"Check the news," Jaden's voice was as calm as if discussing the weather, without a ripple of emotion.
Gabriel on the other end of the phone fell into a deathly silence.
After a long while, Jaden finally heard a string of curses, the anger deliberately suppressed.
"Hawk Moth… last time, because of that book, he dark transformed me… this time, he's even targeted my son… that bastard!"
Listening to Gabriel passionately curse his other identity, Jaden almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
Such acting, it would be a waste not to win an Oscar.
He continued to play along with the act: "You should tell him to be more careful."
"Careful? He says he knows how to be careful!"
Gabriel's voice suddenly rose, filled with the rage of betrayal, "But I don't trust him at all! That lunatic will do anything to get the Ladybug
Now he even dares to touch my son, it's outrageous! Does he still consider me a partner?"
"I called you to ask… if you have any ideas…"
"I, I simply… have no initiative."
Keep pretending, keep pretending.
Jaden sneered inwardly. He patiently listened to Gabriel finish his whole 'helpless father' act, then unhurriedly said, "Then, I'll go myself. After all, Adrien is my classmate and my friend."
"No!"
Gabriel immediately rejected his suggestion, His tone as urgent as a drowning man grabbing at a last straw, "Jaden, this is between Hawk Moth and me… so, I… I beg you, could you temporarily lend me your peacock miraculous?"
His voice carried a trembling note, almost pleading.
Here it comes.
Jaden understood in His heart; the fox's tail was finally showing.
"I refuse."
He answered concisely.
"Why?"
Gabriel seemed not to have expected such a direct refusal. "My son is in danger this time! I must have the power to contend with Hawk Moth!
I need him to give an explanation!
Please, Jaden, even if the peacock has side effects, I don't care!"
He continued to plead, his words sincere, as if he truly was willing to sacrifice everything for his son.
Jaden remained unmoved, continuing to refuse.
He knew Gabriel's calculations too well.
This guy was clearly using the pretext of "saving his son" to trick him into returning his "family heirloom."
After all, Gabriel had previously been wary of the side effects of the damaged peacock miraculous.
But ever since Jaden "overclocked" it during the "Timetagger" incident last time, although he initially showed some symptoms of physical exhaustion, after observing him for this period,
Gabriel must have already discovered that the so-called "side effects" were, at the very least, not as fatal and serious as the heroes claimed.
So, he was tempted. He wanted this powerful treasure.
But for Jaden, how could something that came into his hands be given to him?
Seeing Jaden fall silent, Gabriel on the other end of the phone also began to quickly consider if there were any flaws in his words.
His request to borrow the peacock miraculous was intended to create the image of a father who felt powerless due to Hawk Moth's existence and desperately needed a powerful "bargaining chip" to protect his family.
Jaden broke the brief silence.
"I will go save Adrien."
He said in an unchallengeable tone.
Then, without giving Gabriel any chance to speak again, he directly hung up the phone.
In the last moment before the phone was hung up, Gabriel's urgent voice came from the phone: "Please… please save my son!"
Jaden tossed his phone aside and let out a long breath.
He walked over to Duusu, who was looking at him worriedly, stroked Her little head, and said gently, "I'm going out for a bit. You stay home and don't worry about me."
"But…" Duusu was still very uneasy.
"It's fine,"
Jaden smiled, His gaze sweeping over the shadows in the corner of the room, "My 'Bodyguard's are still here. In a real crisis, they will protect me."
With that, he put on his coat and left the house directly.
After he left, Duusu hesitated for a moment, then quietly transformed into an invisible light, flew out the window, and followed him from a distance.
Jaden was unaware of this; he walked to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and stated the destination known to the whole world: "Louvre."
In the Agreste mansion's lair, Gabriel watched Jaden's retreating figure get into a taxi on the monitor screen, a satisfied smile of a successful plan appearing on his face. Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Just then, another encrypted call came in.
Caller ID — Mrs. Tsurugi.
He answered the call, and before he could speak, Mrs. Tsurugi's rapid-fire accusations, mixed with frost and fury, came from the other end:
"Gabriel! Why did you dark transform my daughter?
Also, what exactly was the Akuma Butterfly item you chose?!"
Her voice was filled with barely suppressed urgency.
"Calm down, Mrs. Tsurugi."
Gabriel made his voice sound as steady and soothing as possible. "It was merely the failure of a competition, plus a small obsession to witness the power of friendship. It won't have any substantial impact on your daughter.
As for the Akuma Butterfly item… it's the ring she's wearing." He said it indifferently.
However, this sentence ignited a powder keg.
"A ring?!"
