Mateo's dad was hiding right under our noses
Disney never shows Mateo’s dad, never names him, never even hints at who he is — and that giant blank space lines up with a ton of suspicious clues:
Rafa hates Esteban WAY too much for it to be about a plant (S2E22). Her anger feels personal, like someone who was betrayed.
Esteban personally invites Mateo to his dinner party in “My Fair Naomi.” He never does that for random commoners.
Mateo’s skin tone and features match Esteban’s more than Rafa’s ,Disney character design is rarely accidental.
Esteban was Shuriki’s Chancellor, which gives him a reason to disappear from Mateo’s life out of guilt, fear, or shame.
Rafa is extremely protective, which makes sense if she’s hiding the truth from Mateo.
Mateo acts like someone who grew up without a father, and Esteban acts awkward and guilty around him.
And honestly… it even explains why the show never shipped Elena × Mateo. If Esteban is his father, Elena is basically his aunt.
Mateo’s age lines up perfectly with Esteban’s years under Shuriki, meaning he could have fathered a child before guilt drove him to distance himself.
Mateo and Esteban share the same nervous smile, a tiny animation detail that’s too specific to be coincidence.
Now this all could maybe be a some mistakes for the animators but hey its just a theory, an Avalor Theory.
