The phrase "I'm just envious," filled with jealousy and sadness, was like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring complex ripples in Adrien's heart.
"Yes," he thought.
Felix... how was he any different from himself?
They both lived under a huge, suffocating shadow.
He was bound by his father's heavy love, disguised as "protection," while Felix, after losing his father, was confined by the expectations of his entire family and his mother's grief.
They both yearned for friends, for freedom, for the ability to laugh freely and make mistakes openly, just like ordinary people.
Perhaps, that vicious video earlier wasn't pure malice, but a... clumsy, twisted cry for help, a desperate attempt to gain attention?
Adrien's original emotions were, in that instant, replaced by a deeper feeling, one called "sympathy."
"I know... perhaps... I didn't give you enough of a chance."
Adrien's voice softened. He took a step forward and gently patted Felix's shoulder, "From now on... you can't do these sneaky things anymore.
I just want... to truly understand you."
Felix looked up, and in his emerald green eyes, identical to Adrien's, a perfectly timed, touched light flickered.
"But... I'm afraid you won't agree," he said with a tone of inferiority and tentative hope.
"You forgot, we're cousins."
Adrien smiled, his smile regaining its usual sunshine and sincerity, "What wouldn't I agree to?
If you need friends, I'd be happy to introduce you to Jaden, Nino, and the others. They're all very good people."
"Really?" Felix's voice was filled with disbelieving surprise.
"Of course." Adrien nodded emphatically.
"Adrien..."
Felix seemed utterly moved. He stepped forward and gave Adrien a tight hug.
However, from an angle Adrien couldn't see, on his face pressed against Adrien's shoulder, all traces of emotion and vulnerability vanished without a trace.
In their place was a cold, calculating, mocking smile of triumph.
This hug lasted only a few short seconds.
When Felix released him, his face had returned to that endearing, slightly shy expression.
He said to Adrien, "I... I want to go for a walk and clear my head."
"Okay, go ahead." Adrien had no doubts at all, "A breath of fresh air will make you feel much better."
Felix nodded, turned, and walked out of the room.
As the door softly closed, Plagg, like a black ghost, quietly slipped out of Adrien's shirt pocket and floated in mid-air.
"Hey, kid,"
It crossed its arms and looked at Adrien with an extremely skeptical gaze, "Do you really believe that cousin of yours will 'turn over a new leaf' so easily?"
"Everyone makes mistakes, Plagg."
Adrien walked to the side of the bed, under the pillow, and pulled out the valuable goat cheese that Felix had hidden, "And everyone... should have a chance to correct them."
He handed the cheese to Plagg.
"Huh? This cheese isn't even spoiled yet?" Plagg's attention was instantly drawn to the delicious food. It cheered, pounced, and swallowed a large chunk in one gulp, "Mmm... tastes good!"
...As Felix walked out of the room, his expression, step by step, transformed from "remorseful" to "indifferent" and finally settled on "mocking" as he descended the cold marble staircase.
How... gullible.
He sneered inwardly.
Just a few words of feigned weakness had made his naive cousin completely drop his guard. However... he paused, his brow slightly furrowed.
Why?
According to his plan, that video should have been enough to stir up a huge storm of negative emotions in that class.
Anger, betrayal, disappointment... weren't these Hawk Moth's favorite "food"?
Why was the sky over Paris still calm, with no emergency news reports?
Could it be... Hawk Moth was taking a day off today?
He walked into the huge, empty living room on the first floor, lost in thought.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a familiar figure at the end of the right corridor, at the entrance to his uncle's studio, standing silently like a statue.
It was Nathalie.
Felix's face instantly switched back to its gentle, harmless expression, and he walked over.
"Nathalie."
He greeted politely, "Excuse me, is my uncle inside? I want to..."
"Young Master Felix."
Nathalie didn't even turn to look at him. She simply replied in a flat, emotionless, formulaic voice, "Mr. Agreste has very important matters to attend to right now.
No one is allowed to enter until Mr. Agreste is finished. If you feel bored, you may choose to go for a walk outside."
Her words were like an invisible, impenetrable wall, completely blocking all of Felix's attempts.
Felix looked at her iron-clad back, knowing that finding a breakthrough here was utterly impossible.
"Okay, I understand."
He shrugged and turned, walking towards the large garden gate... Outside the Agreste Mansion gate was a vast garden, meticulously manicured like a work of art.
