This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes.
After reading chapter 69 for the first time, my instinctive reaction was to comment about Min’s presence at the kisaeng house on Twitter. 
Some readers had some doubts that this was Min, because the latter usually wears a green hanbok 
and not a mustard-yellow. Jihwa is the one wearing such hanboks, which is indeed correct. I have to admit that I didn’t even think about this detail, because my eyes had paid attention to something else: 
When I saw the laugh in the background, for me there was no doubt, Min was at the kisaeng house. The laugh is The Joker’s mark, that’s how you recognize this villain. 
(chapter 19) 
(chapter 54) And remember that a joker is a synonym for a comedian. Naturally, I have other arguments for this interpretation.
First, notice that Jihwa has never been at the kisaeng house, he prefers visiting the tavern. 
(chapter 59)
Secondly, since the story is constructed like a kaleidoscope, this signifies that we have to expect a repetition with some variations. And in chapter 19, Min is indeed present at a kisaeng house with Yoon Seungho. 
And back then, he was inquiring about the painter before making the following suggestion to the main lead: they should drink the expensive wine at the protagonist’s mansion. Black Heart was already trying to set a trap, because he couldn’t stop thinking about the artist. He felt the need to have sex with the artist, but in order to have his wish fulfilled, he needed to create an occasion. So the expensive wine was the bribe. One of my readers supposed that Min had planned to have the painter drunk, this is definitely possible. However, I am more inclined to think, Black Heart desired to have the main lead drunk, so that he could approach the artist more easily. Why? I believe, Min has totally misjudged the painter’s personality due to his observations. Remember that he is someone watching people closely.
Since he saw the painter getting aroused during the sex session (chapter 8), he had the impression that the low-born was experienced with sex, and as such was “depraved”. He felt attracted to the painter’s facial expressions exuding pure and raw desires. He saw a confirmation of his perception in the drawings as well. In chapter 19, he describes the drawing as lewd
, and for me he is actually thinking about the artist while commenting this. Moreover, this is the same expression Yoon Seungho will use during their Wedding Night: How could he paint such pictures without any sexual experience? Since Black Heart had the impression that Baek Na-Kyum was an easy man (a witch seducing men), The Joker proposed later to Yoon Seungho to bring the low-born to their sex sessions (chapter 33, 
chapter 52). He imagined, the artist would never be opposed to this, he just restrained himself due to Yoon Seungho’s order. That’s why he made such a comment about Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 52) In my opinion, Min came to the belief that the lord was the reason why the painter didn’t join them in their sex sessions. However, he was right and wrong. In reality, the painter’s inner struggles were caused by the scholar’s indoctrination, and later the lord did really desire to keep the artist to himself. Yet more importantly, Baek Na-Kyum is actually a very loyal and faithful person, hence he abhors sex sessions. Since Min’s first scheme had failed, then he needed to find a new approach. Hence he came with this idea: if the lord gave his consent, he would be able to get his wish fulfilled. Therefore he keeps suggesting to bring the artist to their sex sessions after each failed trap (chapter 19, 43). Simultaneously, each time he planned something, this always backfired on him. In chapter 19, he got to see the beautiful face of Baek Na-Kyum full of tears
, which could only arouse Min even more. Yet he couldn’t touch him. Then after urging Jihwa to organize the abduction and assassination, a few days later, Black Heart has to see the artist’s smooth legs
, which can only increase his arousal. The more he tried to taste the commoner, the more he got tempted without being capable to satisfy his urges. Each time he even helped the lord in the end. In chapter 19, his plan with the expensive wine benefitted Yoon Seungho the most. The latter was finally able to “taste” the painter, and now Yoon Seungho has recognized that he can trust his loved one. He will now believe in his words, a huge step for the main lead. 
At the same time, Baek Na-Kyum got to hear that he could trust the noble, because the latter would believe in his words.
Moreover, since I have already portrayed the Joker as sadist, his desires can only increase, because he sees the painter’s condition has not improved. The last time Black Heart saw the low-born, he was a wreck… and I doubt that this repelled him. It had quite the opposite effect. Why do I think so? First, we have Yoon Seungho who confessed to the painter with these words: 
, therefore “wreck” had a positive connotation. Besides, we have Heena noona who complains about the painter’s terrible state. 
Yet at no moment the painter feels shocked or terrible. That’s why I believe, when Min saw the painter’s poor condition, his urges to taste the artist reached a new peak. That’s why he revealed Jihwa’s culpability. He needed to divert the lord’s attention, while he was already setting the next trap.
Because I have already elaborated this theory that Kim and Min have been talking to each other since the last party, I am quite sure, the butler must have revealed his knowledge to the Joker. Since Jihwa is no longer able to enter the place, the valet needed another pawn. In his mind, Min was perfect. So they must have agreed to use Heena noona during that morning. Both saw in her the perfect tool, because she already has a negative perception of Yoon Seungho. At the same time, she is close to the painter, therefore the latter will trust her more easily. Let’s not forget that when Min approached Seungho’s mansion, he saw the kisaeng making a ruckus in front of the mansion. 
He discovered her relationship to the artist. So far, no one had an idea where the artist was coming from. So their first plan was quite easy. Heena noona would bring the artist outside the mansion, while Yoon Seungho was busy making trouble at the Lee’s mansion. Both manipulators anticipated that once the artist woke up and saw his sister by his side asking him to leave, he would run away with her. In their mind, Baek Na-Kyum could only resent the aristocrat for the harsh treatment during the last night. That’s why Kim urged her to speak. He knew what she would say. 
As for Min, he was very displeased with the new situation. Jihwa had really messed up, because for Min it would become more difficult to taste the artist. Besides, he is more than ever forced to kill Baek Na-Kyum, as the latter could reveal the scheme and the identity of the culprit. After the scandal Yoon Seungho created in town due to the artist, the Joker recognized that if anything happened to the painter, the main character would make sure to uncover the truth and make people pay for this. Remember The Joker’s words in chapter 43:
They needed to fake an accident to cover up the murder, because killing a commoner was still a crime. And now you comprehend why Min revealed the abduction to the protagonist. Not only he wanted to divert the noble’s attention, but also he needed a scapegoat for the next kidnapping. Since Jihwa had disobeyed him, Black Heart felt the need to punish Jihwa. But most importantly, the red-haired aristocrat needed to pay for the situation he had created: Min was no longer able to concretize his “dream”: taste the painter.
But since Kim and Min thought that Baek Na-Kyum would follow his sister easily, we have to imagine that the Joker projected that he would encounter the low-born at the kisaeng house. He couldn’t wait to meet him, especially after seeing him as a wreck the same day. That’s why he went to the kisaeng house later. Since he had a servant by his side, the latter could ask the kisaeng’s guards, in which kisaeng house she was living.
And now, you are wondering why he is wearing a hanbok like Jihwa’s. It is quite simple: he is impersonating him. Since Jihwa refused to kill the painter, Black Heart envisioned that the noble had kept postponing the kidnapping due to fear and remorse. Therefore The Joker decided to come up with a new strategy, which would be so tempting that the red-haired noble wouldn’t doubt his words. 
Min asked the same thing than Nameless. 
He just needed to wait and remain in his mansion, having a low profile. In other words, Black Heart asked him to do nothing! Since Jihwa would do nothing, he wouldn’t have to feel remorse, and more importantly, he wouldn’t commit any crime in his eyes. Since the second lead is quite naive, he doesn’t realize that knowing the existence of a crime and not revealing it is actually a crime too. In his mind, his hands would remain pure, whereas in reality he is an accomplice. That’s why Min asked him not to run away. How did I come up with impersonification? It is because we already had one, and like I have already exposed it, each incident will be repeated. Jihwa impersonated lord Song, when he sent the fake letter. 
And remember Jihwa’s reaction back then. He never saw any wrongdoing in his action, he didn’t recognize the seriousness of his misdeed. 
He even blamed the main lead.
In my opinion, Black Heart had envisioned the painter’s return, therefore he was waiting for him. Since neither Jihwa nor Min had ever visited this place, this means that no one would know their real identity. From my point of view, Black Heart had already anticipated to taste the artist that night. And if Baek Na-Kyum had disappeared, the kisaengs would have noticed the nobles with the color of the hanboks. However, the problem is that Heena noona returned alone that night. Hence Min’s scheme had failed again.
And now, I would like to point out the presence of the noble with the mole. He is noticeable with the purple robe. First, the latter is often seen with Jihwa, hence the aristocrat is already guilty by association. From my point of view, Black Heart is so determined to have his wish fulfilled that he is willing to jeopardize everything. And in my opinion, the poor friend has no idea about this. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that in season 1, Min already betrayed him once, when the latter got humiliated and evicted from Yoon Seungho’s bedchamber. 
The Joker didn’t leave the lord’s chamber, hence he chose to side with the host. Moreover, we have the second lead’s admiration for their relationship: 
(chapter 59) Jihwa will realize how fake this relationship was. There’s this possibility that Min also manipulated his friend, telling him that he was playing a prank. Remember that in chapter 37, Min lied to Jihwa and the noble with the mole sensed it, but decided to overlook this deception. For Jihwa has already been connected to the first abduction, the moment Baek Na-Kyum disappears, Jihwa will be suspected. Since he has the bad habit to sneak out of the mansion, the kisaengs’ testimony could play in his disfavor. Yoon Seungho, blinded by his first mistake, would no longer believe in his friend’s innocence. As for the friend, even if he claims, he was with Min, the main lead won’t trust his words either, especially after the incident with the topknot. And if he participated in the prank (calling Min Jihwa for example), persuaded by his friend to play a prank, then he is done. But the problem was that the kisaeng returned without her brother, which must have surprised Black Heart.
But this doesn’t mean, Min will give up. In fact, it is the opposite. He must have heard the sister’s comment who speaks her mind so loudly that she doesn’t realize the danger. 
But we shouldn’t forget that Min is not working alone in this. Kim is already setting the next trap. He used the servants for that. Since he has been by the lord’s side for so long, they trust him. So when the domestic warned Heena noona to never return to the house
, he was actually repeating Kim’s words. Why do I think so? Notice that the valet is always the one referring to the lord’s bad reputation, and observe that the domestic uses the expression “is known as”
, indicating that in truth he doesn’t judge his master like that. As the manwhaphiles can detect, the staff have become Kim’s eyes and mouth, that’s why he can definitely act in the dark. And while he was not present in chapter 69, I could still feel his presence due to the domestics. The butler is already trying to drive an edge between the kisaeng and the protagonist. He desires to push Heena noona to ignore her brother’s wish, and let him kidnap, although in her mind, she will be saving him. Now, she would become the perfect tool. As you can see, I am expecting a new conspiracy, and they will use Heena noona’s ignorance. For them, it is truly a blessing. And since Min is impersonating Jihwa, he can act, as if he had an interest to separate the couple. Moreover, he can even tell her that he will protect her brother from Yoon Seungho, as he has power and wealth as well. The noble won’t be able to abuse his power. And since Min is always laughing and smiling, Heena noona will trust him, as for her Yoon Seungho is just a violent fiend. However, in order to push her, they will have to fake a letter. Since Heena noona spoke in front of the domestics
, that he could write her
, if he changed his mind, Kim will know about this and forge a letter from the painter. Another possibility is that Kim leaves a fake letter from the painter behind, telling Yoon Seungho that he chose to return to his sister’s side. As you can detect, the letter will be the downfall for Min and Kim in the end. That’s how the conspiracy will be revealed. The main lead will know immediately that another crime has been planned and even committed. So far, only the noble knows that Baek Na-Kyum is illiterate. When they returned from the tailor shop (chapter 40), Kim wasn’t following them, hence he never saw that the lord had to read for the painter. This will be the new version from the chapter 56.
I have to admit that there is this possibility that once Heena noona receives the letter, she decides to go to the authorities
, and ask for their help. Remember that she mentioned it once, therefore it is possible that she decides to do it. And this is definitely something Min and Kim are not expecting. Furthermore, the readers should recall, they tried to use Nameless, and the latter didn’t act like anticipated as well.
As a conclusion, all the traps set by Kim and Min are doomed to failure. I am still convinced that Kim will be forced to reveal his true role in the end, because Min will pressure him. Striking is that the manipulators believe that they know everything, while in reality they are judging people based on appearances and their words. They imagine, the others don’t have any secret, because they are so easy to read and easily manipulated, which is far from the truth. I have not mentioned Nameless here, as so far, I have no clue what he will do exactly. But there is no doubt that Nameless will play a huge part in the failure of the trap set by the manipulators, since he desires to keep his promise to Jihwa. Only a joker can destroy another joker.
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, while the kisaeng decides to ignore her brother’s decision. 
This contrasts so much to his attitude towards Jihwa, when he barged in his mansion. 
Note the disparity between these two pictures. On the one hand, the manhwaphiles only get to see his feet, on the other he is shown as a whole person in the second picture. From my point of view, these images reflect the main lead’s mental disposition. He feels strong and confident in front of his former childhood friend, because the latter committed a huge misdeed towards him. But he feels so small and powerless in front of the painter, because he knows that he was the one in the wrong here. He mistrusted Baek Na-Kyum’s words, as a result he treated him as a sex toy, while he had claimed that he would adore him. And this panel 
: “Who do you think you are to put hands on him?” Who was he really to Baek Na-Kyum? If he had to be judged by the way he had treated the painter the day and the night before, then he was definitely abusing his power. Hence he had no right to decide about the painter’s future. That’s why he retreats and returns to his bedchamber. Although he desires to be by the artist’s side, he is well aware that he can no longer force himself onto the artist. And if he truly heard their conversation, then this signifies, he realized that there was hope for him, as the painter had developed an affection for him. Imagine that if he did listen to their discussion, this signifies that Yoon Seungho decided to overlook Heena noona’s metaphor: a symbol of misfortune. Anyway, in front of the door, he was not thinking about himself and his pain, rather about the painter. This mirrors Baek Na-Kyum’s words: he keeps thinking about the master. 
