As I expected, Duncan had anticipated Maurice's reaction; he broached the subject simply to confirm his suspicions.
Just as the intelligence he had previously gathered indicated, ordinary people like Maurice were completely unaware of the great fire—that fire existed only in Nina's and his own memory.
To be precise, before he took over this body, that fire had been confined to Nina's memory alone.
The topic shifted quickly, and Maurice did not harbor any suspicions about the odd subject. He then proceeded to introduce Nina's academic and class situations to Duncan and inquired about her family circumstances.
It was evident that this caring teacher had long wanted to delve into these matters, but the abysmal, degenerate lifestyle of Nina's uncle had postponed this conversation until today.