He kisses the air next to Gwenaëlle's cheek as expected, but the warmth of his hand on her arm is affection that form does not require. "Belle petite, I have few enough chances to see you in person these days. I would not willingly forgo one that is so convenient to us both." The smile is subtle, and would be even without the mask to hide part of it, but she knows him well enough to notice it all the same.

The hints of a smile fade into simple neutrality as he turns to Strange, giving a slight bow that is (as Gwenaëlle likely told Strange to expect) shallower than Strange's own. "Doctor," he says, without doing anything so gauche as to openly look the man up and down. "It is always a pleasure to meet someone my granddaughter deems worth of her time. I hope it is an honor you do not take lightly." The observation seems to be rhetorical; at the very least, the Duc doesn't linger over it. "Do you already know anyone at the party? As a doctor of medicine from elsewhere, I assume you'll have attracted at least some University attention by now."