Things I missed....

The summers of Dragon Spire weren't as cold as they were wet with rain and storms. The constant downpour made the sky grey and soulless, the clouds a hue of black and blue hovered in the expanse. The temperatures too weren't as harsh as the nail-biting cold that this place was synonymous with. Though dry logs stored in the kitchen were still required to keep warm.

I glanced at the figure of Hadrian busy with administration of the dukedom from the window. He looked stern and cold, overflowing with the aura of a duke. It must be a peculiar site for people to see a commoner asserting such power.

As if feeling my presence his face turned in the direction of the window. Slowly the muscles of his face contorted into a pleasant smile- such an unfamiliar gesture.

I tried waving back at him but not waiting for my gesture his back turned back and he immersed himself in work once again.

'I really came back in time.' I sighed, my hands left hung in the air.

It has been a week since this miracle happened.

I tried being as friendly to him as possible, determined to not repeat the same mistake again. And so far it seemed to be working. We talk a little during tea, although it was only Hadrian who consumed the liquid. Sometimes we would take a stroll on the cobblestone path of the garden talking about trivial things. Although our conversation did not extend further from the weather or books in the library of the dukedom, it was not as bad as in my past life, where we only saw each other's faces in order to berate one another.

I sighed thinking about that day when our first fight happened…

…."Duchess? I got what you asked for." A little voice called.

"Thank you Nox," I said to the little cat boy.

"No! No! I only did what you asked for!" Nox shook his head vigorously. He was a beastkin, the lowest kind of Orphic. Who were bound to serve the humans and higher Orphic.

"How about a cookie as a reward? It seems the Nobles of Talheim do not know that I don't eat any human food. I am gifted these confectionaries that I do not have any use for." I reached the table where some freshly baked chocolate cookie boxes, that arrived just today from a Barony, were kept.

"Eat this okay?" Nox's golden eyes which were just like a cat lit up. He waved his tail in the air and a cute smile with sharp fangs spread on his lips. I chuckled, caressing his fluffy black hair.

"Thank you Duchess I will eat this with my younger sister." He purred.

"Sure!" I smiled.

"May I come in Duchess?" Hadrian asked standing on the doorstep.

Nox's fur became raised and the box of cookies slipped from his hand with a thud on the floor.

"Good morning Duke….No He-llo your highne-ss…No…no…I pr-ai-se t-he Du-ke" he stammered exasperated.

"Good day to you too Nox." He smiled, ignoring the awkward greeting from the kitten.

"Ah! Look your cookie box fell on the floor." Hadrian bent down and picked it up. Making Nox even more agitated. Little drops of tears fell from his cheeks, his thin face was red with embarrassment.

How can his master bend down in front of him?

'Thank you Master I shall repay this generosity with my life." He kneeled, head touching the cold floor. It must be a reflex response drilled into him during his 'training' days. The beastkin were trained for only two things anyway- menial tasks and sex.

Having enough of this awkward exchange I said-

"Nox sweetheart, take this box and leave." I snatched the box from a surprised Hadrian's hand.

"Then I shall take my leave." He scampered out of the door without a second look.

"Why are you here?" I asked annoyed at his dumbfounded face.

"That kid…why was he so scared of me," Hadrian whispered.

How could he not know? I was shocked at his ignorance.

"Because you are his master and he is a beastkin."

"But did I not try to act like a kind master?" he frowned.

"How can you be so naïve? Obviously, that boy must have undergone gruesome training to plant fear and supplication for mankind. These are human handlers that train them like animals from a circus."

"B-ut I never saw something like this…"

"It was because earlier you were just a foot soldier, a slave just like the beastkin but now fate has flipped your coin. YOU are the master now Hadrian. YOU are now the reason for their fear and supplication."

Hadrian stood still but the expressions on his face didn't. I could see the rising tides of emotions in his eyes as reality set in.

"How should I make them not fear me?" His face remained grave.

"Free them…" I snorted, knowing it was impossible for him.

"Why don't they fear you?" he asked.

I smiled wryly... 'According to the legend we Dragons were destined to protect the lower Orphics. Beastkin like him still blindly believe in salvation at the hands of the Dragons."

"And do you believe in this legend?"

