Marientte's Biggest Secret

3

It could've been worse. The citizens of China could've recognized her and blown her cover. Everyone was so focused on the news of the coronation, they hadn't even noticed their princess in their midst. And Marinette could finally say for once that she was grateful for gossip.

The airport in China was filled with beams and screens to show flights, current weather and the news.

"Hey, girl, check this out: 'Our beautiful blue-eyed Princess has come back to rule!' Isn't this so cool?" She marveled at the giant screen that broadcasted today's news.

"You read Chinese?"

"No, there's an English translation under the text, use your eyes, girl!" Alya chuckled as Marinette squinted to look for the statement. She found it. It was really small.

"What kind of glasses do you even wear? Magnifying???" Marinette asked in confusion. Her vision was perfectly fine and she had a hard time reading that. It was so small and so far up.

"Bottle bottoms, as my mom would say," she tapped the rim of her glasses and grabbed a tour guide that some random guy was handing out.

Marinette pulled out her cell phone and called her maman. Surely she would know what Marinette was going to do from then on.

"Just go with the flow," she said. "Your father and I have already arranged for you and your class to stay in the best hotel in Beijing. Chat act like you're just there on a field trip. Everything will be fine." Marinette sighed but resigned to the current situation.

"Okay, maman. Love you,"

"I love you too, sweetie," Sabine replied, hanging up.

Marinette scanned the airport, fiddling with her suitcase, looking for any familiar words.

Then she spotted him.

Dupain-Cheng; said the sign that the tall man held up he smirked as his eyes met with hers.

"Hello, Bassy," she mouthed with a grin, making him roll his eyes. He walked quickly towards her, before she closed the distance and embraced him tightly.

"You know that's not my name," the man sneered at the thought of the nickname.

"I know that, Frederick, but you're just exactly like him! Only less dead," Marinette laughed as she pulled away. Her trusted family butler, Frederick Montague.

He was exactly like a character in a Japanese anime called Black Butler. He had the hair, the eyes, the job and attitude. Frederick's parents were even Japanese, but he was born and raised in— get this— England! He was just as handsome as the Butler in the anime, if not more, but Marinette only ever saw him as a much older brother.

"Yes, Marinette. You've mentioned this multiple times." He rolled his eyes once again, smoothing out her ruffled hair. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you,"

"Oh come on, you saw me last year on summer vacation!" Marinette giggled, making Frederick smile.

"You were more immature,"

"Hey!"

"Uh... Marinette?" The bluenette jumped and turned around, seeing her entire class watching her embrace a very tall man. Frederick messed with her pigtails as she laughed nervously, meanwhile he seemed unbothered by the attention.

"Who's that?" Alya asked curiously, pointing at the red-eyed man.

"Frederick Montague, at your service, my lady," he bowed deeply to the class. Marinette glared at the formal behavior but introduced him anyway.

"Guys, this is Frederick, he's a close family friend, but he likes to think of himself as our butler even though we don't pay him." Marinette nodded as the satisfactory introduction.

"Why don't you pay him?" Alix muttered to herself, but Frederick, who apparently had the ears of a rabbit, heard her.

"I am indebted to Miss Marinette, I cannot possibly accept payment when I owe her my life," he explained with the typical butler pose, one hand in front, one behind, first position, head held high.

"You're so dramatic," Marinette mumbled as he bowed to her as well.

"Not dramatic, merely...theatrical,"

"I rest my case, Bassy," she muttered with a smirk.

"Anywho," Miss Bustier started. "I was told that you specifically were here to pick up my class?" she asked Frederick as he finished bickering with Marinette.

"Yes, Miss. I have arranged for your class's transportation to the Hotel. If you would all follow me," he led them out of the airport.

Adrien's POV

He frowned as he watched Marinette throw herself into some random man's arms. But if she did that, then she probably knew him.

Adrien shook away the negative thought and joined the class as they watched her interact happily with the man, who reminded him of someone.

"Uh..... Marinette?" He called out to her in confusion. He needed to know who that man was.

Then Marinette introduced him as an unpaid butler and family friend, who apparently owed her his life.

Adrien frowned again.

Why was she so familiar with this older man? He looked to be in his mid-twenties. And why was he so familiar to him.

"You're so dramatic," Marinette mumbled as he bowed to her as well.

"Not dramatic, merely...theatrical,"

"I rest my case, Bassy," she muttered with a smirk.

Oh. That's where he thought Frederick was from.... weird.

Third Person POV

The ride to the Hotel was quiet. Not one complaint from Chloe or Lila, who Marinette actually forgot was on the trip with them. Most likely to lie herself up the school hierarchy again.

Marinette frowned as Lila was paired up with Alix, poor thing wouldn't stand a chance against Alix. Notice the lack of interest in that sentence.

Marinette had the Royal suite assigned to her, not that anyone knew. But she could use the privacy. Frederick took her bags to the suite and flopped onto the bed after setting the suitcases down.

"You have no business having this much luggage,"

"I have to stay longer than the actual trip, you know."

"Yes, I know," Frederick laid back on the bed and sighed as Marinette crawled in next to him, spreading her arms wide, taking up all of the space and part of his chest. "I swear you were a cat in another life."