As Felix pushed open the heavy gate and breathed in the fresh air outside, he didn't notice that, in his blind spot, a black and blue figure, like a leopard, silently leaped down from the top of the tall iron fence!
"Bang!"
The figure landed lightly on the lawn inside the courtyard, without making a single extra sound.
Felix turned his head and met the unexpected guest's gaze.
The newcomer was none other than the Akumatized Person, Pixelator. His pinkish-purple hair looked particularly eerie in the sunlight, and the high-tech goggles on his face flashed with eerie green data light.
"This is... an unexpected gain." Pixelator looked at Felix in front of him, a fanatical smile spreading across his lips, "I didn't expect to see my main target for this trip as soon as I arrived.
Young Master Adrien, did you come out specially to greet your number one fan?"
Felix's heart sank.
An Akumatized Person? And he mistook him for Adrien?
His brain instantly went into overdrive, but his face remained impassive. He replied with a probing tone, "...And you are?"
"I am Pixelator!" Pixelator announced excitedly. He raised his hand and struck what he thought was a cool posing stance, "I want... to take an eternal photograph of you!"
As soon as his voice fell, he suddenly pressed the button on his left ear!
"Buzz—!"
The monocle on his left eye instantly emitted a deadly, eerie blue beam of data light, like a venomous snake, shooting towards Felix!
"!"
Felix's pupils contracted sharply! Almost at the same moment the light shot out, he, relying on his superhuman reaction speed, suddenly lunged to the side, rolling clumsily on the grass, narrowly dodging the beam!
The blue light hit a neatly trimmed holly tree behind him. The tree didn't even sway; it was instantly disintegrated into countless pixel blocks, and then, with a "whoosh," disappeared into thin air.
"Oh? Not bad moves."
Pixelator was a little surprised, but then became even more excited, "It doesn't matter, we have plenty of time to play hide-and-seek!"
He pressed the button again, and deadly beams of light shot towards Felix one after another!
Felix was in an extremely desperate state at this moment. He knew he absolutely couldn't retreat into the room, as that would lead this madman inside and endanger his mother.
He could only engage in a deadly war of attrition with this madman in this vast garden!
He ran around the huge fountain, using the splashing water as a temporary barrier.
He hid behind cold marble statues, listening as the deadly beams disintegrated those artworks one by one into data streams.
"Whoosh!"
Another beam shot out. Felix quickly ducked, hiding behind a gardener's wheelbarrow parked nearby.
Several Bodyguards and servants, who had rushed over at the sound, were hit one after another by Pixelator's beams before they could even figure out what was happening.
"No! I don't want these mediocre works!"
Pixelator looked at the people he had digitized, an artistic and contemptuous expression on his face, "They... are worthless!"
His gaze refocused on the direction where Felix was hiding, and he called out in a tempting, cat-and-mouse tone:
"Come out, Young Master Adrien! Let me take a picture of you, just one, okay?"
...Meanwhile, in the design studio, Hawk Moth was coldly observing everything happening in the garden through his link with Pixelator.
He watched the figure, so similar to his son, being chased in such a sorry state, a cruel smile on his face.
"That's it, Pixelator..."
He murmured softly, as if cheering on his "warrior," "As long as you capture him, then you can blackmail Gabriel and achieve all your dreams..."
At the same time, Nathalie quickly walked to Amelie's door.
She didn't knock, but spoke to the door with an unquestionable, firm tone:
"Madam Amelie, for your safety, please remain in your room and do not come out from now on."
On the other side, in Adrien's room, the muffled, eerie sounds of objects being disintegrated and disappearing from the garden outside finally penetrated the thick soundproof walls and reached his ears.
"What's happening outside?" Adrien's heart tightened. He immediately walked to the door and opened a crack.
Outside, his mountain-like, burly Bodyguard stood motionless, like a loyal guardian.
He saw Adrien peeking out, but the Bodyguard didn't speak. He simply made an unmistakable gesture with his large, white-gloved hand—go back.
"Let me go out and see."
Adrien tried to step out, but that hand, like an iron gate, firmly blocked his way.
Then, with a faint "click," the door was closed from the outside.
Adrien was a little unhappy.
He wasn't the kind of person who could calmly stay in a "safe" cage while the storm raged outside.
He had to find out what was happening!
"Plagg!" he called out softly.
"What? I'm in the middle of a good meal..." Plagg complained indistinctly, her mouth full of cheese.
"Help me go out and check the situation, quickly!" Adrien's tone was unquestionable.
