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329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdZqxGi6YR
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOrFbQlnh0
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZsXLn4SFJ
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisCnrSSO4w
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAZQp0Zkq3
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzk9UEBG8nY
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL0CVg2unG
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Tn1uQsN95
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBCkVt6Wf8
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoL2ZpOBZl
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMGPeeeZl3
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTYV09Dq8X
框啷！329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLgAPcFiE6
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50t4yu1SJq
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWMmp7jaun
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtnyvihzMF
框啷！329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm8lUnrz6m
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaMHQS8i79
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWL8KxYwK3
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MWiJHMVyT
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuPQgSPDUe
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOVQuVfdFc
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQasiW4O3Re
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelokR4whgq
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVEY1vn5aX
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eRjJ6i24O
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNplaSuALs
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bPKtbkmbh
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR92zxWnodV
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWYS3q3tXi
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4GfVN3Si9
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsI7iVPSCzW
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q3qURc9gH
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwlFJZNIZa
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn789AZSS2M
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdiASIDdWJ
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEfbkIDSq2
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5WDFW94TJ
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KnsAwGF9Q
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xf1ofWnlL
「咦？這話的意思是——」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpcio55d0L
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5Lh4kpRRA
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5jHy6qxBP
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt73vHBuyK0
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRS6XjI9lTF
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonGT9YR7XU
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoste5GURAr
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BrYtbGLDz
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU05ScPu7Y
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO3CWYmOUw
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6M9GoraL9
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaeup1f4dv
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3xV5CqKfT
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAk6A9f33e
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuom15g2Dx
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFKOxigkyf
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwoQhwL9JN
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbp9MpLwODO
「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。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKft5kwnGP
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VU4gKU36s
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhr7y4gzcA
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxL9igCu2p
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZz5KSgBP9
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46BOJJ41Hi
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdZyUul0l4
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0dvClnpSP
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb76uIQ7dVM
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2ulRCnRAV
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8QxPJCUAi
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ0ka0bi0G
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmg5ttbSkC
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4xvERwPrg
「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？」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU1IA5cy3w
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxD50RU9FX
「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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsdSqhBN9N
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZwo5AHv1n
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB02NF0e5ZI
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdAuZuWxMk
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkMKrcD2GW
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFydSEmV1yI
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！329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXHlqrhO39
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAiF1cPPfy
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLS5bXNPgak
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNI6meoWim
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULKQfwtsRi
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PUL957bPd
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPBsqrVDa3
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBPMc7Qlq5
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。329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWBXOyUdGL
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUlyBYULG8
所以——329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGz9T4GtSD
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFhKJkYgmx
「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......」329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSFDdoDBOT
329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdg24v9pss
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
