Kim and Alix make a bet. Alix has been learning about Greek mythology and the Trojan War. She bets that humanity hasn't changed much. Kim is skeptical that the class would go to war over a beauty contest. The winner has to give up one of their gold trophies.
They buy a rose and spray paint it gold.
The next day at class, after lunch, the students find it on Bustier's desk. A note is attached that it is addressed to the fairest girl in class.
Immediately Lila and Chloe claim possession of it. While Lila knew of the myth as well, she can't help boasting of winning pageants... Marinette quickly defuses the fight by saying it was probably meant for Adrien the model. Sure he's not a girl, but he is the prettiest student and their unofficial Disney Princess.
Kim looks smugly at Alix.
When Adrien arrives, he finds the rose on his desk and wonders why it is addressed to him because he is a boy.
He then gives it to Marinette, saying "for the prettiest girl in our class" with his smile.
Marinette feels faint. Chloe shrieks. Lila grits her teeth.
Alix smirks at Kim.
Marinette wasn't interested in being the fairest, but she was interested in a present from Adrien. She refuses to give it up.
The next day, Chloe got her dad to set up a school beauty pageant with biased judges...mainly her dad, the principle and Adrien.
Marinette doesn't care about the pageant and doesn't sign up until Ms Bustier tells her all class presidents have to.
Adrien feels this is getting out of hand.
Lila joins in, with her newly printed fake pageant awards. Sure she knows that Chloe rigged the contest, but the winner also gets a cheek kiss from Adrien.
Marinette refuses to give up her rose to be the pageant trophy until peer pressure weighs in. Alix and Kim are guilty of it.
Tikki eventually recognises the reformation of the pre-Trojan War argument over the golden apple. She informs Marinette about it. Marinette realizes the truth and stops fighting. She refuses to take part in the pageant. Chloe starts insulting Marinette until Alya takes her place to defend her Friend. Then Alya gets invested when Chloe claims Alya isn't hot enough. Marinette snaps back that Chloe should look in the mirror before she judges anyone else. (What can I say? The pageant brings out the catty in Marinette.)
Of course Alix gets akumatized into Eris when Kim claims the bet was for all parties to be involved in the war, and since Marinette refused
As Eris, Alix inspires people to wage war. A lot of pageant contests start pulling hair, dress ripping and scratching with their sharp manicures.
Alix searches for Marinette to incite the desire to win and crush her opponents.
Fight yada yada yada
he judges declare Ladybug the winner out of gratitude and because Chloe is still fighting over the trophy with Lila like a hissing cat even after the cure. (Adrien was the one who suggested her; Mr Owl admires the heroine; and the mayor just spotted his Daughter disgracing herself and agreed)
Chat Noir takes the rose from them and presents it to his lady. And yes, he happily kisses her cheek.
Ladybug makes a speech about how women should not let themselves be defined about stereotypical beauty and especially over fake gold. She breaks the trophy into bits and passes it out to everyone to claim that everyone is beautiful. (It's a Mean Girls moment)
At the end of the show, Ivan is heard telling Mylene she will always be fairest to him. Rose tells Juleka the same. Nino tells an expectant Alya as well.
Adrien congrats Marinette for refusing to take part and kisses her on the cheek, claiming she is still the fairest girl in class to him.
Marinette feels faint and stammers her thanks.
At home, Marinette gushes. Apparently Alya got her cheek kiss on camera!
Plagg asks why Adrien is flirting with Marinette when he is in love with Ladybug. (I'll let you imagine Adrien's response).
Plagg comments on the Trojan War and how apparently Adrien is supposed to be Paris and had chosen Marinette to be Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love. (Does that make Ladybug the face who launched a 1000 ships?) "It's a shame. You could have avoided all the drama if you had just kept the rose like a good Disney Princess."
Adrien: please stop.
(I guess this makes Chloe Hera and Lila Athena.)
Alix admits defeat and gives Kim a trophy. Kim is initially gloating but stops short when he realizes he is holding a trophy for figure skating. To him, figure skating is too showy.
Chloe wrecks her room in anger while her Father cowers in his office.
