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361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeu5rG0dt9Q
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZCB47wd8D
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pmMurR8ww
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcFYX5HxBn
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76iJ5oPXSY
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIFktE0PVK
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlKGPKzGsD
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLBDRxAjxV
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OSIxjeYLv
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNs8g1dNnl
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU2L47UHQI
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLwBUxOM9g
框啷！361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6Er9PfU66
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfQVLHgDz3
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY7c0wuo4v
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCSxr0jGcb
框啷！361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9w2t2cgtn
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7GUnlVpCM
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXocHjIIYFb
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWm6LrUtRrK
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAF1DmVDD1
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DljF5bDKO
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLBLnuUW1Q
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfbAp5lvmZ
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQCn0EVvJQ
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iwZa8mqPy
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwpgdFFIWL
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxHwHBNWil
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPsQSdCxkf
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZuuAOUJqu
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf06awvRgb
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYklDbh5xSh
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14IFnDyvoi
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmp3DLePBC
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCzCud5R6g
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHDY1khWGk
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXJ8zl4jhH
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET4C4AjZFd
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYggn2Sj3s
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKAtaFmr0O
「咦？這話的意思是——」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7o9P9iLS0
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3R2giolppc
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCDfoOhugP
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSn0iOZyvg
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCsG9LK8ZC
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EtTvpR4Gv
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqeGHFOl7Z
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR4jEpeMyc
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeyd2Ew3rM
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CALHJ8v5o
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnq2rYzfsN
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HcHe9ZjlK
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13BpD8ksOC
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptzhwjx2qA
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HJGa9nM2m
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEcJPolfKF
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvLqu5LsvK
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHqhfrkPCk
「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。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvzl5aXpkD
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPeqVPaz5R
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iVJiC6itL
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcp6LaNN4xa
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkfzeMEHEA
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigwfL6Lcck
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRDsMJOTSO
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Q2yPKH2JN
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdocZrU5QnS
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB5c1rtLh7
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn20udmfRTK
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXPoXWCKC2
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgJWL6Rmbp
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQwJzhXm9P
「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？」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3KT85uiK0
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n37k6dYf2
「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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPc61wT6dK7
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vB9K20cav
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVE0qJeIRm
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw7NSoZm6q
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaOAqsEbTG
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHpqIig7eJ
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！361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DXzO8Bk9c
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nASNm76iy
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xSypFIOEO
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUipjzQ5YG1
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49P3OuxMdW
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Asz1klcPC
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3v1EIhKMn
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3INEy6ujx
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。361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45vziASvjl
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdrfLsyTfe
所以——361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxpeQVrk5c
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuAA29dOi6
「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......」361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpZ8J7ekpV
361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAGs20j1UZ
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