"I cannot even if I try to, it is a pity that the hunter has now become the hunted. I cannot change the world!"

"You are wrong! Anyone is capable of changing their destiny! Look at me I changed!..." He asserted.

"You did not change Hadrian, you were just promoted. From being a slave to being an enslaved master. That Alfred is your master just like you are of this Dukedom. So don't think too highly of yourself." I hissed at his broken face.

*Crackle*

The sound of the thunder brought me back to reality. I was determined to change the course this time. Hadrian should never get hurt by my poison.

"Duchess? May I come in?" his relaxed voice called…so different from the past that I lived in this same room.

"Please come in Duke." I mustered a smile. You cannot really change the events of destiny to happen but you can change the way you react to them.

His face was so relaxed with a smile, green eyes devoid of any hopelessness in fact they glimmered with boyish charm.

"To what do I owe the pleasure? I asked, waving him to come in.

"Ah! I thought we could share some tea…of course, as usual, you will not be drinking."

Hadrian signaled a maid to come inside with a tray filled with tea and biscuits. It was a little confusing to see neatly stacked confectionaries since he was not a sweet tooth.

"It is the first time there are sweets served with tea. Is the maid new?" I asked not recalling meeting her anytime in the past or present.

"No duchess she isn't. I asked her to serve these wafers for you to taste." Hadrian said helping himself with a cup of black tea with no sugar.

"Wafers? What are these? You already know duke that I do not like eating human food,"

"Wafers are really crunchy, light like cotton and soft biscuits? These are vanilla wafers that my mum used to make when I was a child. Today is my birthday so I thought we could celebrate?" He said playing with his fingers nervously.

"You...you haven't told me about it," I whispered…never in the past.

"Yes…I thought it wasn't necessary. But seeing how good of friends we became in just a week I thought you would like it."

"I am sorry I couldn't prepare an appropriate present." I bowed slightly recalling the tradition of mankind to prepare a present during birthdays.

I could never prepare one neither in this life nor the past.

"Then how about you eat these wafers with me? I know that dragons don't prefer to eat human food but I would like you to try my mum's specialty."

I took a piece of the wafer. It small with different colors, red orange pink and brown. I took the white one and put it in my mouth thinking that it was the first time I have eaten human food.

Del—icious!!' I exalted. " Such mellow and sweet taste perfectly blending with the crunch. It was light as a cloud but the taste stays on your tongue for quite a while. Especially since the pieces look cute it adds to the unique flavor of the wafer!" I rattled on and one unable to find words to express such a unique taste. Dragons did not need to eat, sleeping sufficed to replenish our strengths…yet this taste, I could eat it anytime!

"Really! I am glad. I thought I would really ruin my childhood recipe." Hadrian laughed, his eyes turning into half-moons.

"Y-ou made it duke? What is this flavor I have never seen something so cute and tasty!"

"This flavor is called vanilla. It is seen as food for commoners. Nobles prefer floral and chocolate tastes. But the mellowness of vanilla is just so scrumptious. It doesn't hurt the tongue and nose with its overpowering smell."

"Is it the reason you don't eat sweets?" I inquired. It was the first time I heard him say something like this.

"I guess so… pallete of the nobility is so lavish and opulent that I would rather not eat at all. I thought of myself as a major sweet tooth but it seems only applied to my mother's confectionaries."

"But if you can make these delights yourself then why not make it when you feel like eating?"

Hadrian smiled a little. "I think that her sweets tasted so exquisite only because it was made out of love. The taste of sweetness is the same no matter what dish you consume. But the emotion that is put in it makes a great difference. By making it just for myself I was not able to feel the same joy."

"Then how about you make it for me? I like…no- I loved these so please make me more of this vanilla!"

"Sure !" he laughed.

I ate the remaining wafer wiping the plate clean while Hadrian merrily sipped tea.

"i—I was thinking if you had time in the evening?" he hesitated, eyes looking elsewhere.

"What for? An evening stroll?"

"Something like that…actually, I wanted you to accompany me to the town festival held in your honor. Would you like to come then?

A festival in my honor…I was sure that this event might have happened in my past life however I was always ignorant and angered by anything the Duchy did.

"I would be honored to." I smiled with a bit of excitement