Painter Of The Night: The phoenix, the crane and the butterfly (Serene Bird) – third version

This is where you can read the manhwas. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter  https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/serenebird But be aware that these manhwas are mature Yaois, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents:  https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/ Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about other manhwas:   https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

Thanks to comments from readers, I realized that I had overlooked certain aspects. And now, you understand why I keep asking my readers to give me some feedback. The remarks can definitely help me to improve the quality of my analyses.

After reading chapter 64, I have to admit that I needed a break to heal my broken heart. This chapter was the most painful to read. Because of this, I couldn’t help myself thinking of the work from Marquis de Sades again, Justine or the Misfortunes of Virtue. On the one hand, I was happy to see that my association to this work was correct, which I had sensed very early on. https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/06/17/painter-of-the-night-traces-of-dangerous-liaisons-and-justine-the-misfortunes-of-virtue-in-the-manhwa/

1. Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho’s misfortunes

On the other hand, this means that the manhwaphiles have to prepare their heart, as the misfortunes and agony are definitely a part of this manhwa. However this doesn’t mean that I consider Yoon Seungho’s love for the painter as doomed. It is just that they will have to overcome many obstacles and as such enemies. And now you are wondering why I was reminded of this novel from the 18th Century in episode 64? First, the author displays such a violence linked to sex. Then the brutality during the sex makes the main lead suffer so much. Furthermore the sex in episode 64 is linked to immorality, shame and shock. The manhwaphiles will detect the absence of love and warmth in the intercourse, as there is no fire and light in that episode. The pleasure is only connected to pain and humiliation.

Here, sex is connected to perversion and corruption, while the painter symbolizes purity. And now you know the origin from the idiom “sadist”. The French author from the Enlightenment has become “famous” due to his grotesque sexual scenes, very similar to the sex scenes in chapter 64. Here, the lord shows indeed sadistic tendencies. He takes pleasure that the painter ejaculates, when he is in an embarrassing position. He feels no guilt and remorse, when he sees Kim’s presence and shocked face. Hence this episode confirms my theory of father Yoon’s rules and the indoctrination Yoon Seungho was exposed to. Here, the lord wants to submit the painter sexually. In other words, the former would like to wreck the painter, reverse the situation from chapter 58. He wants to eliminate the painter’s purity with this huge amount of sex. The more he has sex, the more he will destroy Baek Na-Kyum’s virtue and innocence and as such obtain his submission. He has the impression that by acting like that, he will get what he desires, not realizing that he is achieving the opposite.

And now you understand why the night in the storage room is a combination of the rape at the pavilion, the sex marathon and the sex session in the painter’s study in chapter 41-42.Here, the painter expressed the wish that the penetration should be deeper, he even asked for more roughness. All these sex scenes oozed sadness and violence. While in chapter 63, love was still present, the opening of the door marked a turning point. Kim’s presence triggers a memory deeply buried in the lord’s unconscious: Yoon Seungho’s first rape and the butler’s betrayal and abandonment. While all the readers, including myself, loathed Yoon Seungho for that terrible behavior, I only recognized afterwards why the lord changed one more time. He became even crueler and more brutal in that episode due to the valet’s appearance and presence. (chapter 64). This actually displays how wounded and betrayed the young master experienced the whole situation. He loved the butler so much, so that he must have felt his betrayal and abandonment as the worst he ever had lived. He was so shocked that he repressed it.

That’s why the concentration of these chapters was painful for the readers too. Therefore we can definitely say that Baek Na-Kyum’s fate resembles a lot to Justine’s. But since he is going through the same experiences than the noble, it signifies that Yoon Seungho suffered the same fate. I would even say, he went through worse situations, as his torment lasted for many years. The innocent protagonist experiences one misery after another one like Yoon Seungho, but in a much shorter time. The other divergence is that despite the suffered physical and sexual abuse, the painter is able to remain pure because of love. And now you are wondering how it is possible that the main lead can remain so pure after this new sex marathon. It is related to the lord’s confession in the shed. It looked like rape, but in reality it was difference. The painter was not really pushing Yoon Seungho away.

