When the farce caused by the temporal anomaly finally ended, the students, filled with confusion and the relief of having survived a disaster, set off on their respective ways home.
For the citizens of Paris, even the most bizarre Akumatization incidents eventually returned to being routine.
However, for those whose homes suddenly contained another "self," this night was destined to be turbulent.
At the Paris Grand Hotel, under luxurious crystal chandeliers, the polished marble floor reflected the magnificent, opulent interior.
When two identical faces—Chloé and her parallel world counterpart, "An Chloé"—walked side-by-side into the hotel lobby, the expressions of all the staff froze.
The receptionist's mouth formed an "O," and a nearby waiter nearly dropped the tray in his hands.
"Hawk Moth," Chloé simply spat out three words, a hint of impatience in Her tone.
These three words seemed to be a universal explanation; the staff immediately showed understanding, bowing respectfully without asking further questions.
The butler, Armand, quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Miss, welcome back."
His gaze briefly flitted between the two Chloés, but his professional demeanor prevented him from showing any extra emotion. "Misses, please follow me. Your room is ready."
At the same time, he quietly sent an urgent message to the Mayor.
He then led the two of them through the luxurious corridor and into the Presidential Suite.
In front of the suite's massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the view of Paris was unobstructed.
When only the two of them remained in the room, the atmosphere instantly became subtle.
Chloé attacked first. She crossed her arms, scrutinizing her other self, Her tone sharp: "Why were you so close to that Ladybug just now?"
An Chloé was curiously examining the suite, which was slightly different from the furnishings in her own room. Hearing this, she looked bewildered: "What do you mean, why? I'm Ladybug's number one fan, aren't you?"
She looked at Chloé suspiciously, as if looking at an alien.
An almost exaggerated expression of pride and disdain appeared on Chloé's face. She tapped her chest with her fingertip and declared word by word, "I am the Queen. The future Miraculous Queen."
An Chloé was completely speechless looking at this fanatical "self," who seemed to be suffering from some major delusion.
She complained wildly internally.
Although she usually enjoyed playing the role of a queen, she was very clear about her own identity—it was just using her status as the Mayor's daughter to show off in front of classmates and enjoy minor privileges.
As for a true queen? Forget her; even her mother, Audrey, who commanded influence in the fashion world, wouldn't dare refer to herself in that manner.
Immediately, An Chloé recalled another important matter and complained irritably: "Oh right, why didn't you bring Sabrina with you too?
My nails need fixing, and no one is here to pick out my strawberries tonight... It's so inconvenient without Sabrina here!"
A glint flashed in Chloé's eyes upon hearing this.
She quietly took a step closer and, in a testing, secret-sharing tone, whispered those three words: "Hawk Moth."
"Hawk Moth?"
An Chloé frowned. "That big idiot who dark transforms people every day, tries to steal the miraculous, but fails every single time?
Why bring him up? How could I be involved with someone like that?"
Her expression of pure disgust did not seem fake.
Chloé understood.
This naive little princess, living under the Mayor's protection, was fundamentally different from her, the "Queen" who had been personally acknowledged and promised things by Hawk Moth.
Although she knew her relationship with Hawk Moth was merely one of mutual exploitation, she firmly believed that Hawk Moth would never easily abandon her as a chess piece.
His respectful attitude proved her value.
She, Chloé, was destined to shine brightly in the future.
When that fated moment arrived, she would actively embrace the Akumatization and then declare to the world—she was the true Queen!
She would even make her high-and-mighty mother kneel at her feet!
Thinking this, a fanatical light flashed in Chloé's eyes. Of course, she also clearly knew that at the end of the story, she would definitely lose.
Because a good Hawk Moth is a Hawk Moth who always fails.
With this thought, the look in her eyes as she gazed at An Chloé was filled with the pity and superiority of a superior looking down on the ignorant.
An Chloé felt uneasy under her gaze. She read in Chloé's eyes a kind of superiority she had only ever seen in herself—the feeling of having everything under control.
"Are you... hiding something from me?" she asked cautiously.
Chloé smiled, not intending to tell this "naive" self about her secret transaction with Hawk Moth.
She took out her phone, quickly tapping her fingers on the screen, and sent a message to her Sabrina.
[Don't say anything you shouldn't. Especially about 'dark' things.]
She believed her loyal Sabrina would understand what she meant.
"What are you typing?"
Just as An Chloé tried to lean over to look, the suite door was pushed open.
The Mayor of Paris walked in. When he saw two identical daughters in the room, he was stunned. "Wha... What is going on?"
Chloé didn't even look up, still focused on her phone, and casually said: "Obviously, an Akumatized Person transported the me from another world here. So, starting today, she is a temporary resident."
"Temporary resident?"
