I'm hardly coming into work when Lilac hurries out into the hall to meet me. "Good morning, Lilac. Everything okay?" Lilac is very sweet, but she usually waits until I enter the office to say good morning.

"Adrien, a woman came in about a half hour ago and asked that you give a tour. I explained that you weren't here yet and offered to show her around, but she insisted it had to be you. You didn't schedule any visitors today did you?" I shake my head, then place a hand on Lilac's shoulder. "Thanks for filling me in. What's she like?" Lilac thinks a second, chewing on her lip. "Very perky."

"Hello, I'm Adrien Agreste," I walk into the office and over to a woman in a yellow dress. "Ah, so your the famous Adrien, son of Gabriel Agreste! Darling, I insist you give me a tour." I smile politely. "I'd be glad to give you a tour, but next time a word in advance to my staff would have been helpful."

"Why, of course! But doesn't Ladybug drop in here all the time?" she asks as we start down the hall. "She's visited yes, but this is a place of work and she knows that." I find her question a bit odd and start the tour.

She introduces herself as Miss Canary Bird, and I have work hard not to laugh, though she does remind me of a bird with her "darlings" and her fluttering questions. She seems impressed with my company, but she keeps bringing up Bugaboo.

"Did you come for a tour, or to see Ladybug?" I finally ask. "Oh, to see you, darling! Though I am one of Ladybug's biggest fans and yours too of course!"

Its like she's trying to get me to talk about Ladybug, just like Raven did, and then I see that "Miss Canary Bird" is one of Corvus's cronies, disguised.

She still seems ruffled when the tour ends, but chirps a goodbye. I slump against the reception desk after she leaves, then sneeze. "You okay, Adrien?" Lilac is watching me closely. "Coffee would be good," I rub at my temples, then sneeze. I'm reaching for a Kleenex when my hand freezes for out of the corner of my eye, I notice feathers on the floor where "Canary" exited.

I pick them up just as Lilac comes back with my coffee. "Here you go, Adrien," she hands me the steaming cup. "Thank you." "Are those feathers?" she asks. "I'd like to think there fake feathers from Canary's outfit, but they feel so real. Here." "She wasn't wearing feathers," Lilac's voice is quiet. "And these are genuine feathers."

Something isn't adding up, and I need to talk to Ladybug. "Do I have any other appointments today?" I ask, finishing my coffee and standing up. "No, your free." "If anything urgent comes up, call me," I tell her.

Its not possible that "Canary" and Corvus are birds, isn't it? No, Adrien, your just sleep deprived, Corvus is as human as you, my conscience says. But if the magic of my Miraculous is real, then who's to say there's not a different magic going on?

When I get to the bakery, Sabine directs me to Marinette's balcony, and I head upstairs.

"Knock, knock. Got room for one more?" I ask, finding Ladybug on one of the deck chairs, sunning herself and sketching. "Adrien!" she slides her shades up onto her head. "I wasn't expecting till this evening. What a nice surprise!" "I wish I was here for pleasure, Little Bug, but I think I found the reason why Corvus is after your Miraculous." I hand her the bag of feathers and explain what happened this morning.

"It makes sense," Ladybug said. "Corvus is Latin for crow, crows like shiny objects and if he got mine and Cat's Miraculous he could make a wish making himself human. This Canary chick is just one of his pawns. Of course, we'll proof for sure, Adrien."

Just then her bug phone starts chirping and she slides open her compact, and some news footage begins to play on the small screen. "Move over, Adrien, there's a new millionaire in town, or make that billionaire," the reporter says. "Recently, our team of reporters visited Corvus's home here in Paris, and though the design is a bit unusual, its a paradise come true."

Ladybug pauses the feed. "Is house is built on the side of a cliff in a nest?" she looks at me. I give a low whistle. "No wonder he's loaded, that's some crazy construction feats." Of course, its not made of twigs and branches, but is nest-like, with the house sitting inside the cup-shape.

"Maybe we can scope out his home sometime soon. I heard there's a Charity Ball coming soon, and Corvus will be occupied." she grins, then winces. "You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, just the readily scheduled molt," Ladybug winces again. "It may be a few days before I can go anywhere, so my advice is to keep our eyes and ears open."

"I have a good distraction from molting ladybugs," I tell her, trying to hide my grin. "Oh? And what method is that, Agreste?" "Kisses."

My nose brushes hers and she makes a soft sound, and I shift closer. Its hard not to float away into the clouds when her hands tangle in my hair, the electric sparks flying.

She makes room for me on the chair, and she cuddles into my side. "Ladybug? Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it if don't want to." "Uh-oh, this already sounds loaded." "Why didn't you tell Cat who you were, even when Paris was at peace?"

"If Cat knew who was under this mask, he'd find a very different girl. I'm actually surprised you haven't asked me yet." "You know, like Cat, I love whoever is under the mask."

"You want to know the real reason?" she whispers and her blue eyes meet green. "The reason I didn't tell Kitty the day we parted ways is because I'm scared."