However, there are two huge differences between these two works. First, I think, we have two “Justines” in Painter Of The Night: the commoner and the noble Yoon Seungho. We could even say, that even Jihwa and Nameless are Justine too. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that Yoon Seungho and Lee Jihwa represent Justine’s sister, Juliette, too. The latter chose to drop virtues and used sex to climb the social ladders. In the French novel, the sister never made bad experiences (rape, torture, etc.), because she chose the easy way out. She wasn’t bothered to sell her body. But as I pointed out earlier, Yoon Seungho was exposed to violence and sexual abuse, therefore it is totally comprehensible why at the end he surrendered and chose to live like “Juliette”. Let’s not forget that in the French novel, Justine dies at the end, but through her death, her sister chooses to change her way of life. She becomes a reformed woman, a nun and dedicates her life to virtue. Now, you can see the parallels between the two works: Yoon Seungho died as Justine and became Juliette, until he met the painter Baek Na-Kyum. Because of the new Justine, the lord was slowly transformed, until he chose to abandon everything and become the artist’s domestic, in other words, the Joseon Justine’s worshipper.

2. The cranes

And it is the same for Jihwa as well. Let’s not forget that the two ukes are connected to the crane: (chapter 45) (chapter 43) While Baek Na-Kyum’s problem is sex, Jihwa’s struggle will be crime, like trespassing, abduction and murder. Like I had already mentioned it in another analysis, crane is connected to happiness, honor, longevity and good fortune. However, this doesn’t signify that the person embodied by the crane encounters good fortune. Due to Baek Na-Kyum, the second Justine, the red-haired aristocrat is forced to change and Nameless becomes his guide.

Let’s not forget that in the manhwa “Serene bird” the main lead Yoo Chung makes a similar experience. He also meets tragedies, one after another. That’s why Jihwa will play a different role than the commoner. Jihwa’s fate will be connected to justice, but he will suffer and his tormenter and liberator will be Nameless. The red-haired aristocrat is ignoring true moral values like charity, selflessness and justice, while his unconscious has not forgotten it. This will be his inner struggle, while Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting sex, connecting it to something dirty. Furthermore, unlike in the French novel from the 18th Century, where evilness and injustice win at the end, as the heroine dies, the manhwaphiles witness in the manhwa the spiritual death of the culprit, Yoon Seungho. This is represented by the following panel:

There’s no light, only darkness. The lord is no longer represented by the white candle, but again with the yellow bougie on a chandelier like at the beginning. (chapter 5) This marks the return of his older self, but a worse version, as there is no light. The yellow bougie on the candelabra is a symbol for coldness, frigidity and selfishness. Yet, since there is no light in chapter 64, the absence of light is a metaphor for the non-existence of life. In other words, we are witnessing the death of the phoenix. When I say that this is his spiritual death, it signifies that the lord’s heart is no longer beating for the painter. He closed his heart, and since the heart was in possession of his mind, this means that neither his heart nor his mind are alive. Yet, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that Yoon Seungho’s love for Baek Na-Kyum vanished for good. It’s just that his self-hatred has taken over his mind and heart, therefore he is not able to give any love and warmth to his lover.

3. Yoon Seungho as Juliette

But let’s go back to our comparison to the French novel. Since Yoon Seungho torments the painter, we could think, he is a villain like the surgeon Rodin. However, this is just a deception, like I exposed above. The main lead is now Juliette, the sister who chose to live the opposite way of Justine after their separation. She became a libertine and used sex in order to climb the social ladder. She became rich and powerful. However, after meeting Justine again by chance, Juliette discovers her sister’s tragic fate, which affects her so much. When the libertine even witnesses Justine’s terrible death, the latter gets struck by lightning, Juliette decides to become virtuous and enters a nunnery, where she becomes a very famous nun, receiving the admiration from many ladies. Out of love for her sister, she decided to dedicate herself to virtues. And now, you comprehend why I believe that Yoon Seungho will have a similar reaction in the end. He will change for the better and fight for commoners, which was already visible in chapter 6. Now, you understand the signification of chapter 64. The latter doesn’t reveal his true personality, the violent and obsessed side to the painter, but the violence and betrayal he was exposed to, which led to his murderous and suicidal tendencies. His behavior is the result of the sexual abuse and the coercive persuasion. For me, it is clear that the lord actually reveals his self-hatred, therefore he is so rough and brutal towards the artist. He is reliving the past, and more precisely the first rape which marked the start of his suffering. And due to the brutality and the words of the rapist and his accomplice (chapter 65), he came to hate himself. That’s why the disappearance of the light shouldn’t be judged as something negative in the end. The lord has finally shown his actual mental disposition: a man full of insecurities and self-hatred, which the painter could hear and see. On the other hand, like I said, this is not his true personality, as he was forced to change and abandon all virtues.