Hearing this, An Chloé jumped up from the sofa in anger. She ran quickly to the Mayor's side, hugged his arm, and spoke in a sickeningly sweet, spoiled voice,
"This is my home to begin with, how can I be a temporary resident? Tell me I'm right, Papa?"
That sweet "Papa" almost melted the Mayor's heart.
He quickly hugged An Chloé, his face covered in doting smiles: "Yes, yes! Chloé from any world is my darling treasure! Stay as long as you like!"
At this point, Chloé finally finished typing. She put away her phone, stood up, and said coldly: "In that case, her room cannot be near mine.
I require absolute privacy. Even if she is me, I don't like being watched by another me."
"I can't stand living with you either!"
An Chloé immediately retorted, then gave the Mayor a sweet smile, "Papa, isn't the suite next door empty?"
"No problem! No problem! Papa will arrange it immediately!" the Mayor guaranteed repeatedly.
Sabrina's home.
Meanwhile, after the two Sabrinas returned home, her father, Officer Roger, was only momentarily stunned when he saw the two daughters, and then calmly accepted it.
In Paris, what kind of bizarre things hadn't Akumatized Persons caused? Just one extra daughter, a minor situation.
After all, even if the Eiffel Tower grew legs and ran off one day, he wouldn't be too surprised.
The two silently finished dinner and returned to their room.
Just as Sabrina curiously wanted to exchange notes with An Sabrina, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Chloé.
Although it was only a few short words, Sabrina instantly understood.
She knew that anything about Hawk Moth, or the potential secrets between Chloé and him, absolutely could not be revealed to this parallel self.
Therefore, she used trivial, perfunctory information to deflect An Sabrina's various questions.
Similar yet different stories were unfolding in other people's homes.
The two Julekas sat facing each other on the carpet in the floating boathouse. The lights were off, and only the shimmering light of the Seine River outside the window reflected on their silent faces.
They didn't need many words; through occasional eye contact, they could understand each other's inner loneliness and longing.
Meanwhile, the two Roses chattered non-stop. An Rose excitedly described her experience of being dark transformed into "Princess Fragrance," and thus becoming good friends with Prince Ali.
When the Rose of this world heard the term "Princess Fragrance," her body trembled slightly.
This word felt like a key, unlocking a long-sealed treasure chest deep within her memory.
Inside the treasure chest, the figure of Jaden appeared, along with the scene of him using his almost divine power to save her from the abyss of sickness... Sweet and sour tears uncontrollably streamed from the corners of her eyes.
"Huh? Why are you crying?" An Rose asked with concern.
"I'm fine,"
Rose quickly wiped away her tears, a happy smile on her face. "It's all... sweet things."
After speaking, she stood up. "Excuse me, I have something to do, I need to make a phone call."
She hid in the bathroom and dialed Alix's number.
Alix's home.
At this moment Alya was sitting side-by-side on the floor with her other self, Alix.
Her brother Jalil and her father, though surprised by the surreal scene before them, quickly accepted it.
"With Hawk Moth around, anything is possible," this had become the consensus among the citizens of Paris.
"I already gave your broken pocket watch to Ladybug, she said she knows how to fix it," Alix said to Alix.
"That's great!"
Alix excitedly jumped up. "Our family heirloom This means I might also be able to transform into a superhero in the future! Imagine that moment, it would be so cool!"
She struck a heroic pose, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Alix couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her lively appearance.
Immediately, her brow furrowed in distress.
Tomorrow... what excuse should she use to ask Jaden out tomorrow?
After asking him out, what excuse should she use to start the date? And how should she start the conversation during the date?
It was too annoying! Compared to all these roundabout tactics, she was much better at roller skating... but those activities clearly couldn't be used for her first formal date with Jaden.
Just as she was immensely troubled, her phone rang. It was Rose calling.
"Rose, are you okay? Your voice sounds... like you're crying?"
Alix keenly noticed the choked, tearful sniffle over the phone.
"I'm fine," Rose's voice held an uncontrollable joy. "It's all... very sweet things."
The two talked for a while, and Alix agreed to Rose's request, deciding to postpone her date with Jaden and give the slot to Rose, who seemed to have an urgent matter.
In the bakery's attic, the atmosphere was not as harmonious as elsewhere.
The Marinette of this world and her counterpart from the other world, An Marinette, were engaged in a fierce debate.
The cause was Marinette learning that An Marinette's secret crush was the "Golden light bulb."
"I can't believe you like that Golden light bulb!" Marinette looked utterly confused.
"You can't talk about Adrien like that!" An Marinette immediately retorted, standing up excitedly. "Do you know how amazing Adrien is? He's handsome, he fences, he plays the piano, and he speaks Chinese! Plus, he's so gentle and kind!