But Yoon Seungho is one step ahead of him: he is no longer in denial about his love for the painter. That’s why I already perceive a change in the lord’s behavior in that panel. He is retreating, because he wants to let the painter make his own choice. 
He doesn’t want to put pressure on him, because if he does, he will always feel insecure. After hearing that Baek Na-Kyum had remained by his side, because the scholar had hurt him
, Yoon Seungho’s heart had not only been wounded, but also poisoned. The butler’s revelation in chapter 50 gave him the impression that he had never been selected. That’s why he couldn’t trust the artist in the end. And now, you comprehend why I perceive Kim as really dangerous and evil. Kim fueled Yoon Seungho’s self-hatred and insecurities in order to tame and use the lord. Since the main lead’s biggest wish is to be picked by Baek Na-Kyum, he realized that he needed to give the painter some space and time to decide his own fate. There is no ambiguity that Kim’s words played a huge part in his resolution to give the painter the freedom to determine his future. When the butler mentioned the father
, his intention was to remind the main lead of his own suffering. Father Yoon was an abusive and controlling father who kept imposing his will onto the main character. The latter was pressured to obey. Yet, what Kim didn’t expect was Baek Na-Kyum’s resolution to remain by the lord’s side. The butler had imagined that after that treatment in the barn (he kept hearing refusal from the artist), the latter was resenting the main lead and would run away, if he had the opportunity. Simultaneously, he also envisaged that by comparing him to father Yoon, the noble would choose to send away the painter, do the opposite of his father: releasing from his prison. Kim made a huge miscalculation: he never anticipated the real depth of the master’s affection for the painter. He wouldn’t give up on him. The main character took the advice differently. And by giving the painter the freedom to determine his destiny, Yoon Seungho will be able to perceive himself the truth.
, because you can see shattered glass and the bed cover in front of the door. He was annoyed, not because he had been wounded by Heena noona’s words, but because he had realized that he had ruined everything for not trusting the artist. After giving some thought, I believe that this is a new version of chapter 48, when the lord drank first, before throwing the table. 
Yet the huge difference is that in chapter 69, he was mad at himself. However, as time passed on, he could calm down. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he had forgiven himself. It was, as though he was punishing himself, when he sits on the terrace in the cold. 
On the surface, it looks like Yoon Seungho fell back into his bad habits. He destroys the room, then he drinks and smokes in order to numb his body and emotions. Let’s not forget that after the return of the painter in chapter 61, 
he was also smoking in front of the window, giving the impression that he was serene, while in reality he was literally boiling inside. However, I believe that this time, it is different. Note that the hand appears like frozen and emotionless in the panel, because the fingers are not moving. Besides, the gaze seems cold, yet clear. From my point of view, the aristocrat is here firm. He made the choice not to intervene and not to follow his emotions blindly. However, this doesn’t mean, he isn’t suffering internally, quite the opposite. The huge divergence from before is that he is willing to accept the outcome of the situation. Since he had been blinded by his own emotions, he is well aware that he has to ignore them. In other words, he is tormented, while waiting, but he doesn’t let it transpire. At the same time, we should remember that he is sitting in the cold as a sign of penitence. 
He was waiting for a signal. This explicates why the author allowed the manhwalovers to zoom on the noble’s face. In a brief moment, Yoon Seungho’s gaze mirrors his true soul
: he is scared, desperate and wounded. The sound of the door announces the final verdict, it could become the death knell for Yoon Seungho. If the painter decides to follow his sister, then he has to accept this. We have to imagine that in the main lead’s mind, the longer Heena noona remained by Baek Na-Kyum’s side, the higher the probability was that the painter would fulfil his sister’s wish, as it implied that she would increase the pressure on her brother. Yoon Seungho was well aware that if he entered the room, he could ruin everything. If he heard the conversation – I believe, he did -, he had sensed that he had not damaged his relationship with Baek Na-Kyum for good. But as time passed on, he became more and more uncertain. Hence he feared this moment. However, he was resigned to his fate. That’s why his mouth is closed. He has no saying in this, he is powerless. Like my follower @_tryxy_ observed correctly, this is the gaze the protagonist had after the low-born’s disappearance. 
Nonetheless, there exists a divergence. In chapter 60, the wounded and desperate gaze was focused on himself, hence he is felt betrayed. In chapter 69, all his thoughts are evolving around the painter. He is definitely prioritizing the commoner now, despite his agony. 
, when he threw a tantrum acting like a spoiled child, whose favorite toy had vanished. Here, he was surrounded by his staff and beating the domestics, whereas he sent them away in the last episode. He could no longer blame them for his misery. He was responsible for this scandal and his wrongdoing. Hence I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho pondered a lot, while he was sitting alone in the dark, but more calmly, unlike during the night of the low-born’s disappearance
. He made preparations, in case the painter would select him. Therefore, he is definitely more mature and responsible. He is not only learning from his mistakes, but also feeling remorse, which I can only approve as a teacher. Finally, he starts using his mind more rationally. 
Here he is feigning ignorance, and for a reason. If he had asked if the painter was leaving him, his inquiry could have negatively influenced the painter’s resolution again, an indication that he had already planned how to react in face of the verdict. That’s why after hearing the artist’s statement: 
he is so relieved 
, because there’s a glimpse of a smile on his lip. Note that Baek Na-Kyum is calling him “my lord” or “sir”, displaying that despite the incident, the aristocrat is still respected. The commoner still views him as his master. In this scene, the manhwaworms can sense another contradiction with chapter 30. While the main lead literally flew towards Baek Na-Kyum in the first season
, in chapter 69 Yoon Seungho walks slowly with dignity.
He is even followed by a servant showing that he is here indeed acting a honorable host. The other huge contrast is that he has already removed his manggeon. Besides, there’s light in his room now. It was, as though the lord had been relaxing in his chamber, and not waiting for the guest’s departure. Therefore he is not properly dressed, when the sister and the painter leave the study. His hanbok is opened, and without the manggeon. He looks like he feels enough comfortable around Baek Na-Kyum to show himself like that. He desires to create the illusion, he was well aware of her presence and had allowed it. Yet he didn’t pay too much attention to the scandal from the morning. At the same time, he doesn’t want to reveal to Baek Na-Kyum that he has discovered the true reason for his recent desertion. He is truly applying the philosophy from his butler: feigning ignorance. He acts, as if nothing had happened. There’s a reason for that. By doing so, he hopes that the artist will overlook his harsh treatment. In my opinion, as long as he has no idea of the outcome, he has to keep the pretense. If he expresses his wish too obviously, in his mind this can still affect the artist’s decision. He can still leave at any moment. As a conclusion, he behaves in a totally opposite way from the previous night and from the morning. He is willing to heed his words. 
(here as contrast: chapter 66)
He couldn’t forget the clothes left behind during the night of the abduction. 
While he grabbed the commoner by the throat and pushed him against the wall, this time he gives the artist’s neck with the scarf. 
However, in chapter 69, the moment the painter calls him “my lord” and “sir”, he indeed acts more like a lord. Since the artist is considering him as his master, then he has to behave like one. That’s why he gives his permission to the painter. 
As you can sense, Yoon Seungho lets the artist determine the nature of their relationship. He has become a staff of his household, the moment he called Yoon Seungho “my lord”. In other words, the situation has returned to the beginning, with a huge difference. Baek Na-Kyum is doing everything on his own volition. Yet, there is no doubt that Yoon Seungho will ensure that Baek Na-Kyum’s status evolve. He will make sure to woo him properly so that he can accept him as his partner, now Baek Na-Kyum is just a favored domestic. Hence you understand why Byeonduck used elements from chapter 35 as well. The lord was on the verge on giving up, when he saw a glimpse of hope, because the painter was blushing. In chapter 69, there’s hope too. That’s why the lord’s gaze is much softer
, and his face lets transpire relief. The other positive aspect is that they are truly listening to each other. Baek Na-Kyum realized that Yoon Seungho’s comment about his noona’s behavior was correct. She had indeed insulted him by barging with guards in his mansion, and the noble had been benevolent.
He had truly kept his promise, hence he switches the way he is addressing to Yoon Seungho. 
It becomes again “lord Seungho”. That’s why I see a huge progression in this episode. Baek Na-Kyum is the one determining the evolution. At the same time, he recognizes the good intentions behind the main character’s words and actions. He has already asked to send a servant to accompany his sister to the kisaeng house. What moved me the most was the noble’s facial expression, when he heard the painter thanking him. For the first time, someone was noticing his kindness, and was even grateful. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was blushing the whole time. After hearing the lord’s confession, he was able to hear and feel the care and affection in his attitude. In other words, it was, as though the magical words “you’ve made a wreck of me”/”I adore you” had lifted a curse, and the artist was no longer blind and deaf any longer. However, despite everything Yoon Seungho’s biggest wish 
didn’t get fulfilled. The painter was still not looking at him the same way he was looking at his noona and the scholar. 
That’s why Baek Na-Kyum is represented without eyes. Nevertheless, unlike in the past, the aristocrat doesn’t get enraged and resent the painter. In fact, this reminds him that he always wanted the painter to smile. That’s why he grants him the wish to follow his sister to the door. And with this decision, he actually achieves his goal. For the first time, the painter is able to smile. 
Sure, there’s another reason here. The protagonist is happy, because he could see Heena noona, and he wasn’t truly abandoned, like he had imagined. 
This time, he is not doing out of convenience and fear, like in chapter 12,
but out of true respect. He sees Yoon Seungho like a true master, who can be generous and affectionate. The image of a lord with mood swings is not longer existent in the painter’s eyes. And now, you grasp the impact of the butler’s manipulation. The latter created a fake bow in chapter 12, by telling the painter that Yoon Seungho was a terrible master due to his bad temper.
He had disguised this negative perception by mentioning the lord’s traumatic past. However, by outlining that he had worked for him for a decade and he was still scared of him, he was insinuating that the time spent with him was the cause of his pity, and in reality, the lord was indeed true to his reputation. During this night (69), this negative notoriety has been removed, because in front of him, Baek Na-Kyum only sees a calm and gentle master, who treats him and his sister very well. So the words he told his sister, he treats me very well,
have become a reality. His special treatment will no longer dependent on Yoon Seungho’s moods, which were triggered by Kim’s manipulations. In a single day, Baek Na-Kyum was able to regain his reputation and to perceive the lord’s true personality correctly. He is no longer relying on others, hence this signifies that Kim can no longer manipulate the low-born as well. And this is no surprise that the valet is absent here. He has to be out of his master’s sight. The lord had witnessed how Kim acted behind his back. Yet he is still unaware that the valet is still ruling behind his back, as the servants trust him. Without him, both main leads can breathe more properly, his words are no longer polluting their mind. That’s why the windows are all open, 
, ensuring that the other won’t be hurt and they don’t misunderstand each other. Both are trying to use their own senses in order to interpret the partner’s reactions and thoughts correctly: the eyes, the touch,
the hearing. Yoon Seungho has to do more than the painter. He needs to earn the painter’s trust again, hence he externalizes his thoughts: he trusts the honesty in the artist’s words.
caught my attention. Striking is that neither the noble nor the painter cared too much about that gesture. The artist was too shocked due to the huge scandal, and the main lead had the impression, he just wanted to taste the artist out of curiosity and interest. So there was no deep meaning in the caress, yet this gesture was witnessed by the scholar Jung In-Hun.
(Chapter 18) And this not only shocked him, but more importantly, it really made him jealous. 
Imagine, he was upset, because the painter had been the recipient of a caress from the powerful noble. Yet, he didn’t feel repulsed, just displeased and resentful But if he was jealous, then it signifies that he desired to have received this mark of attention. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion, Jung In-Hun would have even accepted the noble’s advances, if it meant that he would get some benefit from it. And this interpretation is even confirmed, when you compare it with its reflection in chapter 35. 
(Chapter 35) In other words, although the caress from Yoon Seungho was anodyne, his gentleness was genuine, whereas it is the opposite with the teacher’s stroke. Moreover, if you compare the vocabulary field, you’ll notice the contrast: duty/work versus entertainment. And although the low noble is aware that Baek Na-Kyum has been very ill, he just sends him back to his “work”. He makes sure that the artist doesn’t fall for the lord’s generosity. He should remember that this is just work, and not entertainment. Moreover, the teacher reminds the painter of his promise: he is his servant. As the manhwaphiles can detect, in chapter 19, Jung In-Hun was already jealous of the painter, because he was receiving the lord’s attention and affection. But this was just a caress, therefore envision how he must have felt, when he heard this from the painter: 
(chapter 35) He must have realized that he was on the verge of losing the artist’s favors. That’s why he reminded the painter of his “loyalty” and “promise”. In chapter 35, Yoon Seungho was the one jealous, hence imagine the resent and jealousy Jung In-Hun must have felt in chapter 19. Yoon Seungho had even cut ties with another aristocrat due to the low-born. But unlike the scholar, Yoon Seungho’s jealousy was much more intensive to the point he would have killed the artist, if he had set a foot outside the mansion, though I doubt that he would have done it for real. 
But why are these characters jealous? 
(Chapter 19) In truth, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter. He wanted to be the one getting closer to the powerful aristocrat, and would do anything in exchange for his own interests. Simultaneously, he needed the artist to remain obedient and loyal, so that he wouldn’t become a rival. And now, if we examine the protagonist’s jealousy in chapter 35 with this definition, we recognize that it is related to the sex marathon. Yoon Seungho had envisaged that after that event, the painter had finally accepted him as his partner, and their relationship had changed. Besides, after his return, Baek Na-Kyum had been in his bed and had never reproached the sexual encounter leading to his illness. Therefore, he had envisaged that the commoner was slowly accepting him. 
