You know the saying 'Curiosity killed the Cat?'

Adrien had that moment when Marinette told him not to peek in her sketchbook. When he asked why, she told him that it was a secret, and that reasoning only heightened his curiosity to the feline level. He was supposed to obey his Lady's commands but the secret was always nagging behind his head like a blinking red light, and the notion only gave him sleepless nights. Besides, they promised to each other that they will never harbor secrets between them since the reveal so why did she refuse to share it this time?

As if the secret was for him anyway.

Refusing to listen to his Lady's taunting voice in his head, he gradually opened the leather-bound sketchbook and prayed to all Miraculous gods that his girlfriend will never skin him alive.

You know the continuation of the saying mentioned above?

Adrien did not feel any satisfaction afterward. In fact, he felt remorse.

Because on that sketchbook was a drawing of a beautiful long wedding gown.

A wedding gown he deemed fit for his Marinette.

Don't get him wrong - it was Adrien's dream to marry his one and only Princess. The fairest of all Ladies. His partner. His soulmate. His one true love.

He didn't know that Marinette was ready all along.

Without wasting a single minute, the blond immediately drove to T&S Boulangerie Patisserie and asked for Tom and Sabine's blessings. The couple gave it to him wholeheartedly, even cried with happiness when he began explaining his proposal and inquired if their daughter has an idea about his plans. He told them it was a secret.

Afterward, he dialed Nino's number and asked for his urgent assistance.

"I know I owe you a lot for helping me on Alya's ring," his best friend bemused "But man, I did not sign up on visiting every single jewelry shop in Paris just for an engagement ring!"

"I just want nothing but perfect for Marinette," Adrien raked his blond hair after they left their tenth, or maybe the eleventh store. He lost his count.

"Have you tried customizing it?"

"The soonest will take them a week, man. I can't wait for that. I'm running out of time."

The DJ raised his arms. "Whoa, what's the rush, Adrien? It's not like one of you will be out of the country or you have a terminal disease."

The blond flashed him a lopsided grin "I'm just too excited to make Marinette my wife."

Thankfully, they were able to find Adrien's perfect ring for his Princess much to the men's delight.

"Don't forget our breakfast hangout at seven, okay?" Nino reminded him before he walked himself home.

As Adrien parked his car on the dedicated slot, he received a confirmation call from Nathalie that a table for two in Le Jules Verne was booked under his name. He thanked her profusely and expressed his happiness for the VIP privileges being an Agreste.

He could picture out how Marinette's bluebell eyes will shine when he gets down in one knee after their romantic dinner date and pop the small velvet box that contains the engagement ring, and how the Eiffel tower would illuminate once she says 'yes'.

But if she will say 'no'...

"You're just wasting your time thinking such dumb ideas," Plagg admonished as if he could read his Chosen's mind. "I swear on the name of Camembert that Mlle. Bug will say 'yes'"

His kwami's words only boosted his confidence the next day.

Like what he had promised to his best friend last night, Adrien and Marinette arrived at the bakery around seven.

The blond caught his future in-law's knowing smirks and winks as they waited for Nino and Alya's arrival, and the exchange glances when they served their breakfast were left unnoticed by his future fiancée.

"Are you hiding something from me, Kitty?" Marinette asked with a discerning gaze.

"It's not my secret to tell, my Lady," Adrien answered as he planted a kiss on her temple.

The first thing that the blond noticed was Alya's misty eyes as the couple entered the shop, followed by Nino's awkward wave. It was now obvious to him that the Ladyblogger knows about his secret proposal thanks to his loose-tongued best friend.

"Are you alright?" the raven-haired asked her best friend who simply glanced at the pale-faced blond friend and her nervous husband-to-be.

"I'm fine, Marinette." Alya smiled. "I'm just so excited for today."

"Me too!" she answered as she pulled out her leather-bound sketchbook. "Ta-da!"

If Adrien was eating his croissant that time, he might have choked it or sputtered it directly to his best friend. His face turned from bloody red to ashen white when his girlfriend flipped the pages of the sketchbook and stopped to show them the drawing of a beautiful long wedding gown.

A wedding gown he thought was for Marinette.

"Hey dude, are you alright?" Nino asked when the blond's mouth bobbed like a fish out of the water.

"I actually hide this design from Adrien," the designer explained nonchalantly, "Because the boys can't keep a damn secret to each other."

Said boys looked at each other guiltily.

"And knowing Nino," she went on "He will likely spill the beans to his fiancée, which will eventually ruins the surprise."

"N - Not really," Alya stammered anxiously "I - I can still act surprised, right Nino?"

The bespectacled guy winced painfully when she kicked his shin discreetly then answered: "R - Right."

"Okay," Marinette drawled then looked at the trio with curiosity. "So, what do you think about Alya wedding gown design?"

Adrien remained silent the entire breakfast meeting.

He wasn't sure how he could keep the ring in his pocket and the motive of his dinner date tonight as a secret.