By the time Izana and Dante returned to the mansion, night had fully settled outside.
The long driveway glowed softly beneath the estate lights while the fountain near the entrance reflected against the dark windows of the house.
Dante stepped out of the car first and immediately frowned slightly.
"…It's quiet."
Izana closed the car door beside him.
"…And."
"It's suspicious quiet."
Izana adjusted his gloves calmly.
"…Probably."
Dante sighed.
"I hate when you agree with me."
Together they walked toward the entrance.
The moment the doors opened, warmth spilled over them immediately.
The mansion smelled faintly like dinner and something sweeter underneath it.
Not enough to identify.
Just enough to notice.
Izana stepped further inside.
And instantly stopped.
Tiny red paint footprints crossed part of the marble floor.
Silence.
Dante looked down slowly.
"…Interesting."
Another set of smaller handprints decorated the edge of the hallway wall.
Izana stared at them for a second.
"…Hm."
Dante looked delighted now.
"…It appears the mansion lost a war."
Before Izana could answer, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed nearby.
Then Leah appeared from the living room doorway.
And froze immediately the second she saw them.
Too quickly.
Too obviously.
Izana noticed immediately.
So did Dante.
Leah smiled.
A very suspicious smile.
"…You're home."
"…Yes."
A pause.
Then Izana's eyes shifted slightly toward the bright blue paint smudge on the sleeve of her shirt.
Silence.
Leah slowly moved her arm behind her back.
Dante looked away because he was about to laugh.
"…What happened here," Izana asked calmly.
"Nothing."
The answer came far too fast.
Izana stared at her.
Then another tiny sound echoed from the living room.
A gasp.
Followed by scrambling.
Izana walked forward slowly.
Leah immediately stepped sideways slightly.
"…Iz."
"…What?"
"…Maybe don't go in there yet."
Dante covered his mouth with one hand.
"Oh this is incredible."
Izana stepped past Leah anyway.
And found Zarek standing in the middle of the living room clutching several crayons behind his back.
Poorly.
Very poorly.
Tiny blonde hair messy.
Paint on one cheek.
And what appeared to be glitter somehow stuck to his forehead.
The second Zarek saw Izana looking at him—
he froze completely.
"…Da-da home."
"…I am."
Silence.
Then suddenly:
"No secret."
Dante immediately turned away.
Leah pressed her lips together hard trying not to laugh.
Izana stared at his son calmly.
"…I didn't say there was one."
Zarek blinked.
Clearly realising his mistake.
Tiny panic.
"…No cake."
Another pause.
"…I also didn't mention cake."
Leah actually made a choking sound behind Izana now.
Dante walked directly toward the fireplace because he was silently dying.
Zarek looked horrified with himself.
Then quickly added—
"No presents."
Izana's expression remained perfectly calm.
"…I see."
"NO MISSION."
Leah lost the battle entirely and laughed into her hands.
Zarek looked deeply betrayed by this lack of support.
Meanwhile Izana slowly looked around the room.
Paint-covered papers sat stacked badly beneath a blanket on the sofa.
One crayon had somehow ended up beneath the coffee table.
And there were tiny painted handprints across part of the newspaper Elias had apparently sacrificed earlier.
Izana's eyes shifted back toward Zarek.
"…You appear to be very bad at crime."
"NO CRIME."
"Mm."
Zarek immediately ran toward him after that and grabbed onto his leg dramatically.
"…No look."
Izana looked down at him.
"No look where?"
Zarek gasped softly.
Clearly realising this was another trap.
Tiny hands immediately covered his own mouth.
Dante nearly collapsed onto the sofa laughing silently.
Izana crouched slightly in front of him.
"…Where am I not looking?"
Zarek whispered loudly:
"…Mama drawer."
Complete silence.
Leah slowly covered her face.
"…Well done."
"I HELPED," Zarek defended immediately.
"You absolutely did."
Izana finally reached down and picked him up.
Zarek immediately buried his face against his shoulder in embarrassment.
Tiny hands still clutching crayons behind Izana's back.
Izana adjusted him comfortably against his chest.
"…So there's something in mommy's drawer."
"No."
"…Hm."
"Maybe little."
Dante was openly laughing now.
"This child inherited none of your lying abilities."
"I'm honest," Izana replied calmly.
Leah snorted.
"…That's the funniest thing you've ever said."
Zarek suddenly pulled back slightly and looked at Izana seriously.
"…Da-da no look till later."
There it was.
The actual request beneath all the terrible secrecy.
Izana's expression softened almost immediately.
"…Alright."
Zarek blinked.
"…Otay?"
"I won't look."
Tiny visible relief flooded his face instantly.
"…Good."
Then he leaned closer and whispered again—
"…Secret mission."
Izana pressed a soft kiss against the top of his head.
"…Clearly."
Leah watched them quietly from nearby.
Still unbelievable sometimes.
This terrifying man— feared across cities— standing in the middle of the living room while holding a paint-covered toddler who was failing catastrophically at espionage.
And somehow Izana looked calmer here than anywhere else in the world.
Dante eventually sat down on the sofa with a long sigh.
"…There's paint on the ceiling."
Leah immediately looked up.
"…There's WHAT?"
Zarek gasped dramatically.
Everyone looked upward.
A tiny blue handprint decorated the corner of the ceiling near the archway.
Silence.
Then Zarek pointed toward it proudly.
"…Reach high."
Leah stared at him in disbelief.
"How did you even manage that?"
"Magic," Zarek answered confidently.
Izana almost smiled again.
Almost.
Later that night, after dinner and after Leah finally managed to clean most of the paint off both Zarek and the furniture, the mansion quieted again.
Zarek had fallen asleep downstairs curled sideways on the sofa holding his lion plush.
One tiny hand still clutching the edge of a paper bag very badly hidden beneath him.
Protecting the surprise even in sleep.
Izana carefully lifted him into his arms.
Zarek stirred slightly.
"…No look."
"…I know."
Sleepy little hands grabbed lightly at Izana's shirt before relaxing again.
Izana carried him upstairs quietly while Leah followed behind them smiling softly.
Once Zarek had finally been settled into bed, Leah closed the nursery door gently behind them.
Then looked toward Izana knowingly.
"…You already figured it out immediately, didn't you?"
"…Yes."
"And you're pretending not to know."
"Yes."
Leah smiled faintly.
"…Why?"
Izana was quiet for a moment.
Then his eyes shifted briefly toward the nursery door again.
"…Because he's trying."
Something warm tightened painfully in Leah's chest immediately.
Because she understood exactly what he meant.
The effort mattered more to him than the surprise itself.
Leah stepped closer slowly.
"You love him so much."
Izana looked down at her calmly.
"…Obviously."
Then he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead before walking toward their bedroom.
And downstairs beneath the sofa lamp—
tiny painted handprints still covered the forgotten papers waiting for him.