Special Event – MC’s birthday (Leire)

Leire has been standing in front of the mailbox for a while now. Her gaze is fixed on the letter in her hands, the paper slightly crumpled from holding it for so long.

"Maybe I shouldn’t have written it..." she mutters to herself, pursing her lips.

Today is MC’s birthday. Leire isn’t someone who cares much about birthdays, so she hadn’t planned to do anything about it. But Albert’s insistence got on her nerves so much that she agreed to buy a gift, if only to get her brother off her back.

After spending the whole morning—and skipping lunch to spend part of the afternoon as well—searching for something suitable for MC, Leire ended up deciding that writing a birthday letter would be the best option. After all, why would a mage like MC want a new sword?

But now that she’s written the letter and is about to send it, Leire isn’t so sure.

She tightens her grip, crumpling the letter a bit more. "Maybe I should take out that last part."

A sudden slap on the mailbox startles Leire. When she looks up from her hands, she meets Ada’s amused, smiling face.

“Well, well! What are you doing here?” The doctor wraps an arm around Leire’s shoulders. “I was actually looking for you. Since it’s MC’s birthday today, I was planning a party at the tavern. You in?” She then notices the letter in Leire’s hand and eyes it curiously. “Hey, what’s that?”

Leire abruptly pulls away from the woman. "None of your business, Ada."

“If you want to send it, you’ve got to put it here.” Ada snatches the letter from Leire’s hand before the warrior can stop her, and Leire watches in horror as the doctor slips the paper through the narrow slot in the mailbox. “And there it goes.”

“No!” Leire shouts, grabbing the mailbox in desperation. She turns to Ada, fury flashing in her eyes. “I didn’t want to send it!”

Ada blinks a few times, confused. “Then why did you write it?”

“Go plan your stupid party and leave me alone!” Leire growls.

Ada raises her hands. “Okay, okay. Damn, someone’s in a mood today.”

But Leire is too busy trying to figure out how to get the letter back out of the mailbox to listen to Ada’s muttering as she walks away. Out of the corner of her eye, Leire sees the mailman turning the corner, heading toward her spot to collect the mail.

It’s already too late to rip the mailbox from the street.

---

[With MC, at their home…]

You arrive home from work with some effort. Your superior, along with several coworkers and a neighbour or two, stopped you on the street to give you birthday gifts. Balancing bags and boxes, you somehow manage to open the door to your house and drop everything near the entrance.

“Gods, I can’t feel my arms,” you sigh in exhaustion.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a couple of letters in the mailbox. You grab them before closing the door and collapse onto the couch to rest while you read them. It’s not often that you get mail.

The first letter makes you laugh out loud. You recognize it immediately, though Ada’s handwriting is a nightmare to decipher. After a few minutes of struggle, you manage to understand that she’s organized a party for you at Tamarant.

You smile, picturing the scene. But before heading out to join them, something about the second letter grabs all your attention. It’s a simple white envelope, with no distinguishing marks beyond your address. You slip the paper out slightly, and as you read the first lines, recognition hits you.

"Happy birthday, MC. Out of all the strangers who’ve shown up looking for shelter in the village this past year, you’re one of those who’ve made the most difference and improved this place.

The village guard would be full of incompetents if it weren’t for your skills, and by now I probably would have killed my partner if it wasn’t you."

A sly smile spreads across your face as you recognize the neat, firm handwriting. You can almost hear Leire’s voice as you read, and then laugh when the idea of framing the letter to tease the warrior every chance you get crosses your mind.

That would probably make her regret everything she’s written, but just seeing the look on her face would be worth it.

You pull the letter out fully to find a frame, but a line at the end makes you stop in your tracks.

“I’m glad you stayed in Sorrol.

With love, Leire.”

Your heart skips a beat, and everything you were feeling a second ago fades away. You read the line again, and then once more, almost in disbelief. You feel something warm begin to bloom in your chest, and a different smile, softer, less playful, appears on your face. For a moment, all you can do is laugh and press the letter to your body, as if you could feel Leire’s presence through the paper.

In the end, you get up, not to look for a frame, but to store it safely in your bedside drawer. You’d rather the contents of the letter stay private.

Just for you and Leire.