(Chapter 35) Moreover, he caresses his head 
(chapter 35) after finally asking him about his interest. This scene made him realize that he needed to get to know Baek Na-Kyum better, and their relationship shouldn’t only be limited to sex. Hence he invited the painter to his bedchamber that night. In my opinion, he really hoped to initiate a conversation. That’s the reason why he was writing something, he hoped that Baek Na-Kyum would ask, but due to the aphrodisiac and the “warning” from Kim, the artist didn’t dare to speak. As a conclusion, we could say, Kim would have totally succeeded to ruin Yoon Seungho’s plan, if the brother hadn’t appeared that night. At the end, Baek Na-Kyum did earn the lord’s trust, he was able to sleep by the lord’s side. 
(chapter 35) 
(chapter 46), we see the painter deciding his own fate. He prefers remaining in the mansion. 
(Chapter 69) He is no longer a child. In reality, this gesture has so much meaning. With this tender gesture, he desires to end the discussion. Notice that she keeps pressuring him 
(Chapter 68) For her, the only explanation can be the negative influence of Yoon Seungho. And because she attempts to change the painter’s mind just before leaving, Baek Na-Kyum stops her by smiling. He is trying to reassure her that he is fine. 
(chapter 67), unaware that she is trusting a terrible servant who is determined to hurt her son. This reminds us of the chapter 35, where Jung In-Hun risked the painter’s life. I have to admit that after comparing the scene from episode 19 with 35, I had the impression that Jung In-Hun could have been demonstrating his affection in order to show off to the lord that the painter would only listen to him. Let’s not forget that in chapter 30, the teacher tried to sell off Baek Na-Kyum by telling Yoon Seungho that the artist would only obey to him. And in both cases, Jung In-Hun never recognized the real situation: he was putting his life in danger. And observe that we have many parallels in chapter 69 with chapter 30 as well. We have the painter’s intervention
(chapter 69), when he senses that Heena noona keeps challenging Yoon Seungho by refusing to recognize his benevolence and her wrongdoing. Here again, he speaks to the main lead in order to deescalate the situation. While in chapter 30, he feared the main lead, 
(chapter 30) yet he desired to protect his learned sir, in episode 69 we have a reversed situation. The one menacing is the kisaeng, and not the lord. The latter steps back
, as he knows that he did something wrong to his lover. Baek Na-Kyum could have exposed his brutality. However, due to Yoon Seungho’s past action, Baek Na-Kyum has learned to fear the noble’s power and strength. Hence he intervenes, because he wishes to protect his noona. 
(chapter 69) This explains why he asks him to follow his mother only to the front gate. That’s the limit of his trust. I would even add, he can’t bear Baek Na-Kyum out of sight. That’s how much he loves him. He needs to feel his presence close to him. And exactly like in chapter 35, the readers sense the importance of the door. While in episode 35, the gate was associated to life or death, now the door symbolizes trust. Within the building, he will put his faith in the artist’s words. Finally, we have another allusion to chapter 35: the reference to coldness. 
(chapter 35) 
And this parallel reinforces my perception about the valet. He is a hypocrite, because he incited the lord to go to the window, while claiming that it was cold. That’s why I perceive the chapter 69 as a good sign. Yoon Seungho is definitely willing to trust the painter. He let him make his own choice, and the moment Baek Na-Kyum expressed that he was not leaving the mansion
(Chapter 80) He had once again listened to the butler’s advice… How can I be so sure? It is because the real author of the threat was the butler and not the lord. 
(chapter 77) The young boy was looking at someone else. He would stop looking at him like that. 
(chapter 57) The butler would lose his influence over the boy. Under this new light, you comprehend why he decided to betray father Yoon after the straw mat beating. The young boy was rejecting him and despising him. 
(chapter 77) Yoon Seungho’s gaze was telling all his emotions and thoughts. That’s the reason why the butler isolated his master for so many years. And note that in chapter 69, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter again. Since the butler has always backstabbed, betrayed and abandoned Yoon Seungho, he imagined that the artist would have a change of heart too… like Kim always did in the past. Naturally, this is the negative version of a change of heart: not compassion and remorse, but resent and jealousy!!
(chapter 77) If the painter leaves the mansion, the butler will make sure to portray the painter in a negative light. But there’s one thing that Kim overlooked: Yoon Seungho’s ability to learn!! Remember that jealousy is there to make the partner realize that he needs to improve his behavior. Since he mistrusted the painter’s choice, he realized later that he needed to earn the artist’s trust first. Therefore he made the following promises: 
(chapter 70) and he would always ask for the artist’s consent. 
(chapter 71). Furthermore, the artist’s reproach in the tavern 
(chapter 75) must have been an eye-opener for the wealthy aristocrat as well. How can he expect “loyalty and trust” from Baek Na-Kyum, if he is himself a fickle man by nature? With such words, the artist encouraged the lord to stop wavering and doubting his lover. He needed to show his love and trust first, before expecting it right away from the low-born. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho started courting Baek Na-Kyum. He needed to show his trust and love in order to obtain it. And in chapter 80, he finally succeeded it. Therefore the bride’s abduction is doomed to failure. Kim won’t be able to achieve his goal. However, there’s one thing that this incident will make the lord recognize that he trusted the wrong person. He should never have listened to the butler’s advice and threatened the kisaeng, because this meant that he was mistrusting his lover! 
(chapter 50) I tried to find answers by speculating. However, my assumptions were totally wrong due to the lack of information. Only time and new chapters helped me to understand the story much better. Thereby I could better anticipate its progression, and comprehend the reasons for the characters’ actions. Due to the constant examination, I made the following observations:
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 56), and there’s always a drop of sweat on his face. However, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the valet is never seen washing. He carries the bucket around, and that’s it, which stands in opposition to Baek Na-Kyum. The latter cleans his own underwear, but also the protagonist’s face
(chapter 55). 
(chapter 16) Here, he was wondering how the painter was able to create the painting, while he didn’t seem to look at them the whole time. What caught my attention are two elements:
(chapter 49) The painter expressed his thoughts: he only saw the noble as a sex toy, the main lead was the one who should give pleasure to Baek Na-Kyum. Yet despite the hurt, Yoon Seungho was willing to accept this situation. They would no longer exchange their thoughts and emotions. He was already lowering his expectations. At the same time, he couldn’t help caring for the low-born. He caressed his cheek and kissed him gently at the end.
(chapter 50)
(chapter 50) And this scene reminded me of the main lead running to the scholar’s room in chapter 28/29
, after witnessing the artist’s desertion. There was a time jump as well. Therefore I came to the conclusion that the night in chapter 48-49-50 has the same importance than the night with the forced sex and fellatio. This explicates why the lord has a sword again. Back then, he took the weapon due to his jealousy, hence we can definitely conclude that he is angered again due to the return of his jealousy. So chapter 50 was not only a reflection of the episode 16, but also of the episode 28-29. 
(chapter 58), as the presence of the butler is perceptible through the bucket of hot water and the readers can hear the low-born’s moaning, we have another clue that the valet was listening to their conversation in chapter 50.
(chapter 50) What had triggered his fury and jealousy?
(chapter 21). The paper in the book is very similar to the poem in chapter 4. Remember the theory I exposed in the essay “hypotheses about the second season”: Yoon Seungho had not returned the original poem, but given the artist his own poetry. So if he didn’t give back the scholar’s poem, then what did he do with it? I doubt that he would have kept it, hence I deduce that he must have asked his assistant to throw it away, exactly like the painter in chapter 44. However, Kim must have read it and kept it, well aware that this could be of use later. From my point of view, the butler must have entrusted it to the teacher with the hope that he would leave the mansion. And I can imagine that when Jung In-Hun left his room, he didn’t take it with him. That’s why it ended up again in the butler’s hand. However, if the lord discovered that the poem had not be thrown away, he would have realized that Kim had disobeyed him. That’s why I came to rule out the first possibility. 
, the readers should expect that this picture will be used twice during the second season. Because I already exposed that Heena noona recognized the painter’s presence due to the inauguration painting
(chapter 65), it is definitely possible that Kim planted the picture in such a way that Yoon Seungho’s jealousy would get triggered, a new version of the panel from episode 41. Let’s not forget that the aristocrat was not present, when Baek Na-Kyum decided to discard the drawing. Kim was quite clever with this move. As he knew that the noble had now just a purely physical relationship, he could only get infuriated, when he saw the picture. He had already sensed the painter’s admiration in the drawing: the image oozes pure adoration and spiritual admiration, something Yoon Seungho has always been longing. Hence the noble could only get wounded with this terrible experience. I can imagine that Kim could have praised the picture in front of his master (a new version of chapter 44
), then added that Baek Na-Kyum had trusted him with the picture to give to Jung In-Hun. Kim hoped with this intervention not only to separate the couple, but even to have the painter killed by the main lead, a new version of chapter 35. 
But what he didn’t expect is that the noble would rush to the teacher’s room, and not to the study. However, his delay could be explained differently. He had been busy giving the sentence to Deok-Jae, the straw mat beating. And this leads me to the following observation: denunciation. In chapter 28, Deok-Jae covered up for Kim’s betrayal, for he hoped that Kim would come to protect him. 
(chapter 51) The man believed the butler, because he had not covered up for him about the prank with the spoiled rice. Finally, I discovered that this expression “how strange” was used by someone else: 
(chapter 37) It was the fake servant who had mentioned the purge! This means that someone had betrayed the Yoons, tattled on them! At the same time, the words from the old bearded man implied that the patriarch Yoon had been the denunciator. Thus he could expect the purge.
(Chapter 37) As a conclusion, the expression “how strange” is connected to denunciation and deception! I have two other evidences for this interpretation. Jihwa had also spoken like that, when he had heard from the amateur spy that his master had a change of heart! Here again, we have spying activities and denunciation. 
(chapter 13) Finally, observe that in season 3, Baek Na-Kyum is portrayed and stigmatized as a traitor. 
(chapter 91) The maid’s statement (“I’m surprised…”) truly exposes that the painter had such a reputation among the staff. The so-called treacherous nature of the painter served as a justification for Kim’s punishment. The butler’s kindness had been used against him. He had been sentenced to the straw mat beating, because he had allowed the noona to enter the mansion for the painter’s sake! In that scene, the maids had been tasked to leak a certain information to the couple: the existence of the kisaeng’s letters. That way, the painter could accuse his lover of his deception. He had kept away the letters from his noonas. However, the separation didn’t take place, because the painter didn’t hear the comment from the maid. He was no spy! 
(chapter 91) But Yoon Seungho is one, for he is the surrogate son of the butler… who listens to conversations in the shadow! 
(chapter 77) His presence was undetected in the courtyard, until Bongyong wounded the painter. Here, he came out of the shadow! 
(chapter 78)
, whereas the butler didn’t consider him as a servant in chapter 23
, another evidence for the valet’s hypocrisy. 
or “wench”
. So right from the start, Baek Na-Kyum grew up in a rather secluded place, it was not the place for children. Therefore, he never had the chance to make friends so that he couldn’t exchange his thoughts with his peers. That’s why he is seen painting on his own in the first chapter. Since he couldn’t play with other children, he overcame his loneliness with painting. And remember that social isolation plays a huge role in coercive persuasion. 
, he could only cry before being sent away with the scholar Jung In-Hun. 
He could never voice his anger and intervene. He hadn’t the strength and the time to stop the abuse. The only thing he was able to do was to cry as a sign of protest, and later find solace in the scholar’s arms. The manhwaphiles can detect his anger, powerlessness and pain in this panel. 
Hence while the low-born grew up, he was not only deeply influenced by this negative image of rich nobles, but also not allowed to voice his resent. From my perspective, the artist must have felt no liking to interact with other people. On the one hand, he was happy among his noonas, on the other hand the strangers visiting the brothel were all perceived by him in a negative light. That’s why I come to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum’s isolation was even reinforced by these incidents, creating the perfect situation for the coercive persuasion.
Striking is that the painter’s facial expressions are showing sadness and pain, whereas the scholar is actually smiling. This is palpable due to his gaze and the angle of his mouth. And this panel truly displays the teacher’s hypocrisy and superficiality. How can he smile and ooze a certain happiness, when the boy is definitely feeling depressed? More importantly is that the young boy is on the teacher’s back, which explains why he could never perceive the fakeness of the warmth. Sure, one might argue that the teacher was happy, because he was hugging the artist. Yet, in a real embrace full of affection, people are facing each other, like in this panel: 
Yet observe how the scholar is hiding his face from the innocent boy. The artist could never witness the teacher’s facial expressions and gaze. And if we combine these two observations, we recognize why the artist questioned the genuineness of the main lead’s hug in chapter 49. 
Note that he didn’t see the lord’s gaze in that moment. He was actually hiding his face from the protagonist. Moreover, he didn’t pay attention to the lord’s words 
, too overwhelmed with the last sex session. If he had truly listened to his words, he would have sensed the noble’s unhappiness and regrets. He was definitely expressing some self-reproaches here. The problem was that in chapter 29, Baek Na-Kyum realized the scholar’s betrayal after a warm embrace due to his words, explaining why he was rather critical to this warm embrace. Yet here the artist made a mistake. He judged the gesture without paying attention to the lord’s remark. And this shows to me that Jung In-Hun took advantage of the artist’s affection to fake care and love. Yet, while he was faking warmth and love, he never said anything, since either the faces are covered 
(chapter 65)
(chapter 2) I am quite certain that he adopted her perception of the world due to his negative experiences. Besides, I believe too that Heena noona was already influenced by the scholar. She already mistook for a hero and misjudged his personality. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the painter’s skills to lead a conversation weren’t developed at all. The scholar had no interest to teach him, because this would have led to critical thinking. Furthermore, he is just a low-born. Finally, he had no reason to talk, because this would mean that he had to explain the situation. Why did the rich noble become violent? So he was doing the exact same thing than the butler: he was swaying the violence under the rug by letting take the wealthy and violent aristocrat the blame. Since no one discussed these incidents, the painter could never voice his anger and developed his conversation skills. That’s why it tool a long time for Baek Na-Kyum to finally listen to the main lead properly. He experienced a similar situation than Yoon Seungho in truth. Yet there was a huge difference between them. Yoon Seungho could read books, hence his thinking could improve, whereas it was not the case for the artist. He had to find another way to voice his emotions. Therefore he came to paint in my opinion. This was the only place where he could express his emotions properly, yet his pictures were only reflecting warmth and love, but nothing about his negative emotions: rage in face of injustice and violence. 
