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259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTK3PiT9yr
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdby1uH2Ti
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabzR9V8TBd
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqE9LaCziA
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNi79js26V
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKapw7SNvxN
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7E6pnHhQm
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAQb7x96An
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbK2UBwJXmy
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvj1fIXJfF
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjS41cjLBQ
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnxgq4jkZc
框啷！259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMeMeQ799i
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1szTXheRJd
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5KyJlQBF5
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLOTSMLZr6
框啷！259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgvPZfoPgd
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrfaIDHhDT
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPI3R9jq7w
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NUSb6W974
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSw9WDP3dH
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8tcVYhJpn
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSpKObOAB6
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PDpzADdUd
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwZuFNP1w7
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzNAJ7FrxV
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsp8gFj3D9
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBiIHKseLI
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAh3sOglTv
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbT3d5qYeJ
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsYhMUK4dU
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCmOCi2kZb
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKqmtHRtT9
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYcj2gcapM
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWmWBwdsXg
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hqJPgDIjq
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvByIR5G7yo
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcUIE0tvti
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnXG6M9JP6
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27402H6yYQ
「咦？這話的意思是——」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloveK9MvBf
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2dx6g1Uw4
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLXFpIvcxW
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhB2k7uPap
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdErkz8I4GL
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxga3mSnPwD
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSrEHdvL72
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF90L0UnJbZ
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzNABr6RdM
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXEv16ndql
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXzFLbay1E
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboggynY8AO
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuQNy4LmAO
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcj9kfjs5O
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtPNVNSuDQ
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8rRcToyI0
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtEjOZMyl5
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1p2ZBhxNj
「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。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOrkNnqE5I
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfU1VihkzHO
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5d6s9TEN5
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwsHfUso4O
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d4ECG4g6Y
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRCAC5x69L
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCj8eXSi8B
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnSp6oDLiu
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HUNwOUXPg
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB4g35VPZY
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH2hlb06Lf
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgEF9b1Rb8
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OiV94Ntx2
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcNf294dMP
「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？」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu25SmMtCNU
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvXLtP4AAn
「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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyI6PyDIojB
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qRm2vq2v6
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ueWGX4Ijp
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2uMF5cJTP
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnAbUTreD8
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQ7YRPhC26
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！259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAg4Lf50G1
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1NSBVCTMl
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HMtCSH2qt
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvN4OxxwNE
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUucfwyD33
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cwkHE2v92
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpxLLw8kJh
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTM7iYweuf
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。259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTy4YkngRC
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTra3TTgH4
所以——259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6QtS9iABo
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5xkxTwqwf
「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......」259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vucBJLV2t
259Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uV0qphoVX
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
