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270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9Xe3L3drl
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDec3hqrTyu
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRJo5ATnR8
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSKJAPbs6K
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUczLvyqVRH
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5Bv2C6g2C
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDj8qvJJ4B
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7G3OF3dtY
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76gEhXBBDn
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBQPy4WuTR
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30LtGY2sw1
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ojz3nXmxx
框啷！270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxrdyUbShA
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKaHVr7n1p
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dbxTugzz8
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqduqzg7BW
框啷！270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdQa9LV26Q
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuBKglKe5W
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3WP3EDg5f
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6n4nuL8mX
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzAqCWnqL5
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdUd4ctedU
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0WauX7WOD
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfwdIYvw4H
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5WhNSHI67
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7D52AMq7Tx
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Qn9sasyNh
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG51d3LpEQM
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuYq2MXmBf
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsvqJy65rB
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBpeye00es
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx69z7Pgfj
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAxkIo29xH
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoUEPVxO5v
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvLDwY1f8i
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFE8QZwU6Pc
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1hzjIg24m
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN88k7iaD1
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOo5D8KGLD
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡog6zyanFTU
「咦？這話的意思是——」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlegoT0mIMr
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRdF1Ilc1V
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6LSlsdhDZ
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZeR9Y11WS
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoNHhQQzkT
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupa354IAgj
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5zzixlPN3
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OJc5MkSO8
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSKuLeE6xm
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVrJvNyNoQ
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnBHkk5x0i
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMWGetUBLO
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RSurzqh9v
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQki6ufKn
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFLhxUw3Qr
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmB1OWh8mty
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDIu0jgDmr
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuicUz9732
「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。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ1NjRp7Lj
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO9dicrsp8
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc4pdiSwDi
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfkERVYZ8z
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASLZa5XY7R
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoPnCGiNeo
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0az1Ytg6cE
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymnAXB112F
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjDdUD4BTC
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmNnj2Lvpy
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrYaX59n7g
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7M235BuHH
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Yg559EfV4
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStGQx6ut4r
「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？」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG8t1IRI3Q
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8AojULpw3
「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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQ3pcWxhBh
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqei9G3KYm
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCq9xNN7PI
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewJA0ewx66
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcbfZu64be
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiuMl09cHa
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！270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n70JPUHf9
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjAuKJy8Ye
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGFQsYn5OQ
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA8LNKBiXP
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZahfdTzRZ
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3krr2hHCSH
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpseeIZNLX
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbz3i7fW6yW
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。270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh0YkQpl7B
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5APAPs6kfR
所以——270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFynY1o83c
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Mk7kd49JH
「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......」270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdeY5FIoyG
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRhn0PwGge
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
