* * *
It was a spring day drenched in clear, gentle sunlight.
The warm breeze rustled the apple tree’s slender branches, and each time it did, the white apple blossoms released their delicate fragrance.
Beneath the large tree, the grass grew lush and neat.
Adam stood by the window, quietly admiring the view outside.
His expression overflowed with appreciation for the beauty of spring.
He himself was the kind of person who could inspire awe just by being seen.
His neatly styled hair carried a soft rose hue, and his eyes were a vivid green, like fresh leaves.
His face, composed of hues reminiscent of a freshly bloomed rose, gave off a calm yet graceful air.
“Adam.”
At the sound of his name, Adam turned his head.
A woman entered the room with a maid in tow.
She gestured toward the tray the maid held in both hands.
“Have something before you go.”
“Madam.”
“I know you’re planning to visit the hospital. That’s exactly why I’m telling you this. A caregiver has to be healthy too, right? Otherwise, how will you take proper care of your sister?”
The woman speaking with calm concern—Madam Simone—was a young widow.
Adam was well aware that she had married into the rural noble Simone family, that her husband had died early, and that she was now raising two young children on her own.
He had naturally come to learn these details through his role as the children’s private tutor.
“All right. I’ll have some, then.”
“Please, sit.”
The two took their seats and exchanged faint smiles.
Bonded by the shared pain of having a sick family member, Adam and Madam Simone had quickly grown close.
It wasn’t a relationship born from romantic interest or mutual loneliness.
They were more like pure friends—people who consoled each other as they endured the hardships of life.
“How is your sister? Any improvement?”
They were halfway through some well-baked cookies when Simone caught the subtle change in Adam’s expression.
His face had clearly darkened.
It was obvious that there was no good news.
Regretting her question, she reached for the teapot.
“Here, have another cup. A warm drink does wonders for the body.”
“Thank you.”
Adam hesitated briefly before lifting the corners of his mouth. It was a smile, but a weary one.
“They say she needs to be transferred to a larger hospital. Only more renowned doctors might be able to treat her.”
“Oh dear…”
“The doctor told me he’s not capable of handling it. It feels so overwhelming.”
The Ross family had once been a respected, long-standing lineage.
But over the generations, their fortune had slowly faded, and when Adam’s father succumbed to gambling, they had fallen into complete ruin.
His father, who’d lived out his life as a gambler, was eventually run over by a carriage and died.
From then on, Adam had to raise his younger sister alone.
Their situation was far from comfortable, but the Ross siblings never gave in to despair.
Adam relied on his sharp mind and innate diligence to study hard, eventually earning a scholarship to a prestigious academy.
His sister, Emily Ross, though frail in body, had a strong spirit.
She studied diligently alongside her brother and dreamed of becoming a schoolteacher one day—someone who could educate children.
Together, the two had supported each other through hardship, never ceasing to move forward.
But fate had no intention of letting the Ross siblings enjoy peaceful days.
While Adam was attending university, Emily suddenly collapsed—and that was the beginning of their misfortune.
They rushed her to the hospital, but her condition didn’t improve.
One look at the doctor’s grave expression was all it took for Adam to realize how serious things truly were.
He was willing to do anything if it meant saving the only family he had left.
He withdrew from school and began working as a private tutor for noble families—so he could earn money for medical expenses while also caring for Emily in what little time he had.
Adam never regretted leaving the academy.
What churned in his chest now wasn’t a thirst for knowledge, but the fear and frustration of watching Emily’s condition worsen by the day.
“A larger hospital… That’ll cost a fortune.”
Hearing Madam Simone’s murmur, Adam quietly swallowed a sigh.
Though she paid him generously, even that had its limits.
It was clear that transferring to a better hospital would demand a staggering amount of money.
The world around him suddenly felt pitch black.
“I’ll have to look for more work.”
“More work?”
Madam Simone looked genuinely concerned.
“You’re not just teaching my children. You’ve got other students from other households too. Isn’t it already exhausting? What if you collapse?”
“Thank you for your concern, Madam. But I’ll manage somehow.”
Before drinking the now-cooled tea, Adam added softly:
“Unlike Emily, I’m still healthy. If it comes down to it, I’ll even consider selling my body.”
He lowered his long rose-colored lashes and took a sip of tea.
In doing so, he failed to notice Simone’s lips twitching as if she were about to speak but couldn’t.
“Beautiful.”
Adam strolled through the garden, lost in quiet thought.
It was a modest garden, yet filled with the vitality of spring.
In one corner, white crocuses bloomed in abundance, and the climbing roses along the wall, lush with fresh green leaves, promised a glorious summer bloom.
Adam, who had a deep appreciation for beauty, simply stood and admired the view.
Just then, the wind stirred.
Each time the apple tree before him swayed gently, its petals cascaded like rain.
“You don’t have to suffer because of me.”
A soft voice echoed in his memory—Emily, a delicate girl as fragile as those falling petals.
She had approached her brother, eyes clouded with worry, and pleaded with him to just live as they had been.
Hadn’t things been manageable with medication so far?
Her warm hand held Adam’s, as if to reassure him.
“I just want you to be happy, so please… don’t sacrifice yourself for me.”
Holding his only family’s hand, Adam made a silent vow.
‘Emily, my happiness is seeing you get better. I will never let anything happen to you.’
‘Yes. I’ll make sure of it, no matter what it takes.’
“There must be a way. A way to get a large sum of money…”
Adam muttered under his breath and exhaled deeply.
A blue-gray shadow hung beneath his eyes.
Just as he was about to sink completely into his dark thoughts, someone tapped his arm.
“Madam?”
Adam stopped and opened his eyes wide.
Before he knew it, Madam Simone had come up to him.
She pounded her chest with her fist a few times, her shoulders rising and falling with exertion.
“I’ve been calling you… haah, you didn’t hear me?”
Her ragged breath made Adam flustered.
“Did you run? Oh no, I’m so sorry. I was just deep in thought…”
“It’s alright. But Adam.”
Madam Simone looked straight at him, a young man with the poise and elegance of a true noble.
“I understand more than anyone what it’s like to want to heal someone you love. I cared for my husband for a long time. So… please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Adam… you’re an Omega, aren’t you?”
A flicker of confusion crossed Adam’s face.
“Yes, Madam, you’re correct.”
Adam was of a rare disposition—an Omega.
A term used for those who possessed pheromones that could attract Alphas, who were just as rare.
Very few knew this about him.
Most people were Betas, who couldn’t even detect pheromones, which was why Omegas usually kept their identity to themselves unless absolutely necessary.
* * *
