Paris

42

   "Oh, dear. Was the Akuma truly that terrible?" Tikki asked.

   "It seems so," I answered, "I am not sure what happened with Rena and Carapace. Chat Noir and I were separated from them. But judging by the events we went through in that nightmare house, it was traumatic, to say the least. Especially so for Chat and Rena. It showed our deepest fears, regrets, and toyed with our emotions."

"I would not be surprised. All the miraculous heroes have had a tragic experience in their life, some far worse than others," Tikki explained.

   I bit the bottom of my lip in worry. I am going to talk with Chat Noir once we are finished with our sword-fighting session this evening. For the moment, I curiously looked over at the door and wondered where in the world Alya could be.

   She has yet to come and retrieve me from the closet.

   I placed Tikki in my pocket before exiting the small room. My eyes glazed over the area but there was no sign of a soul. Where was Alya? Where are the other servants and guards? I would have assumed someone would be searching for me.

I trailed down the halls in search of anyone.

"Hello?" I called.

"Lady Dupain-Cheng! There you are!" a male servant gasped. He approached me with a face scrunched up in concern.

"Are you alright? You are not hurt, are you?" He asked.

"I am alright," I confirmed, earning a relieved sigh.

"That is excellent news!" he said, gladly, "Come! Your parents have been curious about your whereabouts."

I winced at the mention of my parents but followed the servant. They must have wondered why I did not show up to the Akuma bunker.

"Do you know where my personal servant is?" I asked. The servant glanced over his shoulder before letting out a thoughtful hum.

"The last I saw of her was when she was warning us of the attack. I had asked where you were but she assured me you were in a safe place. You were in a safe place, right?" he asked.

"Yes, she made sure I was safe before going to warn the others of the Akuma attack," I answered. The servant nodded as we arrived outside my father's office.

"She had run off in a hurry to warn more people. I do not know what happened to her or where she went after that though," he finished. I gave him a final nod before he opened the doors.

   My mother was pacing the floor while my father watched her in worry. Mother stopped pacing the floor once seeing me.

   "Servant, you are dismissed," mother immediately said. The man bowed before leaving the room and shutting the door.

   "Marinette," my mother's stern voice startled me, "where were you?"

   "I was hiding in a safe place in a different part of the mansion," I answered. Her steely eyes narrowed, examining me from head to toe.

   "And where might have that been?" She interrogated me. I wondered where she was trying to go with this. What could she possibly be trying to figure out? I did my best not to uncomfortably shift in my spot and kept my face neutral.

   I am pretty sure she does not know of my secret superhero persona. There has to be something else she is suspicious about.

   "I was hidden away in a closet near my bedroom," I replied.

   "Was there anyone else with you?" she asked.

   "Where is she going with this?" I thought, "Could she really know about me being Ladybug or close to realizing it? I had been so careful. There is no way..."