4. Kim and the scandal in town

For the first time, the main lead confronts the butler with his past actions. He let him see what he went through during that night, when Kim chose not to open the door. That’s why Kim is so shocked and ashamed. But instead of assuming his responsibility, he acts exactly like in the past. He acts, as if nothing was happening and runs away. The only difference is that he can not make the painter feel guilty. This is important, because Baek Na-Kyum is not pushed to repress the incident. The painter won’t forget his behavior… exactly like during the night of the rape at the pavilion. Back then, he only reproached that he never revealed the truth. Yet during that night, he experienced his cowardice and abandonment. The painter is very sensitive concerning abandonment.

In my opinion, Kim always reflected to his master the following image: He was just a poor lord due to his tragic past, hence he was misunderstood. He could use memories to his advantage, hence the noble could only trust his butler. There’s no doubt that Kim had not forgotten the sensitive and kind teenager. He was willing to use his brutal behavior to his benefit. He could divert attention from his own misdeeds in the past. Yet in episode 64, he is confronted with the lord’s darkness directly for the first time, a heritage from father Yoon: he witnesses the true consequences of the lord’s hypersexuality. This time, he is affected, because he sees it himself.

Moreover, I would even say that the lord’s self-destruction is palpable, not only in front of the barn and in the painter’s study, but also in the town. The inhabitants are discovering the truth: Jihwa’s words became reality and as such truth. That’s how the town folks will judge it too. They will condemn the lord Yoon like Jihwa, because they became the victims of lord’s fury and despair. Due to his obsession with the painter, his domestics behaved like ruffians towards the inhabitants. This is quite similar to the scene in chapter 30, where his staff had to experience the lord’s brutality. We have to understand them. They were desperate to please their master, as they feared his brutality. They didn’t want to experience another huge beating. And the tailor plays a huge role in the birth of the huge scandal. With his small action, he will trigger a huge storm, so that the lord’s reputation as alpha and king will be literally destroyed. Therefore from my point of view, we are witnessing the lord’s gradual death. Despite his bad reputation, the inhabitants never avoided Yoon Seungho in the past, as he had money and connections. However, we shouldn’t forget the incident in chapter 54, where he evicted the nobles. The latter will no longer respect the powerful lord, and the chapter 64 announces that the protagonist will first lose the inhabitants’ support. He will truly become an outcast. One might argue that he already had a bad reputation as hell-raiser, yet with this scandal, there’s no ambiguity that no officials and no merchants will like to be connected with him. But this situation is just short-lived, because after the scandal, the main lead becomes tranquil again. The absence of a new scandal for 2 weeks and his attitude towards the painter in chapter 76 display that Yoon Seungho is able to get the town folks’ support like in the beginning. They definitely judge him as a reformed man. This explicates why the shop owner is still showing respect towards the master. (chapter 76)