"Alright, alright..." Plagg looked at his anxious expression, knowing that this peaceful meal was not meant to be.
After receiving Adrien's instructions, it reluctantly swallowed the remaining large chunk in one gulp, its cheeks puffed out like a hamster.
Then, its body blurred, passing through the thick wall, and flew into the garden above.
A few seconds later, it flew back through the wall, an odd, gloating expression on its face.
"Hey, Adrien, your cousin... seems to be in big trouble."
"What do you mean, Plagg?" Adrien asked, puzzled.
"There's an Akumatized Person outside, looks like a crazy photographer."
Plagg quickly explained, savoring the lingering taste of the cheese,
"He's mistaking your cousin, who looks exactly like you, for you, and is chasing him everywhere, constantly muttering about 'taking a picture of you.'"
"Taking pictures?"
"Yeah," Plagg briefly described Pixelator's terrifying ability, "He can shoot a beam of light from his eyes that turns people into pixel blocks and then absorbs them."
Adrien's face instantly changed.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "Then we have to help him!"
"Help him?"
Plagg rolled its eyes, "Leaving aside how he just treated you, what about that big Bodyguard at the door? How are you going to get out?"
"So, we'll take the unconventional route." A determined light flickered in Adrien's eyes.
"Alright, alright, time to 'work' again."
Plagg sighed reluctantly, "Although I'm not happy about it, I'll listen to you."
"Plagg, transform!"
A green light flashed in the room. When the fashion model Adrien disappeared, he was replaced by the agile Cat Noir, with a hint of wildness in his eyes.
He didn't hesitate, rushing straight to the room's huge floor-to-ceiling window, pushing it open, and leaping out, leaving the place.
Shortly after he left, at the room's entrance, Nathalie, in high heels, slowly ascended the stairs.
She came before the still-loyal Bodyguard and questioned him with her eyes.
The Bodyguard nodded slightly towards the closed door, indicating that the target person was still inside the room.
Nathalie then relaxed.
She didn't linger any longer, turned, and returned to Amelie's door, continuing her seemingly calm, yet secretly turbulent, guarding duty... On the roof of the Agreste Mansion's huge garden, Cat Noir landed gracefully.
He half-crouched on the tiles, observing the situation below from above.
The garden was already a mess. The lawn was covered with digitalized, vanished craters left by the light beams, and several valuable marble statues were reduced to only their lonely bases.
And his cousin Felix was clumsily hiding behind a row of shrubs trimmed into a maze, panting heavily.
The Akumatized Person named "Pixelator" was like a patient hunter, approaching the bushes step by step.
Cat Noir didn't act immediately. He first took out his metal staff, quickly sent a distress message and his location to Ladybug, then put away his staff and took a deep breath.
The next second, he leaped down from the roof like a black falcon!
"Bang!"
He landed steadily between Pixelator and Felix, kicking up a spray of grass.
He stood with his back to the startled Felix, holding his metal staff, a characteristic confident and playful smile on his face.
"Hey, I say, Mr. Photographer,"
His voice was filled with casual provocation, "Damaging someone else's garden isn't very polite, you know."
Pixelator was furious that his "hunt" had been interrupted. He looked at the black cat blocking his way and said impatiently, "Cat Noir... I'm not interested in you, get out of my way!"
"Don't say that."
Cat Noir slung his metal staff over his shoulder and, with a touch of vanity, tossed his golden hair. "Compared to an ordinary model, aren't I, a superstar and a superhero who protects Paris, more deserving of universal attention and a photograph from you?"
"Hmph, a hero?" Pixelator scoffed disdainfully. "Your influence barely extends beyond Paris.
But Gabriel's influence spans the entire world! As long as I capture 'Adrien,' I can achieve my greatest dream!"
"Oh? And what is your dream?" Cat Noir continued to stall for time, prompting him to speak.
"Of course it is," Pixelator's eyes gleamed with fanaticism, "to make all the famous people around the world beg me to take their pictures!
Then, I will eternally trap their most perfect moments within my frames, making them my personal collectibles!"
In the design studio, Hawk Moth, watching this scene through the link, could no longer hold back.
"You idiot! Cat Noir is stalling for time!"
He roared through their mental connection, "Get rid of him quickly!
If Ladybug arrives, it'll be two against one. How will you defeat two heroes then?!"
Pixelator heard the command and suddenly understood.
He stopped wasting words, his gaze sharpened, and he spotted Felix trying to sneak away.
He immediately pressed the button on his ear!
"Whoosh!"
