This Three-Year-Old Is A Villainess - Chapter 252
Then, in hushed voices, they began to whisper among themselves.
“Well, I didn’t know Lady Mia smoked, but isn’t that just a personal preference?”
“She said she didn’t expect a child to show up…”
Canella let out a sigh.
She seemed relieved that the crowd’s reaction was relatively mild.
I smiled sweetly and spoke to Canella.
“Mm, I understand. But what about trying to hit me?”
The murmuring around us grew louder.
“What?”
“She tried to hit a child?”
“Young Lady Astra?!”
Canella’s face turned pale again.
“T-That was also a misunderstanding…!”
“Having thugs physically assault me and my servant was a misunderstanding?”
“T-That’s… not true! That was also a misunderstanding! Your servant attacked me first, so…!”
Canella was no longer even looking at me.
Instead, she was raising her voice toward the interviewees, as if trying to win over their perception.
Since she had no chance of becoming Astra’s nanny anymore, she was at least trying to protect her reputation.
She furrowed her brows and forced a pitiful expression.
“You saw it, my lady! You saw your servant grab my arm and threaten me!”
“Well, that was because you threatened me first, wasn’t it?”
“This is all just one big misunderstanding between us, isn’t it? And I suppose I’m the one to blame for that misunderstanding.”
Canella clutched her collarbone and let out a pained sigh.
‘Wow. She’s really something else.’
This is exactly why socially adept villains are terrifying.
If I had simply scolded Canella lightly, she probably could have twisted the narrative against me.
Canella looked up at me with teary eyes.
“My friends simply overreacted after seeing me being attacked…! It’s my fault for not stopping them…”
In other words—
‘’It was your side’s fault first, and my friends only tried to defend me.’
“They all owe me favors, you see… so…”
In other words—
‘I’m actually a kind person who helps others.’
“Regardless of the reason, if it led to a child being harmed, then of course, I must take responsibility. I sincerely apologize.”
In other words—
‘You misunderstood me, but I’m still graciously offering an apology.’
The interviewees exchanged glances, nodding as if they understood.
It seemed they had accepted Canella’s long-winded explanation.
“Of course. There’s no way Lady Mia would do such a thing.”
Someone murmured in agreement.
And with that, the way people looked at me changed.
I was suddenly an arrogant noble brat—someone who, the moment she entered the First District, used her servants to assault innocent people.
Their gazes held discomfort and doubt.
Then—
“My lady, we’ve brought them!”
Han Ji-hyuk’s voice rang out.
Striding in triumphantly, Mosco followed behind him.
And trailing behind Mosco—
A group of thugs, all bound together.
Of course, they were the same thugs from the alley—Canella’s ‘friends.’
Han Ji-hyuk glanced back over his shoulder.
“What’s taking you all so long? Hurry up.”
Then, his eyes landed on someone shaking behind them.
It was the thin woman—the one who had been with Canella in the alley.
Canella’s face turned to stone.
I turned to her with a bright smile.
“Oh, I see. So you weren’t at fault at all?”
“…Pardon?”
“You weren’t at fault—that’s what you said, yes? It’s all the thugs fault. They’re the ones who attacked me without knowing the situation, according to you.”
“W-Well… t-technically, yes…”
“Right. Then I apologize for misunderstanding you.”
With that, I turned to Han Ji-hyuk.
“Take them to the main estate. Father has been dying to see them.”
The moment I mentioned Father, Canella and the alley thugs turned ashen.
I clasped my hands together and lowered my brows as I looked at Canella.
“I’ve been so distressed over the past few days. Almost getting pummeled… I couldn’t even sleep because of the nightmares. Father is… really, really angry.”
“……!”
“But don’t worry. You have nothing to do with it, right? I’ll make sure to tell him that.”
“……”
“I’m just glad the misunderstanding is cleared up. Only those people will be punished by Father.”
I would spare just one person.
And that one person… was the ringleader, Canella.
That meant the thugs—her so-called ‘friends’—would take the fall alone.
As expected, they immediately lashed out.
“W-wait, what?! We just did what Canella told us to!”
“She’s the one who ordered us to ‘discipline’ the young lady!”
I tilted my head.
“That’s strange. That’s not what I heard… So what’s the truth?”
Canella and the thugs shouted over each other in panic.
“No, my lady! I never said anything like that!”
“Canella always orders people around like this! Just the other day, she told us to scare a woman she didn’t like—”
“Shut up—!!”
‘Wow. What a mess.’
They all screeched at each other, their accusations flying wildly.
And in the process—
One by one, Canella’s crimes came spilling out.