Mrs. Tsurugi's voice instantly became sharp, filled with shock and anger, "You actually chose a ring as the host?!"
"Is there a problem?"
Gabriel was momentarily stunned by Her strong reaction, but then, a terrifying thought instantly jolted him awake, his face changing drastically.
"You… you didn't give that ring with the 'blue feather' to your daughter, did you?!"
He roared in disbelief, his voice filled with unprecedented shock and anger, "Foolish! How could you give Her that thing?!"
On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Tsurugi was taken aback by Gabriel's sudden questioning, which was even more furious than Her own, and she was momentarily stunned.
She completely didn't understand why Gabriel was so angry.
If anyone should be anxious, it should be Her, the mother, after all, it was Her daughter who was dark transformed.
"What you've done will ruin everything we're working for!"
Gabriel was practically roaring; he could no longer maintain his usual calm and elegance, and with a "snap," he hung up the phone directly.
On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Tsurugi also fell into deep thought.
She recalled a few months ago, when Her daughter first asked to go to school.
At that time, to test Her daughter's determination, she casually threw out a fake family ring, saying she would agree if she could hit it with an arrow.
She had thought Her daughter would give up, but unexpectedly, Kagami directly took a bow from the nearby weapon rack, drew the bow, and shot an arrow, all in one fluid motion.
The arrow hit the center of the ring, pinning it firmly to the wall.
Although she agreed to Her daughter's request, Kagami ultimately did not go.
It wasn't for any other reason, but because she cared for Her, loved Her, and respected Her mother's wishes.
It was precisely because of this that she gave that ring to Kagami at that time.
But now, Gabriel's almost hysterical attitude clearly told Her—she had made a mistake, and a big one at that.
Louvre Square, the sky had already darkened, but the glass pyramid, illuminated by lights, emitted a cold and dazzling glow.
Riposte stood at the very top of the pyramid, and at Her feet, Adrien was bound and fixed to the pyramid, unable to move.
"Kagami, snap out of it! Don't be swayed by Hawk Moth!"
Adrien was still making a last effort.
"I am not Kagami."
Riposte ignored him. She firmly remembered the "knowledge" Alya had popularized at City Hall, and spoke coldly, correcting Adrien's statement, "I am Riposte now."
She thought to herself: That's right, everything she was doing now could be blamed on "Hawk Moth." So, she could continue to pursue the answers she wanted.
Just then, Hawk Moth's voice suddenly echoed in Her mind:
[Riposte, the situation has changed. Conceal yourself immediately!]
Although Riposte didn't understand what had happened, she immediately obeyed the command.
With a few leaps, she left the top of the pyramid and hid in the deep shadows of a nearby building.
As soon as she hid, she felt the ring on Her hand, which was the core of the Akumatization, begin to tremble violently.
Immediately after, to Her astonishment, an Akuma Butterfly actually flew out of the ring on its own!
Before she could react, the black substance receded from Her body like a tide, and she transformed back into Kagami.
"Why… why am I here?" Kagami looked bewildered.
The detached Akuma Butterfly, without hesitation, flew towards Her again.
This time, its chosen target was the phone she held in Her hand.
Black light engulfed Her again, and almost instantly, she transformed back into the silver, cold Riposte.
[Return to the top of the pyramid and continue your plan.] Hawk Moth's voice sounded again.
Although Riposte was full of doubts, she still complied. She returned to the top of the pyramid.
Adrien, who was just about to take the opportunity to make some small movements to break free, saw Riposte return so quickly,
He immediately stopped his movements, forcing an awkward smile on his face: "Heh heh… it was a bit tight just now, I was just stretching a bit, it's a little numb…"
Riposte ignored his small movements. Her cold red gaze began to scan the gradually gathering crowd below, anticipating the figure she wanted to see.
Meanwhile, in the lair, Gabriel, having completed all this, finally let out a long sigh of relief, his back drenched in cold sweat.
The last time Jaden transformed into the peacock miraculous, he didn't sense the "blue feather" in his ring,
Because he had already told Duusu in advance to block Jaden's perception of other "blue feathers."
But now, what would happen once Ladybug and Cat Noir broke that ring?
An Akuma Butterfly and a blue feather would fly out at the same time!
Then, Kagami, this person formed by emotions, would disappear into thin air in front of his son and his future key—Jaden!
At that time, Jaden would inevitably ask Duusu for the specific reason.
And the kwami cannot lie to its master! All his plans would be completely exposed!
Fortunately… fortunately, he reacted quickly enough to urgently change the medium of the Akumatization before Jaden arrived.
Now, the game could continue.
He looked at the monitor screen, a cold smile appearing on his lips once more.