I Won't Let That Burden Fall On You
Marinette isn't thrilled to hear Luka's theory that somebody might be deliberately spreading rumors about him knowing her secret identity in order to set the new Ladybug against him. He does his best to reassure her, even while admitting that he didn't want to alarm her... but didn't want to keep any secrets from her, either. Especially not one regarding their safety.
The two decide to continue their outing, and make their way to the Louvre, observing the banners outside touting some of the historial Ladybugs. To Luka's surprise, they find Veronique running the counter, rather than Alix's father. Veronique reveals that Mr. Kubdel didn't show up to work a few days ago; both he and his son seem to have gone missing, and as the curator of the Grevin Museum, she was tapped to take over until they could find another replacement.
She also reveals that the new Ladybug dropped by for her own visit, and suggested some 'improvements' that they'll be making over the weekend. As they enter, Marinette and Luka speculate on how she likely wants the exhibit to focus upon her more, and resolve to enjoy it in its current state while they can.
While walking through the exhibit, Marinette notes the various ways that past heroes obtained the Ladybug Earrings, noting that there doesn't seem to be a specific, singular reason unifying them all. Which is a shame, she muses, since if that was the case, it might help them figure out who the new Ladybug is. She doesn't remember who she chose as her successor, after all, and didn't include that in her letter.
Luka reassures her that she made the right choice. After all, that was a security risk they just couldn't take. Still, the two speculate for a bit, as Marinette notes that she never would've chosen a stranger...
After some thought, Luka lists out the new Ladybug's biggest flaws: she's entitled, greedy, and obsessed with fame. Which also describes Chloe, but... no. Even ignoring how much Marinette hated her long-time bully, surely Chloe wouldn't blackmail her own father...?
Marinette laughs, reassuring Luka that no, Chloe absolutely would ruin her father's life without a second thought. No, the main evidence against her in her eyes is that Chloe hated hard work, and wouldn't be creative enough to manage the Lucky Charm. Luka suggests that Sabrina might be helping her out, handling the hard parts while Chloe basks in the fame, but Marinette doesn't think Sabrina's sneaky enough to avoid getting caught.
Next, Luka suggests Lila — but Marinette shoots that down as well. She never would've trusted someone like her with the Earrings, not when she could easily get the Ring from Chat Noir and make her own selfish Wish. And if she didn't know about the Wish, she'd likely just sell the Miraculouses to Hawkmoth.
What about Alya? Marinette admits that there was a time where it would have been her, that she'd even loaned the Earrings to her so she could sub in as Scarabella... but no. Not her. And it has nothing to do with how she flamed out after Ladybug's retirement; as far as Marinette's concerned, what she did to her while she was still active was unforgivable.
She's so agitated by the suggestion that her voice starts rising, and Luka takes some time to calm her down before they continue, touching on the possibility of Kagami. Again, Marinette doesn't think so... though in her case, it's mostly that Kagami seems far too honorable to run the sort of scams the new Ladybug has been running.
Before they continue through the exhibit, Marinette timidly asks whether Luka is upset she didn't choose him as her replacement. Luka reassures her that he trusts her judgement, and is absolutely certain she had a good reason for whomever she selected. Relieved, she thanks him for trusting her, as he declares that he'll always believe in her.
As they exit the gallery and return to the reception area, Luka recalls how Veronique mentioned that they put the exhibit together in a hurry after the Kubdels vanished. Marinette wonders where Mr. Kubdel went; when he brings up Jalil, she snorts, declaring she's not that concerned about LadybugSkeptic9000.
However, she's happy to spin Jalil's online activities to their advantage. When Luka suggests that some of Mr. Kubdel's notes for the exhibit might have been overlooked, Marinette gets Veronique to let them into the back by acting concerned about Jalil spreading slander about the new Ladybug, claiming that there's rumors that he kept subversive materials in his father's office. She even gets the curator to offer them annual passes in exchange for quietly disposing of the supposedly slanderous documents.