"But he's an aristocrat!" Marinette interrupted her. "That so-called gentle demeanor is just the aristocratic education they receive from childhood!
But Jaden is different!"
When she mentioned Jaden's name, her eyes lit up. "Jaden is unique; his tenderness comes from his very core!
He comforts people, he cares for people, he looks after people—these are the rarest qualities! And..."
Marinette's tone became serious: "You and Lightbulb are fundamentally impossible.
Leaving aside the difference in family background, just based on his father, who is as strict as a fascist, there's absolutely no way he'd agree to you two being together!
Unless... unless Gabriel dies!
So, you should cut off this thought sooner rather than later. When the Jaden from your world comes to France in the future... you will understand."
"You're talking nonsense!" An Marinette was stung by her words and retorted loudly.
Meanwhile, the two Tikki were sitting on a nearby spool of thread, each holding a biscuit, watching the "self vs. self" argument with great relish, looking exactly like spectators enjoying the drama.
Then, seeing that An Marinette still insisted, Marinette decided to completely shatter her illusion.
"Do you have any substantial contact with him?" Marinette asked calmly.
An Marinette immediately straightened her back, as if to prove something: "Of course I do! We go to school together, we leave school together, and I even..."
She spoke non-stop, but Marinette keenly noticed that these so-called "contacts" were all trivial, harmless little things that happened at school or in public, lacking any true "intimacy."
Marinette looked at her with an almost speechless gaze, an expression filled with the realization of, "I knew it would be like this."
An Marinette originally wanted to continue weaving those illusory "pink bubbles" between herself and Adrien, but under Marinette's all-knowing gaze, she gradually trailed off.
"D-don't look at me like that!"
Somewhat embarrassed and angry, she turned the focus onto Marinette, "Don't you... don't you act the same way when you're facing your Jaden?"
"The same way as you?" Marinette repeated.
An Marinette nodded vigorously, as if seeing hope.
"In a sense, yes,"
Marinette changed the subject, a slightly boastful smile playing on her lips, "But Jaden and I are much further along than you are."
She began listing things: "We kissed at the TV station. We spent intimate time together playing games in the park.
At the zoo, he faced danger alone to protect me. Oh, and quite often, he personally walked me home because he worried I'd be in danger alone... And that time at the hotel, he stayed with me and encouraged me to finish my design..."
With every intimate detail Marinette mentioned, An Marinette's face grew a shade paler.
She felt like a pitiful clown. Her unilateral crushes and fantasies seemed so ridiculous and insignificant compared to the real and rich shared experiences between Marinette and Jaden.
She hadn't realized that the version of herself in this world had already progressed this far with the boy named Jaden.
"You... you didn't tell him about your identity as Ladybug, did you?"
An Marinette asked in a tiny voice, clinging to a final thread of hope.
"Of course not,"
Marinette shook her head, Her tone becoming solemn. "That is an absolute secret. If I were to tell him... it would have to wait until the future."
Her last sentence was mumbled, as if she were talking to herself.
"The future? What did you say?" An Marinette hadn't heard clearly.
"Nothing." Marinette concluded, "In short, you and Lightbulb were wrong from the start."
"No, we weren't! I... I have Alya helping me strategize, and I'll work hard myself! I'll definitely get ahead of you!"
An Marinette retorted defiantly, but after her gaze lingered on Marinette's firm, confident face for a moment, her resolve weakened again. "Maybe you're right..."
As if to escape the depressing topic, her gaze suddenly shifted to the small box on the table containing the broken pocket watch parts.
"Right, this watch... how are we going to fix it?"
Marinette saw her abruptly change the subject but didn't expose her, only smiling mysteriously: "I can't fix it.
However, I know someone who can fix it."
As she spoke, she looked toward Tikki, who was munching on a biscuit nearby.
Marinette's Tikki flew up understandingly and said solemnly, "Understood, Marinette."
Marinette carefully packaged the box containing the watch parts and handed it to Tikki.
Tikki held the box with its tiny limbs, nodded, and then transformed into a streak of red light, flying out through the attic window.
"You... you've already met him?" An Tikki asked Marinette from the side.
"Yes."
An Marinette watched An Tikki and Marinette speaking in riddles she couldn't understand, and urgently asked, "What is going on? How are we going to fix Alix's watch? Who is 'he'?"
Marinette simply looked toward An Tikki.
An Tikki hesitated, and finally shook its head.
It didn't want its owner to absorb too much information beyond her comprehension in one day.
"That's a matter for the future,"
Marinette said in a deliberately mature tone, looking at the confused An Marinette.
"You'll naturally find out in the future. But for now... it's time to eat."
After speaking, she turned first and walked lightly down the stairs.
An Marinette remained in place, glaring angrily at her An Tikki: "Hey! I'm the one who came from the 'future' just a few minutes ahead, so how come I'm being treated like the 'past tense' now?"
