Lila scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What makes you think I know who Hawk Moth is?" Her head leaned backward, avoiding Princess Justice's gaze in typical guilty fashion.
The princess smiled. "You can't lie to me, Lila." Princess Justice tapped Lila on the forehead. "Tell the truth," she commanded. The golden staff pulsed, and Lila swallowed as if trying to hold her words back.
"Hawk Moth's real name is Gabriel Agreste!" Lila blurted, her eyes widening.
Princess Justice reeled backward. "What?" she managed to ask. Gabriel Agreste? Poor Adrien . . . She glanced back in the direction where she had trapped Adrien. It was good she had left him there. She couldn't imagine how painful it would be to discover your father is the evilest man in Paris.
"He actually asked me to get rid of you." Lila smirked. "He told me he thought you were a bad influence. My task was to drive him away from you. He promised that if I did, Adrien would be mine."
"And how did that work out for you?" Princess Justice asked, her eyes narrowing, unable to stand Lila's conceited tone a moment longer. "Adrien was the only one who believed me. He came to my rescue. But you? He couldn't care less about you."
Lila blinked, and for the first time, it seemed as if she was truly rattled.
"Did you ever stop to think why Hawk Moth wanted you to hurt me so badly?" Princess Justice's eyebrows raised. "It was because he wanted to akumatize me. He knew I would be more powerful than Volpina ever was."
Lila gasped, and her face turned red with anger. "Take that back! You will never be as good as Volpina!"
"Oh really?" Princess Justice couldn't resist the chance to gloat. "Unlike you, I completed my goal. I gathered all of the miraculouses. I succeeded where you failed."
Lila shook her head and sneered. "That's not possible. Ladybug is impossible to defeat."
Princess Justice smiled and tilted her head, allowing Lila a good view of the earrings she wore. They were the only part of her that hadn't been altered by her transformation. "Recognize these?"
Lia gulped, her Adam's apple moving up and down. Real tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
"And do you know what the best part is?" Princess Justice leaned forward, so close to Lila their noses almost touched.
"What?" Lila asked, her voice choked as a single tear wound down her face.
"Hawk Moth doesn't control me. Unlike you and all the villains before, I broke free. I defeated him." Princess Justice tilted her head. "You once told me you'd ruin my life. Well, how does it feel knowing that I bested you in every. way. possible?"
Lila gritted her teeth and remained silent, but Princess Justice knew she had struck a nerve. She was tempted to use her powers to force Lila to admit defeat, but it would do no good. They both knew she had won, and the confession wouldn't make Princess Justice feel any better.
"Night, night," Princess Justice said in a sing-song voice before clocking Lila across the face with her staff. The girl went limp in the princess' grip, once again out cold. She probably would have a concussion once this was all over, but Princess Justice didn't care. She deserved that and more, but Princess Justice didn't have the time to deliver the correct punishment.
She released Lila's shirt, letting the girl collapse onto the ground in a heap. Fingering her earrings, she thought on Lila's words. "Gabriel Agreste . . ." She shook her head, a burning hatred igniting in her chest. "Adrien's horrible father. Mr. Agreste never allows Adrien to do anything. Well, I'll teach him."
She straightened and gripped her staff in both hands. Justice would be served.