Sana knew it would be exhausting. She knew she had little time. But before buying clothes, she had one more thing to take care of—her gifts for Levi and Erwin. She needed a beautiful wooden frame for Erwin's photograph and a leather bottle for Levi.
The first stop was to the carpenter, where she discussed the dimensions of the frame, making sure it would be perfect for the photograph. Then, she set off in search of the leather bottle. After hours of searching through various shops, she finally found one at a perfume store.
As she picked it up, Levi glanced at her with a curious expression. "What are you going to do with that thing?" he asked, clearly skeptical.
Sana grinned, a hint of mystery in her eyes. "That's a secret. Let's go get clothes now."
Levi raised an eyebrow. "You're keeping a lot of secrets these days."
"Oh, am I? What's the problem, adorable cute teddy bear?" she teased him.
Levi narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a half-smirk. "Let me fix you up first before you go hiding more secrets."
After stopping at a few more shops, Sana also bought a small gift for Mike, and decided to cook for Farlan and Isabel the next day since they loved her cooking more than anything.
Sana's eyes flickered nervously as the clock ticked on. "Let's go buy clothes, or we'll arrive at the party when it's already over."
"We need to buy a dress for me first. Your clothes are going to take time." Sana mocked.
They entered a shop, and Levi, surprisingly, picked out a red dress for her. "Oye, this dress will look good on you," he said, his voice soft but insistent.
"I want to wear black," she replied firmly. "The red one is too loud."
"But this color will look better on you," Levi insisted, his gaze lingering on her.
Sana scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You sure know a lot about what will look good on me." But despite her resistance, she eventually relented, grabbing the red dress. "Fine, I'll wear this red one."
Once they were done buying the dress, they went on to search for a suit for Levi. On their way, Sana spotted a restaurant. She was starving after hours of shopping, and as much as she found shopping with Levi a hassle, she also knew he had a knack for choosing the best for his family.
They sat down and ordered their meals. The conversation was casual at first, but then a few people at a nearby table started talking.
"I don't know what Commander Erwin is thinking," one of them remarked. "She couldn't even kill a single titan. Why does he give her such a title? She hasn't done anything outstanding."
His companion laughed. "She's probably beautiful enough to have that position. Have you seen her always hanging around Erwin's office? She's probably using tricks to climb up the ranks."
The words stung. Sana didn't expect people to think like that. Her gaze dropped to her plate, trying to ignore the hurt. But Levi could barely contain himself. His grip on his fork tightened as his jaw clenched.
"Let me go teach them a lesson," Levi muttered, standing up, his eyes filled with fury.
But Sana stopped him before he could get too far. "No, Levi. Don't. You can't just go around explaining everything to everyone. Let it go," she said, her voice shaking with both anger and fear. She didn't want him to get into trouble, especially not now when his image as a captain mattered so much.
Levi shot her a look that was both frustrated and conflicted, but he sat back down, visibly trying to control himself. "Fine," he grumbled, but his expression was cold, his hands still clenched into fists.
They finished their meal in silence, leaving the restaurant quickly, both of them seething in their own way.
As they made their way to the suit shop, the weight of the conversation still lingered in the air. They were both silent as they picked out a suit for Levi. It took a while, but finally, they had everything they needed. They rushed back to collect the frame from the carpenter. Once it was in hand, they returned to their room, where Sana hurriedly started assembling the gifts.
She framed Erwin's photograph, knowing how much he would appreciate it. And for Levi, she had carefully prepared a bottle of Earth perfume. It wasn't easy to make, but the process felt important, something deeply personal for Levi.
The perfume was made from clay, baked into discs and distilled over fire. The process was long and meticulous, but when it was done, the fragrance—fresh, earthy, and grounding—was exactly what she knew he would appreciate.
By the time she finished assembling both gifts, there were only two hours left until the party. She hurried to take a bath, but, as usual, the bathroom was occupied. Her impatience flared, but she had no choice but to wait.
Finally, when she was done, everyone was ready. Isabel had already dressed up, and the two of them went to join Levi and Farlan.
Sana smiled as she looked at the group. "Wow, you all look so nice," she said. "I wish we could take a photograph together in these outfits."
Levi raised an eyebrow but replied with a quiet chuckle. "Let's go. We're the only ones left."
They made their way to the venue, a well-organized, formal party that, to Sana's surprise, wasn't as boring as she had expected. Erwin and Mike were there, surrounded by people congratulating them on their promotions. Some people congratulated Levi and her, too, but there were whispers that sent a chill down her spine. It was hard not to hear the underlying tone of jealousy and suspicion.
When it was their turn, Sana congratulated Erwin and Mike, handing them their gifts. As she turned to give Levi his, she noticed Hange-san walking in with Moblit. She smiled, hoping the warm atmosphere would ease the tension that had built up over the evening.
The night was full of laughter and conversation, but the moment it started winding down, a sense of exhaustion settled over Sana. The buffet had been wonderful, but she was mentally drained. Everyone was heading back, and all she could think about was a good night's sleep.
He was alone in his room, the door quietly closing behind him. Everyone was fast asleep, and he found himself staring at the gift Sana had given him. He unwrapped it slowly, his mind half-filling with doubt. What had she given him this time?
It was the same bottle they had picked out earlier. A perfume, but... something more. The fragrance—it was exquisite. It smelled like earth, like fresh rain on soil. It was beautiful, and he realized with a start that she had made it herself.
"She really does think of everything," he muttered, his hand lingering over the bottle. Maybe this time, she hadn't played a joke on him. This gift felt like something real, something genuine.
Erwin sat in his study, looking at the gifts he had received. He had already opened most of them, but there was one gift from Sana that caught his attention. He carefully unwrapped it, he saw it was something like a portrait of himself, framed. He had remembered her asking him to pose like that months ago. He didn't know why it had taken so long for him to realize it.
He smiled as he read the note, "A photograph from Sana to Erwin Smith."
The moment was quiet, personal, and as he looked at the gift, he knew in his heart that Sana was exactly where she was meant to be.