I still came home in a daze.
‘An omega…. Me, an omega….’
I couldn’t shake off the shock.
To me, this was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.
But thankfully, they said that as long as I took my medication properly, the heat cycle could be controlled.
The nurse also taught me how to handle pheromones. I didn’t quite have a feel for it yet, but if I went every day and kept learning, I’d be able to control it quickly enough.
At least for now, they said that since it hadn’t been long since my omega awakening, my pheromone output was still low, which was a relief.
This time, pheromones had leaked only because the heat cycle itself was a special circumstance. Maybe later on it would be different, but for now, since it was still the early stage of manifestation, they said I’d be fine.
So now that I’d calmed down a little, I needed to learn how to control my pheromones steadily—and properly.
So that something like this wouldn’t happen again. So that I could keep it under my control.
With that resolve, I headed back home.
But the moment I opened the front door and stepped inside, the overwhelming stench of pheromones assaulted me, and I reflexively covered my nose.
‘…This is Jung Hwangseo’s scent.’
Come to think of it, I’d wrapped him up tightly in a blanket and run off.
Is he still leaking pheromones?
Just as I was frowning, Jung Hwangseo’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Housekeeper.”
“…Yes.”
As if I’d never been covering my nose, I casually lowered my hand, pretending to scratch it.
Jung Hwangseo, who had been lying on the living room sofa, must have heard the door open. He slowly pushed himself upright and looked at me with unfocused eyes.
Anyone could tell at a glance—he wasn’t in his right mind.
I’d covered my face as much as possible earlier…. He hasn’t realized it’s me, right?
With my heart in my throat, I tilted my head slightly and waited for his next words.
“…Did you see her?”
“Pardon? See who?”
“Pretty one.”
“Pretty one…?”
“…Yeah. Pretty one. My omega.”
…Since when am I your omega?
I wanted to argue, but this wasn’t the situation to be asking that.
I just shook my head as if I didn’t know anything and spoke.
“I stepped out for a bit, so I didn’t notice. It seems someone must have come by…?”
I tried to sound as calm as possible, but whether from nerves or from Jung Hwangseo’s overwhelming pheromones, the end of my voice trembled slightly.
He didn’t notice my voice shaking and start suspecting something, did he?
Anxiously, I stole a glance at Jung Hwangseo.
“…If you didn’t see her, that’s fine.”
Thankfully, with all his attention fixed on Pretty One, Jung Hwangseo didn’t notice the tremor in my voice.
“Ahh…. Pretty one.”
Jung Hwangseo buried his face in both hands.
He looked unusually depressed, and as I hesitated, unsure how to react, Jung Hwangseo stood up.
Then, staggering slightly, he headed upstairs.
Luckily, he didn’t seem to suspect that that omega was me.
Good. That went over well.
What happened with Jung Hwangseo—let’s just chalk it up to being bitten by a dog.
I felt bad for Jung Hwangseo, but this was the best option for both of us.
Watching his retreating back, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
Seems like Jung Hwangseo bought it, more or less….
‘…Then I guess I should start preparing dinner.’
It was almost time for Jung Hwangyeong to come home.
After taking my meds, getting an injection, hearing the explanation about the cause, and learning a bunch of things, my body felt considerably lighter.
With my improved condition, I started moving busily.
“I’m home!”
Not long after, Jung Hwangyeong returned.
Greeting me in a cute voice, Jung Hwangyeong trotted over to me as I cooked in the kitchen. Tugging lightly at the bottom of my apron, he asked,
“You were sick. Did you go to the hospital? Are you better now?”
Trailing after me like a little chick, chirping away, he was so cute I could die.
Now that he was talking more, he was even nicer to look at.
Smiling, I nodded.
“Yes. I’m all better now.”
“That’s good. I’m glad. Don’t get sick again, okay?”
“Yes. Thank you for worrying about me.”
At my thanks, Jung Hwangyeong’s cheeks flushed red.
They’re brothers, but how can they be so different?
One is unbearably cute, and the other is just… ugh. I don’t even want to think about it.
I almost shook my head reflexively in front of Jung Hwangyeong, but I held it in and only sighed inwardly.
It was best not to get tangled up with Jung Hwangseo.
Pretty one, my omega…. That obsession-filled tone and gaze. Just looking at it sent chills down my spine.
If he ever found out it was me…. Wouldn’t that be a little dangerous?
Of course, I’d win in a fight, but….
Jung Hwangseo was dangerous in a different way.
Remembering the obsessive behavior Jung Hwangseo showed toward the heroine in the original novel, I shuddered.
I absolutely couldn’t let this be exposed.
