Dirty Heart - Chapter 33

“Your Grace, the report you requested has been completed.”

The one who visited the study holding a thick stack of documents was the chief specialist who would perform Lionel’s heart transplant.

『Case Report on a Pig Heart Transplant』.

The Duke examined the report handed to him for a long time, scrutinizing it closely. The clinical trial records filled in without a single gap looked plausible at a glance, but in reality, they were nothing more than thoroughly fabricated documents. Having sensed that Courtney’s movements were unusual, the Duke had secretly gathered the medical staff and issued new instructions.

When he turned to the final page of the report, it stated that Lionel would become the first in the Empire to receive a pig’s heart.

“Perfect. With this, even the imperial medical staff will surely be deceived.”

“Of course. These materials were prepared by mobilizing the best medical experts currently available, so no one will be able to suspect a thing.”

Although Courtney Balkan had introduced an unexpected variable, everything was ultimately returning to its proper place. A cold smile spread across the Duke’s lips.

A few days ago, he had received a telegram that Lionel had arrived at Saint Agatha Orphanage. He had also been informed that the boy named Liam had been rescued safely, which meant everything was proceeding exactly according to the Duke’s plan.

Telling Lionel to give Courtney Balkan hope that she could live had never been mere empty advice. The reason he had allowed Lionel to embark on such a long journey at such a critical time was, in the end, to build an absolute relationship of trust.

“This report being fabricated must never reach my son’s ears. Remember that.”

The Duke gave his command in a firm voice. It seemed his plan was not simply to deceive a single maid.

“Um… if I may be so bold, may I ask why it must be kept secret from the Young Duke? With the surgery date approaching, I am concerned it might place unnecessary strain on him.”

From the perspective of the medical staff, it was a natural question. If things proceeded as originally planned and he simply received the donor’s heart, that would be enough, so there was no reason to deceive the patient with lies.

Moreover, falsifying medical documents was a serious crime even if they were only circulated internally. If discovered, not only would they lose their medical licenses, but their lives could also be in danger. Furthermore, the very concept of cross-species heart transplantation could be deemed heretical if mishandled, as it blurred the boundary between humans and beasts.

“Lionel is rather ignorant of how the world works. He takes after his mother, soft-hearted to a fault. It seems killing an innocent maid weighs on his mind.”

Turning his gaze toward the window, the Duke sank into thought. The conversation he had with his son a few days ago came back to him.

“Father. Is there… no other way?”

Why would he sit there seeking another method over the life of some mere maid?

Although his son had firmly denied it, as a father, the Duke could tell just by looking into Lionel’s eyes. He was already sufficiently shaken by the maid.

That was why a more definitive method was necessary. To give Courtney Balkan hope that she could live, while at the same time giving Lionel hope that he would not have to kill a lowly maid.

The Duke’s expression grew complicated for a moment. His son might come to resent him when he learned the truth later, but even that was something he would have to bear. Just like that day when he had tried to rip out the heart of his still-breathing wife whole, cruel choices were sometimes necessary for the greater cause.

“…In the end, the day will come when Lionel understands my will.”

This was the final destination of a perfect plan.

***

By the time the sound of rain began to subside, Alex, who opened the cabin door and stepped inside, was startled.

It was because Lionel’s shirt was completely soaked in blood.

“Young Duke! Th-the blood…!”

“Don’t make a fuss.”

Replying calmly, Lionel used a handkerchief to stanch the wound himself.

“Gasp…! It’s a stab wound?”

Alex asked in an even more shocked voice. When he got closer to inspect it, it was clearly not a simple injury but an unmistakable stab wound. Fortunately, the wound itself wasn’t very deep, but there was a considerable amount of bleeding.

“Were you attacked while I was away? Now that I think about it, Miss Courtney is nowhere to be seen either?”

“Nothing to worry about.”

“How can I not worry. Ha…. I shouldn’t have left my post….”

Alex put on a deliberately pained expression. As Lionel’s guard knight, he seemed to feel a heavy sense of guilt over something happening while he had been absent.

“I’ll take responsibility and find Miss Courtney.”

“There’s no need.”

“But… if night falls like this, there’s a high chance a pack of wild beasts will appear.”

“She ran away on her own.”

“…Pardon?”

Alex was startled by Lionel’s firm words.

“Alex.”

In a calmer, more authoritative voice than usual, Lionel called his name.

“Hah. A chessboard in a place like this.”

He fixed his gaze on an old chessboard placed near the stove. Only a few scattered pieces remained on the board.

Picking up one white pawn, Lionel moved it one square forward toward the opposing side.

“When I was young, you know. My father taught me chess, and I lost every single day.”

“Young Duke, this isn’t the time to be chatting about old stories….”

“So I asked him. How could I beat him?”

Ignoring Alex’s attempt to stop him, Lionel continued speaking in a cold tone.

“My father always said this. Put your strong pieces at the front. Abandon the weak ones without hesitation. That’s the only proper way to win.”

As he spoke, Lionel’s eyes gleamed faintly.

“But the day I beat him for the first time was different. I pushed a pawn that barely survived all the way to the end. The very moment that tiny pawn my father had ignored finally became a queen.”

Placing the pawn in front of the king, he whispered in a low voice. The small, insignificant piece had now become the most powerful existence, aiming at the enemy’s heart.

“Checkmate.”

In the thrilling euphoria of striking down the king, strangely enough, Courtney came to mind.

A woman with nothing to her name, the very image of a pawn. The pawn in Lionel’s hand slipped and fell to the floor. It rolled helplessly and came to a stop at his feet.

Crack-.

The heavy heel of his shoe lightly crushed the pawn. As if it were Courtney’s wretched fate, the piece shattered into fragments.

Lionel’s gaze sank coldly.

The pawn that killed the king. And Courtney.

The difference between the two was that she could never kill Lionel. Even when he had personally created an opportunity for her to kill him as much as she wanted, she was nothing more than a foolish woman who hesitated until the very end.

Meanwhile, Alex, who had been listening carefully to Lionel’s words, quietly held his breath. On the surface, he looked as if he were overwhelmed by Lionel’s madness, but in truth, he was struggling to endure secondhand embarrassment so intense it made his whole body curl.

‘He wasn’t right in the head before, but now he’s completely lost it.’

No matter how he looked at it, Lionel’s condition didn’t seem normal. Letting out a deep sigh, he regretted not bringing a physician along.

***

As if she had reached her limit, Courtney, who had been running for a long time, came to a stop in front of a large cave.

“Haah, haah….”

The sour taste rising up her throat made her feel like she might vomit at any moment. When she came to her senses, her right foot had long since lost its shoe, and bright red blood was flowing from her heel.

Courtney kept turning back with an anxious expression. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone was chasing after her. Relief washed over her, and at the same time, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground.

After catching her breath for a moment, she took out the pouch she had kept tucked inside her clothes. The heavy weight had been cumbersome even while running.

Carefully opening the pouch, she saw it was truly filled to the brim with gold coins.

“…What is this, really?”

Confusion filled Courtney’s face as she stared blankly at the gleaming gold coins. She couldn’t understand Lionel’s sudden change of heart.

The man’s claim that he planned to kill himself immediately after receiving a heart transplant was just as confusing.

“I love you. I truly came to love you.”

Lionel’s voice, confessing his love while telling her to leave, suddenly echoed in her ears, making her chest feel unsettled.

At that moment.

“P-Please spare me…. I’ll listen to everything you say, so please send me back to the orphanage.”

A familiar child’s voice leaked out from the cave entrance. In an instant, Courtney’s face turned pale.