A deadly blue beam shot towards Felix's back!
"Look out!"
Cat Noir reacted swiftly, swinging his metal staff and precisely hitting a ceramic dwarf ornament in a nearby flowerbed.
The dwarf ornament whizzed through the air, directly colliding with the beam's trajectory, instantly disintegrating into countless pixel blocks, and successfully blocking the fatal blow for Felix.
Pixelator's physical combat skills were indeed not high. Failing to hit his target, he could only rely on continuously firing beams to contend with the agile Cat Noir.
For a time, the garden was filled with intertwining light and shadows, explosions echoing one after another, and the battle reached a stalemate... Meanwhile, in the lounge area of the Paris Grand Hotel.
After listening to Adrien (and Felix)'s explanations and apologies, most of the anger in everyone's hearts had dissipated, but the atmosphere remained somewhat awkward and subdued.
"Alright, alright,"
Jaden stepped forward, smiling as he broke the silence. "Since it was all a misunderstanding, let's not dwell on it anymore.
I see it's getting late, almost noon. How about we go eat first?"
His suggestion immediately received a positive response from everyone.
Just then, the old butler Armand also approached at the opportune moment, bowing slightly to the crowd: "Students, lunch is ready. Please follow me to the dining room."
Just as everyone was about to get up and head to the restaurant for a luxurious lunch, the sharp-eyed Alya suddenly pulled Marinette, who was about to walk alongside Jaden.
"Marinette,"
She leaned into her friend's ear and whispered, "Your... your earring seems to have flashed."
"What?!"
Marinette's heart sank at the words, and she instinctively touched her earlobe.
The black ladybug earring indeed emitted a faint vibration, one that only she could feel.
(Why now of all times?!)
She wailed inwardly.
She had planned to use this lunch opportunity to chat with Jaden properly, normally, like ordinary friends, and deepen their relationship!
However, a hero's duty allowed her no moment of hesitation.
A visible flicker of panic instantly crossed her face.
Her brain raced, and finally, she concocted a lie that even she found incredibly clumsy.
"Ah! I... I just remembered!
I... I forgot a very important design tool at... at home!
I... I need to go back and get it! You... you all go ahead and eat, don't wait for me!"
After speaking, she didn't even dare to look into Jaden's eyes. She kept her head down and, amidst everyone's confused gazes, rushed out, almost running towards the hotel entrance in a panic.
Alya stood rooted, watching her friend's fleeing back, helplessly clutching her forehead, unable to utter a single word.
Here we go again.
When will this drama of things going wrong at crucial moments ever end?
In the top-floor restaurant of the Paris Grand Hotel, crystal chandeliers hung like frozen waterfalls, casting a soft yet brilliant light on every table covered with a pristine white tablecloth.
Silver cutlery gleamed with reserved elegance under the light, and the air was filled with the exquisite aroma of gourmet cuisine and the hum of whispered conversations.
However, in this elegant and harmonious atmosphere, the two long tables near the floor-to-ceiling windows seemed like two independent magnetic fields, not interfering with each other, yet secretly vying for dominance.
At the boys' table, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed, yet also filled with the unspoken restlessness characteristic of young men.
"Hey, guys,"
Kim lowered his voice, nudged Nino beside him with his elbow, and vigorously glanced towards the girls' table. "Who do you think... will win the prize at lunch today?"
"The variables in this question are too numerous; data analysis is required."
Max immediately entered scholar mode. He adjusted his glasses, and a string of blue data streamed through the eyes of Marc, the small robot hovering beside him.
A few seconds later, Max cleared his throat and, in the rigorous tone of someone presenting a scientific report, quietly announced to everyone: "Based on Marc's comprehensive analysis of past social interaction frequency, initiative, and emotional expression intensity,
the top three 'highest probability candidates' are currently: Chloé, excelling in 'home advantage' and strong 'declarations of possession';
Alya, excelling in 'straightforward personality' and 'proximity advantage' (as Marinette's best friend);
and Rose, excelling in 'pure expression of affection' and 'proactive offensiveness.'"
"What about Alix?" Nino asked curiously. "She seems pretty cool too."
"Alix's personality leans more towards a 'challenger' than a 'pursuer'; her emotional expression towards Jaden is relatively conservative."
Max explained, "Similarly, Juleka, Mylène, and Sabrina, due to their personalities, also scored relatively low in the 'proactive engagement' data."
"That's not necessarily true,"
Nathan, the romantic artist, shook his head, his eyes sparkling with gossip.
