Dirty Heart - Chapter 29

“On his upcoming twenty-third birthday, he’s scheduled to undergo a heart transplant. Because of that, his physicians are on even higher alert.”

Once he started, Alex smoothly began sharing the necessary details.

“Actually, I heard there was strong opposition to this journey, but for some reason, the Duke allowed it without much comment.”

“…I see.”

There were certainly many suspicious points. The Duke of Erhardt, who prioritized his son’s safety above all else, would never normally allow such a long journey at such a critical time.

‘He’s probably trying to reassure me first, then stab me in the back.’

She glared sharply at Lionel, who was still asleep like someone unconscious.

Perhaps the way he had taken such tender care of her last night was nothing more than a final gift. Like the last meal granted to a condemned prisoner.

After the side effects report went missing, the suspicion toward her must have deepened even further. Anyone with sense wouldn’t think she stole it without a reason.

If that was the case, this trip might be a scheme to completely put Courtney at ease. Letting her meet Liam and spend a happy time, then returning and proceeding with the heart extraction as planned.

“Courtney, remember this. Until the day you die, your heart belongs only to me. Got it?”

As Lionel’s words surfaced in her mind, a chill ran down her spine. At the time, she had brushed it off while intoxicated by the aphrodisiac, but now it sounded nothing short of horrifying.

‘I thought maybe… no. What do you mean maybe?’

In that moment, goosebumps spread across her entire body. The fact that she had unconsciously been swayed by Lionel’s tenderness felt utterly pathetic.

Even though she knew perfectly well that every single one of his actions was calculated, a part of her heart had still clung to foolish expectations.

To think she was repeating the same idiotic behavior as the original Courtney, without any difference, was madness.

‘Get a grip, please.’

His warm touch, his sincere gaze, his voice urging her to love him, all of it was nothing more than a sinister scheme. She steeled her resolve once more, telling herself she must never be shaken by such hollow kindness.

“Isn’t a heart transplant dangerous?”

Forcing herself to remain calm, she continued asking persistent questions. With little time left until the Young Duke’s birthday, she needed to gather as much information as possible.

“Well, it is, but… since it’s a surgery the Duke has been preparing for a long time, you don’t need to worry too much.”

“Then whose heart will the Young Duke receive? Do you… perhaps know?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know that much yet….”

From the way he tilted his head, he genuinely seemed unaware. No matter how close he was, it appeared he didn’t know the core details.

“Well, maybe there’s a willing donor?”

“Ha! Willing? Who would willingly give up their own heart? Without it, they’d die for certain…!”

Her voice sharpened without her realizing it, but Alex instead tried to calm her in a gentle tone.

“P-Please calm down, Miss Courtney.”

He seemed to think she was sincerely worried about the Young Duke’s safety.

“In any case, there’s no need to worry too much. The Duke has invested so much into this surgery. No matter what it takes, he’ll save the Young Duke.”

“….”

The words no matter what it takes to save Lionel only made her feel more uneasy. As the thought that her death might not be far off crept back in, one side of her chest ached dully.

“And… I must ask again, please keep it a secret that I told you. If the Young Duke hasn’t said anything, there must be a reason.”

“…Of course.”

She gave a bitter smile and nodded weakly. In the end, the conversation concluded without any real gain, only amplifying her anxiety.

Turning her head toward the window, she pressed her lips tightly together and steeled her resolve.

If the other side was going to harm her by any means necessary, then she too would have to survive by any means necessary.

She had no intention of meekly accepting her fate like the original Courtney.

‘I will never die. Never.’

***

“Stop dawdling and move quickly!”

Under the blazing morning sun, Marco’s voice rang out loudly.

“If I catch anyone slacking off, I’ll starve you for two days straight!”

The heat was so intense it felt like it would scorch their skin, yet not a single person moved slowly. That was how absolute Marco’s authority was.

As the oldest among the orphanage children, he had taken on the role of managing and supervising the others even after coming of age, unable to become independent. At times, he displayed cruelty even worse than Director Charlotte.

This was part of a system Charlotte had intentionally created. By forcing the children to monitor and control one another, she ensured they would never even dream of unity or escape.

The group leader was given separate sleeping quarters, slightly better meals, and occasionally the chance to run errands in the village.

To avoid losing these small privileges, Marco kept a sharp eye on the children at all times.

Carefully hiding the finger wrapped tightly in bandages, Liam used his right hand to diligently pull weeds from the barren ground.

Trying to uproot weeds with only one hand was far from easy. Small cuts formed between his fingers, and one of his nails hung loose as if it were about to come off, yet even so, Liam never stopped moving his hand.

“Is your finger okay, brother?”

The girl beside him, who was sorting stones, asked with a worried look. Liam gave her a gentle smile.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

The girl stared sadly at his bandaged finger and muttered quietly, “This is too much. How can they make you pull weeds when your finger’s been cut off?”

“Shh. Marco might hear. I’m really fine, so you don’t have to worry.”

The girl seemed to believe his finger had been completely severed, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. He remembered the attendant’s warning that if Charlotte ever found out, they’d both be as good as dead.

“Hey.”

At that moment, a shadow fell over the children’s faces as they crouched pulling weeds.

At first, they thought Marco had come to threaten them, but the voice that followed was that of a rough adult man.

“Are you Liam?”

Three men with menacing looks stood over him. Sensing something was off, both Liam and the girl froze in fear.

“You need to come with us. I hear your price is quite impressive.”

Liam stood up hesitantly and asked in a trembling voice, “W-Where are you taking me…?”

“When an adult tells you to come, you come quietly. Too many questions. This is why kidnapping isn’t really my thing.”

Meanwhile, sensing something was off, Marco rushed over and blocked the men from Liam. It didn’t seem like he was trying to protect Liam so much as he was enraged that his own authority had been challenged.

“Who are you people causing this commotion? This child belongs to our orphanage. If you act recklessly— ack!”

Thud! Before Marco could even finish his protest, a brutal kick flew at him. His frail body, no different from the other children, was sent crashing helplessly onto the hard sandy ground.

“What the hell is this brat?”

“Ugh…!”

Wracked with excruciating pain that felt like his organs were bursting, Marco couldn’t even manage a proper scream as he rolled on the ground. Having fallen onto a rock, his forehead split open, and bright red blood streamed down.

“Alright, enough of that. We don’t have time, so grab the cash cow and let’s go.”

At the order of the man who seemed to be their leader, the ones trampling Marco clicked their tongues and pulled back their feet. Then they immediately began tying Liam up.

“W-Where are you taking me? Let me go!”

“You’d better shut that mouth before I rip your tongue out.”

At the man’s vicious threat, Liam’s face turned deathly pale. The moment his small body was slung over the man’s shoulder, they disappeared into the dense forest.

“L-Liam!”

“Sniff, I’m scared….”

Only the children’s tearful screams filled the wide field. But as always, there was not a single adult in this world who would reach out a helping hand to the pitiful children.