5. The candle and painting

However, I believe that in chapter 64 Yoon Seungho has not reached the bottom yet. Why? First, he has not realized the consequences of his action yet. He literally destroyed the painter, and not with sex, but with his refusal of kissing the painter: What caught my attention is the absence of the painter’s blushing and the disappearance of tears. These two panels represent the final blow to the painter. And he will remember this gesture, just like he could recall the embrace and kiss from chapter 42. That’s why the yellow candle is also a metaphor for the painter. I believe that he didn’t cry after that night. And the manhwaphiles can note the vanishing of the painter’s physical reactions, if you compare it to the sex scene in the barn or in front of the storage room. The painter is still blushing and ejaculates. And the interpretation from my previous analysis was correct. The scene with the storage room is a combination of the sex marathon and the chapters 40-41-42. Here, the absence of the kiss is similar to the scholar’s words: However, there are two contrasts. First, the outcome will be different. Secondly, the lord treats the painter as his plaything now, and not as a prostitute. Notice the parallels. We have the return of the yellow candle on a candlestick, then the treatment is similar to the first chapter, where Baek Na-Kyum was kept captive in the barn. In chapter 1, the room was bright contrasting to the darkness in the storage room in chapter 62-63. Back then the main character was intelligent and cunning, as he was not aware of the influence of his heart. From chapter 62 on, the lord is no longer in possession of his smart and bright mind, as the darkness of his heart has taken possession of his mind. Yet, since the painter was able to hear and see the lord’s love on two occasions, the artist will recover from the wound afflicted during that night. Unlike the scholar, who never declared his love for him and just hoped that he would change into a person without a sex life, the noble expressed his wish to be the cause of the painter’s happiness. Therefore the new version of chapter 40 will have the opposite outcome. The painter’s spirit won’t be so devastated like before. He has already experienced the noble’s love. On the other hand, the painter stopped painting after that night. From my point of view, this second marathon has affected his creativity. He couldn’t paint due to his injury, but he remembered the orchid from Yoon Seungho. In my opinion, the lord’s words from that night must have left a deep impression on him so that he won’t be able to paint erotic paintings. I am more inclined to believe that Baek Na-Kyum’s new picture in the third season will be a different topic. Remember my theory that Yoon Seungho was a painter in the beginning, but his father ruined his talent. In my opinion, we should expect a similar phenomenon. Due to the sex marathon, the painter will be encouraged to paint something else. Since the orchid from Yoon Seungho caught his attention and he drew himself an inauguration painting, I come to the conclusion that the painter will choose a different topic for his works. That’s how he will shine as a phoenix. This would explain why the sheet of paper remained white during that night. (chapter 64)

After that night, the low-born’s love for the noble is affected. Baek Na-Kyum has discovered his own huge sexual appetite. Based to my interpretation, the painter serves as the aristocrat’s mirror. By making the painter suffer the same fate, so that the latter becomes a new version of Yoon Seungho, the protagonist will perceive his own reflection. Hence he has the impression that he is a man consumed by lust, and in his denial he tries to blame his lover. (chapter 75) And now, you grasp why the author is tormenting our main lead. His function is to liberate Yoon Seungho, but for that, he needs to go through the same pain and wounds. By destroying the artist, he kills himself in the end. This explicates why the yellow bougie represent the two protagonists in chapter 64: Hence we could say that the painter is a phoenix as well. And by turning the artist into a zombie, Yoon Seungho will be cornered to accept the reality. He is indeed a man obsessed by sex. This interpretation was confirmed with chapter 66. (chapter 66). There’s no ambiguity that in that moment, Yoon Seungho blamed himself for the artist’s flashback, until the abduction was unveiled. But the artist experiences a rebirth… as a painter. He won’t create any erotic painting in my opinion forcing the noble to create erotic pictures. But naturally this is just a theory. The reason for this is that we have the presence of the brushes under Yoon Seungho’s head. (chapter 64) It was, as if Baek Na-Kyum was passing his task to the main lead.

6. The crane’s vision

By announcing the presence of a zombie, I couldn’t help myself to connecting it to Jihwa’s nightmare. His dream became real. I perceive this scene as the evidence that Jihwa’s role is quite similar to the artist’s. The latter’s dreams always turned into reality. But there’s more to it. Now, I comprehend the meaning of the following images differently. The painter’s dead gaze is the reason for the main character to have dark eyes. Observe that the noble’s hand is holding the painter’s head, indicating that the lord is responsible for the artist’s spiritual death. The darkness of Yoon Seungho’s heart was brought to the surface due to Jihwa’s action. Due to his misdeed, he caused the noble to become oblivious of the truth, his gaze is covered by a shadow. As you can observe, the new episode gives us the opportunity to perceive Jihwa’s prediction under a new light. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum is able to move on from the scholar.