"A girl's heart cannot be analyzed by data.
I bet ten euros that the final winner will be someone unexpected."
"Oh?" His words immediately ignited the enthusiasm of everyone at the table.
"I'm in! I'll bet ten euros too! I bet on Chloé!" Kim unhesitatingly bet on his goddess (even though she had rejected him).
"Then I'll bet on Alya; she seems very energetic." Nino said with a smile, joining the betting game.
"I... I'll follow Nathan." Marc said quietly.
A secret betting game centered around Jaden, filled with youthful hormones, thus quietly began amidst the boys' whispers and snickers... At the girls' table, the atmosphere was a completely different scene.
Here there was no clamor, no betting, only a silent war of flashing blades and surging undercurrents.
Jaden sat in the center of the long table, like the eye of a storm, enjoying a moment of tranquility, yet clearly sensing the complex gazes coming from all directions.
To his left was Chloé.
She had fully embraced the role of "hostess," elegantly perusing the menu as thick as a dictionary, occasionally turning her head to ask Jaden in a naturally intimate tone: "Jaden, the Beef Wellington here is quite good. Shall I order you a portion?
Or do you like lobster? It's fine, let them bring both."
Her words, rather than a question, were a declaration of ownership.
To his right was Alya. She stood with her arms crossed, watching Chloé's performance, a hint of sarcastic sneer on her lips.
She took a sip of water, then seemingly casually asked: "Jaden, you know, Marinette, that girl, is always so scatterbrained. I wonder if it'll be dangerous for her to go back alone."
Her words cleverly reminded everyone of "Marinette's" existence, and subtly mocked Chloé's overly exaggerated enthusiasm.
Directly opposite him was Rose.
She completely ignored the clash of auras between the two "queens" beside her, and simply gazed at Jaden with her bright, sparkling eyes, without blinking, her voice so sweet it seemed to drip with honey: "Jaden, you must have been scared just now, right?
But it's okay, it's all over now.
You look a little tired, would you like some juice?"
Her concern was pure and direct, like an invisible, soft wedge, firmly driven between Chloé and Alya's confrontation.
Juleka and Alix sat beside Rose, like two silent guards.
Juleka kept her head down, her long bangs obscuring her eyes, but her tightly clutched napkin betrayed her inner turmoil.
Alix, on the other hand, appeared much more at ease. She toyed with her knife and fork, observing this "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" with a look of keen interest, occasionally curving her lips into a smile as if watching a good show.
Mylène and Sabrina, unfortunately, were caught in the middle of this storm. Both were on pins and needles, wishing they could shrink into a ball and completely disappear.
Jaden felt the almost solidified air and sighed inwardly. He smiled gently at Chloé on his left: "Thank you, Chloé.
However, I'd like to look at the menu myself, if that's alright?"
His tone was polite, yet carried a gentle firmness that brooked no refusal, making Chloé's words, which were ready to decide for him, get stuck in her throat.
Next, he turned to Alya on his right and answered seriously: "I think she should be back very soon, no need to worry too much."
Finally, he looked at Rose opposite him, his eyes warm: "Thank you for your concern, Rose.
I'm fine. If possible, could I please have a glass of orange juice?"
He didn't favor any side, nor did he ignore anyone.
He even proactively handed the menu to the most silent Juleka and Alix beside him.
"Juleka, Alix, what would you like to eat?"
In this gentle and considerate way, like a spring breeze turning into rain, he slowly dissolved and smoothed away the tense atmosphere at the dining table... Meanwhile, above the Agreste Mansion garden.
Marinette completed her transformation while running.
The red bodysuit, black spots, and the familiar mask.
But at this moment, Ladybug's blue eyes, which always sparkled with cleverness, burned with a desperate, almost "furious" flame.
(Faster! Finish this quickly! Maybe... I can still make it back to have lunch with Jaden!)
This thought became her sole, most powerful driving force at this moment!
She flung her yo-yo, like a red lightning bolt, accurately swinging above the battlefield.
When she clearly saw the scene below, without the slightest hesitation, she immediately joined the battle!
"Hey! Your opponent is over here!"
She shouted, and her yo-yo, like a cannonball, with a whistling gust of wind, slammed towards Pixelator!
Pixelator was contending with Cat Noir and was startled by the sudden attack from behind.
He hastily turned around and raised his arm to block.
"Clang!"
The yo-yo struck his arm with immense force, sending him staggering back several steps, his arm tingling.