Yoon Seungho’s words expressed the same emotions the low-born sensed, when he saw the main lead’s face. He was also sent back to these violent incidents. And now, you understand why the painter didn’t feel repulsed by the rather brutal confession. When Baek Na-Kyum met the protagonist, he could only reject him because of his past experiences. He saw in him the typical violent noble. However, surprising is that Yoon Seungho allowed him to express himself. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum lied, even yelled at him or criticized him by calling him a man consumed by lust. This explicates too why the painter was only honest during a confrontation in the end. While in his past, he could never voice his thoughts and emotions, he could with Yoon Seungho, as the latter never sent him away or shut his mouth with a warm embrace. Remember how the noble asked him to explain the situation about the ruined painting. He gave him the opportunity to speak, and kept asking for an explanation. He did the same thing in the barn as well. And now, you understand why the painter could only fall in love with the main lead, unlike in the past, he could freely express himself. Therefore I consider the chapter 68 as an evidence that Baek Na-Kyum isn’t suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. His love confession reflects his inner conflict.
(chapter 46)
When she claimed that she had seen everything, Baek Na-Kyum told her what others saw (the lord’s affection) and that the latter had already confessed. For me, since each character has flaws, some more and others less, Heena noona is not different. She doesn’t realize that love is not enough to raise a child. The true goal of education is to let the children become independent. And this can only happen, when they are encouraged to voice their emotions, exchange their thoughts with others and question things. Overprotection can lead to misery in the end. Sure, her temper and personality served as a good role model: she is affectionate, definitely brave and willing to sacrifice herself for her son. But since she judged people based on appearances, she didn’t realize the teacher’s hypocrisy and sent her son to misery. 
Since in the past, the teacher had given her impression that he was caring and selfless, then she imagined that he would continue doing the same, if she made the request. However, the problem was that the moment she trusted the artist to the scholar, the latter had lost the key to enter the kisaeng house. It was, as if the key of the door had been removed, since Heena noona requested from Baek Na-Kyum to never come back. But this meant that the painter had become a burden for Jung In-Hun. Furthermore, this new panel 
, while he remained totally passive, when the main lead punched Min. 
So the lord became the hand of justice for the painter, and Baek Na-Kyum didn’t mind in the end.
He wanted to communicate (“share what’s on our mind”) with the low-born, but the latter refused, because he just considered the noble as a sex toy to procure him pleasure out of fear to get hurt and deceived again. 
(Chapter 1) He expressed his genuine admiration for Baek Na-Kyum’s talent and creations. Yet, at no moment the painter noticed the compliments. He had been forced to touch the loins, which shocked him, and then he remembered the lord’s bad notoriety. Therefore all the lord’s good words fell on deaf ears. The painter was more concerned with appearances and rumors than anything else. That’s why the conversation failed. Since Baek Na-Kyum was not interested in the main lead’s feelings, he feigned ignorance first, and lied at the end. 
Striking is that their first conversation was connected to books and sex, therefore this already limited their exchange. Moreover, this first chapter clearly reveals the lord’s interest in the low-born. He not only sent a domestic for the investigation about the mysterious creator, but also asked about his recent whereabouts. And curiosity usually initiates a conversation. But there’s more to it. From my perspective, the main lead felt no longer satisfied with the erotic pictures. He wanted to share his emotions and thoughts, when he looked at them. However, he had no one to talk to, so in his mind, if he met the artist, he could come into a conversation with the creator. That’s why he wanted to invite him in the end. The painting of sex sessions would give him the perfect occasion to discuss with someone.
(Chapter 8) Observe the contrast. The main lead doesn’t reveal his anger towards the noble with the mole, it is not worthy for Yoon Seungho of giving him an explanation for the humiliation. He just smiles 
(Chapter 8) before grabbing him by the topknot. His words and behavior truly display a huge respect and a desire to exchange thoughts and observation.
(Chapter 8) This mirrors the noble’s need to talk and now, you understand why the main lead had to evict the aristocrat with the mole in the end. By requesting to send away the commoner, 
(Chapter 8) he was more or less asking from the host to remain silent. 
(chapter 52) However, even here the manhwaphiles can notice the transformation. The guests are no longer here for sex, just for smoking opium and drink wine. That way, the noble doesn’t feel lonely.
(chapter 67) the childhood friend would only visit him during the night (“used to”). However, it changed the moment the main lead paid a visit to the red-haired noble early in the morning (chapter 3). After that, Jihwa realized that he could also go to his friend during the day (chapter 5 
and 12 
). And now, you comprehend why the lord questioned his presence in the morning and why he assumed that his visit was related to sex in the end. It looks like Jihwa never showed an interest in the lord’s thoughts and emotions too. And there exist two reasons for that. First, he had the impression he knew everything about his lover. 
(Chapter 57) Secondly, there was a risk that the main character could talk about the past and as such mention Jihwa’s betrayal. The lord’s emotions (sadness, anger, pain) represented a huge burden to the red-haired master. 
(Chapter 59) 
(Chapter 13) No wonder, why he thanked the painter in chapter 18. He could only be happy, when he confronted his childhood friend, as there was a real exchange for the first time. 
(Chapter 13) Argument is also a form of communication, and it happens between people in a relationship. Not only his words were finally noticed, but also he was able to draw lines to Jihwa. 
By influencing the host with the hope, Yoon Seungho would send away the painter, the childhood friend didn’t recognize that he was attempting to turn the protagonist into a puppet, therefore he could only fail. Moreover, Jihwa had no idea that Yoon Seungho’s true desire was to get close to someone, to engage a honest conversation. Therefore the main lead could only reject the friend’s words and proposition. As a conclusion, with the painter’s arrival, the lord’s words were little by little listened, he was able to communicate more with others: Jihwa, the nobles and the staff. After scolding the maids in the kitchen 
(chapter 38), the head-maid started showing her respect to her lord. But more importantly, he gave her the order personally to bring the painter’s lunch to his study.
(Chapter 46) He could finally voice his thoughts, everything happened thanks to the painter. This explicates why Yoon Seungho kept seeking the artist’s proximity, although the latter kept rejecting him (his escape, his lies, his refusal to paint for him etc…). He had realized that his living conditions had improved despite the struggling with the low-born.
(Chapter 5) This outlines the main lead’s isolation and loneliness. Simultaneously, with this new approach, the readers grasp why Yoon Seungho couldn’t anticipate to become Min’s target in the end. He noticed Black Heart’s envious gaze 
, (chapter 8) but he didn’t envision what jealousy and greed would provoke. In my eyes, he couldn‘t identify these emotions properly.
(Chapter 4) He was not worthy to comment this poetry, as he was just a man consumed by lust. However, the commoner never asked why the noble would judge the poem so poorly. He already assumed that he was just making fun in order to humiliate the scholar, while in reality the noble wanted to reveal the author’s true personality: Jung In-Hun was just a deceiver. And since he had been hurt by the painter’s comment, he retaliated too: since he was just a commoner, he had no right to criticize the lord. 
(Chapter 2) Baek Na-Kyum was the first who made the main lead realize the existence of his body. For the first time, he felt attraction through the gaze and saw something beautiful in himself. And what was the lord‘s immediate reaction? He started talking about his thoughts, though this was more a monologue than a discussion. 
(Chapter 3)
(chapter 3) Exactly like the painter, Yoon Seungho began talking while having sex. He even formulated his first desire in front of his childhood friend: 
(chapter 3) And now, you comprehend why his relationship with Lee Jihwa was doomed to fail. The red-haired master was more focused on sex and his own sexual emancipation than his lover‘s well-being. 
(Chapter 3) He never asked him why he was behaving so differently. He didn‘t notice that the lord was more communicative.
(chapter 16) On the surface, it looks like he is sulking, the reality is that he is already fighting against his urges. The hand is trembling due the arousal. 
While you have the impression, he is bothered by Yoon Seungho, the truth is that the artist is getting more and more excited due the lord’s picturesque questions. Funny is that in this scene, the aristocrat is the more innocent one. He plays with the head-band 
and his “innocence” is truly visible through his facial expressions too: 
. What is the painter’s real sexual desire? We have the answer in this panel: 
(chapter 6) a stranger in form of a shadow enters the artist’s room. The lord’s identity is only discovered at the end. But in his fantasy, the main lead was even grabbing him by the hair. It was definitely not a tender gesture.
He was even caressing him against his will. And note that when Yoon Seungho questions when he got the most excited to the point that he had difficulties to breath, the commoner remembers this image and not the strokes. 
(chapter 12) triggered by fear. This new interpretation explains why the artist painted the sex at the pavilion in the end. 
(Chapter 41) If the forced sex had truly traumatized him, he wouldn’t have been able to do so. Furthermore, he questioned the authenticity of the lord’s affection, when he recalled the moment, he was offered to the other nobles. He was upset and offended. 
(Chapter 55) Yet he didn’t even think about the scene at the pavilion for one minute. This means that Baek Na-Kyum only accepts the main lead as his lover. Fear and pain are not perceived as something negative, they can evoke pleasure. 
(Chapter 16) Moreover, he didn’t get angry at Yoon Seungho for touching his phallus. He got more scared that someone had seen him enjoying the masturbation and I would even say, getting grabbed by force. Therefore the lord got an erection and was so happy at the kisaeng house. Finally, he had been able to talk to the painter. He even got to receive a honest answer for the first time, where he was even called “my lord”: 
(chapter 16) To sum up, Baek Na-Kyum showed a certain respect to the main lead in this chapter. But more importantly, the master was in a good mood, because he kept thinking how he could procure pleasure to the commoner. 
(Chapter 21) The painter reveals the truth by replying that he enjoyed it very much, it felt like a dream. As you can see, chapter 21 was a reflection of the episode 16: we had a discussion, where the lord tried to initiate a conversation, tears of joy connected with pleasure, the lord asking to be called “my lord” and the realization of a dream. But we have another evidence that despite his words, he wanted the main lead to continue:
(chapter 16) The commoner’s hand is placed on the shoulder indicating that he is pushing Yoon Seungho to his side. He could have tried to remove the lord’s hand on his phallus, but he didn’t. The hand was even trembling from pleasure. That’s why the second sex marathon shouldn’t be judged as a rape in my opinion, although the painter kept saying no too. First, the painter makes the exact same expression than in chapter 16: 
(Chapter 63) And even the lord notices that the painter is getting more and more excited by the roughness. He keeps describing how the painter is reacting below
(chapter 63) which can only increase Baek Na-Kyum’s arousal, as his words are again very graphic. Note that the lord’s pictorial “filthy” expressions affect the painter deeply, exactly like in his second wet dream: 
(Chapter 63) Therefore I come to the conclusion that in chapter 63, the painter is not crying, because he is really hurt and angry at the main lead. These are tears of pleasure mixed with pain, which is linked to BDSM. That’s why he keeps blushing the whole time. 
(Chapter 63) This explicates why he kept ejaculating, despite saying “no” or recognizing that there was a witness. He felt no longer scared or embarrassed, like in chapter 16, where he ran away to hide. With this new version of the sex marathon, the painter truly discovered his sexual preferences. Therefore, when we see this
(chapter 63), we shouldn’t project our own emotions into the artist: pain and disgust. Remember this: the painter felt his blood running hot, when the lord grabbed his hair violently in his wet dream. 
(Chapter 42) Yet, the noble couldn’t help himself showing tenderness and affection at the end with the passionate kiss. As a conclusion, the second sex marathon contains all these elements: sadness, pain, pleasure, anger and happiness.
(chapter 16), and in chapter 35 he accepts to be a servant or in chapter 49 a sex toy. Due their different sex sessions, he discovered that he likes being rough too. Therefore he couldn’t enjoy, when the painter was so passive. He recognized that he took pleasure, when the painter was showing resistance too.
(Chapter 63) This explicates why he couldn’t stand the expression “I like it”. This was too insipid. So when he became rough in chapter 48, he truly hoped to provoke tears of happiness caused by the sensation of pleasure.
(Chapter 48) However, since the painter ended up crying and criticizing the lord, he had the impression, he had failed. As you can see, the lord might have had a lot of sexual experiences, yet with the painter, he entered a totally new world: full of warmth and love, yet there was pain connected to pleasure as well. This explicates why he could open up and reveal that his real dream was to make the painter smile
(chapter 63), which contrasts so much to Baek Na-Kyum’s dream: cry of happiness. 
(Chapter 79) Hence people saw the sex session in the shed as rape. Nonetheless, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that Baek Na-Kyum was living in the mansion as a servant. Hence according to Joseon’s social norms, he was in no position to reject the main lead. However, for Yoon Seungho, it was different, for he was a young master. He had a title that was supposed to protect him. Consequently, the main lead can reproach the mysterious lord Song that he never asked for his consent and he would even treat him like a male kisaeng! 
(Chapter 36) While, it looked like he was protecting the painter, he was undermining their relationship. He was actually using triangulation. 
(chapter 50) Then he utilized the lord’s misconduct in the storage room. He should wait for the painter’s visit in his bedchamber. 
(Chapter 75) However, the valet could never stop the progression. The irony is that their first deep conversation took place outside the mansion. 
(Chapter 39) Once again, the lord had a teasing attitude, yet he was gentle and considerate. This is not surprising that due to their interaction, Baek Na-Kyum started listening to the lord. He took his questions and advices very seriously (chapter 40). Thus he confronted the learned sir about his future. As the painterofthenightphiles can detect, by communicating they began trusting each other more, and as such showing more curiosity and understanding to their counterpart. 
