQpcoG7l
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nJGmrM3IG
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdxvcJvw5C
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbxItatrcH
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIoeuPgkLN
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodyopXf82r
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXrih61yRt
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzL4EHP8BcT
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwEvVjoqoI
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JzuK4Iw2w
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4NjhbIf7M
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7lrcZBhQ7
「咦？這話的意思是——」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHO1TjnEWqW
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35paj3UEIY
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAByw4QpePo
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtmuaxgICC
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiOGgJlLWL
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozNvicbJU4
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OXPJDqDUa
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIskrrTF3Bi
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyZjs1Oc1E
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHteeCz37A
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzx68iUgNMc
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZ7B020jKM
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdsWEc0KVp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI0KyfsVO1
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvsVucN6uy
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddIo5rj60S
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66CWkF7DYB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpDfnntPdy
「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。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZm2ntdTpKR
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgqJFlrFAO
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzO9q8u4j9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIVGWIGa3J
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5Jh1UVMFs
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8DyuyBM6c
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS19Lq8vREW
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uNFwlIP20
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9VHSUPbQy
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXEMGGhcZ4
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazspfbu8rt
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyd0gAJP5E
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSJAvytMJT
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2AcWRez9C
「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？」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOhug5uh6p
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPuKLv6Waj
「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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgoqvIx6Zb
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQiSOQUsa0
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVZbVKdzYU
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWixFBNLnX
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8ew8vTByO
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Kn4Lowyiy
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！352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwIyRcL7r6
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJt7IeMMZWa
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cdtMEDSDY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSg3oy5ZoA6
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjXAx1afFz
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYegOmb7Ro
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkKmxfNwqp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXrXwD3jGf
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。352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PNejXYT6C
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJcM9Scxud
所以——352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OeXLtdfpK
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHPAvuSbxC
「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......」352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uuTM5mkzx
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFtWBfiglR
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
