Why did she think I was going to punish her? And why did she protect herself? Does 'punish' mean that she gets hit? I definitely won't allow that to continue! If someone is hurting a child of House Dimitrescu- Alcina cut herself off. She is not my child. She is just a maid. Just a maid. A maid who I've grown to care for like my child. But just a maid. However, Alcina's curiosity (and heart) won out, and she decided to go learn more about the strange Seline Floarea. Striding into her room, she grabbed a cloak and went back into the main hall. "I'm going out. Please ask the kitchen maids to prepare lunch for my daughters. I will return shortly." she curtly addressed a maid, who was wiping the mudroom. "Y-yes, my Lady." With that note, Alcina opened the door and headed into the village, looking for a certain merchant. Ignoring the hostile looks of the people around her, she went to Duke's cart. "Hello, Lady Alcina." The Duke was the only person she allowed to use her first name. "Greetings, Duke. We need to talk, somewhere… Private." He knew what she was implying with the tone on the last word. "As you wish, my Lady." This was the part that always mystified Alcina. Duke's hands moved through the air, as if searching for something. And in a way, he was. Taking the timeline in his hands, a simple pull stopped time everywhere except for those two. Just that would be enough, but there was no end to Duke's magical abilities. He moved his hands once more and tore a rip in reality, stretching it around the two until they had their own personal miniverse. "One day, I'll make you teach me how to do that." Alcina said, but the Duke just laughed. "Don't count on it. Anyways, what did you wish to know? I can tell you anything, for a price." She set down an elegant goblet from her house. "Should catch a nice profit. Now, tell me about Seline Floarea." Strangely enough, Duke hesitated. "That girl… What do you wish to know?" Alcina wasn't used to this beating around the bush. Duke always gave her a straight answer, right away. Still, she gave him the benefit of the doubt. "Where does she live? What's her family like?" Duke sighed. Of course, she wanted to know the hard things. "Are you sure you wish to hear the answer? It might not be what you expect." Alcina hesitated, for just a second. However, her curiosity once again won out, and she nodded. "Tell me."
"Seline Floarea does not have a home." Now, that definitely wasn't what Alcina was expecting. Then again, she didn't really expect anything at all. Maybe a strict older brother or something. But no home at all…? "Her mother died when she was just a tot, and with nobody to hold him back, her father turned to drink." Alcina's eyes barely widened in shock, but she held her true feelings down. A part of her wanted to ask the Duke to stop talking, go back to the castle, and just pretend she hadn't heard any of this. However, she needed to know the rest. "No matter what she did, it was never enough for her father. I'm sure you can imagine what he did to her." Alcina only nodded, remembering how Seline had covered her arms to protect herself. She felt a strange urge to find that girl's father and rip out his heart. But still, Duke had more to say. "Then, when that little girl turned… What was it? Five? Well, it's not important. The important thing is he dumped her on the road, like she had done nothing for him. Then I found her and brought her to the village, and I'm sure you know the rest." Alcina stared in front of her. Seline, who always had a smile on her face and brought positivity wherever she went, had no family. No home. Nobody who loved her. Seline, the little ray of sunshine, had nothing in this world. Alcina couldn't help but think of her sister, Donna Beneviento. Both of them had suffered hardships, but while one became a recluse with only a doll for company, the other tried her best to make everyone else happy. Who knew what she was like on the inside? "But how does she care for herself? Surely, the salary we pay our maids isn't enough." Duke shook his head. "She has so many other jobs. She gets up before dawn to make her bouquets, cooks breakfast for old Mr. Andrei, feeds Mrs. Reiter's chickens, sees the Pichler children to school, and then comes to you." Alcina couldn't believe this. "B-but where does she live?" Duke read the woman's expression for a second. Ah, so Alcina Dimitrescu does have a heart after all. This could come in handy. "The answer, my Lady, is that she lives nowhere. Well, that's not necessarily true. I suppose the woods are her home." Alcina clenched her fists. This was too much. "Thank you for your information, Duke." He nodded and closed the rip between dimensions. With a final flick of his wrist, time began passing normally. "Lady Alcina, make sure to come to me if you need anything else. I am completely at your service." With a slight nod of her head, Alcina was on her way, leaving a chuckling Duke. "Ah, Seline Floarea. What an interesting young girl."