"This...? !"
Pixelator looked at the suddenly appearing, fully empowered Ladybug, and his heart sank.
Through his link with Hawk Moth, he had a basic understanding of his opponents.
Cat Noir, though troublesome, had physical combat skills and strength within a controllable range. But this Ladybug...
"This... this isn't what the intel said!"
He wailed in his mind to Hawk Moth, "Hawk Moth, sir!
This Ladybug is not on the same level as that Cat Noir at all!
How is she... so ferocious?!"
Before he finished speaking, Ladybug's second round of attacks had already arrived!
The red yo-yo, in her hand, seemed to transform into a living, highly destructive weapon.
Sometimes it was like a long whip, cunningly striking at his joints;
Sometimes it was like a meteor hammer, powerfully smashing towards his face; and sometimes it transformed into a giant net, engulfing him from all directions!
Ladybug's attacks were straightforward, yet each move was deadly and full of oppressive force.
Within her petite body, it was as if a prehistoric beast, enraged by a disturbed meal, was unleashed!
Pixelator could only retreat and dodge frantically, unable to even find an opportunity to fire beams in retaliation.
"Woah..." Cat Noir, observing his partner's explosive combat power, clicked his tongue in slight exasperation.
(Ladybug today... has quite a temper. Could it be... it's that time of the month for girls?)
He muttered to himself but immediately joined the fray, coordinating with Ladybug to launch the final assault on Pixelator.
Under the heroes' furious combined suppression, Pixelator quickly became riddled with flaws and faltered in his steps.
Finally, Ladybug seized an opportunity, violently flung her yo-yo, and the red rope, like a nimble snake, bound him tightly, rendering him immobile.
"Done!"
Cat Noir whistled, walked forward, and prepared to remove the monocle, which was the Akumatized item.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the lens, a figure, like a ghost, darted out from the nearby bushes with lightning speed!
It was Felix!
With superhuman speed, he instantly snatched the monocle from Pixelator's head, then quickly retreated, aiming the lens at Ladybug and Cat Noir!
"What are you doing?!"
Ladybug sharply demanded.
Cat Noir was also stunned, not understanding the situation for a moment.
Felix looked at the two most famous heroes of Paris before him, a cold, calculating smile on his face.
He ignored their questions and instead looked up at the empty sky, shouting loudly:
"Hawk Moth! I know you're watching! I also know you want the miraculous from these two! So, how about we make a deal?!"
...In the design studio, Hawk Moth (Gabriel) watched this scene unfold, completely speechless.
When he saw Pixelator defeated, he thought today's farce was pretty much over.
However, he never expected that Felix, this clever fool, would pull such a stunt on him!
("A trade? I'll trade you a hammer!")
Gabriel cursed silently in his heart.
("You expect to defeat them both and get the miraculous? First, you can't do it. Second, even if you could, what would I do with their miraculous now? Wish for a parallel universe to replace me and this world I'm in? You're thinking too much!")
He had no more patience to play with this self-proclaimed clever fool.
All his current plans had to serve the ultimate goal of making Jaden work for him.
Any unexpected disruption to this rhythm was absolutely intolerable!
A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he no longer hesitated.
He used his authority as Hawk Moth to remotely cut off the energy link with that Akuma Butterfly!
...In the garden, Felix was immersed in the triumph of soon controlling the entire situation.
However, the monocle in his hand suddenly made a "crack" sound, and the lens instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, then completely lost its luster, becoming an ordinary, Abandoned electronic waste.
"...?"
Felix was stunned.
As he stared blankly, a pure black butterfly slowly flew out of the discarded lens.
Before it could fly far, a red light flashed.
"Got you!"
Ladybug swung her yo-yo, accurately capturing the black butterfly.
"Purify!"
When the yo-yo opened again, what flew out was a pure white, flawless butterfly.
"Goodbye, little butterfly."
Immediately after, she threw her yo-yo into the air.
"Miraculous Restoration!"
A familiar light swept through the entire garden, and all the damaged statues, lawns, and digitized people instantly returned to their original state.
As soon as she finished speaking, without even waiting for Cat Noir beside her to say anything, she immediately swung her yo-yo and quickly departed towards the hotel without looking back!
(Quick! Faster! Maybe... there's still time! Still time to go back and have lunch with Jaden!)
This thought was the only flame in her heart at this moment.
In the garden, the warm breeze brought by the Miraculous Restoration took away the smoke of battle, but it couldn't take away the eerie silence that permeated the air.
