diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 0d2b98b..dcc489c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ database = []
 http-client = ["dep:reqwest"]
 validation = []
 resilience = []
-i18n = []
+i18n = ["dep:rust-embed"]
 
 [dependencies]
 # Core
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ tokio = { workspace = true, features = ["sync", "time"] }
 # Optional: HTTP Client
 reqwest = { workspace = true, features = ["json", "rustls-tls"], optional = true }
 
+# Optional: i18n
+rust-embed = { workspace = true, optional = true }
+
 [dev-dependencies]
 tokio = { workspace = true, features = ["rt", "macros"] }
 
diff --git a/src/i18n/bundle.rs b/src/i18n/bundle.rs
index d885b27..aac0e30 100644
--- a/src/i18n/bundle.rs
+++ b/src/i18n/bundle.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,16 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::Path;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "i18n")]
+use rust_embed::RustEmbed;
+
 use super::Locale;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "i18n")]
+#[derive(RustEmbed)]
+#[folder = "locales"]
+struct EmbeddedLocales;
+
 pub type MessageArgs = HashMap<String, String>;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -80,13 +88,11 @@ impl LocaleBundle {
             .and_then(|n| n.to_str())
             .ok_or_else(|| BotError::config("invalid locale directory name"))?;
 
-        let locale = Locale::new(dir_name)
-            .ok_or_else(|| BotError::config(format!("invalid locale: {dir_name}")))?;
+            .map_err(|e| locale = Locale::new(dir_name)   .ok_or_else(|| BotError::config(format!("invalid locale: {dir_name}")))?;
 
         let mut translations = TranslationFile {
-            messages: HashMap::new(),
-        };
-
+            messages: HashMap
+         };.map_err(|e|
         let entries = fs::read_dir(locale_dir).map_err(|e| {
             BotError::config(format!("failed to read locale directory: {e}"))
         })?;
@@ -117,6 +123,30 @@ impl LocaleBundle {
         })
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "i18n")]
+    fn load_embedded(locale_str: &str) -> BotResult<Self> {
+        let locale = Locale::new(locale_str)
+            .ok_or_else(|| BotError::config(format!("invalid locale: {locale_str}")))?;
+
+        let mut translations = TranslationFile {
+            messages: HashMap::new(),
+        };
+
+        for file in EmbeddedLocales::iter() {
+            if file.starts_with(locale_str) && file.ends_with(".ftl") {
+                if let Some(content_bytes) = EmbeddedLocales::get(&file) {
+                    if let Ok(content) = std::str::from_utf8(content_bytes.data.as_ref()) {
+                        let file_translations = TranslationFile::parse(content);
+                        translations.merge(file_translations);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            .map_err(|e|
+        Ok(Self {
+            locale,
+            translations,
+        }) .map_err(|e|
+
     fn get_message(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&String> {
         self.translations.get(key)
     }
@@ -134,6 +164,12 @@ impl I18nBundle {
         let base = Path::new(base_path);
 
         if !base.exists() {
+            #[cfg(feature = "i18n")]
+            {
+                log::info!("Locales directory not found at {}, trying embedded assets", base_path);
+                return Self::load_embedded();
+            }
+            #[cfg(not(feature = "i18n"))]
             return Err(BotError::config(format!(
                 "locales directory not found: {base_path}"
             )));
@@ -175,6 +211,40 @@ impl I18nBundle {
         })
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "i18n")]
+    fn load_embedded() -> BotResult<Self> {
+        let mut bundles = HashMap::new();
+        let mut available = Vec::new();
+        let mut seen_locales = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+
+        for file in EmbeddedLocales::iter() {
+            // Path structure: locale/file.ftl
+            let parts: Vec<&str> = file.split('/').collect();
+            if let Some(locale_str) = parts.first() {
+                if !seen_locales.contains(*locale_str) {
+                    match LocaleBundle::load_embedded(locale_str) {
+                        Ok(bundle) => {
+                            available.push(bundle.locale.clone());
+                            bundles.insert(bundle.locale.to_string(), bundle);
+                            seen_locales.insert(locale_str.to_string());
+                        }
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            log::warn!("failed to load embedded locale bundle {}: {}", locale_str, e);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let fallback = Locale::default();
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            bundles,
+            available,
+            fallback,
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn get_message(&self, locale: &Locale, key: &str, args: Option<&MessageArgs>) -> String {
         let negotiated = Locale::negotiate(&[locale], &self.available, &self.fallback);
 
@@ -256,10 +326,7 @@ impl I18nBundle {
 
     fn handle_plurals(template: &str, args: &MessageArgs) -> String {
         let mut result = template.to_string();
-
-        for (key, value) in args {
-            let count: i64 = value.parse().unwrap_or(0);
-
+(key, value) in args  let count: i64 = value.parse().unwrap_
             let plural_pattern = format!("{{ ${key} ->");
 
             if let Some(start) = result.find(&plural_pattern) {