The way he carried himself, it was clear—unless she agreed to be his girlfriend, Theodore was not about to give up. It reminded Raven of tragic servant girls from old tales, forced into misery by powerful landlords. After blurting out the truth, Raven anxiously watched Celina's face, only to find she did not seem bothered at all. Instead, she spoke gently, almost earnestly, "Raven, Theo might look unreliable sometimes, but deep down, he's actually a good kid." Celina was smart. She knew exactly what Raven meant by "friend." Yet she still chose to say that. Raven could not help but be startled. Of course, she would never dare to dream of being some Cinderella marrying into wealth. Even with the strange "transmigrator" twist of fate she carried, she did not believe in fairytales. A woman like Celina would never allow her son to really get involved with a maid. Alarm bells rang in Raven's head. She chose her words carefully before replying. "Mr. Theodore is certainly kind. But I'm just a servant, so I don't deserve to be his friend. Our status and outlook are worlds apart, like clouds and mud." Her tone couldn't have been humbler. Sure enough, Celina looked pleased. "Raven, you're a sensible girl." Just as Raven let out a quiet breath of relief, Celina added, "But you don't have to be so tense. Since Theo wants to be friends with you, just go along and have fun. Don't overthink it." Raven's heart sank."Madam, Mr. Theodore and I aren't from the same world." Celina only smiled. "It's just friendship, not marriage. What does being from the same world have to do with it?" Raven nearly lost her polite expression. So Celina actually wanted her to let Theodore toy with her? Women like this were even more hateful than those who handed out a check and demanded you leave their son. Raven felt like she had just swallowed a fly, but she could not afford to anger her employer. She still needed this job and this roof over her head. So she forced a stiff smile and said, "Madam, my duty is to take good care of you ... " She only wanted to work honestly, earn her keep, and survive! A worker might sell her labor and her strength, but she would never sell her body or dignity. And that heir of the Mervyns was clearly unstable. Getting tangled up with him could only end in disaster. Celina did not even look at her, reclining lazily in her chair and admiring her polished nails. "Work is work. But your free time is yours, so I won't stop you from making friends." Friends, my ass! Who wants to "make friends" with your son? Raven cursed her a thousand times in her heart, though on the surface she forced a smile. "But Madam, Mr. Theodore also asked me to learn martial arts and firearms. That might keep me from doing my duties properly ... " At that, Celina finally stopped brushing it off. She straightened, frowning deeply. "You're playing with guns? That's not acceptable!" Weapons were not something a servant should ever touch.Her gaze swept over Raven with faint disapproval. Sure, the girl was strikingly pretty, but so what? If Theo just wanted to play, fine, but letting her near the family's weapons? Could he be serious? Impossible. She knew her son too well. He would never genuinely fall for a maid who, aside from her looks, was utterly ordinary. Just then, Theodore strolled into the dance room. "Mom, are you finished yet?" he said, though his eyes darted straight to Raven. Annoyance flared in Raven, and she quietly edged backward. Celina frowned. "Raven, you may leave." Not sure what she meant by that, Raven nodded, murmured "Yes," and slipped out nervously. Theodore made to follow, but Celina stopped him. "Theo, I hear you've been asking her to learn how to shoot?" Hands in his pockets, he shrugged like it was no big deal. "Yeah. Not just guns, there's a lot she needs to learn." Celina narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?" "I'm going to turn her into a warrior." Celina's mouth twitched. A warrior? Seriously? Puzzled, she could not help but ask aloud. Theodore answered impatiently, "I need a strong girlfriend."Celina frowned harder. "If you want a girlfriend, just find one. What's with this warrior nonsense? And besides, if you're serious, there are plenty of proper young ladies, debutantes from good families. Why go after a maid ... " Theodore raised his brows. "Proper ladies? Where are they?" Celina said, "Hillside Villa is full of them ... " then suddenly stopped short. Yesterday's massive quake brought down countless houses. Many young ladies had been buried alive. Those who survived had lost their wealth, their homes, and their supplies.