7. Yoon Seungho’s indoctrinations: the cause of his death

And you all know the reason why the master is so determined to deny, that he is a man consumed by sex and believes that he is not worthy to be loved. He has been brainwashed by his father, just like the painter. Yet their path was different. Whereas the artist was forced to abstinence and to reject his own sexual orientation, the aristocrat was forced to prostitution for his father’s sake. The latter turned his mansion into a brothel, since he was such a prude hypocrite. When the purge occurred, the father saved his own skin by betraying and abandoning his son. For the first time, Yoon Seungho was confronted with reality and as such his own reflection. The father never loved him, in fact he despised him, hence the latter developed self-hatred and a phobia of his own reflection. But he adopted his father’s point of view due to Kim’s influence, just like Baek Na-Kyum did after the low noble told him that he only considered the low-born as a prostitute. That’s why he kept fooling around with men. And the chapter 64 was another revelation: the lord’s hypersexuality. It became really visible in this picture. It was, as if the artist was asked to paint an erotic picture, while having sex, because the sexual act was not even enough for the lord’s libido. This sexual disorder is the result of the father’s coercive persuasion. If you look up, you will discover that sexual trauma can definitely lead to hypersexuality.

“There are several causes that can explain hypersexual behaviour: a psychological trauma related to affection, love or desire, but also an emotional shock such as depression, etc.” (translated by me) https://www.passeportsante.net/sexualite-g159/Fiche.aspx?doc=hypersexualite#:~:text=Il%20existe%20plusieurs%20causes%20qui,%C3%A9motionnel%20comme%20une%20d%C3%A9pression%2C%20etc.

With this quote, it becomes obvious why the lord is so convinced that he can’t be loved. Imagine that just by reading the title of this article “Hyposexuality and Hypersexuality Secondary to Childhood Trauma and Dissociation” I can link the other psychological disorder I had diagnosed in the master with hypersexuality https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J229v03n04_06?journalCode=wjtd20 And now, we know why the main lead needed stimuli all this time and why he chose to live in debauchery in the end, which his physician had criticized. He had to in order to mask his mental issues. However, I believe that after the public disgrace, the main character, misguided by his “mentor” Kim, thought that he could take revenge on his father by becoming the exact image his father hated. In his mind, he would hurt and humiliate his father, at the same time, this control about the rumors gave him the impression that he was indeed a spirit. The reality was totally different. Father Yoon might have lived in exile, yet his reputation was still intact, whereas Yoon Seungho was treated like a head-kisaeng.

Due to the second sex marathon, Yoon Seungho is forced to admit that he was wrong. That’s why after realizing his huge mistake, he gives up on all the doctrines taught by his two fathers. Simultaneously, he realizes that he can only make love to the painter, if the latter desires it. He can no longer impose his will onto Baek Na-Kyum. The irony is that by acting so, he is definitely breaking a taboo. He is not hiding his love for another man, and not hiding it behind social norms, like: sex is a battle. Once the fight is won, there’s an exchange of favors.

As a conclusion, after that night, Yoon Seungho is no longer confusing sex and love. He has adopted the painter’s original point of view. Sex is an expression of love. That’s why he will shine as a phoenix. He will represent Baek Na-Kyum’s philosophy and fight for these virtues: hard work, dedication, forgiveness, empathy, equity and liberty.

7. The butterfly

And now, you are wondering why the title is referring to the butterfly, as so far, I only talked about the phoenix and the crane. Why did I come up with such an association, when the second season happens during the winter? My reason is quite simple. The image of the butterfly is present in the manhwa under two aspects, first we have one panel with a butterfly in the special episode: Secondly, I couldn’t restrain myself thinking about the butterfly effect. While many readers were mad at Yoon Seungho for his brutality and ruthlessness in chapter 64, they seemed to have forgotten that everything happened because of Jihwa’s action. The latter let the painter kidnapped. Nonetheless since he was returned, in Nameless and the red-haired aristocrat’s mind, nothing had happened. A small change, and yet it destroys the fragile relationship between the two protagonists, affects the bond between Yoon Seungho and Kim and ruins the lord’s image in the town. Jihwa’s greed and jealousy led to the main lead’s self-destruction. Sure, the lord is not innocent either. Therefore he will be punished. The main lead loses everything: Baek Na-Kyum’s trust, his “life” and even his position as lord of the mansion. Their “spiritual” death is his punishment. That’s why I believe that Jihwa has not met his karma yet. He will definitely suffer just the painter and will be punished. So far, he has not been exposed to physical and sexual violence, that’s why I am now predicting this. The relationship between Jihwa and Nameless won’t be romantic. Jihwa will see the butcher’s true face at some point.

