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nPatishi - an orphan who never got adopted and ended up continuing to live in an orphanage - couldn't believe their luck, they were working as a washer since they were eight years old and honestly thought that they will continue doing that through their whole life.

nIt wasn't an easy job considering that more often than not the Academy relied on students bringing their attendants with them and kept only the minimal amount of staff on hand, which often left them understaffed and overworked but at least the pay was worth it.

nWith only the money that Patishi was sending back to the orphanage, the people running the place didn't have to rely on the often unreliable help from the community.

nPatishi didn't hate their job but only looking at the food being prepared and never making it themselves was almost torture!

nOh, how they wanted to be able to cook as they did for everyone back in the orphanage...!

nAnd then, completely out of nowhere – that one specific wish got fulfilled thanks to the very-scary-but-actually-super-good person!

nOvernight, Patishi became a personal baker for the future royal couple!

nJust like that!

nEven entering the kitchen in the morning wearing a brand new chef's uniform, Patishi still thought that this might be just a dream...

n...after all, such dreams often happened to them in the past so they were walking on eggshells terrified that they might wake up to the grim reality where they can't even touch the ingredients...

n...even if it was a dream and they had to return to washing pots and pans burnt by older cooks with far less talent than Patishi had – doing that was still putting food on the table for the kids back in the orphanage.

nEither way – one thing should be explained about the particular youth who caught the attention of the attendant of the future queen.

nThe thing with Patishi was not only that they could bake delicious bread... they actually absolutely loved baking and cooking altogether – and were insanely good at it too!

nAnd all because of their little secret...

nThe truth was that Patishi was actually a mage.

nThey awaken when they were only three years old.

nBut!

nThey weren't something normal like an earth magician, as the color of their hair and amount of mana would make others willing to check to assume.

nPatishi possessed a variant attribute that was peculiar even amongst the - oh so special, variant magicians.

nIt was something absolutely useless offensively - but no cook could ever wish for better magic.

nThis youth's magic could bring out the flavor of every ingredient in a way that wasn't possible in a normal way.

nThey could also modify certain taste attributes of various food - for example, Patishi could make fruits sweeter, wild game to have less of a smell, and clean the flour from various impurities that snuck their way in even if the sieve - and mind you, even the best quality flour wasn't completely free of them.

nYes, Patishi was a unique chef magician!

nBut until a day ago, they worked as a washer, even though they were recommended as a cook over six years prior.

nUnfortunately for them, no chef nor cook wanted to approve that a child was leagues better than them - and they ended up in the lowest position.

nPatishi tried to explain that they had special magic but everyone would just laugh at the youth and call them delusional without giving them a chance to show off.

n---

nTrying to not think about the negative past, Patishi was working very hard in their brand new snow white uniform, with their sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and was working their magic – literally - on the dough.

nPatishi knew that their task was to bake two fresh delicious loaves of bread in the morning but they just couldn't sit still and their fingers itched for some more experimental baking after so long.

nNow that they had permission from the very top, no one would even dare to stop them from cooking!

nWould any of the other orphans they cooked for before believe in Patishi's story if they wrote them about it?

nThinking about that, and smiling to themselves, Patishi was in the middle of creating a test batch of bunny-shaped sweet buns with apples baked in.

nIf the bunny buns were a success the youth decided to try and give them to the very scary but actually super-good person as a thank you gift - so they were using their unique spells to balance out the taste.

nIt's important to mention that Patishi's chef magic worked only on the raw ingredients, nothing already cooked could be influenced by them.

nBut Patishi wasn't just a random human born with special magic – they were a naturally gifted cook that put their all into improving themself!

nWhen the buns were almost ready the delicious smell made even the most jealous of cooks in the kitchen breathe it in with pleasure.

nPatishi put on the baking gloves and took out the steaming aromatic bunny buns from the stove.

n|Maybe I should have made them more realistic?|

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"Niom...!

"

nThought the youth - but then a hand with a discolored spot of skin suddenly reached for one of the bunny-buns and snatched it away like some sneaky fox!

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"H-hey those are...!

"

nPatishi wanted to protest but when they turned towards the bun-thief it turned out to be the very-scary-but-actually-super-good person!

nThe very scary but actually super-good person was holding the apple bunny-bun with both hands right in front of his face and his jet black eyes that did not reflect light widened in joy.

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"Oh my gosh...! It's so cute! So chubby! I want to eat it! But it's so cute! It's smell so good too...!

"

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"Eh...? Um... What...?

"

nPatishi blinked a few times in confusion, the very scary but actually super-good person was acting a bit different than in the morning...

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"Ah! S-sir, this is just a trial product! I'm still perfecting the recipe!

"

nPatishi didn't want to feed their benefactor something that they weren't completely satisfied with!

nBut the very scary but actually super-good person looked at them with an innocent smile, well as innocent as his burn-marks would allow him to look.

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"Aw, just look at you! Working so hard even though you don't have to! Such a good girl.

"

nHe grabbed the bunny-bun in one hand and started patting Patishi's head with the other.

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"!!!!!!!!!

"

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"...

"

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"....again with that...?

"

nPatishi flinched terribly, shocked to the core because of the scarred attendant's words – and they hurriedly looked away as a few of the cooks turned to them and started glaring at the youth with reproach.

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"S-sir... yo-you are mistaken...! I-I'm clearly a boy...! Y-you're the first year, right? That means that you are a year older than me...!

"

nPatishi lowered their head, nervously rubbing their hands together – desperate to change the subject.

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"...hmm...? Oh? But your...

"

nThe black-haired boy glanced at Patishi's face before pointing at something above the youth's head and furrowing his brows.

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"...never mind, my bad, kid...

"

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"...!

"

nThen he looked over his shoulder and glared at the cooks who didn't have anything better to do, making them jump in fear and get back to whatever they were doing before.

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