(Chapter 68) With these words, he was implying that the low-born suffered the same fate than Yoon Seungho, because it looks like that on the surface. He imagined that he would achieve his goal (sending away Baek Na-Kyum) by using his knowledge, but in my opinion the opposite happened, like I had expected. What caught my attention is that the butler only mentioned Yoon Chang-Hyeon 
(Chapter 88) Furthermore, the chronology is important. The painter communicated first his thoughts and wishes, before they initiated the love session. 
(Chapter 88) This contrasts to the sex session in chapter 48/49. The lord had used sex in order to force the painter to share what was on his mind. Finally, in the gibang, the painter had talked a lot about his childhood to his lover before kissing his lover. 
(Chapter 94) They had a long conversation, where the lord could ask questions. This conversation ended with a love confession. 
(Chapter 94) This is important, because sex had now a different function. Sex was now a real form of communication, they would share what was on their heart. With their bodies, they would convey emotions. They would use the hand
(chapter 88) or the kiss 
(Chapter 95) so that no misunderstanding would be created. Therefore it is not surprising that even during their love session, they would keep talking, and even express their desires: 
(Chapter 96) And observe that even after the love session, they continued sharing what was on their mind and heart: 
(chapter 97) And now, you comprehend why the schemers had to separate the couple! From this moment on, they would communicate constantly, and this outside sex. Thus when they are in the mountain, they can speak freely. 
(Chapter 102) They are no longer a noble and a commoner walking together, but a real couple. They are equals sharing their happiness and pain.
(chapter 102) Here, the painter wished to understand why they were separated for so long. This means that Yoon Seungho has to discover the circumstances which led to this tragedy. That‘s how they will realize that the enemies are close to them. The lord has to recognize that he needs to share everything, like for example the discovery of Deok-Jae’s corpse. 
(Chapter 97) As you can see, the topics of their conversation will diverge more and more. I do think that he was incited to let the painter sleep in order to „protect“ him. Yoon Seungho needs to recognize that warning and drawing lines are not enough to protect the loved one. He will have to take real measures to turn his statement (taking responsibility for the painter) into a reality: he will have to fight for his right to happiness. 
Taking the civil service examination only represents one step. Furthermore, appearances can be deceiving. The pure artist is not so “innocent” in the end. He has definitely met his match in Yoon Seungho, though I believe that his role is to heal Yoon Seungho from his PTSD and give him closure. And this can only happen, when the victim of sexual abuse confronts his perpetrators, the old bearded men!
and only displayed with the second episode from the Alternative Universe: 
. This explicates why he desired to have replaced the second lead (chapter 2) and got aroused during the threesome. The brush was focused on the lord’s hand touching the butt (chapter 9).
He deeply desired to have sex with Yoon Seungho, but his conscious kept denying the obvious. And his lack of honesty is still present in the second season, hence he still perceives Yoon Seungho as man consumed by lust which is visible in the paintings.
The artist legitimates his wish to stay at the mansion, because it is for the teacher’s sake, then later for the protagonist, who is in love with him. At no moment, he wants to become responsible for his feelings. He keeps resisting his affection and attraction towards the main lead. Why? 
, chapter 6: sex with a stranger 
, chapter 56 
) expose his deepest sexual desires, the main lead should pleasure him. This explains why Baek Na-Kyum is never facing the lord and always passive in his wet dreams. This shows his reluctance to admit his kinky side. Imagine that he ejaculates, when he hears “you’ve made a wreck of me”, but not when the lover whispers “I adore you”. He even got erected again, when he saw the butler in front of the barn, which was noticed by the aristocrat, and he even had a climax in the courtyard.
His reluctance to admit his affection is strongly intertwined with his strong sexuality. There’s this fear that he might get perceived as a man consumed by lust himself. If he accepts his love and as such his huge libido, he might get looked down and excluded. This is understandable, because he has abandonment issues. I believe, the readers should remember that the artist was scared of people’s opinion during the first season. From my perspective, although he has come to accept his homosexuality, he is still under the influence of the social norms: a man shouldn’t love another man. Besides, let’s not forget that Jihwa, as a reflection of the painter, has a similar mindset. He uses sex in order to disguise his emotions. As long as the painter is not honest to himself and as such doesn’t respect himself, he can’t be genuine with the noble. In my eyes, Baek Na-Kuym continued viewing the lord as a man obsessed with sex for many reasons. First he was too hurt by the teacher’s words. He never paid attention to the lord’s words and gestures. However, as time passed on, he never reviewed his perception out of convenience. With such an image, the noble was responsible for the sexual intercourses, and this attitude was even reinforced by the maid’s comments.
But now, he is facing a dilemma, because his noona offers him the possibility to leave the mansion, but he refuses her proposition for futile different reasons: the scholar, his living conditions, the painting, the lord’s love… Only once cornered, he finally admits his love, but he describes it as something negative 
And thanks to @shoei’s comment, I realized that the butler could have played a role here. Remember that the butler was asked in chapter 44 to throw away the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration. And since we have a scene where Kim gave the ruined painting to Yoon Seungwon, I believe that in chapter 65, we had a repetition of this scene, but the readers were not able to witness it. The valet showed her the painting in order to confirm the painter’s identity. The other evidence for this theory is the absence of Kim’s eyes, when the head-kisaeng states that she recognized the artist’s painting. Therefore Heena noona jumped to the wrong conclusions. She had the impression that Baek Na-Kyum was still in love with his learned sir, and the hell-raiser was just abusing his power and position. But like I have already written many times, reality is far more complex and appearances should always be queried. From my point of view, the noble will help him to get stronger to the point that he won’t care about people’s gaze and gossip. 
(chapte 18), Yoon Seungho had already been moved by the painter’s tears.
Therefore the painter was not obliged to respect Yoon Seungho. However, the truth is that the main lead had other intentions in the beginning, if you examine the first two chapters carefully. 
This shows that the protagonist had made preparations for his arrival. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the noble had intended to invite the artist to work for him. He was his admirer and fan, hence he treasured the artist’s hands so much. 
However, the painter couldn’t recognize the respect and admiration the main lead was showing, because it was directly connected to sex. Since the lord had been brainwashed to accept sex as a normality (he lets the low-born touch his loins!!), the artist could only feel repulsed and scared due to the scholar’s indoctrination. Sex and physical touch are dirty, that’s why Baek Na-Kyum lied to the noble in the end. He disregarded the noble’s genuine compliments and effort. Since the noble had been hurt and disrespected, he retaliated and showed his anger. Striking is that the lord stopped talking after the second lie, though he was very talkative before. He is left speechless. 
and even organized the bed. 
Imagine this: a noble is taking care of a commoner. Yet at no moment the painter wondered who took care of him. 
(chapter 8) and 
(chapter 23). 
if he paints for him, then the lord will help his learned sir in his career. With this new approach, the lord thought that he had finally been able to achieve his goal. But note that with this proposition, the lord was actually selling himself. He was in fact the one asking for a favor, in exchange he would offer his connection. Sure, we shouldn’t forget that the noble had not truly promised anything to the scholar (just an empty promise), but Baek Na-Kyum was not aware of this. At the same time, it revealed the lord’s mentality. This was his way to achieve his goal: prostitution. Sure, sex was not directly involved first, but since the artist was supposed to create erotic pictures, the boundaries were already dilued. And this is not surprising that the moment Jung In-Hun realized that Yoon Seungho was not impressed by his skills, he decided to use the painter as prostitute. However, in my eyes, the lord had already become one, the moment he offered that deal to the painter. And this shows that the lord was showing himself disrespect in the end, just to get the painter working for him. As you can observe, both protagonists didn’t respect themselves in truth, consequently they were not able to respect each other.
Either Jihwa is moaning or the painter is blushing or moaning
, but the lord is always focused, starring at this partner. That’s why the moment the lord had sex with the painter, it affected the artist’s status. The latter could only be judged as a prostitute, because he was also doing it for a favor, for the scholar’s sake. Therefore the following pictures mirrors the prostitution, both protagonists act as whores in the end.
While in the drawings from the first season, the protagonists switched the role of the “whore”, in the following painting they are portrayed both as such. 
That’s why the painter was not paying attention to details. As a conclusion, the moment the noble proposed the deal, he not only lowered himself, but also affected the painter. That’s why the teacher’s words are so painful, because he is actually the one benefitting from this deal. The moment the painter has sex with the main lead, he is indeed a prostitute. Yet the irony is that he is not doing it for himself, but for the scholar: 
This is the height of hypocrisy. Simultaneously, with these words, he makes sure that the painter can’t even enjoy sex, making him feel terrible.
He never wondered about the origin of the wine. When the lord criticizes the poem, the painter says that he is not allowed to make fun of it, because he is just a man consumed by lust. Nonetheless, Baek Na-Kyum has also no right to say this to Yoon Seungho either, because he is just a commoner. That’s why the master reminds him of his own social status, he is just a peasant. And we have a new version of this situation in chapter 41, when Baek Na-Kyum yells at the main lead, although the latter was caring and showed concern. He desired to know the origin of the painter’s sadness. However, the artist was unwilling to explain the cause for this. That’s why the lord slapped the artist, reminding of his place. He was a lord and the host here. 
, especially if you contrast this to the one in chapter 62: 
Furthermore, when the painter begged for the lord’s mercy, he was willing to do anything else, except to paint, 
, he was forgetting one important aspect: he was actually breaking his promise to the main lead. He was actually taking advantage of the main lead, because this meant that the latter would be the only one who didn’t get what he truly wanted. Baek Na-Kyum was here only loyal to the scholar, he was willing to sell his service for the main lead in exchange for his sponsor of the teacher, yet he was still refusing to create erotic pictures. Simultaneously this showed that the commoner started mistrusting the teacher, as he was suspecting his involvement. In other words, he was trying to call off the deal, while the scholar would benefit the most from him. And now, you can understand why the lord got upset and felt betrayed, leading the lord to threaten the artist: the low-born was trying to change the content of the deal, while Yoon Seungho was selling his wealth and connections for the artist. And since this story is build like a kaleidoscope, the new version of this incident was in chapter 38, when the artist chose to lie to his learned sir in order to protect Yoon Seungho. As you can see, both protagonists were disrespecting each other… sure, the master was more brutal, when he felt disrespected and hurt, but this doesn’t mean that the artist was totally blameless. 
showing his desire that he never wanted him to be a servant. As you can observe the painter’s status was never clear, the lord had no real idea what he truly desired, as his unconscious and conscious stood in conflict. For me, he was already in loved, his heart and gaze had been moved by the painter’s talents. But since he was always rejected, he tried to find ways to achieve his goal, to keep the artist by his side, nonetheless he complicated more and more the situation and created walls between him and the low-born.
Yoon Seungho is unable to stop the artist so that he admits his submission and decides to choose the artist as his master: 
However, this time the commoner’s hand is not led to the loins, but to the master’s eyes and hand. That’s why I believe, the nature of their relationship will honestly change in the future. Now, they will start sharing what they have on their mind, the biggest wish Yoon Seungho ever had: 
(chapter 45) 
, but he never tries to please the lord… “he is always on the receiving end”, like Yoon Seungho observed in chapter 45. Finally, in chapter 49, the painter tells him that the noble is only there to procure pleasure to him: 
He is not allowed to protest, he has to accept his situation: he is there to procure pleasure. Yoon Seungho was definitely not pleased and even hurt, yet he let him have his ways, because he sensed the genuineness in the kiss. And now, the manhwaphiles can comprehend, why the lord treated the painter as a sex toy during the second marathon. He was following the words expressed by the painter to the letter, but he was switching the roles. Since he had been treated as a sex toy, then he was allowed to do the same. However, he refused to kiss the artist
, because as a sex toy he is only there for a sexual intercourse and nothing more. And this was reflected in the last painting
so that this rumor will become a reality:
That’s why the moment the painter accepts his strong libido and his love for the rich main lead, this means he starts respecting himself. Consequently, when the master releases him and allows him to leave the mansion, he shows finally respect in its purest form. And with respect comes love! Thus, this will be reflected in the relationship between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum.: both won’t be a prostitute, a servant, a noble or a sex toy any longer: they will be two men in love with each other. 
(chapter 48) But strangely, the main lead never realized it, until each time the commoner had to externalize it. How did he not see it before, and how didn’t the noble recognize that the artist hadn’t changed his perception about him in the second season? Thus I will try to answer these two questions in this essay.
here, no servant is sent to announce the noble’s arrival, which is quite rude; chapter 10
, chapter 12
, 17, 43). He acts, as if he owns the place. Moreover, the noble with the mole requests from the host to send away the artist (chapter 8). 
(Chapter 8) For the first time, the protagonist didn’t allow his peers to look down on him and requested more respect. 
(Chapter 19) He imposed himself upon the main character, yet Yoon Seungho didn’t feel upset. In fact, he just accepted the suggestion by a silence. It was, as if the protagonist was not allowed to refuse the invitation. More surprising is the place where The Joker suggested this: the brothel, an indication that the Yoon residence is considered as the noble kisaeng-house. I would even say, his mansion is the real place for pleasure and vices. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho was pressured by the nobles in chapter 33. In the past, he would have given in, yet this time he showed them that there was a line not to cross. 
(Chapter 33) Imagine what would have happened, if the noble had followed their suggestion. The artist would have indeed turned into a prostitute.
(Chapter 52) In Yoon’s residence, there was no parent or authority to interfere. This explicates why father Lee blames the main lead for his son’s sodomy. He corrupted Jihwa, while in reality Jihwa treated Yoon Seungho like his possession and his personal concubine. He was the one visiting his place and not the other way around, like a husband visiting his “wife” 
(chapter 45), in other words the mistress of the house (the second definition: a mistress is a person of authority and power). This explains why he could trespass the mansion, like he desired. He considered Yoon Seungho’s mansion as his property, where he could enter at any time. 
