Villain: The Play of Destiny

"Good Night, Kiara!" Keith gently smiled and leaned in to plant a kiss on her head.

"Good Night!" She half-heartedly said and then turned around to walk inside the Manor.

Sol, who was holding the sleeping Ben in his arms politely smiled at him, and bowed before taking his little Young Master inside.

It was Sunday, and so the two of them had spent the entire day at the Demiliore Estate. After their Music lessons ended by lunch-time, Keith took them out to play at the ranch together with Minami, where Kiara spent hours on horse-riding and grooming her horse. And Minami and Ben spent their time playing around with lambs and Netherian Shepherd Dogs.

By the time evening arrived, the little Angelini was too tired and fell asleep after a light supper. But his older cousin was still in high spirits. However, Keith had plans for the evening, and when Qingyue arrived at the Manor, he decided to drop off Kiara and Ben at the Angelini Estate. His little sister was not pleased at his decision, and even if she did not say outwardly, she was a little mad at him.

"She's upset." Qingyue said as she looked at the leaving back of Kiara.

"I know." He chuckled and shook his head. "She will be fine. Let's go!"

"Okay." The grey-eyed girl delightedly smiled and got back inside the car, taking the driving seat.

Keith did not say anything and let her drive, and in the backseat, his ever so silent Shadow was sitting, making Qingyue feel a little agitated.

She had tried to converse with Yingying on several occasions, but the latter was simply not interested in holding any sort of conversations. Her replies were always one-word or one-liner, and she had no interest in talking about anything the girls generally liked talking about.

The grey-eyed girl even tried talking to her about Cultivation, hoping that it would catch her interest, but Yingying stayed as precise as ever when answering her questions.

"How long have you had Yingying as your Shadow?" She finally asked after she glanced in the rearview at the beautiful Chinese girl.

"She's been my full-time Shadow since my tenth birthday, but I have known her since I was six." He said and smiled at his Shadow, who met his eyes in the side mirror.

"How did you two meet?" Qingyue curiously asked.

Keith sighed in his heart when he heard that question, but smiled lightly.

"My mother bought her through an Underground Auction and then gifted her to me." He simply revealed the truth.

"W-what?!" Qingyue called out in shock, looking at him with disbelief in her eyes.

"Focus!" He reprimanded her, reminding her to pay attention on the road.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay." He sighed. "I know the idea is horrible to you. But it is the reality of our world."

"Slavery is illegal.." She whispered softly.

"I am not a slave. I am a Shadow." Yingying said firmly from the backseat, making Keith smile at her words.

"It is legal as long as they are not Slaves." He said to her and then informed her more about his Shadow. "Yingying was an Orphan, and a Sect in China trained her since she was 6 years old. She showed great Aptitude for Cultivation when she turned 12, and after she finished the Body Refinement stage, the sect decided to sell her."

"Why?"

"Because they needed money?" Keith smiled at her. "She was a girl, and so, she was perfect for the position of a Shadow. You see, Families like ours usually search for such girls to make Shadows for their Young Ladies and Young Masters. My Mother got Sibyl when she was eight years old, and I got Yingying when I was six."

"And what exactly is a Shadow?"

"A Shadow is a Shadow." He smirked at her. "They are meant to always stay by the side of their Master, and for them nothing is more important than the safety of their Master. Unlike the other Guards we have, Yingying is only answerable to me. And I alone am responsible for her well-being."

"Why only girls?" Qingyue frowned.

"It's only girls for Young Ladies. I have Yingying, but Victor too can be considered my Shadow. However, he's not really a Shadow even if he's only answerable to me. It is because he does not stay by my side all the time, and he has my permission to enjoy a lot of things in life that Shadows are not allowed to have." He informed her. "Girls are preferred over the boys and it is done to avoid complications in case the Master develops some feelings for their Shadow. And since they are almost always together, it could happen. My mother treats Sibyl as a sister. And Yingying is a little too important to me."

"If they are always by the side of their Master, I guess they are not allowed to have families of their own?" She frowned and asked.

