She was kidnaped

As I stepped out into the garden, the cool night air wrapped around me like a comforting shroud, a welcome reprieve from the stifling atmosphere of the ballroom. Lise trailed beside me, her presence a reassuring anchor amidst the swirling chaos of my thoughts.

"Love is such a complicated thing, isn't it?" Lise mused, her voice soft against the backdrop of rustling leaves and distant laughter. "One moment it lifts you to the heavens, and the next, it plunges you into the depths of despair."

I nodded in silent agreement, my gaze drifting toward the moonlit path ahead. "Indeed," I murmured, the weight of unspoken words pressing against my tongue.

A sigh escaped Lise's lips, heavy with understanding. "You're already missing Lydia, aren't you" she teased, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes.

I shot her a withering glare, though the corners of my lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. "Shut up," I retorted, though the jest held no bite.