(chapter 57), yet his friend was the one participating to the sex session. At no moment, he reproached him his behavior. In Jihwa’s eyes, only Yoon Seungho was responsible for this due to his past. Yet, he never tried to change the situation. I would like to remind the readers that the origins of Yoon Seungho’s bad notoriety are quite complex. Many people had an interest that Yoon Seungho focused on sex and nothing more: Yoon Seungho (he wanted to hurt his father), father Yoon (covering up his cowardice and own misdeeds), lord Song (making sure that the main lead doesn’t retaliate), Kim (leading a peaceful life and covering up his own wrongdoings), the nobles… and in the end Jihwa. The latter always wounded the main lead by using the past in order to attach the protagonist to him due to his neglecting father. Since the second lead had obtained a certain control over Yoon Seungho, he saw no reason to change. He could outlive his sexuality and have sex any time he wanted. Sure, his dream was to obtain the childhood friend’s love, yet he never saw the urgency, because he believed that time would help him. For him, there was this hope that at some point, the main character would confess. Yet, with Baek Na-Kyum’s appearance in Yoon Seungho’s life, the fragile balance was destroyed due the sex at the pavilion. For the first time, Yoon Seungho felt true desires and pleasure. This detail is important, because it truly outlines that Yoon Seungho was living like a head-kisaeng. He had sex without feeling any pleasure, just to serve others. 
(chapter 33) 
(Chapter 54) They look like conniving creatures. Their wish would get granted in the detriment of the host. And now you comprehend why the lord got so angry, when he saw this. 
(Chapter 54) It was not just a reflection of his own past as an uke, but he saw his actual reflection. His house was a brothel and nothing more, and his guests were taking advantage of him. That’s why he got so infuriated and evicted the aristocrats. They truly showed no respect to him. It took many months for the lord to recognize this. And now you comprehend why he abhorred the idea of prostitution. He wasn’t even realizing that he was still doing it. Therefore Yoon Seungho could only come to the conclusion in chapter 55 that he needed to confess. First, this night made him realize that all this attempts in the past were to win the painter’s heart. Yet he was well aware that with his last action, he had almost sold his loved one to nobles, thereby the painter could only reject him. Besides, he had another reason to expect this outcome: his self-hatred. 
(Chapter 29) Since a kisaeng belongs to the lowest class in Joseon society, the servants could look down on their master. Despite his title, he was living like a head-kisaeng, therefore the staff showed no respect towards their lord. 
(Chapter 32) This explicates why they didn’t follow his order, when he asked them to keep an eye on the artist. Nevertheless, as time passed on, the noble started acting more like a lord, hence the head-maid accepted his reprimand and decided to treat him differently. That’s why she bowed to Yoon Seungho in chapter 46. 
(Chapter 33) The lord fell for this illusion, and he would have never realized it, if the painter had not entered his mansion. I also fell for this illusion myself for a while, calling him an alpha, while he was disrespected the whole time. However, this doesn’t mean that the main lead is powerless. He has indeed connections to the government (exactly like the kisaeng-house) and he is definitely rich, because he is a trendsetter. Min keeps copying his clothing and the master’s windscreen is the same at Min’s pavilion and the noble with the mole. That’s why Yoon Seungho never got to see his true reflection. In his mind, he was either busy reading or fighting with nobles, while in reality he was having sex for the most part of the time. Moreover, no one truly gave him a true reflection, since they had no interest to switch the situation.
(Chapter 2) Therefore the main lead’s gaze in the picture mirrored the image of a man showing true interest, warmth and beauty. Later, he only got to see the ruined painting, which triggered a huge anger, hence he didn’t pay attention to the image. Then in the third picture, 
(Chapter 16) Here the second lead was exploring an unusual position. Although the protagonist could have noticed this reflection “man consumed by lust”, because Black Heart commented it as lewd
(chapter 47) And it is in this chapter that he gets to discover his reflection… or better said, Baek Na-Kyum hadn’t changed his judgement about him, which provoked the next crisis. With the last painting, Baek Na-Kyum reproduced the situation, where the master was focused on provoking reactions in his partner in order to force him to abandon his torpor. 
(Chapter 2) Simultaneously, Baek Na-Kyum destroyed it because of his jealousy (under the influence of his unconscious). The manhwalovers shouldn’t forget that in that wet dream, he wanted to take Jihwa’s place, attracted by the lord’s huge penis. Yet, he justified it with his doctrine. Furthermore, the second painting with Jihwa is created on a small sheet of paper reflecting the loss of the red-haired noble’s influence. 
(Chapter 44) from that moment, the protagonist was no longer hosting any sex orgy which led Min to take over this role. Jihwa’s gesture symbolized that the childhood friend was not allowed to fool around with other men. However, he was quickly replaced by the painter. Let’s not forget that in the noble’s mind, Jihwa was just visiting him for his own sexual desires. He never recognized the childhood friend’s feelings. He had no reason to see otherwise, since the second lead treated him poorly. 
(Chapter 59) That’s why, after having sex with Jihwa, the “head-kisaeng” neglected his guest and went directly to Baek Na-Kyum for the painting in chapter 15, because the noble is already interested to taste the artist. At the same time, the low-born got his first sexual experience with the main lead. 
a synonym for family, Yoon Seungho had the feeling that Baek Na-Kyum was already considering him as a part of his family. For him, there was a glimpse of hope that the artist would come to return his affection. Yet, if he wanted to win his heart, it signified that the main lead had to confess first. But a simple love declaration was not enough, as the words would never be strong enough to convince the painter. Besides, the lord was quite perceptive about the low-born’s personality. Because the latter had never been able to have a different image from the lord (a man consumed by sex), he needed to present himself differently. Since their first night Yoon Seungho has known Baek Na-Kyum’s dream: showing his love through his body and words. 
For he was aware of the artist’s wish, he knew that if he recreated their Wedding night, he could move Baek Na-Kyum’s heart. He would be haunted, exactly like him. We shouldn’t forget that back then, the aristocrat had experienced himself, how Baek Na-Kyum had confessed, although he was risking to be rejected. He wanted his learned sir to see and feel his love. 
And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho chose to repeat the artist’s same gestures from their Wedding night. 
(the same kiss mixed with surprise) He not only initiates the first kiss, but he gives a certain innocence and purity to the kiss. 
He was still deep down hoping that if the low-born sensed his love, and even heard his love declaration, he would be moved and would reciprocate the feelings. Therefore we have the repetition of the same gestures from their Wedding night. Since the painter voiced the wish to be embraced
, note that the noble never stopped hugging Baek Na-Kyum the whole time. 
He did even more: he kept the treasured hand in his own hand.
That way, the painter would feel the noble’s love. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t underestimate the signification of the hands. The latter symbolize the heart, hence a confession is often associated to the hand. Let’s not forget that nowadays a married couple wear rings. So Yoon Seungho hoped through the hand’s grip to reach Baek Na-Kyum’s heart. Not only Yoon Seungho kept facing the artist, another signal for love, but also he ensured that their bodies would continue touching each other. It was, as if he couldn’t bear the thought of being distanced from his loved one. If you compare the aristocrat’s sex sessions with the artist and the nobles, you’ll detect that there was always a certain gap which contrasts to this scene. The lord is in fact showering the artist with his love. However, only in chapter 68, the manhwaphiles discover through the painter’s words 
that Yoon Seungho said more than admitting his defeat: 
. He confessed with the following expression: “I adore you”, the moment the painter hugged him back. 
He had the impression that his love had been perceived by the artist and he was accepting his affection. That’s why the following panel is this image: 
Observe the similarity 
(chapter 21) with the picture from chapter 62. The only difference is that Baek Na-Kyum is not saying anything. Yet, in chapter 21, Byeonduck showed us this image: 
And here is the question: why didn’t she draw the same picture with Yoon Seungho’s face in the front in chapter 62? It is important to recall that the panels 
represent the lord’s memories. He is remembering that night, when he declared “I adore you” after getting embraced. He can only recall the absence of the artist’s reply. Baek Na-Kyum never said anything, which did disturb Yoon Seungho. The lord desired to hear the same words from the low-born. With the absence of a real answer, Yoon seungho got scared. He had the feeling that despite his confession, he had not been able to woo Baek Na-Kyum properly. That’s why he put his head on the artist’s chest and heard his heart pounding. He was looking for a response. He heard and saw the heard pounding and wished to perceive in it a sign that he had been accepted. Yet, the lack of a reply from the painter made him feel very insecure… and his confession had been triggered by the commoner’s embrace. Nonetheless, the love confession was not made at the end, but during the love session. The only words Yoon Seungho got to hear was 
(“my lord”) and 
. For him, these words were now associated to illusion. They reminded him of the social gap. He was still perceived as a lord and not as a lover. The importance of the calling is even outlined in the following panel: 
(chapter 62) Observe that the lord stops his hand from caressing the painter’s cheek. That’s why he got upset, felt stupid. The artist might have mentioned “home”, but in a servant-master relationship. Baek Na-Kyum was just his domestic and Yoon Seungho his lord. Yoon Seungho could only get upset for falling for an illusion. But since the painter had hurt him with his embrace after hearing the lord’s love confession, he faked the hug in the barn. 
The aristocrat wanted to make the painter experience the same… giving him the illusion that his apology had been accepted, yet in reality he was deceived. That’s why Yoon Seungho calls the painter a conniving creature.
He had the feeling that he had been played, because the artist never rejected his advances, but never replied to his declaration. Then with the commoner’s disappearance, he felt that he had been tricked. Let’s not forget that during that night, Yoon Seungho decided to drop his fathers’ doctrines, and since he had been abandoned, he could only come to the conclusion that his father’s principles had been correct: opening up and revealing his vulnerability would lead to defeat and humiliation. With Baek Na-Kyum’s vanishing, he was taught a lesson, therefore he could only become like his father. 
However, this was just an illusion. Yoon Seungho was not able to fully transform like father Yoon. Why? It is because his love for the painter is already so strong that it can never be destroyed. And if you observe the chapters 63-64-65, you’ll notice that Baek Na-Kyum was moved from the storage room 
to the courtyard 
, then to the painter’s study 
to finally end up in the lord’s bedchamber 
. From my point of view, the noble was unable to stick to his principles. He declared that the artist would only be his sex toy at his disposal, the reality was that the protagonist needed Baek Na-Kyum by his side. 
, so that they are facing each other. As a conclusion, the way the painter calls the lord is relevant, exposing that if Baek Na-Kyum calls the aristocrat “Seungho”, this will definitely move the lord’s heart. And we shouldn’t forget that in the painter’s dream, the noble keeps calling the artist “Na-Kyum”, a symbol of intimacy and love. 
(chapter 56) 
(chapter 66) The painter likes to be addressed that way too. 
I also believe that this new version of sex marathon was the master’s desperate measure to force the commoner to accept him and his love. Since the words and the love session had not been successful, then maybe his father’s principle (sex as a battle) could help him. Therefore the painter became a wreck. 
And these words from the childhood friend touched Yoon Seungho’s heart, he felt the power behind this idiom. This explicates why he mentions it to Baek Na-Kyum, exposing his biggest wish: 
And since he had been touched with these words, he decided to employ the same expression, with the desire to move the painter’s heart. However, as you can see, Baek Na-Kyum never truly paid attention to these words, because when he leaves the room at the physician’s home, he never mentions it. At no moment, we get to hear these words from the commoner. In fact, it looks like Baek Na-Kyum was more touched by this 
For him, it is definitely too lukewarm and insipid. First, he was pleased, when the commoner declared this
(chapter 45), he imagined that he was slowly getting closer to his goal, until he realized his mistake. From my perspective, the expression “I like” is related to the scholar Jung In-Hun, because it is quite superficial and observe that Baek Na-Kyum utilized this expression, when he was acting as a “prostitute”. As you can see, the two protagonists have a different connection to idioms, this created a huge misunderstanding between them. And if the noble had not been diminished by his fever and influenced by his fear and insecurities, he would have noticed the happiness in Baek Na-Kyum’s face. Yet he never looked at the artist’s face later, since he feared rejection.
Remember that I already predicted a slap from the artist. There’s no doubt that Yoon Seungho will definitely mention that he only brings misery to the commoner, hence he keeps crying in his presence. 
. That’s why I believe that the lord’s selflessness will make the painter realize the genuineness of Yoon Seungho’s affection. At the same time, out of fear, he will call the lord “Seungho”, just like he changed his calling, while he was facing death
. Cornered and out of fear to lose Yoon Seungho, the painter will be forced to declare his affection. I am expecting a new love confession from the painter containing the following elements: the painter calls the master “Seungho”, a new version of the following panel: 
. In this scene, Jihwa called him Seungho to stop him from inviting the painter to their sex session. Moreover, I am expecting that the painter will utilize his own expression to voice his love for the noble: 
and make new ones… but Kim had the opportunity and the time. Let’s not forget that the valet was the one who placed the protagonists’ shoes next to each other. That’s why he was scared, when he realized that the physician had seen something. He had to ensure that the doctor hadn’t seen his complicity and he wouldn’t talk. And if my theory is correct, then this indicates that Nameless is now aware of Kim’s participation. He is the only one who will know the whole truth, especially if we take into consideration that he has already planted a spy in the mansion.
He still has difficulties to accept this situation and his own feelings. The lord had indeed reached his goal to move the painter’s heart, but due to the painter’s own insecurities, the love confession didn’t push the artist to reciprocate the affection. And it becomes understandable why the noble was so hurt after waking up. He had the impression, he had made a fool of himself, and the artist had faked his feelings with the embrace. Simultaneously, Yoon Seungho was blinded by his principles and insecurities. However, we have to understand that Kim played a huge part in the lord’s relapse and fury, a new version of chapter 50. He made sure that Yoon Seungho would distrust the painter’s words, therefore he used the expression “I do not believe” 
instead of “I know”, because he knew the master’s hatred for this expression. Belief stands in opposition to insight, moreover the butler utilizes a negation reinforcing negative feelings. Note that he doesn’t say: I believe, he didn’t run away… here, he was manipulating the master. And now, it is the painter’s turn to face his own fears and to make a real decision: will he accept to be sent away, as such be abandoned again (in his mind)? Or will he be willing to assume his affection and responsibility? 