"For a Shadow, their Master is their only Family." Yingying was not pleased at her words and sternly said.

"Well, I guess you have your answer now." He lightly smiled at Qingyue.

The grey-eyed girl frowned some more and shook her head.

"It is cruel."

"Maybe." He shrugged it off since it never bothered him. "Shadows are not allowed to have families of their own. However, when a lady gets married, her Shadow could become the lover of her husband if she gives her consent."

"So Sibyl..."

"No. My Mother never allowed my father to touch Sibyl." He shook his head. "Also, Shadows are not allowed to have children." He smiled at her. "For a mother, her child is very important, and if a Shadow has a child, her priorities could be affected because of it."

"That's cruel..." She said again, feeling more uneasy in her heart.

"No. It is not." He shook his head. "Sibyl considers me as her child. And she has always been very protective of me. For her, I and my mother are her family" He chuckled when he remembered something. "I used to call her Mama when I was young, but once I grew up, she strictly forbid me from calling her that. Now, I call her by her name, but she is one of the people in the world I can never get mad at. It is also why I don't mind it when she keeps tabs on me under my mother's orders."

Seeing that the grey-eyed girl was still not accepting the idea, he decided to lay things out bluntly to her.

"Qingyue, not everyone needs children." He seriously said. "For some people, there are more important things in life than having a family of their own. And for some, the concept of family is very different than yours. Why don't you ask Yingying if she is content with her life or not before forming a judgement in your mind that she's living a pitiful life?"

"I know she's happy being by your side. I can see it in her eyes. But can you honestly say the same for all Shadows?" She retorted. "It's slavery, and it's brainwashing, no matter how you put it."

Keith sighed and shook his head at her words.

"Well, that's the reality of life. Not everyone lives a content life. And that's not limited to only Slaves. Even the most free of the men do not necessarily live a happy life. Also, Slavery and Brainwashing have always been part of the society in different forms, and they will always be a part of it. Do you know why?" He asked, and saw her frown at his words. "It is because the powerful rule over the weak. And the weak need to be ruled over."

"Why do they need to be ruled over?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"To protect them, safeguard them, and to keep the society functional. If they are not ruled over, there would be anarchy, no progress, and a lot of unnecessary conflict and bloodshed."

"I am sorry but I disagree with your opinion." She shook her head again, stubborn at her stance.

"Power and the Fear that comes with it is what keeps the society functional, Qingyue." He lightly smiled. "You will see the reality of the world sooner or later."

"So, you are telling me that you are fine with the idea of Slavery?" She asked.

"I might not like it, but I certainly don't dislike it either. It is a reality that I can not deny." He said and shrugged. "All that matters to me is how I treat the people who can be considered as my Slaves. I have been raised to be responsible for my possessions, even if I don't hold any particular feelings towards them."

"She's strong, beautiful, confident, and talented. Why should she be a slave?" Qingyue asked again.

"I am not a Slave, Miss Lin." Yingying grimly said. "And I would appreciate it if you don't show such concern for me."

The grey-eyed girl realized that she had said something wrong.

"I am sorry, Yingying. I know you are happy being by his side."

The Chinese girl stayed silent at her words and did not even look at her.

"She's strong, beautiful, confident, and talented because she has been raised correctly to utilize her inborn qualities." Keith lightly smiled. "Can you honestly say that she would have been the same if she had not been raised by my family and without our resources?"

Qingyue frowned again, but this time, she finally felt that she was missing out on some key details. And even if she was still not comfortable with the idea of Shadows, she no longer had the heart to argue over it.

The rest do the drive was a silent affair until they arrived at their destination.

"Why are we in the Military District?" She curiously asked as she looked at the Club in front of her that was not accessible to the general public.

"Ever used a gun before?" He smiled and asked.

"No."

"Well, the club has a shooting ground as well as an indoor firing range. Tonight, you will learn about gun safety and how to handle the firearms." He told her why they were here, and nudged her nose when she brightly smiled and nodded to him.

"Let's go."