Miraculous Ladybug: Princess Turns to Queen

Chapter 21: Cats out of the bag

Marinette was sitting on her lounge chair, drawing her newest design into her sketchbook. Usually ideas would come out easily and quickly, but somehow these days she wasn't in her best condition for design.

She sighed for the thousand time in this week, put down her sketchbook and pencil, stood up and laid on her bed, tugged a pillow into her arms. She hid her face in it and released another muffled and annoyed sigh.

Tikki who was reading the news on the Internet turned her head to the girl, flew to her head and looked at her tiredly.

"You've been like this for a week already, Marinette. Drop it." She deadpanned.

Even a god as patient as her, seriously she got tired of her endless sighing and sudden depression. The young designer gave the kwami an apologetic smile, tightened her grip on the pillow.

"I can't hold it Tikki. I just can't focus on my work these days." She bit her lip to conceal another sigh, rubbed her cheek on the pillow.

Her friends had stayed in the mansion for a week already. Everything was fine so far, except she would always bump into someone she knew, even she tried to avoid anyone of them already.

First she bumped to Nathanial and Marc who were working on their newest comic chapter in the living room when she planned to watch a movie there, then she spotted Nino and Kim who were hungry at night and sneaked into the kitchen in the midnight when she was getting herself a glass of water.

Accidentally met Mylene who was making out with Ivan in the garden which was so embarrassing to remember, next she was greeted by Alix and Alya in the corridor last night.

And this morning she met Rose in the public bathroom and unexpectedly being dragged by the petite girl and bombarded with bunch of questions, escaped awkwardly from the girl's enthusiastic mood.

The only relief was she didn't meet Adrien so far, not even once in the mansion. She doubted whether she could really act normally as Marianna in front of her long time crush.

"I really didn't expect Rose would have the courage to talk to me after all. I really freaked out when she suddenly approach me and asked me endless questions."

Marinette groaned and threw her pillow in the air and watched it fell back on her chest. Tikki smiled sympathetically to the girl's several unexpected bumping to her friends, especially every time she wasn't prepared well.

"But seriously, I think you should consider your next steps soon. They will and must know the truth." She said seriously.

Although everything worked fine so far, that didn't mean it could last forever. Marinette still needed to face her friends and gave them the explanation in the future.

The young lady groaned to the reminder of Tikki. She knew her partner was right, but she didn't know how. Seriously she didn't even had the courage to look at them already, not to mention to tell them the truth face to face.

Last time she really lost her guard to the sudden appearance of her friends in the early morning. Luckily, she managed it with her professional reaction as a fashion designer aka model with a perfect business smile that fool them for a moment, got her chance to run away before they react.

Ever since that day, she didn't see Felix in the mansion anymore. He was very busy these days for the preparation of the Global Royal Jewelry Auction coming next week. It was almost the final stage already therefore he needed to be absolutely cautious and concentrated on his work for now.

He just leave her with her friends in a house without giving her any instruction or advice for what to do. That heartless man...

And Diego, who was supposed to return last week suddenly informed her that his schedule would be delayed until next week the auction. She almost threw her phone on the floor when she received the message.