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300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tX0jSO24s
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdr0RVK10g
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8AviJf8qs
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Pd0fc7jWB
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugSfO5bvJr
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgSJmt6ZuW
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHTqNUAMEx
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAQLnkN1mZ
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcBIwLAAVG
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfAU3m3Uoc
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3wqhJtA1I
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOJPmFoU0i
框啷！300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyGM5kXdeC
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wzWY8FG6K
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRdjlr0EnH
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdytQ4ShUg
框啷！300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0YW8ErtQ1
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5Ki5C3xaV
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbt5UdcFEH
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0g0HqSSVe
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOq8oq8jdFp
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJJG9fc5gy
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsyGt0Kqku
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwbEtlrTLW
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLznSSUOvGs
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVPsxcRovV
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTuLiixKv2
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCetoM0dwDZ
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp73luG1j7Z
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4h7qry8c4
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9um43auMa
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FoBYuXesM
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs4Ts7hNic
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2S9szdNlcQ
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDU1aH5dNB2
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndZjQnmBEm
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiVzFq0f9i
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GL4988Ciw
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSNXt2f371
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeowQy0fZm5
「咦？這話的意思是——」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupbRP0DP0T
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvEI4OtKzv
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2yXzw7WP9
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRa4H6houb4
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbn4wlcJjeR
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCNIPULqGs
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRE1SHeOLpg
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfjb5thtxT
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvkeQDkMa7
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5ZfI8l1mg
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZnATZODl4
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoNFG5Djon
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZbVS41rIJ
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0s9cAkKnz
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBDXSfkbYt
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT95RyVdWoK
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCP9EazrvD
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02EeemnoTU
「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。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2C980UIjq
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ956DF1zrWk
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizujhhsK9y
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOL2AsawlP
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxogNq5Rwh2
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pAsCZVRhC
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHxuNBrr2X
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RsPAdZ9Ac
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJxv8FXX4w
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZQgGeC1bi
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIpRv3CKIE
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FC8TAS1RU
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUG5iEDco3
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbdU9OXhec
「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？」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMIDcVDS0D
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNp50xSRCsi
「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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoTt8pznh7
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「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeUaSSgzIP
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUrMtycgSD
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl7Jra9RLq
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGCrXJvi55
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！300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcmtMAd6h4
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDSAifmSwy
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NVDKIb0w4
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbWCyKuyCx
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtfSl3wIUy
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm9j6Y78re
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPTGoWomoG
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4vvdGqpLt
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。300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqNH58cCsa
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所以——300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaZ6YNws6J
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhto9Rdwqrc
「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......」300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKifHN8Gevt
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEioRUDDT1
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