Luka isn't exactly impressed by this; however, Marinette notes that it would look more suspicious if they offered to help without asking for anything in exchange, comparing it to how her motivations were questioned. In fact, she suspects people might trust the new Ladybug more because of her shilling and self-promotion.
He's also concerned by how she justifies her treatment of Veronique by declaring that if she'd really wanted to support her, she shouldn't have gotten akumatized. She'd cited Kagami's past akumatizations as a mark against her, as well... before he can make up his mind about whether or not to bring up how he was akumatized himself, they arrive at Mr. Kubdel's office and let themselves in.
Examining his notes, Marinette is horrified to discover a common thread: all of the past Ladybugs were exposed or betrayed by others. This motivates them to start considering potential sources for the rumors. If Mayor Bourgeois heard the rumor from Chloe, and Nadja from Manon, who could be responsible for both girls learning about it? Could it be Adrien...? Or maybe Alya...?
Whoever it is, they need to find them. Marinette refuses to be dragged back into this mess. Especially since Mr. Kubdel's notes make clear that all of the historial Ladybugs he found weren't just betrayed. They died on the job.
Chilled by her words, Luka pulls her into an embrace, promising her that he won't let that happen. He won't let anyone force her out of retirement. They'll track down the source of this rumor and shut it down, no matter what it takes.
Why didn't she choose Luka as the new Ladybug? She laid out her reasoning in her letter: while she was certain he'd be a wonderful hero, the responsibilities would weigh just as heavily on his shoulders as they did her own. He'd have to break promises, lie to his family and friends, give up on all his other passions for the sake of putting Paris first.
She loved him far too much to put that burden upon him.
Once again, she reassured him that she'd planned things out so that Hawkmoth couldn't win. What's more, she believed that the successor she'd chosen possessed the skill and drive necessary to do the job. She'd found somebody who wouldn't be distracted by concerns about family, friends, promises, or anything else. A zealot who would fight the akumas, no matter what.
The hero that the people of Paris deserved.
This chapter contains examples of:
- Be Careful What You Wish For:
- Veronique wanted to hold an exhibit highlighting Miraculous heroes, and was so outraged when the mayor shut her down that she got akumatized into Manipula. Now she's running just such an exhibit at the Louvre... after its creator mysteriously disappeared. And the new Ladybug is flexing her own creative control over it.
- Luka hoped that learning more about the historical Ladybugs would provide some insight that might help them deal with the new Ladybug, such as figuring out her secret identity. They learn something, alright: that all of the Ladybugs Mr. Kubdel found information about had been betrayed, and were ultimately killed as a result.
- Conspiracy Theorist: Jalil became convinced that the original Ladybug was secretly working with Hawkmoth, and helped spread such theories online under the handle LadybugSkeptic9000.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Discussed. When Luka considers Chloe as a potential candidate for being the new Ladybug, he rules her out because he can't imagine her blackmailing her own father. Marinette counters that she's self-centered and spoiled enough that she absolutely would.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten:
- Luka notes that Marinette seems to hold a grudge of this nature towards everyone who's been akumatized in the past.
- She bitterly questions the idea of trusting Kagami with the Earrings after how she got akumatized because Marinette "made an allegedly bad call" in regards to her fencing match with Adrien.
- She also remarks that while Veronique was more supportive than most people in Paris, she still handled the Mayor shutting down her exhibit poorly, forcing her into a fight that Ladybug rather would've avoided.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Marinette declares that Alya's treatment of her before her retirement reached this level, and gets worked up over the very suggestion that she might have made her the new Ladybug anyway. Notably, she doesn't get nearly as upset over Luka suggesting Chloe or Lila as options; it's Alya that sets her off.
- Too Good to Be True: Discussed. Marinette justifies how she tricked Veronique into giving them annual passes to the Louvre in exchange for help discretely disposing of any 'subversive materials' Jalil might have left behind by noting that it would have looked more suspicious if she'd offered to help without requesting anything. She even brings up that as a reason the new Ladybug is more popular than the previous one. All the money she makes on advertisements keeps people from wondering what she gains from protecting Paris.
