"Lady Akio, I'm sorry for not better protecting your son", Lyra whispered.
Her once tough exterior broke down, showing the tears in her eyes. Lyra couldn't bring herself to look Akio in the eye knowing how she let her down.
"Look at me my dear child", Akio pleaded with a small smile on her face.
Lyra looked at her, tears going down her face as she couldn't keep them back anymore. Thankfully Akio brought her into a room away from everyone in her house.
"How many times have I told you to call me mother?"Akio asked.
Lyra chuckled as she wiped the tears out of her eyes, "Too many times since we meet ten years ago."
"Then why do you never bless me with the title my daughter?"Akio coaxed.
Lyra took a moment to answer, as memories flashed through her mind. When she first met Lady Akio, her husband, and Gin it was for a mission assigned by Mercer. At the time she felt like Mercer was abandoning her. She stayed quite doing what she could to prove her worth.
When Mercer didn't come back in six months she began to act, causing trouble running away. Yet they were so patient with her, she regrets it took Akio's husband dying to realize she saw them as the family she just lost.
Akio's husband Kenji, went looking for Lyra after she ran away from the house one night. During the search he encountered a raid from the people who invaded the kingdom during that time period. Once Lyra was returned by the City guards, everyone got the devastating news of Kenji passing.
This is how she began to overcome the feeling of revenge, the same thing she warned Sami about weeks ago. Even now she still tries to show Lady Akio how much she appreciates the things Lady Akio has done for her.
"Always serious since you were a young child", Akio addressed. Breaking Lyra out of her thoughts. "You know Gin would've done anything for you, so sacrificing his life is something he would've done to make sure you live. You've been probably letting the guilt eat you up because that's who you are. So let it go because I forgive you even though you didn't do anything wrong."
Lyra didn't say anything as she walked around the table, hugging Lady Akio tightly. Lady Akio did her best to comfort her, to make sure Lyra knew she wasn't alone. That she still cared for her all the same.
If anyone went by the room all they would've heard was crying, as two people mourned the loss of someone they loved.
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