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Lord Henry adjusted the cuffs of his velvet

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jacket, the crisp silence of the foyer broken

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only by the steady, measured beat of his

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pocket watch.

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Above him, a magnificent crystal chandelier cast a

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warm, glittering refraction across the vast palace interior,

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turning the air into a shimmering mist of

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light and shadow.

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He stood at the foot of the grand

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marble staircase, a sweeping masterpiece of elegant architecture

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that curved upward like a frozen wave.

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The polished marble steps possessed a detailed, cool

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texture beneath his boots, veined with subtle ribbons

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of gray and silver.

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Every balustrade and crown molding was kissed with

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heavy gold trim, gleaming softly in the ambient

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glow from above as if the very walls

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were brushed with sunlight.

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Tonight was the grand masquerade, and Henry was

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tasked with delivering a sealed dispatch to the

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duke before the stroke of midnight.

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Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand

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on the gleaming banister and began his ascent.

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Each footfall echoed faintly against the soaring, vaulted

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ceilings, amplifying the sense of timeless grandeur that

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seemed to breathe from the very stones.

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As he reached the landing, the muffled strains

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of an orchestra drifted down from the ballroom

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doors.

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Henry tucked the letter securely inside his coat,

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smoothed his lapels, and stepped into the dazzling

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light, leaving the quiet majesty of the staircase

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behind.