And now, if you recall the whole story, you’ll observe a certain pattern: the butterfly effect is always linked to the painter and Jihwa. The main lead is affected thanks to Baek Na-Kyum’s works and once they meet, the artist affects him and his life. A small creature, like the butterfly, brings huge transformation to the people around him: Jung In-Hun, the valet Kim, the servants, Deok-Jae, the nobles and Jihwa. Note that in chapter 8, Min met the artist for the time and awoke lust and desires in him. That’s why he started challenging the main lead. And since Jihwa is the noble version of the painter, we can conclude that Jihwa plays a similar function in the end. He brings transformation, positive and negative, just like Baek Na-Kyum, but to Nameless and Yoon Seungho. And this is no coincidence that the butterfly is a symbol for transformation and temporality.

Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Butterflies are not only beautiful, but also have mystery, symbolism and meaning and are a metaphor representing spiritual rebirth, transformation, change, hope and life. The magnificent, yet short life of the butterfly closely mirrors the process of spiritual transformation and serves to remind us that life is short. https://gardenswithwings.com/butterfly-symbolism#:~:text=Butterflies%20are%20deep%20and%20powerful,%2C%20change%2C%20hope%20and%20life.

This explains why the beautiful insect is associated to death in the end. There’s this belief that the butterfly represents the soul of deceased people, the loved ones. That’s why some people think that butterflies are messengers from the afterlife, the souls are communicating to them through butterflies. Let’s not forget that butterflies are attracted to light and fire, and we all know that one of the main lead’s element is fire. However, fire can kill a butterfly, if the latter becomes too close to the flame. And now, you understand why I connected this candle with the one from the special episode. This bougie represents the true form of the painter: white because of purity and innocence and the butterfly as a sign of his true power. He is the one who brings transformation and rebirth! The butterfly is the cause for the rebirth of the phoenix. His selflessness causes him to lose his “spiritual” life. He follows the lord till the end, never rebelling which contrasts to the painter’s behavior during the first season. He won’t even try to run away after that night, as he will keep his promise. However, this new vow is not without consequence.

This time, someone will have to abduct him in order to free him from this hell, and this prediction seems to become true. (chapter 69) Due to this panel, it becomes obvious that Heena noona will behave the same way than Jihwa in the end, though the roles have been switched. Her brother has been seduced by a witch and he needs assistance. She will do anything in order to save her brother, unaware that she will be the cause for her brother’s misery. While I thought in the past that Kim embodied the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, I came to recognize that this bible quote fits Heena noona’s personality. And this would definitely reinforce my interpretation that the kisaeng is a Christian.

So while the readers envisioned that the kisaeng introduced at the end of the episode would become Baek Na-Kyum’s savior, (chapter 64), she played a different role in the end. She instigated fear in the painter and confronted him with a negative reflection so that the artist stopped opening up. He never revealed his true emotions and thoughts in front of Yoon Seungho. Even the influence of the wine didn’t push him to confess his affection, contrary to chapter 21. In other words, Heena noona is no emancipator, just like Kim. Note the pattern, the butler’s stans hoped that he would become the painter’s helping hand, but he never did. When he encouraged the painter to leave the mansion, he was well aware that Black Heart was waiting for him at the kisaeng house.

The chapter 64 announced a huge turning point in the noble’s life, his death. In other words, it forced him to face reality. The master was no longer a boy with a tragic past, but a monster. And let’s not forget that the tailor revealed the identity of Baek Na-Kyum in chapter 64. He made an allusion, that the low-born was the anonymous artist who became famous with his erotic paintings. And due to this final panel, I come to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum’s departure from the brothel was linked to the success of his career as a painter and his homosexuality. They chose Jung In-Hun, as he was a low noble with no wealth and connections. From my point of view, the adoptive mother or sister wanted Baek Na-Kyum to remain in the shadow. We can assume that she imagined, by living with the scholar, the painter would keep painting, but he wouldn’t be able to outlive his sexual orientation. There’s no doubt that Heena noona imagined that he would be abused. And the appearance of the kisaeng with two guards signifies that Baek Na-Kyum is indeed connected to power in the end. Since I consider him as a phoenix, this could be an indication that he could be more than just a filthy low-born, like Jihwa and Jung In-Hun imagined.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My reddit-Instagram- tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.