She widened her eyes, hoping An Tikki would give her an explanation.
"It's a secret,"
An Tikki replied. "It wouldn't be good for you to know too early, and please don't look at me like that, I get embarrassed."
Seeing this, An Marinette had no choice but to give up questioning. She sighed and followed her downstairs.
Downstairs, Sabine and Tom had prepared a lavish dinner.
Although they were initially surprised to face two identical daughters, after hearing An Marinette tearfully recount how she had messed up the twentieth wedding anniversary of her "other-world parents," the kind couple immediately comforted her: "It's alright, child. Your mom and dad in the other world will surely understand, and they will fix it. Relax, and enjoy the dinner here first."
Under the warm light, the family of "four" enjoyed themselves happily, as if all their worries had melted away with the aroma of the food.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the Agreste Mansion was much more serious.
Adrien's Bodyguard drove the car, bringing the two identical "Young Masters" home.
When Nathalie saw the two Adriens, her gaze merely flickered behind her lenses before she calmly led them toward Gabriel's room.
Gabriel was sitting behind his desk, reviewing the latest design drafts.
When he looked up and saw his two identical sons, even he felt a headache coming on.
He never imagined that his other self would be foolish enough to let his son get involved in such dangerous spatiotemporal chaos.
"Adrien,"
he spoke first, "How did you come to this world?"
According to his usual habits, he would never harm his own son, no matter what.
"I... I don't know,"
Adrien replied nervously. "I was just hiding, and then... suddenly everything went black, and I appeared here."
"Father, I think this might be a collateral effect caused when the Time-Space Traveler crossed dimensions."
Adrien immediately stepped forward to smooth things over for Adrien.
Gabriel pondered for a moment and nodded: "In that case, you can stay here temporarily."
He told Adrien, "Take him to your room."
Adrien breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing he could stay.
He was very curious about what differences the room of his counterpart in this world would have.
Just as he was about to follow Adrien out, Adrien stopped, turned, and asked Gabriel, "Father, can I... go out with my friends tomorrow?"
Gabriel was working, so he answered without looking up: "Yes. You won the fencing match against Kagami, so you can arrange your weekend freely."
"That's great!"
Adrien cheered. He had already made plans with Nino, Marc, and Kim to go out and relax tomorrow.
Just as he turned to leave, Gabriel called out to him: "Jaden... is he alright?"
"He's fine, don't worry." Adrien replied.
"That's good."
Gabriel seemed relieved. He continued to pore over his design drafts, then, as if remembering something, he told Adrien, "The reaction online to you and Jaden is very good. Adrien, if you can convince him to become a long-term model for our brand alongside you, the effect would be excellent."
"Dad, Jaden won't participate in troublesome things like that." Adrien immediately refused. "Didn't he refuse last time when you personally invited him?"
"It's different,"
Gabriel looked up, His gaze profound. "You are classmates, you share a common language, and it's easier for him to communicate with you than with me. Go try."
"...Fine, I'll try." Adrien reluctantly agreed, then led Adrien back to his room.
As soon as Adrien entered the room, he looked around curiously.
The room's design and the furniture placement were almost identical to his own room.
His gaze quickly fell upon the several large computer screens.
Just as he was about to approach them, Adrien suddenly stopped him.
"Hey, why don't you take a shower first!"
Adrien's smile was a little unnatural. "Look, you went through such an intense battle this afternoon, you must be covered in sweat."
As he spoke, he pushed Adrien into the bathroom without giving him a chance to object.
This was because Adrien could sense that the fervent look in Adrien's eyes when he looked at Ladybug was exactly the same as his own used to be.
But he was no longer the simple teenager who only chased the red figure.
He couldn't let Adrien see the massive number of photos and videos of Jaden on his screens.
Taking advantage of Adrien's shower, Adrien quietly summoned Plagg.
"Plagg, help me keep an eye on him. Don't let him come out with your other self. I need to change a password." He whispered.
"What? Why are you guarding against your other self?" Plagg asked, confused.
Adrien didn't answer the question, only holding up three fingers: "This month, you get seventy, I get thirty."
Plagg crossed her arms and turned her head away: "Secrets can be shared, Adrien~"
"Eighty-twenty split!"
"I'm not the kind of Kwami who is obsessed with money, you know."
"It all goes to you!"
"Deal!"
Plagg immediately flew to the bathroom door, striking a pose of "one man holding the pass against ten thousand," "Secrets are personal! Don't worry, Adrien, I'll keep him, and my other self, tied up!"
Adrien sighed in relief, immediately sat down at the computer, his hands rapidly typing on the keyboard, and applied the highest level of encryption lock to all the photos, videos of Jaden, and the observation diaries he had secretly written.