10/8/2024, 8:21 PM
❁
According to Osamu, it had not been her own mishaps that affected him so – it was even worse.
He blamed himself. Consumed himself with thoughts of how he’d somehow failed Izumi.
It was not often that Izumi shed tears. Only once during her imprisonment – yet the stubbornness, hunger and need to spite her captors distracted the crane from more crying afterwards. Once again after her return to this island – in mourning the loss of young Penumbra, and the quiet stillness of the lands she’d been taken from so long ago. Now the Empress sheds tears again. Lilac eyes glossed over with emotion while tears left her eyes in silence, looking towards Osamu.
愚かな男だなThe woman responded, upset at the idea that he would even dare blame himself for any of this. Her voice cracked.
どうして私を失敗させられると思ったの?How dare he carry such a heavy weight on his shoulders? How dare he hurt himself with such thoughts, to have Izumi see him in such a state? It hurt worse than the starvation she’d endured for nearly a year.
She gritted her teeth.
お前はいつものように任務を果たしたオサム。 あなたは私がいない間でさえ王朝を守り、私たちのメンバーを私と他の人たちを私たちが所属する家に連れて帰るように導きました。 あなたが私を失敗したと言うのはどうしてですか？ あなたは価値がないということですか？If anything, it was her that was not worthy. To have a man in her presence that was willing to risk so much for her – an Empress who failed her pack and left it to ruin with one, gullible mistake.
He was so…perfect. So wonderful, in ways that made her love him with a painful ferocity. Can he not see how wonderful he was?
You…
Her voice softened again, and more tears flowed against her hollow cheeks.
You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders as if it's feather weight…I don’t like that Osamu. Can’t you be selfish just this once and let me carry that weight with you?
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