(chapter 53) This made me realize that chapter 68 was a new version of chapter 53 and 54. Therefore I would like to compare these two scenes for two reasons. First, the contrast will help us to judge better the protagonists’ actions. 
(chapter 53)
(chapter 54) 
(chapter 53) versus 
(chapter 53) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t recognize the lord’s love in the end. The violence had blinded him, exactly like Heena noona had been blinded by her own prejudices. She was lumping the teenager Yoon Seungho under the same comb than the nobles. However, I would like to point out that her testimony represented a distorted memory. Why? It is because that way, she was justifying her inaction. Here, the person threatened and abused was not the noona, but the child Seungho recognizable with his hanbok. Under this approach, the manhwaphiles can grasp why she is not mentioning the helping hand in that scene, the black guard. 
(chapter 99) We don’t just see nobles frequenting the kisaeng house, but also commoners! Heena’s statement gives the impression that only nobles are going there. This exposes Heena’s biased perception. To sum up, the kisaeng and the painter were blinded, though the latter had been influenced by the noona’s doctrines. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was in denial in the end and saw the lord’s love as a lie. Furthermore, this signifies that the artist experienced the opposite from what Heena noona is describing to Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 68). In truth, the artist mistook love for fear. Note that in each confession, the low-born expresses a certain fear, while in truth his heart is already racing for Yoon Seungho out of desire and affection. In chapter 41, he explains that his heart is pounding due to fear
and in chapter 49, he chose to reject the lord’s hug as a genuine embrace and decided to just admit his physical attraction. 
Since the lord had always been brutal, Baek Na-Kyum could never truly distinguish the cause for his heart pounding. And with this observation, it becomes obvious that the low-born was never in love with his teacher romantically, as he had never felt any heart racing for him. From my point of view, Heena noona was the one who mistook affection for fear. That’s the reason why she never saw the noble’s hypocrisy and cowardice. According to my latest theory, she is suffering from sex phobia [For more read the essay “Arrogant, filthy and lying nobles 🏯”]. But I am also suspecting that pride could have played a role as well. 
(chapter 53) And with this new approach, I believe that when Min mocked the lord by calling Baek Na-Kyum a low-born 
(chapter 54), the main lead punched Black Heart, because he was actually protecting the painter’s name and honor. He no longer felt embarrassed to love such a person, Baek Na-Kyum was a true hero in his eyes. And now you understand why Yoon Seungho felt truly rejected, when Baek Na-Kyum called the lord’s love a lie. Sure, he asked for an explanation before
(chapter 54), yet since the lord was acting under the influence of his heart, he couldn’t voice his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, before reaching the study, he had been denying his feelings too. 
(chapter 53) The painter’s question was pushing the lord to admit his affection. However, because he had been in denial, the painter mirrored his attitude. 
(chapter 62) As you can observe, Yoon Seungho is also connecting love to fear, but in a different way. He was always afraid of admitting his love out of fear to be abandoned. And when he did it, the artist left him behind in his eyes. His nightmare came true, until he discovered that he had misjudged the whole situation. This repetition of misunderstanding proves me that chapter 68 is a reflection of the scene in the study from episode 53-54.
(chapter 68) First, he uses the scholar as his legitimation for his stay at the mansion. 
(chapter 68) Then when Heena noona pressures more the painter, the latter gives other justifications, like f. ex. the lord treats him well 
(chapter 68) and “everyone” 
(chapter 68). But Heena noona can’t accept these excuses and forces him to confess his affection. However, even when he admits his feelings, he gives the impression that he is doing it against his will. 
(chapter 68) and observe that he is using the truth for his allegations. Yet, in my opinion, he is doing the same thing than Kim in the end. He is trying to put the whole responsibility on the lonely aristocrat. But what is the truth? Yoon Seungho might have dragged and mistreated the painter, but he also protected him and treated him with care, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum mentioned it first (“the lord is very good to me”). However, if the manhwaphiles look carefully at the artist’s second justification
(chapter 61)
(chapter 63) 
(chapter 57), therefore Kim desired to push him to make the opposite decision. Since his father kept him captive, then Yoon Seungho should renounce on Baek Na-Kyum, because he doesn’t want to be like his own father. Kim knows Yoon Seungho’s good heart and wishes to utilize it to his own benefit. 
(chapter 68), but also to push Yoon Seungho to accept the painter’s departure. This explicates why Yoon Seungho didn’t enter the study and waited for the kisaeng’s departure. 
(chapter 102) So was he acting like a hero here? 
(chapter 102) Black Heart had already stated this before: 
(chapter 102) Yoon Seungho had already stabbed lord Jang, therefore he could be punished for this action, even if he spared the aristocrats. In reality, there was only one solution for Yoon Seungho now: to kill them all. Why? Like mentioned above, Min would have backstabbed him. Moreover once arrested, the main lead wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would have ended in Min’s hands. Nonetheless, the lord was not acting rationally during this night. He was guided by his emotions exactly like in chapter 53/54. The only difference is that he was acting like a cold-blooded killer. The rage and pain were only palpable in his gaze. 
(chapter 102) The irony is that the Joker had reproached this to the main figure in chapter 53: 
(chapter 53) He had been a killjoy, for he had showed mercy! As you can see, Black Heart’s words came back to bite him. 
(chapter 102) He didn’t stop, because Min asked him to. The gods were showing to Min the cruel reality: violence is not a game! And the painter’s soul and heart got spared during that night. Since he was unconscious, he never saw the bloodbath. The goddess showed mercy to the pure artist. He was rewarded for his bravery and good heart. He had remained loyal to his lover. He never believed in the manipulations of the schemers or gave in to the perpetrators. He resisted till the end to the point that he risked his own life too. Just like his lover, he was a hero. 
(chapter 102) And this brings me to the following observation: Heena described the nobles as violent and arrogant liars, but she occulted the reasons why a lord would employ violence and deceptions. Yoon Seungho didn’t become ruthless, because he likes brutality. He was forced to, and it is the same with the lie! There is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will have to lie concerning the bloodbath. It will be a new version of this scene: 
(chapter 11) He lied in order to protect the learned sir! He took even responsibility for the crime. Both have to lie in order to protect each other. 
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 99) Yoon Seungho was his hero and protector. It is because the painter had perceived the noble’s true personality. He was humble, generous, but more importantly, he was a man of honor. He would keep his promises! 
He justifies his return that the master was fast asleep 
, so he decided to let him rest. However, the readers see that the lord looks rested and seems to be waiting for the butler.
He sits in his bed, he has no dark circle. 
If he had been suffering from insomnia, then he would have looked like in chapter 35.
And since chapter 35 contrasts so much to the episode 17, it means that chapter 35 is a reflection of this incident. This leads me to the following observation. First, Kim never opened the door. Secondly, he wanted his master to remain in his room, so that he wouldn’t know what was happening in his mansion. This would stand in opposition to chapter 35, where Kim led the lord on purpose to the opened window so that he would get jealous. With this comparison, it becomes palpable that Kim knew about Jihwa’s presence, hence he advised the maids not to approach the study. Kim was determined to protect Jihwa’s intervention. The final evidence for his lie and complicity is the absence of Kim’s eyes, a signal that the valet is closing a blind eye and a deaf ear to the incident. 
(chapter 35) This indicates that Kim’s worries are truly fake, they just serve one purpose: to protect his interests. He would like to have his peace and if my theory about him being a spy, then he has every reason to remove the artist from the lord’s side. Anyway, Kim makes decisions for others (Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho) without asking them. It was, as if he knew what was the best for them, whereas in truth, he is doing it for his own benefit. Moreover note that he is just a servant, yet he acts, as though he stood above the lord by disrespecting his lord. For him, worry and kindness are tools serving him to justify his passivity or his disobedience. And the scene in chapter 17 is important, because it reflects the chapter 68, where Kim had also disrespected the master’s order. However, in chapter 68, he was caught in the act. For me, the incident with Jihwa clearly revealed Kim’s silent complicity. If the main lead hadn’t been awaken, then he wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum from Jihwa’s violence. In chapter 17, the butler attempted to keep his lord in the ignorance by stopping the head-maid of the kitchen from warning the master. 
Yet, the servant failed, therefore in chapter 18 he stood behind the maid. 
That’s Kim’s other MO. If someone has to be blamed for this ruckus, then it should be the head-maid, explicating why Kim always hides behind others (chapter 29, chapter 50, chapter 65). In chapter 18, once he realized that Yoon Seungho was not angry, then he could act as a docile, but strong servant, hence his position was switched again. Later he stood in front of the maid. With this new interpretation, Kim’s visit to the doctor in chapter 65 appears in a different light as well. Here, he is actually threatening the physician,
(“are you trying to have me killed?”), saying that he will reveal the doctor’s passivity and silence to Yoon Seungho in order to scare the poor man. With this attitude, he can ensure that the doctor won’t testify and at the same time, if his secret is leaked, then Kim can make sure that the physician takes the whole blame. He hides behind him to take the responsibility for the abduction. That’s why the man begs for his mercy. And this incident clearly exposes Kim’s scheme and manipulation. In this scene, the butler acts like a lord, therefore we have the following expressions “I beg you”, “spare me”, which are usually addressed to a noble. Yet, since Kim is just a servant, he can’t become violent himself. He just needs to employ the lord as his weapon. As a conclusion, the main lead is definitely his puppet, who will help him to get rid of any source of trouble. However, we shouldn’t forget that in this chapter 65, the valet reveals his complicity, as he realized that the physician had noticed something. He had no idea if the poor man had noticed his involvement. He needed to make sure that the doctor didn’t talk, because if he did, then the noble might also come to question the domestic’s whereabouts. 
Yet, nothing happened, because the lord covered up his “crime”. In other words, Yoon Seungho saved his life. However, the lord was not celebrated as a hero in this scene. And like I explained it before, I am even suspecting that Kim left the bottle on purpose, expecting that the artist would take it. And now, I have found a proof for this theory. If Baek Na-Kyum had truly stolen the wine, then he wouldn’t have drunk it in the open. 
the low-born is embarrassed and gives quickly a fake excuse, because he realizes that he was the cause for the ruckus.
From my point of view, the commoner had no idea about the true value of the alcohol, and only discovered it with Yoon Seungho’s revelation. That’s why his lie was easily discovered, the artist was only reacting to the lord’s words and indirect questioning. He had to give himself an alibi so quickly. Note that he didn’t feel guilty, until he heard the truth. In other words, Kim applied his philosophy 
in Baek Na-Kyum’s case. For the butler, the painter’s ignorance and innocence was a blessing, because this could help the domestic to get rid of him. For me, the chapter 19 and 23 are strongly intertwined, therefore we should see the valet’s leitmotiv in a different approach. With only these two examples (17-19), it becomes visible that the valet Kim has already targeted the artist. However, the lord was capable to protect him twice. That’s why I would like to revisit the circumstances of the rape at the pavilion. But for that, we need to examine the previous chapters (23 and 24) closer. 
. Since Yoon Seungho was expecting a picture of their Wedding night, the valet could only deduce the importance of the sexual encounter. He recognized that Yoon Seungho was already in love with the painter and he desired to get a picture of their night together. Nevertheless, we should recall that the butler was also present, when he heard the artist’s confession. 
(chapter 19) So he knew that the artist was in love with his teacher. As a conclusion, he was aware of the existence of the love triangle. And through the interrogation, he could fill all the blanks. He thought that he was the only one owning the truth, yet he was wrong. He could only judge Jung In-Hun, from what he saw. But more importantly, with this conversation, the valet got aware that the new painting Baek Na-Kyum had created was not representing their first night. 
That’s why I judge his advice to the painter in a new light. He refused to give any clue to Baek Na-Kyum, while the latter complained about his lack of insight. 
The butler was deliberately misleading the commoner. On the surface, it looks like he is saying that what happened that night, should be forgotten…
That’s why these words are exposing the valet’s hypocrisy. If the artist is left in the ignorance, then he can’t take Kim’s position or influence the main lead. Besides, his words could be judged as a warning: “lie low”, “remain out of his sight” signifies that Baek Na-Kyum is not allowed to get close to Yoon Seungho, because the butler will aim at him, making sure that he loses the master’s favor. As you can detect, Kim’s best advice contains so many layers, and shouldn’t be treated so lightly. 
This is relevant, since the latter was already very jealous of the artist. He had observed the lord and the commoner at the end of chapter 23 and felt unhappy. So Kim ensured that the scholar would hear this. Secondly, the manhwalovers can observe the absence of the butler’s eyes, when he expresses his emotions. 
For me, this is a signal that the valet is deceiving the scholar and the painter. And if we think carefully, then we can only come to the conclusion that the butler is lying again, when he claims that the lord is waiting for him at the pavilion. And now, you might come to the belief that I am suspecting the butler too much… However, I have different reasons to view his declarations as deceptions. Why?
, then we have Baek Na-Kyum’s memories, where he is shown painting the scene with the masturbation, before witnessing Baek Na-Kyum on the ground trapped by Yoon Seungho. 
Why did Byeonduck utilize a time jump and a discontinuation of the chronology? Since there’s nothing random in her work, I believe that this disrupted chronology had a purpose. She never showed us the protagonists’ arrival at the pavilion. What caught my attention is the position of the bodies. If the lord had been waiting for the artist, then they should sit differently. Note that the noble is closer to the entrance of the pavilion than the painter. After the rape, the latter’s legs 
are facing the butler who stands at the entrance of the pavilion. 
This would explain why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t flee at the pavilion, as the noble stood in the way. He could only just crawl away… A reversed situation of chapter 16. And this indicates that Yoon Seungho must have arrived after the low-born who was waiting for him at the pavilion. So this would indicate that Kim lied, when he invited the artist to follow him to the pavilion.
(chapter 29), but chose to feign ignorance, since it didn’t serve his interests. Therefore I perceive the panel where Kim announces the invitation to the low-born in front of Jung In-Hun as an evidence for my theory. Kim let it transpire to incite the scholar to go to the pavilion. 
