Chapter 99 - The Moment Lee Yeong Forgot the Plan

Yeon Joo tried to answer Jong Suk, but whatever she intended to say never became more than the beginning of a sound. The lantern behind him blurred into a long streak of light, his face seemed to move farther away even though his arm was already around her waist, and the fingers clutching his sleeve suddenly lost their strength. Jong Suk saw her eyes lose focus before she did. He brought one hand quickly to the back of her head as her knees gave way, catching her against his chest so completely that she never touched the wooden floor. "Yeon Joo, stay with me. Open your eyes and look at me," he urged while lowering himself enough to support her safely, his earlier anger disappearing the moment her body became limp in his arms.