Cat Noir looked at Felix, who was standing still as if his soul had left his body, and countless questions arose in his mind.
He wanted to go forward and question him, to figure out what that absurd "trade" was all about.
But reason, like a cold rein, firmly held back his impulse.
He was Cat Noir now, a hero of Paris. A hero should not interfere too much in the family disputes of "ordinary people."
Moreover, this "ordinary person" was his own cousin.
Whatever he said or did could lead to unnecessary speculation and trouble.
He gave Felix a deep look, his eyes so complex that even he couldn't decipher them.
In the end, he just sighed silently, turned around, and with a few agile leaps, his figure, like a shadow merging into the night, quickly disappeared behind the high wall.
Vincent sat up blankly from the grass. He looked at the camera in his hand, then at the restored garden around him, his mind in a mess.
He only remembered seeing Jagged Stone's figure, and then... what happened then?
He couldn't remember. He shook his head, holding his camera tightly, full of confusion and a hint of inexplicable fear, and hurried away from this ominous mansion.
Gabriel watched all this coldly through the remote link. He made a slight "beep" sound on his wrist communicator.
At the studio door, Nathalie immediately received the signal. She made a very subtle "dismissal" gesture to the Bodyguard guarding Adrien's room door.
The mountain-like burly Bodyguard, as if receiving an imperial decree, silently bowed slightly to Nathalie, then turned around and, with heavy steps, disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Immediately after, a servant in a tuxedo came from the other side. He walked to the edge of the garden and respectfully said to the dazed young man still standing there, "Young Master Felix, it's lunchtime."
Felix seemed to be startled awake from a nightmare by the sound. He shivered and slowly raised his head.
In his emerald green eyes, there was still the shock and disbelief of a completely failed plan.
He looked at the servant, then at the door leading to the luxurious main house, silently nodded, and took stiff steps... Cat Noir did not go straight home. He ran a large circle around the roofs of the entire mansion, and after confirming that no one was following or monitoring him, he quietly climbed in through the huge French window of his room.
The green light faded, and he transformed back into Adrien.
An unprecedented sense of fatigue welled up from the depths of his heart.
He wasn't tired from the battle, but from the unspeakable, heavy confusion.
Felix... what exactly did he want to do? Make a deal with Hawk Moth? For the miraculous? Why would he do that?
He couldn't understand. In his simple worldview, family should not be involved with "bad guys."
"Hey, kid, don't think about it."
Plagg flew out of his clothes, still savoring the aroma of cheese.
"That kind of guy, you can tell at a glance he's no good. Just stay away from him."
Adrien didn't speak, just walked silently to the window, looking at the peaceful garden downstairs, his eyes complex... Felix returned to his room.
He pushed open the door and saw his mother, Amelie, sitting on the sofa, her hands tightly clasped together, her face filled with undisguised worry.
"Felix, are you alright? What happened outside just now...?"
"I'm fine, Mother." Felix's voice was a little hoarse.
Amelie looked at her son's distraught appearance, stood up, walked over, and gently hugged him. Her movements were gentle, and her voice was full of tenderness: "It's alright, it's all over. As long as you're safe."
However, in the depths of her beautiful emerald green eyes, identical to Emilie's, there was a cold, scrutinizing gaze.
Of course, she knew what had happened outside.
But what she wanted to know more was what foolish role her always arrogant and self-proclaimed clever son had played in this incident.
Mother and son, each with their own thoughts, fell into silence.
Until the servant knocked on the door again, informing them that lunch was ready and Mr. Gabriel and Young Master Adrien were waiting in the dining room... The dining room of the Agreste Mansion, rather than a place to eat, was more like a small, Baroque-style palace.
The dome was painted with exquisite angel murals, and a mahogany long table large enough for twenty people was adorned with priceless antique silver tableware.
Sunlight streamed through the huge stained-glass windows, bathing the entire space in an ethereal yet cold glow.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.
Gabriel sat at the head of the long table, his expression as always cold and authoritative, as if the Akumatization incident that had plunged all of Paris into panic had nothing to do with him.
Amelie and Felix sat on one side of the long table, while Adrien sat alone on the other.
Nathalie stood silently behind Gabriel like an emotionless shadow.
No one spoke.
Only the occasional crisp and piercing sound of cutlery hitting porcelain plates.
Adrien kept his head down, silently cutting the steak on his plate, but he had no appetite whatsoever.
His mind kept replaying the scene in the garden.
