Ah, home sweet home.
Stella Sterling closed the door. She looked at the familiar furnishings inside, turned on the heat, and sighed comfortably as the chill that had seeped into her bones over the past several days slowly faded away.
She hadnât been sitting for long when a sharp sound came from the medical room.
It sounded like something had been knocked over, catching Stella Sterlingâs attention.
âIâd almost forgotten about him. Heâs still alive? Heâs really lucky to be alive!â
She raised an eyebrow in surprise, then stood up and walked toward the medical room.
When sheâd left, she hadnât expected her supply run to take so long.
The power to the house had gone out, and she hadnât left any food for her little guinea pig.
On the way back, she had even wondered if the guinea pig sheâd worked so hard to find might have died.
She had even felt a pang of regret, vexed by the headache of having to find another guinea pig who was both pain-resistant and sensible.
But now, it seemed he was truly lucky to be alive. She wouldnât have to find a new guinea pig after all.
Amidst Stephen Lawrenceâs glare of impotent rage, Stella Sterling gave him some food, adding an extra portion as compensation.
After getting some rest, she quickly entered her space and tossed the palm-sized piece of jade she had found into the exchange area.
The space hadnât changed in a long time; she wondered if this would make a difference.
When she entered the space the next day, the storage area had grown much larger, and the mystical mist above was thicker than before.
The entire space looked like a wonderland.
Besides that, she discovered a small hut had appeared next to the exchange area. After a momentâs thought, she opened the door and went inside.
The room was empty except for a single table, and on that table sat two items.
She walked over for a closer look. One of the items was a book-like object with the words "Human Potential Development Technique" written on it.
Stella Sterling grew excited at the sight of the name and gripped it tightly in her hand before turning her gaze to the other item.
It was a jade vial with a white label that read: Loyal Servant Pill.
âWhat an interesting name,â she thought. âSimple and direct. Itâs obvious what this is for.â
She opened the vial and saw it was filled to the brim with tiny pills. There was no telling how many there were.
âI donât know the exact effects, but thatâs okay. I still have my guinea pig, donât I? Iâll know once I test it on him.â
So, Stella Sterling left her space and walked back to the medical room. Meeting Stephen Lawrenceâs puzzled gaze, she smiled and said, "You said youâd be willing to do anything for me, that your life is mine. Right?"
Stephen Lawrence didnât know why Stella Sterling was suddenly asking this, but he knew it was the perfect opportunity to show his loyalty.
He had completely resigned himself to his fate. He even felt that things werenât so bad here with Stella Sterling; he wouldnât want to leave even if someone tried to chase him away.
He nodded. "Of course!"
Stephen Lawrence was always trying to get on Stella Sterlingâs good side, constantly proving his loyalty. He wouldnât miss an opportunity like this.
âThis way, my life might get a lot easier in the future!â
"Very good."
She chuckled, then opened the vial, poured out a pill, and handed it to Stephen Lawrence. "Eat it."
Stephen Lawrence stared at the unknown object, his heart filled with doubt and suspicion.
âThis pill doesnât look like anything good. And what Stella Sterling just said was so bizarre. I have a bad feeling about this!â
âCan I not eat it?â
The words reached his lips, but he never found the courage to say them out loud.
Even though his relationship with Stella Sterling seemed to have improved lately, and her attitude toward him had softened considerably, that was only because he hadnât provoked her.
When she was in a bad mood and he made even a small mistake, the woman would beat him without mercy. He knew heâd be dead already if he werenât still useful to her.
He wasnât arrogant enough to think that just because their relationship had eased, he could defy her.
So, despite the million reasons he didnât want to, under Stella Sterlingâs watchful gaze, he obediently swallowed the black pill.
âWhatever it is, this pill probably wonât kill me, right?â
âIf Stella Sterling wanted him dead, it would be easy. She wouldnât need to go to the trouble of using something like this.â
With this mindset, he felt much more at ease.
Stella Sterling watched him and asked casually, "Feel anything?"
Stephen Lawrence shook his head. "Itâs a little sweet, actually. Tastes pretty good. I donât feel anything else. Maybe the effects havenât kicked in yet."
Having been a guinea pig for a while, he had become quite diligent, reporting every single physical reaction to Stella Sterling in full detail, without hiding a thing.
Stella Sterling nodded, then kicked a dagger over to Stephen Lawrence. There was still a smile on her face, but her words made him freeze. "Stab yourself in the heart."
She wanted to test just how effective this Loyal Servant Pill really was.
âIf she ordered the person who took the pill to die, would they obey?â
Only a life-or-death command like this could truly test the pillâs effectiveness.
Otherwise, given how afraid Stephen Lawrence had become of her, he would obey her anyway, but that wouldnât be a result of the pill.
If it were a matter of life and death, however, he wouldnât follow her orders, no matter how much he feared her.
This was the moment the pillâs usefulness would be revealed. If he did as she commanded, it meant the effect was excellent; the person who took it could not disobey her orders and would see her as their master, doing anything she asked.
If he didnât obey, it would prove the pill wasnât that useful, and she would still have to be on her guard around him.
Stephen Lawrenceâs eyes narrowed. He couldnât believe what he was hearing. Stab himself in the heart? How could he possibly survive that?
âWhatâs the difference between that and just killing me outright?!â
He immediately wanted to plead with Stella Sterling for his life, but he found that his body seemed to be moving on its own. After taking the dagger, he moved to stab himself in the heart without a momentâs hesitation.
Fear and resistance filled his eyes, and panic flooded his heart. Yet his hand was no longer under his control; it went about the business of killing him without the slightest hesitation.
Stella Sterling took in his every action, expression, and the look in his eyes, not missing a single detail. She already had her answer.
The pillâs effects were even better than she had imagined.
Just as the dagger was about to pierce Stephen Lawrenceâs heart, Stella Sterling moved swiftly and saved his life. The blade never actually stabbed into his heart.