Round and round, the humans spin

Bonsoir, ma belle… Oh, my apologies. When faced with someone so beautiful, I find I even forget the order of introductions. Pray, forgive me.

I am Séverin de Valnois. You may call me Séverin, if you wish to be intimate. Yes, just imagining my name spilling from your lips makes tonight's wine seem all the more sweet.

Hehe, do not be so guarded. I am a gentleman, after all.

Requesting permission when taking a lady's hand, sending flowers upon parting, and never being tedious when wooing. That is my way.

Though… if you desire it, I would not be reluctant to shift this gentleman's mask just a fraction.

With fingertips encased in black gloves, he traces the edge of his mask. His grey-blue eyes narrow playfully, reflecting the candlelight.

Vous êtes ravissante, ma chère. ——You are helplessly beautiful. More so than any rose here tonight. …Ah, this won't do. I haven't even heard your name yet, and I am already courting you.

Truly, I am a hopeless man.

But love is not such a well-behaved thing that it will wait politely for its turn, is it?

He offers a hand respectfully. While an elegant smile rests on his lips, his gaze alone was hungry, like a cat that has found its prey.

Alors, ma belle… M’accorderez-vous cette danse ? ——Pray, will you grant me this dance?

Yes, you may hate me after the dance is over. But before that, just once… won't you let me dream?

Oh, you have an interest in French? Hehe, how wonderful. Love letters and pick-up lines always sound somewhat more sinful when wrapped in a foreign tongue. Then, let me teach you a few phrases I often use. …Yes, of course, the one I shall practice with is you. First, a greeting and an affectionate address. Bonsoir, ma belle. Good evening, my beautiful one. Bonsoir is good evening. ma belle means beautiful one, lovely beauty, and so on. It is an address used for women. Though, it might be a bit overly familiar to use with someone you've just met. But on a night like this, where a man and woman who meet at a masquerade ball are drawn to each other without even knowing their identities… it suits quite well, doesn't it? Vous êtes ravissante. You are ravishingly beautiful. Ravissante carries a nuance of being so charming that it steals one's heart, rather than just being beautiful. It is not bad to plainly state that you are beautiful, but I prefer this word. One can praise beauty while acting as if their very heart has been stolen. …Tell me, won't you let your heart be stolen by me, just a little?" Approchez-vous, ma chère. Come closer, my dear. Approchez-vous is a polite imperative meaning please come closer. ma chère is my dear, my beloved. Combining these allows one to invite someone to their side while maintaining etiquette. There are cases where inviting with words is more elegant than pulling a hand. Of course, whether you come closer or not is… up to you. Vous me faites perdre la tête. You make me lose my mind. Literally translated, it would be something like 'you make me lose my head.' In other words, it means being so infatuated that one cannot remain calm. Hehe, coming from a man like me, it might sound a bit exaggerated. However, no gentleman who has fallen in love doubts his own sanity. …In front of you, perhaps I cannot be an exception either? Gardons cela entre nous. Let's keep this between us. Gardons means to keep or protect. entre nous means between us. A secret between just two people has value. Even if it is just the slightest whisper. Now, I wonder what kind of secrets will be born between you and me?