"Karl." A slightly low but clear call broke the silence of the sitting room. It was Lady Isabella's voice.
Karl immediately turned at the sound and hurried to his mother-in-law's armchair. Bowing slightly, he spoke with respectful concern. "Madam, you called for me."
Lady Isabella's calm gaze fell upon Karl's face. It no longer held the scrutiny and distance it once had, but a gentle consideration that had settled with time.
She was silent for a moment, as though weighing her words—or making an important decision.
"Karl, I think... it's time."
Karl paused, looking at her with some confusion.
Lady Isabella continued, her gaze shifting to the drowsy Klein in Karl's arms, her voice growing gentler. "We can formally name this child now. He should be called Klein von Schmidt. Your son, a child of the Schmidt Family."
Karl froze. In an instant, he understood the weight behind those words.
This was not merely giving his son a complete name. It was Lady Isabella's formal acceptance of him.
She was acknowledging Klein as the rightful heir of the Schmidt Family, acknowledging Karl as her daughter's lawful and recognized husband—as a member of her family.
More than any medal or grant of land, this filled Karl with a warmth and relief that seeped into his bones.
In her own way, the mother-in-law who had once opposed him most fiercely, who had been filled with distrust and even disgust toward him, was giving him her final forgiveness and recognition.
His throat moved, and for a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.
"Thank you... Madam. Truly, thank you so much."
Lady Isabella saw the complicated emotions flash through his eyes and smiled faintly. She looked back at Karl, her tone returning to its usual calmness, though without its former hardness.