Finally, Gabriel broke the suffocating silence.
He didn't look at his son, nor did he look at his sister-in-law, but instead fixed his gaze on Felix, who had been silent since entering the room.
"Felix."
His voice was steady, without any discernible emotion, "Is lunch to your liking?"
This seemingly ordinary greeting from a host to a guest, in the eerie atmosphere of the moment, was like an invisible knife, cutting through the layer of false calm.
Felix's hand, holding the knife and fork, tightened abruptly.
He didn't know how much his uncle knew.
He looked up, meeting Gabriel's bottomless blue eyes, and replied with forced composure:
"Very... very much so, Uncle. Thank you for your hospitality."
"That's good," Gabriel replied indifferently, then said nothing more and continued to eat elegantly.
Just then, Amelie put down her knife and fork. She gently wiped her mouth with a napkin, then spoke.
"Gabriel, thank you for your generous hospitality."
Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable resolve, "However, our family has some urgent matters to attend to.
So, Felix and I may have to take our leave this afternoon."
Gabriel's cutting motion did not pause in the slightest. He didn't even look at her, merely saying indifferently, "Good."
One word, no retention, no pleasantries, as if their departure was as insignificant to him as brushing a speck of dust from his sleeve.
A flicker of anger crossed Amelie's eyes, but she quickly masked it perfectly.
However, Adrien could no longer endure this atmosphere full of mysteries and lies.
He put down his knife and fork, looked up, and stared directly at Felix opposite him.
"Felix, what... what did you mean just now?"
"What do you mean, Adrien?"
Felix, who was drinking water, stiffened at the question and asked, feigning confusion.
"I heard it in the room!"
Adrien's voice was very low, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear clearly, "You... what did you want to cooperate with that bad guy for?!"
These words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the silent dining room!
Amelie's face instantly changed.
And the always silent Gabriel finally slowly raised his head.
His gaze, like two cold sharp swords, shot towards Felix.
"Oh?"
He asked seemingly casually, but the oppressive tone in his voice was enough to suffocate anyone,
"Felix, what is it that you want, that you need to borrow the power of a villain like 'Hawk Moth'? Tell me."
There was even a slight smile on his face.
But that smile was more terrifying than any expression of anger.
The atmosphere in the dining room, at this moment, seemed already on the verge of conflict!
Felix felt like prey being stared at by several beasts simultaneously, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
He knew that if he didn't give an "satisfactory" explanation today, he would definitely not be able to walk out of this door safely.
His brain worked rapidly, countless lies flashed through his mind, and finally, he chose the most foolish, yet also... most effective one.
His shoulders suddenly slumped.
His face, which always carried a hint of coldness and calculation, was instantly flooded with endless sorrow and vulnerability.
His eyes quickly reddened at a visible pace.
"I... I just..."
His voice began to choke, filled with heart-wrenching trembling, "I... I just wanted to... to save my father..."
"What?" Adrien was stunned.
"I heard... I heard that Hawk Moth's power can grant any wish..."
Felix looked up, crystal tears rolling down his pale cheeks, "I... I miss my father so much... I just want to... to bring him back... even if... even if it's just for one day..."
As he spoke, he could no longer control himself, collapsing onto the table, his shoulders shaking violently, letting out suppressed, painful sobs.
Adrien stared at him in this state, completely stunned.
All his suspicion, anger, and confusion, at the sight of Felix's tears, turned into deep, powerless sympathy and guilt.
Yes... how could he forget, Felix... no longer had a father.
And he, still questioning him with such sharp questions, still hurting him... "Felix... I... I'm sorry..." Adrien's voice was full of apology.
He completely abandoned his earlier intention to get to the bottom of things.
However, at this dining table, besides him, no one else believed Felix's heartfelt "performance."
Nathalie stood behind Gabriel, her expression unwavering.
Amelie looked at her "crying" son, her heart filled only with cold mockery.
She knew better than anyone what kind of person Felix's father was.
That man would only impose the strictest discipline on Felix, and his heart held only selfishness and jealousy.
Felix would cry for him? It was simply preposterous.
And Gabriel, in turn, was like watching a clumsy, third-rate play.
He watched Felix quietly until his sobs gradually subsided.
He knew this was the only "explanation" Felix could offer to silence Adrien.
Although clumsy, it was... enough.
He didn't want to waste any more time on this foolish issue.
"Alright," he said indifferently, ending the farce, "Since it was a misunderstanding, let it go."