“Hey.”
“…Jung Hwangyu. You’re back early?”
Right after that, the sound of the front door opening rang out, and Jung Hwangyu walked into the kitchen.
He flicked something he was holding straight at me. Startled, I reflexively caught what he threw.
“This is…?”
“You said you were sick. They say that’s good for colds. Take it. If you went to the hospital, take the hospital medicine first, then take that too.”
What Jung Hwangyu had tossed me was cold medicine.
I was surprised by Jung Hwangyu’s unexpected kindness.
But if I took this along with the hospital medicine, wouldn’t that be an overdose?
The hospital meds weren’t exactly a small amount, either.
I wanted to say something, but since Jung Hwangyu was being uncharacteristically thoughtful, I didn’t comment and just thanked him.
Jung Hwangyu pretended not to hear and headed to his room.
That behavior, if anything, made his embarrassment at my thanks all the more obvious.
‘This is kind of touching….’
Resolving to prepare a proper feast today for Jung Hwangyeong and Jung Hwangyu, I got back to work.
* * *
Jung Hwanhui looked down at the stack of documents in front of him.
They were the resumes of the housekeepers he would be interviewing.
Worried that calling them to the organization might scare them off, he had deliberately chosen to conduct the interviews at a spacious, open café.
After ordering coffee and sitting down, he flipped through the resumes in preparation for the interviews, when he began to notice people glancing his way.
Jung Hwanhui narrowed his brows slightly.
‘Is it funny to see a big man in a suit sitting in a café?’
As the whispered glances started to irritate him, a woman with her hair tied back approached him.
“E-excuse me.”
“What is it?”
She was one of the people who had been whispering and glancing in his direction.
“…You’re really my type, so…. Would you be willing to give me your contact information?”
For a moment, Jung Hwanhui was at a loss for words.
Surrounded by subordinates at all times, no one ever dared to approach him casually. This hadn’t happened once since his father was alive, back when he was young.
To experience it again now….
After a brief bout of nostalgia, Jung Hwanhui looked at the woman in front of him, who wore a nervous expression, and replied calmly.
“…I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
“Ah, I see.”
At his refusal, the woman hurriedly left.
It was novel, sure—but only to that extent.
He didn’t have time to waste on such trivial matters. There was a mountain of paperwork waiting back at the organization.
Of course, given the remaining workload, he felt he should finish the interviews quickly and leave—but since this was someone he’d be bringing into the house, he couldn’t just pass anyone.
He needed to be fast, but thorough.
Jung Hwanhui looked down at the resumes.
There were three interviewees in total. He only needed to choose someone usable from among the three.
Someone who would be helpful to Park Gyumin….
‘It should be about time….’
“Um, hello. Is this the housekeeper interview…?”
“You must be here for the interview. Please, have a seat.”
The first candidate was a man.
They talked for about five minutes. He looked strong, polite, and fairly sociable.
Emphasizing his enthusiasm, the man said,
“If you give me any task at all, I’ll do my absolute best!”
“Alright. I understand. We’ll contact you later.”
The second interviewee was a woman.
She looked to be in her mid-forties.
“Oh my, hello?”
“…Hello.”
“I came for the interview…. This is my first time having an interview at a café. Times really have changed, haven’t they?”
‘She’s rather talkative.’
Even in front of Jung Hwanhui’s stiff expression, the woman chatted comfortably, and Jung Hwanhui simply nodded in response.
Maybe having someone like this in an otherwise quiet house wouldn’t be bad. It could lighten the atmosphere, and being older, she might feel like a guardian to Jung Hwangyeong. She also had plenty of housekeeper experience.
Among the three applicants, she was the most appealing so far.
And the third….
‘Are they not here yet?’
It seemed to be about time….
After seeing off the first and second applicants, he waited for the last one.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the resume—just a few lines of part-time job experience. Completely ordinary.
But he couldn’t make a judgment without seeing them in person.
“…Ah, hello. Is this the housekeeper interview?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Not long after, a soft voice reached him.
So they’re here.
Jung Hwanhui lifted his gaze slowly from the resume he had been reading.
Then his eyes widened in surprise.
Long, straight black hair fell to her waist, shimmering as it swayed. Her snow-white face and large, deep-lidded eyes sparkled.
A delicately pretty face with perfectly balanced features—nose and lips in harmony—and dimples that showed when she smiled.
She was the most beautiful woman Jung Hwanhui had ever seen.
The woman, who gave off a pure and fragile aura, smiled gently and said,
“I’m Park Hana, here for the housekeeper interview. I look forward to meeting you.”