Happily Ever After

Chapter 31

??? POV

As I was making my way through the crowd, I saw an oh so familiar face in the corner of my eye that I couldn't help but turn my head and take a closer look. My eyes certainly did not deceive me. There she was in full flesh and bones, standing by the long table filled with food, and my oh my did she look absolutely ravishing. 

I contemplated for a good minute whether should I approacher her or not. I did not want to seem weird or creepy. In the end, I decided to simply go for it and head towards her. I wish to have a conversation with her, but how? Should I start with a basic 'hi' or 'hello'? Perhaps with a 'good evening' or 'a pleasant evening to you, Miss'? As I was lost in a sea of thoughts, I failed to realise that I was about to collide with someone until it was too late.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright, sir?" A feminine voice, which I knew too well, asked.

"Indeed, I am," I assured her. What a perfect coincidence! How come did the heavens bless a man such as myself? I quickly conjured up what to say inside my head and asked the first question that came to mind. "What's a fine young lady doing out here all by herself?"

"Well, you see I-" she stopped in the midst of her sentence and looked up. Her (E/C) orbs met my golden hues and not once did they fail to mesmerise me since the very beginning. "Oh hello there, Claude. Fancy seeing you here tonight."

"A pleasant evening to you, Miss (Y/N). I must say, you look absolutely divine this evening. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Why yes of course, very much in fact."

"That's nice to hear. Please do forgive me for my clumsiness earlier. I did not mean to bump into you, Miss (Y/N). That was not very good of me. I shall be more careful next time," I said.  'Especially around you...'

"Apology accepted, although perhaps I owe you one too. I'm sorry. I better look where I'm going next time."

Before I could utter another word, the hired musicians started to play the intro of the polka. I took this as an opportunity to ask her out for a dance. "May I have this dance, milady?" I held out my hand, hoping that she will say 'yes'.

She looked a bit surprised at my offer. I guess she did not expect that. "Sure, I would love too, but how about your master and your duties as a butler? Will everything be alright? Besides, this dance is for couples..." (Y/N) looked away and blushed ever so slightly. She looks so adorable whenever she gets shy. Ah, I cannot get enough of it! Don't worry, darling. I can make us into one someday soon.

"Of course. His highness has currently dismissed me and has no need of my assistance for now. He is talking with the other businessmen at the moment, so I have some free time to spare."

"In that case..." She took my hand and led me to the dance floor. "Then yes, I would like to have a dance with you, Claude."

{I recommend playing the polka during this part to make it more realistic and to help with your imagination. - Author}

I placed my hand around her waist while the other gently holds onto her hand. (Y/N) and I danced the night away, and I must say that she was indeed an excellent dancer.

"So Claude, do you mind if I ask you some questions? I would like to know more about you, that is, if you are alright with it." She wants to know me more? My, my that was quite unexpected. 

"Of course, Miss (Y/N). However, may I ask you something first, milady?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Why would you like to know more about me? I am merely a butler. Surely any information about someone such as myself would not serve any relevance to nobles like you."

"True, but I wish to know more about the people surrounding me and the ones I love. I want to see for myself if they are enemies or allies. That way, I can determine whether I can trust them or not."

"You are one interesting lady, Miss (Y/N). It makes me want to know more about you too."

"Is that so? Then, what about you answer my questions, and then I shall answer some of yours in return?"

"Sounds good to me. Ask away, milady."

"Where did you come from? Your origin, I mean."

"Straight to the point, I see." Now how should I answer this? I definitely cannot say that I came from the depths of the earth, can I? I internally laughed at the thought. "Well you see, Miss (Y/N). I came from somewhere... extraordinary."

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Hi my lovely readers! I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, then please consider leaving a vote or a comment down below. Have a good one! ❤❤❤

Fun fact: The polka was one of the popular dances during this time period along with schottische, two-step, and of course, the waltz.