Chapter 121: The Things She Left Behind

"Basil, are you in there?" the queen called from the other side. "I would like to speak with you for a moment."

Basil’s eyes widened slightly. He immediately placed both hands against Darius’s chest and pushed him away, putting some much-needed distance between them.

Darius glanced down at the space that had suddenly opened between them before looking back at Basil. His lips curved into an amused smile, and he shook his head slightly at Basil’s reaction. It seemed his brother was more concerned about being caught in an embarrassing position than he cared to admit.

"Let me get the door," he said, rising from the sofa.

He crossed the sitting area and opened it, revealing the king and queen standing outside.

The queen’s expression brightened when she saw him, but surprise quickly followed.

"Oh, Darius. You’re here with your brother?"

"Yes, Mother." He stepped aside to let them enter. "We were just talking."

"I see." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she entered the suite, making their way into the sitting area. Basil had already risen to his feet. "Mother." He greeted her before looking at the queen more closely. "Is something wrong?"

"Must something be wrong for me to come to my son’s room?" she asked, giving him a pointed look.

"No, of course not." Basil smiled faintly. "I only wondered whether you had come to console me over what happened earlier. If that’s the case, you really don’t need to worry. I’m perfectly fine. The engagement meant very little to me, and Sonia’s opinion of me has never been important enough to ruin my day."

"Oh, I’m glad to hear that," the queen said, waving away his explanation. "But I’m not here to console you over the Ashcrofts. Frankly, after what happened today, I have more pressing things to think about than that family and their wounded pride."

Basil raised an eyebrow. "Then what brings you here?"The queen’s expression changed.

The lightness in her voice faded, replaced by a seriousness that immediately caught his attention. "There is something else I need to talk to you about."

Basil studied her face. Whatever it was, judging by the look in her eyes, it was not a trivial matter.

His smile slowly faded. "What is it, Mother?"

"Won’t you at least ask me to sit down?" the queen asked, giving him a pointed look.

Basil blinked before realizing his oversight. "Of course. I’m sorry, Mother. Please, sit down."

He gestured toward the sofas before returning to his own seat. Darius remained standing for a moment, glancing between his mother and brother.

"Would you like me to give you a moment alone?" he asked.

Before the queen could answer, Basil spoke up.

"There’s no need for that. I don’t think there’s anything concerning me that needs to be kept from you at this point."

Darius looked at Basil for a moment after hearing his answer, then gave a small nod. "All right. In that case, I’ll sit down." He settled onto the sofa beside Basil, leaving the decision to his brother rather than insisting on staying or leaving.

The queen watched them quietly as she took in the scene before her. She had come expecting to find Basil alone, perhaps still affected by everything that had happened downstairs, but Darius was here with him.

After the tension between them during the first few days following Darius’s return, it was a relief to see them like this. When Darius had first returned to the palace, Basil had barely been able to look at him without his expression hardening. He had treated Darius like someone he could hardly stand to be around, and for a while, the queen had wondered whether the two of them would ever manage to get along. But somewhere along the line, after the coma, things had changed. Perhaps witnessing Darius so close to death had truly rattled Basil, making him realize just how easily he could lose him. Whatever the reason, the hostility between them had gradually faded, replaced by a closeness the queen had once thought impossible. They had grown closer, and now Darius seemed perfectly comfortable in Basil’s room, while Basil no longer appeared to resent his presence.

The queen was genuinely happy to see it. Whatever misunderstandings had stood between her sons, they seemed to be putting them behind them at last. Still, as she watched them exchange a brief glance, she felt a faint, unidentifiable sensation stirring in her chest. There was something about the ease between them, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She couldn’t explain it, and she had no reason to dwell on it. All she knew was that she was glad they were finally building the bond she had always hoped they would share.

Basil noticed his mother’s thoughtful expression and waited a moment before speaking. "Mother, what was it you wanted to discuss with me? I hope it’s nothing serious." He paused, his gaze moving briefly between her and Darius before returning to her face. "We’ve had enough bad news to last us a lifetime. I think our family deserves some good news for once, especially after everything that’s happened over the past three months."

The queen’s expression softened. "No, it’s nothing like that. At least, I don’t think it is." She hesitated before continuing. "It’s just that, after everything that’s happened since Nanny Linda’s death, we’ve practically forgotten about everything else. Including the phone she left behind and the password she gave us with her dying breath."

At the mention of Linda, Basil’s expression changed slightly. His gaze lowered for a moment as he recalled the events that had followed her death. At the time, he had believed that the password Linda had left behind was connected to the identity of the person responsible for everything that had happened to Darius. He had assumed that whatever was hidden in her phone might help them uncover the truth. But after Darius had awakened from his coma, his forces had discovered that the Thorn family was behind the entire scheme and dealt with them.

With the people responsible finally identified and punished, Basil had gradually forgotten about the phone. He had come to believe that whatever information Linda had left behind was no longer necessary.

"Honestly, Mother, I haven’t given it much thought lately," he admitted. "With the people responsible for what happened back then already taken care of, I assumed there was no longer any reason to go through it. I thought the password was connected to the people behind Darius’s assassination attempts, and since we’ve already dealt with them, I didn’t think there was anything else we needed from it."

"Perhaps you’re right," the queen replied. "But even if the phone doesn’t tell us anything about what happened, there might still be something in it that you would find useful. Something personal, perhaps, or something that might answer a question you haven’t even thought to ask yet. We don’t know what’s in there, Basil, and I don’t think we should dismiss it without looking."

Basil considered her words, then gave a small nod. "I suppose you’re right."

Only then did the queen reach for the phone she had been holding. She had kept it with her, intending to hand it over to Basil when she found the right moment. Holding it out to him, she said, "Here. I also believe this phone belongs with you. You’re the person Linda would have wanted to have it, more than anyone else. You can go through it whenever you’re free, whenever you feel ready. There’s no need to rush."

Basil looked at the phone for a moment before accepting it. His fingers closed around it, and he studied its familiar surface with a quiet, unreadable expression. He had barely thought about it since the investigation had revealed the truth, but now that it was in his hands again, he couldn’t help wondering what Linda had left behind. "Thank you, Mother," he said softly.

The queen nodded. "There’s something else I wanted to tell you. Linda’s body is still at the morgue. With everything that has happened over the past month, we haven’t had the opportunity to arrange her burial."

Basil’s grip on the phone tightened slightly, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"Your father and I have discussed it, and we’ve decided that her burial should take place this weekend. Regardless of what she did, we don’t want her body to be left at the morgue indefinitely. She was guilty of a terrible crime, but she was also the only biological family you had left. We believe she deserves a proper burial, at least for your sake."

Basil lowered his eyes to the phone in his hands. Linda had betrayed the royal family in a way none of them could have imagined, and the consequences of her actions had changed all their lives. Yet, whatever else she had been, she was still the woman who had raised him. He had always considered her part of his family, even before learning the truth about his birth.