Lee Yeong reached for her hand again before answering, his fingers settling around hers as he turned away from the map spread across the study table. The gesture was gentle, but tension remained in his hand. He watched her briefly, deciding how much to explain.
"Someone has accused him of stealing the grain and then used his resistance to arrest him as proof that he is dangerous. I want him found before someone decides his life is worth even less than the grain they stole." His thumb moved slowly over the back of her hand while he spoke. He was troubled less by the missing grain than by how easily an accusation had been turned into a verdict, and that was what made Yeon Joo's expression change.