Why? From my perspective, Kim was expecting something and by faking concern for the artist, he would like to know the outcome of the encounter at the pavilion. I have to admit that I can no longer sense genuineness in the butler’s words. Striking is the idiom he employs: “that … painter”. He doesn’t give him any name, a real identity. His words are quite similar to Min’s expression “low-born”. In my eyes, the innocent protagonist is perceived as a function and as such an object or subject. With the painter ‘s absence and the lord’s reaction, he gets aware that something happened, exactly what he desired. In my opinion, he is already envisioning that he has achieved his goal. The drop of sweat is just a sign of discomfort, because once again, there was a ruckus, but it was necessary for his own interest, his tranquil life. The only difference is that with his question, he infuriates the main character, which must have been totally new for the valet. 
Moreover, when he says this 
, the readers (including myself) thought, he expressed concern and felt pity. But who is talking to in reality? Baek Na-Kyum is still far away from him, hence I doubt that these words were addressed to him. Furthermore, the butler has again no eye. That’s why I have now the impression that “oh dear” could have been addressed to himself. Now, he needs to clean up the mess. In other words, he feels pity for himself. Since he stands far away, he must see the body on the ground, so for me it looks like he imagined that the artist was dead. But to his surprise, when he gets closer to Baek Na-Kyum, he recognizes that the artist is still alive. Striking is his next comment: 
Since each tentative to get rid of Baek Na-Kyum through the lord has always failed (chapter 11, 25, 34, 35, 36 and 61/62 – this one I will explain it later), Kim’s last remark gets a new signification. Here, he makes a statement, he is realizing that he can no longer utilize the main lead like in the past, the lord with his violent mood swings is no longer obeying him. Back then, many readers had the impression that the valet was telling a lie in order to diminish his guilt and responsibility (self-deception). But what if he was telling the truth in reality and was not trying to deceive himself? I would like to point out that in the previous picture, the butler is shown with his eyes and ears indicating that he is no longer closing his eyes to the truth and reality. Moreover, note in this scene, he is reminded of the past, when he abandoned the main lead to his misery, which leads him to the following conclusion. If the painter remains a favored servant, then everything is fine.
The artist never abused his position or truly threatened him. So his privileged situation wouldn’t truly change, if Baek Na-Kyum was a “concubine”. However, while he is on the verge to abandon his plan to remove the artist from Yoon Seungho’s side, Heena noona causes a ruckus, which makes the valet change his mind once again. Observe the contrast: the closer he gets to reality and accept it, the closer the zooming on his face. So in the last panel, Kim is facing the truth and facts. Yet in the end, he is forced to correct his judgement, as there is another trouble. But what Kim fails to recognize is that there’s no life without worry and problems. As you can see, the chapter 65 is a new version of chapter 35… however this time, Kim is the one on the verge of giving up on his original plan: remove the artist from Yoon Seungho’s side. 
for allowing the painter’s escape. And because of his intervention, Yoon Seungho felt even more insecure than before, which explains why he had a sex marathon. In his mind, the artist had to accept his sexuality and as such him as his lover thereby he would remain by his side. That’s why Kim had in the end to take care of the exhausted painter. 
That’s his first introduction. I doubt that this is a coincidence. As I have already described the scholar as a villain, this can be viewed a first evidence for this theory. Secondly, if we count the number of chapters (2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 44) where Jung In-Hun appears, you’ll notice that Kim has the exact same number: 20 (7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 44). One might argue that Kim has been developed to contrast to Jung In-Hun, yet this is not possible, as the valet often lies (f. ex. episode 11, 12, 29, 34, 35, 44, 67, 68), exactly like the teacher. Nevertheless, I am well aware that these exterior aspects might not be not convincing enough. 
At no moment, he gave a real advice to the protagonist, contributing to his lord’s growth and improving his behavior. But one might argue that everything is linked to the valet’s position. He is just a domestic. Yet, he had disobeyed his master’s order showing a certain confidence.
or chapter 56 
. He brought the artist to the physician without his master’s permission. Back then, many like myself overlooked his infraction, because it seemed like it was for the artist’s sake. However, the readers should remember that the physician was called to the lord’s property in the past. So why bring the painter to the doctor’s office? And let’s remember that in the past Yoon Seungho visited the doctor’s office in order to get drugged. Back then, the main lead became a victim of drug. As you can observe, Kim’s actions should be judged with the mind’s eye and not with just with the heart or the eye. Besides, the butler’s attitude towards the main lead revealed a certain confidence to use knowledge and lies to manipulate Yoon Seungho. So maybe Kim represents a certain hindrance to the two protagonists, but to describe him as a villain, some readers will question this interpretation. 
but decided to turn a blind eye and abandoned the young boy. 
He allowed the young master to get assaulted and chose not to intervene, because he dislikes the idea of trouble so much. His real desire is to lead a peaceful life. Arguing that he feared for his life can also be refuted. If the butler had intervened immediately, then father Yoon would have believed him. Father Yoon trusts the valet so much that he followed Kim who recommended him the physician. So he had the valet’s trust. However, it became a different story, if Yoon Seungho had revealed the truth and accused the butler for abandoning him. In my opinion, he didn’t want to get in the way of a noble hurting the main lead, therefore he became an accomplice. He had to hide his wrongdoings. And in order to ease his conscience, he justifies his passivity and inaction with the following motto: 
Since it doesn’t concern his life, then he doesn’t need to care. But one might refute my argumentation that Kim only made a mistake once. However, let’s not forget that there’s another main lead in this manhwa: Baek Na-Kyum. Kim betrayed him in chapter 11, by letting take the fall for the damaged painting. Like I had already exposed in a previous analysis, Kim lied to his master in chapter 11: 
In fact, Baek Na-Kyum had left the room for a stroll. And with his two lies in chapter 11
, he allowed the painter to get hurt and punished unfairly. In other words, he caused harm not only to Yoon Seungho, but also to Baek Na-Kyum. What caught my attention is the absence of the eye in the first picture. First, one might think that this aspect is an indication that the servant is trying to hide his true thoughts. However, I would even add another dimension. The absence of the valet’s eyes displays his leitmotiv: turning a blind eye. But there’s more to it. The absence of his eyes mirrors his desire to ignore the consequences of his actions. 
(chapter 64) 
(chapter 67) in order to avoid any confrontation. Furthermore he avoids peoples’ gaze 
and questions (see the picture from chapter 67) 
(chapter 63). Note that in this scene (last image), before leaving, he never answers to the maids’ question corresponding to the missing ears in the following picture: 
In chapter 57, even the doctor questioned the lord’s illness, yet he still gave him the medicine without a real diagnosis, because father Yoon would talk to him, until the latter gave in. 
Besides, Kim decided to continue feeding him after the abandonment, and it was never questioned by the doctor. The latter only heard through Kim that Yoon Seungho had started getting seriously sick.
The readers should recall that the doctor only examined the lord twice, the second time it happened many years later. The doctor has never been able to define the illness the main lead was suffering. And note that the doctor pointed out that before the lord wasn’t known as hot-tempered. 
That’s why I believe that the drug is the cause for Yoon Seungho’s mood swings and impulsive behavior. Sure, there exist other causes, the different traumas the lord experienced. And from my perspective, the connection between the violence and the drug is visible, if you think carefully about the return of the lord’s violent and impulsive attitude from chapter 61 on. 
It coincides with his stay at the physician’s. For me, there’s no coincidence in this story. Since the story is repeating itself, the author revealed that after the visitation, Yoon Seungho as a teen started receiving the medication affecting his mood. For he went to the doctor’s in chapter 57, it means that the physician must have given him some medicine after the disappearance of the painter. And let’s not forget his words in chapter 55: 
The man recommended Kim to give him the tea. Now, due to the physician’s words, which Baek Na-Kyum clearly heard
, Kim has a reason to feed him the drug again. He is just following the doctor’s prescription and note that Kim has the painter as a witness. This panel is relevant, as it exposes that the lord refused to take the tonic before. His reason was simple: he slept better. In my opinion, we have to envisage that Kim would use the doctor’s innocence to justify his action, if he was caught giving the drug. Furthermore, the master was at the doctor’s, hence the former would trust his recommendation and his tea. Hence I believe that the lord got drugged after that night explaining his relapse (violent temper). Since we know that this story is built as a kaleidoscope, it means that this medication was mentioned in season 1. It first appears in chapter 35, 
and the lord declined the “medicinal tea”, a reflection of chapter 55. But the readers have to envision that Yoon Seungho had already stopped drinking the potion even before chapter 35. Let’s not forget that the main lead was away for many days, hopping from one bedchamber to the next.
Consequently, he couldn’t take the drug. And after Baek Na-Kyum became the lord’s lover, the latter had no reason to drink the medicinal tea. First, thanks to the low-born, the noble had been able to get some sleep. Observe how refreshed he looks the next morning after spending a night with the painter. Later he was busy having sex with Baek Na-Kyum and could sleep better, like Kim described it in chapter 55. One might argue that Kim is doing for the lord’s sake, but then the manhwaphiles should question truly his intentions, as he gave an aphrodisiac to the painter against his will in chapter 36. The purpose for his action was simple: he intended to use the artist as the new sex toy for the master, so that Yoon Seungho would be busy with sex and forget the outside world. And the artist didn’t want to take it either. There’s no real legitimation to drug someone, the goal doesn’t justify the means. Besides, giving the wrong medication to someone who is not sick can never be good. It can definitely make someone sick, and the manhwaworms should recognize that the doctor could never truly diagnose the lord’s illness. He created the medicine based on the father’s desires and suggestions. Yet, at no moment, Kim stopped the treatment, although he knows that father Yoon was a cruel man, like he revealed in chapter 68.
That way, the noble would discover the ruined painting. He anticipated that the noble would like to go to the painter with his suggestion, since he knows that the lord is a goodhearted man in reality. 
He orchestrated the whole situation, he knew that the lord would have a mood swing and his rage would target the painter. That’s why he hid behind the door 
, so that he wouldn’t be confronted with the consequences of his lie and manipulations. Like I demonstrated it before, there’s no doubt that Kim had seen Jihwa’s arrival and had chosen to close his eyes. From my point of view, the butler had already judged the painter as a source of trouble and desired to get rid of him. Why?
If I complete Kim’s sentence, we have this: Lord Song is not one to write to my master. Then to whom is lord Song supposed to write? I doubt that Kim is aware of lord Song’s mail contacts, since the valet lives in that mansion the whole time. The logical deduction is to say that the valet has been in touch with lord Song. Besides, another evidence for Kim’s hidden abilities is the painter. Remember how I described the artist as the positive reflection of Kim. Since Baek Na-Kyum was supposed to be literate and the lord discovered that it was not true, Kim as the low-born’s negative reflection is supposed to be illiterate, while in reality he can read and write. Moreover, if you pay attention to Kim’s reaction in chapter 56, when he hears that lord Song desires to meet the main lead at the tavern, Kim gets scared. 
Back then, many imagined that the butler’s fear was related to Yoon Seungho’s past and he felt concerned for the master. Yet, he got scared twice. The second time, the master was not present and Kim was definitely frightened. 
Finally, note how he tries to suggest to his master to postpone the meeting due to his illness. It sounds reasonable and legitimate, yet if you think that Kim is a spy, he has a motive to make sure that both don’t encounter. That’s why he abandoned Baek Na-Kyum at the physician’s and rushed to the lord’s side. He was scared that Yoon Seungho would discover the truth. Once he saw Jihwa there, he felt relieved and faked concern. That’s why he said this to the doctor: 
He definitely expressed relief here and notice, he hides his eyes again, a sign that he is hiding his true thoughts, but also avoiding to face the consequences of all his lies and manipulations. Besides, I couldn’t help myself thinking about Yoon Seungho’s comment in chapter 18: 
The amateur spy got discovered, because he showed true concern for Jihwa. So what if we had a professional spy, the reflection of the amateur spy? As such he is a puppet master who can deceive people due to his acting skills. Now, you can comprehend why for me, Kim is a villain, a traitor. He is always perceived as kind, gentle and genuine, yet the truth is different. His thoughts exposed his selfishness and dishonesty towards the painter and the master. 
something Kim abhors the most. 
So with such a humiliation, Kim could only object to the lord’s attitude and consider the painter as the source of trouble and danger. However, if my theory about Kim as a spy is correct, we shouldn’t forget that Jung In-Hun had just arrived at the mansion, and the scholar must have told Kim about the reasons for his stay here: the lord desires to sponsor him and give him a high position. Since Jung In-Hun is arrogant and likes admiration, I doubt that he hid it from the butler. So Kim has a bigger cause to get rid of the painter. If Yoon Seungho has connections to the government, he can become dangerous. Since the latter has an affection to the teacher, which Kim witnessed, he must have recognized that his sponsorship is related Baek Na-Kyum. So when he viewed Jihwa’s arrival in chapter 10, he knew what would happen, and saw it as an opportunity to get rid of the painter and indirectly the teacher. That’s why he tricked the main lead to pay a visit to the artist, by portraying the low-born as a hardworking painter. Besides, we also have to envision that he knew that Jihwa had hired one of the servants from his staff. Since his policy is to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear in the sake of his “peace”, he had no reason to intervene. At the same time, since he knew that the teacher was the artist’s alibi, the other possible outcome was that Jung In-Hun intervenes so that a quarrel between the two nobles begins leading to the end of the sponsorship. However, the artist chose to remain silent and the scholar didn’t show any interest for Baek Na-Kyum. Anyway, Kim could only win with such an action: either Jung In-Hun chose to cut ties with the main lead for mistreating the commoner or Baek Na-Kyum decides to leave the mansion after such a punishment. That’s why Kim allowed the amateur spy to leave the mansion and announced that the lord had chosen the straw mat beating as punishment. 
However, the manhwalovers have to envision that Kim never revealed his knowledge. He must have just given the servant the permission to leave the property without his master’s knowledge. Consequently, the hired spy had no idea that he had been used as a p