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260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgWChdo4rr
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxA6U5YZnD
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLd61uOsK8l
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz6Vsl0JgA
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi78BAsVQXu
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3bjVkeghH
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqusmPi8UZD
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO4I4mdbPd
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZzKl4uuQH
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIBzi8mZL9
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH68Irofgih
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb5o4ZmGMM
框啷！260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WK7ZNQSQU
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIspBlsLKo
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxqvMnZP6S
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc823Eylhqe
框啷！260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ0Sv97Chv
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9qmvrqzql
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIggsQDzGv
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArIDrP1VWt
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYhWkHgMJO
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL5WCxSDvF
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxVPeANL9p
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xXnAFyFRl
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpd1F3jxBr
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKamzelugW
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawMGJcxDlm
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxfC6AxS7N
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKbPqCgZ91
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6LcNm7YSm
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaY8M1DrZFD
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvifL3wXRZS
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5d6y0aMDZ
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FP0x8BGaW
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7Dw0oSKvU
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrWdPyB5eR
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtrBuqP2tc
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97npj57DAS
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLFiUwAsRs
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jBdXnZL2T
「咦？這話的意思是——」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioQo982sR0
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo8SJHjWEt
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmIJVtePkj
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC1G6Lle7F
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sRaDVBbYS
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM16xMGMxWA
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkruIsgxJJ
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcYjeBCcMP
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ge67rDLYu
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOaGJ5OYM6
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePFcvRsuu5
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZl6bF8mJg
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5UhQJbiLF
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxbe3j4W88
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhthARDUYfM
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6jq3bYn62
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73umRNvvS0
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2BsfvOuB8
「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。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2m1Kwo2X0
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJLR1lpeDF
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXI0DHlsYv
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4F9u9Oca4
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFxh4J2prb
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq8DDcxcDV
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdJOwiNNyq
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSPmq57r46
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKG8NuQAfe
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyY2dHdVHV
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1YhOapgFS
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzerX79lZAF
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wj5m9WYtp
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ibvm1oEc5
「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？」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjr4RtMm27
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDtXPHx96F
「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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVGEvaFQfw
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXh8sT3MGT
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AgjUp5eTp
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWRn0LRXnZ
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3ahx5Xlxc
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ9NQXCosW
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！260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgdr3CHvdf
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYj0erZEmf
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4xCm9Ujge
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKF64AGyAUM
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfv7Q3TwPs
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8WMpLJJ7R
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNbuVrLJa5
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuSt9JHfhM
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。260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPi7SASr2e
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dT15QkC1F
所以——260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJ3v1flQAp
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q2sqGYSuL
「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......」260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqfaNYulN0
260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkP8XIwUhZ
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
