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279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZO5yiKbvi
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVfangQqig
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr3uX0A3mc
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaasFMNSKTX
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3wi2yGa5w
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnQG79lXqb
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TSnWSNR8W
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2p990D0YFF
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5z7RtwNQm7
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqgSkKMuhn
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprvsUwUIqS
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnT4tNrDdcF
框啷！279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0v8ecwoTAp
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0lJJmIiW0
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9dpaQQicA
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB3TZFRJqF
框啷！279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiw3d3e5Y6
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm2YImnvz1
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ5UgO6DKZ
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDteemsx3s
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0J3nsNvymp
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLYRi3HwmH
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe518IEQHU
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVIzXtkvNy
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ykCIczZ80
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4R4edJU6p
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLXVvY8vCM
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQVk9BNG7C
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANXGwQ5430
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftGFi15gdk
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQZiOA2tyH
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViEtJ5a34t
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC4YAqAFYc
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rvWYvWdEK
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJaK6IyWxu
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigQw3MdGiy
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrud2BzxCC
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynUn7m5Ffw
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8XQvDYORD
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ9YIjQdMQ
「咦？這話的意思是——」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws9jwaFFvX
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kDKNxsPV4
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ1YhuOsvE
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNxdZo1zyM
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yb8TNIEYm
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLF0Zbgs5H
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57gpqJZu1k
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF2L9WWBRl
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw764V09Ayn
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvicpIs88S
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sx4ZM4Nht
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b4kdZHomk
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60upuGOBXm
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgfcE2NOZF
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevSUtgxNR4
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Guz8RsQzj
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqMG4pKKsL
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4iz4EnFzP
「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。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH8oxtXFRx
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWf01fBCqmb
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwBvTF9QtY
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUBNEbLGdX
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf1go5q0Y7
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhL5g3xyGQ
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhERQJbNTgC
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVxATpCvl5
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIYmh5oVt0
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGExZHbNJPe
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqNlwhk1ov
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQXtUYiqhJ
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhYJQp93jv
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSWsNCRflk
「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？」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85ebYGUpJx
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8o55KWVK9
「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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvEOCpiUK0
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIlZcr02er
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNBNzpmoNv
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2Kt8lQRS1
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0namA21sSU
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEopzKIE1p
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！279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwj5KXd8Ev
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYS2GL80ht
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyosQyKSMwk
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5DGd6Rnyr
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQURPHHavK6
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZM9iG01x1A
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJEl40GzkY
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zEdEQ9xVh
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。279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6mxuvFunT
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycjIo8t8zg
所以——279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIMlUn9h5T
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcFz5rwd7l
「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......」279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYrTZl0IcB
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP3f7PiE1g
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
