Anime: Yumeiro Patissiere
Requested by: @VelenAdrias

(Y/n)'s POV

"But-"
"No excuses, little girl."
"But ma'am-"
"You will make these sweets for me and I will not let you go if you don't, so be a good girl and get started," exclaimed my 'mistress', Kujio Sayu (made-up character).

The loud bang from the door being shut and locked echoed throughout the grand kitchen in which I was trapped. The windows were bolted up, providing nothing but sunlight through its glass panels.

Tears threatened to fall but I refused to cry for that meant giving in to my mistress's cruelty. She had utilised my cooking ability to make herself famous, manipulating society's views to her favour.

Now, she had become a millionaire...with my skill. Being an orphan, nobody had even noticed my sudden 'disappearance'. My existence was akin to that of a grain of sand amongst the desert, where one loss would not affect anything...

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I began grabbing the ingredients and equipment needed to make my very own creation, (dessert name). I had taken the concept of an Eszterhazy Torta, and experimented with both its flavour and appearance.

It was one of the very first dishes that had gotten mistress acknowledged by highly-skilled patissieres, hence why it was on such high demand. Once everything was ready, I started.

Letting my mind focus solely on the making of this dessert, I lost sense of my surroundings, and paid no mind to the time ticking by. Mistress needed three cakes and I was going to give her three cakes before she waltzed through the door.

The sweet aroma of chocolate perfumed the air, creating a sense of pure enjoyment and pleasure as more flavours blended with the aroma. Perfecting this dessert's flavour was something I had not yet achieved, and I was willing to go further in order to do that...even if it meant mistress would have to be the one to announce its success.

The door suddenly opened, making me hurriedly drop my gaze to the floor. Mistress wasn't supposed to be back so soon. I have failed her, I would be punished severely...

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Why was the door locked?"

Huh? I risked a glance at the male that had walked in. My voice caught in my throat as recognition flashed through my eyes.

"I forgot that it locked from the outside and accidentally pulled the door shut. I decided to practise my..."

I trailed off, unsure of whether talking to strangers was allowed. No one had ever managed to come to this area of mistress's household.

"Your name?" he asked.
"...(Y/n), just (Y/n)."
"I'm Henri."
"I've heard about you. It's an honour to meet you."

He came to the bench and examined the one cake I had managed to finish. Gulping, I followed his movements with my eyes, afraid of what it was that had captured his attention...yet deep down inside, I wished and longed for someone to take notice of me...

"This is Sayu-sensei's (dessert name). Are you her student?" he asked.
"I-I guess you could say that."

His gaze met mine, his eyes sharp and piercing as if he could see straight through my lie. He tasted the batter, his eyes widening for a split second.

"Henri, what are you doing here?" mistress asked as she entered.
"I thought it smelt unusually sweet in here so I came to check," he replied.
"Oh, I see. Well, shall we go then? We should let her-"
"Wait. Is she a student of yours?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"This flavour...is difficult to mimic. As far as I can tell, she has replicated the dessert down to the very last detail. How long has she been training under you? Even if she was your student, her level and skill should not be able to match your own."
"H-Henri, she is simply a very talented girl-"
"Did you use her talents for your own gain?"
"What are you talking about?! How could you even suggest such a thing?!"
"If that is not the case, I don't see why you're getting so worked up."
"(Y/n), have I threatened you and made you do my bidding for my own gain?"

The two looked at me with expectant eyes but I could meet neither of their gazes. My heart was pounding ferociously in my chest, my palms hot and sweaty. Which of the two did I choose? Would I suffer sever consequences for want of a better life...for telling the truth?

"(Y/n), I promise you, I will make sure nothing happens to you. Did Sayu-sensei abuse your talent? he asked gently, his eyes searching mine for an answer.
"...yes, she did. She became famous three years ago...that was when it all began."
"Three years...you've been with her for three years?"
"She adopted me from an orphanage but nobody seemed to notice my disappearance nor my presence. Once I was good enough, she forced me to..."

Realising that tears had slid down my cheeks, I immediately wiped them away but the pain that gnawed at my heart broke. My body was no longer a vessel for this unspoken pain.

Henri's eyes seemed to soften, even if only a little. Mistress looked ready to eat me alive but seeing as how Henri had hidden me behind his body, she had no chance to screw me over once more.

"I'm reporting this and this girl is coming with me," he stated.
"You can't report me! Do you have any idea who I am?!"
"I have quite a lot of influence too. Once they find out that this girl was the true talent behind your pastries, they won't stand by you any longer."
"You-"
"Oh? I take it you were about to call me arrogant jerk who treats his elders as nothing but insects to squash? That may be true in some cases but who's going to believe a scammer?"

Henri tugged at my hand, dragging me out of the kitchen and into the outside world. I couldn't help but let the tears fall silently as I stepped out into the afternoon sun. The trees and flowers greeted me with vibrance and a lively atmosphere.

Without warning, Henri wiped my tears away, smiling as he did so. I gratefully took the tissue that he offered, staring down at our hands. Blushing, I forced myself to rid myself of the ridiculous thoughts that had seeped into my mind.

He was simply a stranger to who I owed my life. I could not and would not think anything else. After all, we came from two very different worlds...

"(Y/n), what do you say about becoming a patissiere?" asked Henri.
"A patissiere like you?"
"If that is what you want," he replied with a smile as he put a hand on my head.