【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 436 [Empire] Deserter

I pouted, hugged my knees, and ignored him, sulking. Nightingale's smile seemed to deepen as he watched me like this. He sat on the sofa, still leaning lazily, neither impatient nor anxious, as if he had no intention of chasing me away.

"Are you upset?" he asked softly, his tone slightly amused, as if he were looking at an angry animal. I clearly didn't want to pay attention to him, but he didn't seem to be going to let me go.

I glared at him, my lips still tightly pouting, my head slightly lowered, not wanting him to see my expression.

Nightingale sighed softly, put down his glass, and slowly walked over to me. He didn't speak immediately, but just sat beside me in silence, as if waiting for me to speak first.

"Why do you like to...care about me so much?" I finally spoke, my voice filled with impatience and helplessness.

Nightingale didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gently fiddled with the hem of my shirt with her fingertips, as if pondering my question. "Because you're trouble, girl." His words were surprisingly devoid of tenderness, instead carrying a hint of complex emotion. "You know it's not that you really don't care. It's just that you've been afraid to face it."

I was stunned, my heartbeat suddenly stopped, and I didn't dare to look him in the eye. Nightingale's tone was still calm, but every word seemed to hit me hard.

"How long do you think you can run away? If I keep chasing you like this, how long can you keep looking back?" He chuckled softly, "You're always running away, and I just want to catch up. Even if you don't like it, I have to make you understand that you can't hide like this forever."

I hugged my knees tightly, wanting to curl up into a ball and not face what he said. I knew that every word he said was like a direct attack on my soft spot. I didn't dare to admit it, but I was powerless to refute it.

Nightingale didn't force me to answer. He just sat quietly beside me, his eyes fixed on me, as if waiting for me to slowly let down my guard.

We stayed silent for a long time, the tension in the air thick, until I felt myself gradually calming down. Finally, I whispered, "It's not that I'm afraid to face it." My voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

Nightingale smiled slightly, with an inexplicable glint in his eyes, as if he had finally heard what I was trying to say. "Then tell me, why are you always hiding?" he asked, his tone softening.

I wanted to say something, but suddenly I had no answers. I lowered my head, clasping my hands tightly around my knees, a wave of indescribable emotion welling up inside me. I didn't even dare look up at him, afraid he'd see through me again.

Nightingale sighed, reached out and patted my back, her gentle tone carrying a rare patience: "Girl, don't be a deserter anymore."

I bit my lip and lowered my head, avoiding Nightingale's penetrating eyes. Although his tone was gentle, the resistance in my heart only grew stronger. The feeling of being seen through made me extremely uneasy.

"Why do you care about me so much?" I said sharply. Although my voice was weak, every word was filled with unquestionable determination. "Don't you think... this kind of concern is too heavy?"

Nightingale was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't expected me to say that. His eyes suddenly became complicated, and that hidden expression made my heart tremble, and I couldn't help but take another step back.

"Heavy?" He chuckled softly, with an emotion in his eyes that I couldn't understand. "Do you think caring for you and worrying about you is heavy?"

I bit my lip, my mind a mess. I knew, in fact, that he meant no harm. Nightingale had never been truly a bad person. It could even be said that his concern had never been forced in the slightest. But I still didn't like this feeling.

"I know you don't mean any harm." I closed my eyes and spoke with difficulty. My voice was soft, yet clear. "But I... don't want to be taken care of, especially by you, indiscriminately."

Nightingale's smile gradually faded, and he looked at me quietly, seemingly without any immediate reaction. I suddenly felt an inexplicable fear that he would be angry or disappointed by what I said.

"You're right." Finally, Nightingale's voice broke the silence, and he sighed softly, "You really don't need to be taken care of. You are a strong girl, I have always known that."

I lowered my head, not daring to look up. Those words were like a knife, cutting my heart and causing it to ache. Nightingale was truly the one who could see through my heart the most. He always saw the weaknesses I was unwilling to admit.

"But sometimes," Nightingale's tone softened, like a whisper of comfort, "you can also let down your guard and accept other people's care. Not every care has a purpose, and not everyone wants to get something from you."

My heart stirred, as if something had been touched. I wanted to say something, but I found that I couldn't speak.

"I know you want to escape," Nightingale whispered, "but escape won't solve the problem. Don't you think?"

I didn't respond, but just sat there quietly, with my head down, silent.

Nightingale stopped pressing him and just patted my shoulder gently, "You know I'm always here, girl. Whether you want to accept it or not."

I took a deep breath, lowered my head, and said something irritable. "It's so annoying. You're always like that." The words came out of my mouth, full of emotion, and I didn't even realize it.

Nightingale didn't immediately refute me. He just looked at me quietly, his eyes penetrating my tough exterior, as if he could see the turmoil in my heart. That direct gaze made me feel an indescribable pressure, but also a kind of subtle tenderness.

"Really?" He chuckled softly, a hint of irony on his lips, as if he wasn't surprised by my reaction. "I always think that people who can annoy you are the ones who can touch you the most. Isn't that right?"

I was stunned for a moment, unsure how to refute her. Nightingale's words had a certain understatement that could make you ponder without even realizing it.

"It's okay if you don't like me like this." He paused, the smile in his eyes gradually disappeared, and turned into a hint of seriousness, "But you have to admit that you can't hold on alone forever."

I didn't respond, but just lowered my head. Suddenly, an inexplicable emotion surged in my heart, like a turbulent wave, hitting me again and again. But I still forced myself not to look at him, not to face what was happening in front of me.

Nightingale seemed to sense that I didn't want to continue talking, so he didn't press me. He just stood there, waiting quietly, as if he had long been accustomed to my stubbornness and silence.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, so quiet that one could almost hear their own heartbeats. I felt a little confused, not even understanding what I was resisting. The nightingale had done nothing wrong; on the contrary, he had been reminding me of things I didn't want to face.

"You don't have to care whether I'm annoying or not." He suddenly broke the silence, his voice low and gentle, "But I still hope you know that you can choose to rely on others. Reliance will prevent you from becoming so lonely."

I clenched my fists, with a complicated expression on my face. Finally, I raised my head and met his deep eyes.

"I understand." I answered in a low voice, and a subtle change occurred in my heart.