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464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJODiSV5rjh
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRcfLFanKh
隨後的幾天，我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtslK32hPRv
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lpzqHOKqd
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HL4EU4Vah
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59VPX0Ybre
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJT8ljL8Leo
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XoBXy4dNh
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUuLSVD0ER
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZuol4I8Jc
過了一會後，房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Okqfc2U1C
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IYPuyn4tF
框啷！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6qH6Nw6JT
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFPgBQcDK8
清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNbxH4eFPv
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sp8mXtfjv
框啷！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PWgRMDhST
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89fsHng29F
我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIQFF5lM0e
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqMAnne5kK
「早安，吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeF6L2udos
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUm1IvGLSs
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwI7MrvUVW
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnO0gSDiHn
「請用早點，海倫娜閣下。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRbZP3H2g5
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDXWZNnJOy
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE4jhqbjnP
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZHzGRFU9r
「不好意思，吉莎小姐。」我對她說：「我就不享用餐點了。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCmpBlxUAn
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdbsVpZ6yq
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rRWBnb9ga
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKFNkuNtn1
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTc4wmwQBX
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TWrJTn3Kh
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRoYTqa0sb
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqH09ir0un
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTxuxXvwLK
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjn7fDeUOro
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczcW6ZnIkY
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfiU69uICR
「咦？這話的意思是——」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQwtNGkGwV
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nD7WL6vWC
「您品嚐一口便知，直接用手取食即可。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd4DdNhUG7
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdgDCWkyL2
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpA32AxwxZ
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q1aw5pqTJ
「請問還合您的胃口嗎，海倫娜閣下？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfPGwygVjU
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9s9hkYkgS
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EiRFFVQAM
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn3hpzFcqP
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcFTsFSwZN
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTYaF9qrxx
「是的，我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz3QW4HKZW
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHxtCYNWEs
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCF8YmhPlbg
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXAd8xsrX4
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcylzd5HlD
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYgwiowjjH
「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。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjjok0bQ2k
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGrj5ssIQN
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y7tJ5SQf1
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pjotte9zw
「總之，我就不打擾您用餐。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPNkfSzBkr
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9gl6ObneI
語畢，陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaGDd4weKM
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWE6TBGZmx
這次它是逐漸離我遠去，代表吉莎正要離開房間。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbPJlA9gVA
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Lmc61J3i
「對了，吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1b44b3eZ6q
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYatRvuAM4Q
「請問有什麼吩咐嗎？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolZ45SoRWm
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5u9mNUWfVR
「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？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvRYBm2sBO
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuVbrb1uZ8
「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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuZgS0G857
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnqf6cMLt4
「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢？」我再問。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HnpQ4dwqM
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEcpjiNxT1
「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點，我就不會這麼累了。」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzlcj1cZAO
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9NkbSJvsQ
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！464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqhlN4yBYx
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajPsONhIg6
「真要說的話......孩子......吧？」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9khTsVTOol
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtd1X6yWHx6
沉默了一會兒，吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqoeuZfSLX
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFphqvyjHTP
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpw2UZO8zW
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2qC3oLTmv
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。464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6eoisTVci
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sHS2IpYUw
所以——464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrU7Sf87pP
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYaFwZE0b4
「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......」464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHSqDgwaAZ
464Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq7gMl8QQO
所以，這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧？
然後按「加至主畫面」