Protected: Painter Of The Night: Karma (third version) 💩🕉
Month: April 2021
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Hiatus
Painter Of The Night: Home 🏰(second version)
This is where you can read the manhwas. https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371 https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
1. What is home?
Before starting analyzing the manhwa under this aspect, it is important to define the term home. In a dictionary, this is what you find:
- the house, apartment, etc. where you live, especially with your family
- the type of family you come from
- a place where people or animals live and are cared for by people who are not their relations or owners
- someone’s or something’s place of origin, or the place where a person feels they belong
- your own country or your own area https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/home
As the readers can detect, home has a lot of significations. The reason is simple. It depends on the perspective. When people are asked where their home is, some will answer that their home is the place they are actually living, others will reply that it is the place where their family lives or where they were born and raised. But all have something in common: Home is where the heart is. To sum up, home is very subjective and personal.
2. Home and identity
Since home is related to our disposition (liking, family), it means that home represents a part of our identity, it even defines us. This explicates why psychologists sometimes visit their patients’ home in order to better grasp their personality and issues.
(Dr. Frost, chapter 8) As you can see, home is strongly connected to identity and personality. In other words, without home a person loses his identity. This is no coincidence that homeless people often have no ID.
3. Baek Na-Kyum’s home
Consequently, the manhwaphiles can comprehend why Baek Na-Kyum had huge abandonment issues and a low self-esteem in chapter 46. 
He felt so lonely and lost, for he had no place he could call home. It was, as if he had no identity. When he deserted the mansion, he first thought of the kisaeng house and his noonas 
(chapter 46), until he remembered how he had been sent away by Heena noona. 
(chapter 46) This moment was terrible for the painter, because he had the impression to be abandoned a second time. Note that he is not calling the kisaeng house his home… for him, it was no longer a home, because his heart had been wounded there. Hence the manhwaphiles sense why the painter was using his mind in chapter 75 
(chapter 75) and was restraining himself from falling more for Yoon Seungho. He had come to view the mansion as his home, and if he came to accept Yoon Seungho as his companion, then the latter would become his home, his family. Don’t forget my previous statement: Home is where the heart is. He was afraid of getting hurt a second time. If the lord came to have a change of heart, he could lose his new founded home.
Since the fight with Deok-Jae (which I am explaining more in details later), the painter had come to view the mansion as his home, hence he stated this to his lord: 
(chapter 58) And now, you comprehend why he stopped in the middle of the street during his escape. He had recalled how Heena had sent him away. (chapter 46) The painter had come to associate home to a family and as such to people. This explicates why the kisaeng had forbade him to bid farewell to his sisters. I am not saying that the kisaeng’s decision was ill-intended. She knew that if he met the kisaengs, the latter would have convinced him to stay. As you can see, he had experienced himself how his sister had abandoned him in the end. To conclude, for Baek Na-Kyum, in the past home was a synonym for family and a place.
4. Heena’s definition of home
But why would she coerce her brother to leave the gibang? Observe that she never gave her brother a choice. She never realized her wrongdoing, because she imagined that she had done it out of love, and it was for the painter’s best interests. Anyway, when Baek Na-Kyum reproached his lover his fickle nature (chapter 75), in my eyes, this perception should be applied to Heena noona who could send away her brother in such a way and never contacted him afterwards. That’s the impression she gives. 
(chapter 68) Observe how she blames her brother for not contacting her, while she had strictly forbidden him to come back. At the same time, the readers should question her behavior. How come that she never showed any concern for Baek Na-Kyum for 18 months, until she found out that he was living with Yoon Seungho? Why didn’t she contact him in the first place in order to check out if he was living properly? She gave him instructions, and the main lead listened to her, and now she is reproaching him that he should have disobeyed her. In my eyes, Heena noona acts more like a person with a fickle nature. She shows great care and concern in chapter 65 and 68, but she never searched for her brother’s whereabouts before. So far, the readers can only assume that she had no idea that he had been living as a drunk, and she only discovered his whereabouts by hazard. 
(chapter 64) Yet, this is just an impression because of this scene. Yet, in season 3, Heena confided to Min, and the latter revealed the content of her confession: 
(chapter 99) The idiom “bittersweet affections” indicated that the learned sir had expressed regret and disappointment concerning Baek Na-Kyum. This means that Heena knew that Jung In-Hun’s affection towards the low-born had been changing. As you can see, I come to the conclusion that Heena was already aware of the existence of tension between the painter and his former teacher.
What caught my attention in chapter 68 is the following: 
Heena noona is not even using the word “home”. At no moment, she employs this expression. When she parted from her brother in chapter 46, she mentions the noonas and when she asks her brother to follow her, she says: “Come with me”. As you can see, Heena doesn’t consider the kisaeng house her home. That’s the reason why I think that for her, the kisaeng house had been her workplace and she associated home more with people she cared about, similar to the painter. And this observation made me realize why the sister sent her brother away. Heena noona has never liked the kisaeng house, let’s not forget that she is a slave and she can not leave that place. And the guards could be judged as her wardens, they are keeping an eye on her, similar to the role played Yoon Seungho in chapter 45. For her, the kisaeng house was a synonym for prison and hell, where she kept meeting these terrible and violent rich nobles. 
(chapter 68) Hence in her mind, when she asked her brother to leave the kisaeng house, she imagined that she was helping the painter to escape from prison. Since she admires the scholar so much, she saw in him her helping hand. He would assist her brother to become a free man. The readers should notice that the learned sir always left the kisaeng house with the low-born
(chapter 68), when there was a ruckus. So when the kisaeng made the request to the teacher
(chapter 46), she envisioned that he would acquiesce her request, since he had done it so many times in the past (taking care of Baek Na-Kyum and becoming responsible for him). Moreover, she knew that the artist liked and admired Jung In-Hun. For her, the scholar was a liberator, because he acted so differently towards the kisaengs and Baek Na-Kyum. That’s the reason why she thought, she was doing the right thing for her brother, while in reality she was just projecting her own desires into the artist. And this interpretation was proven correct, because when she vanished from the gibang in season 3, she was no longer dressed as a kisaeng. 
(chapter 99) She was deserting the kisaeng house, and as such the noonas. And note the parallels between chapter 46 and 97/99. In both cases, the painter couldn’t bid farewell to the other kisaengs. (chapter 46) 
(chapter 99) It is because she was using her brother. In the first desertion, her choice was influenced by her unconscious. She had just projected her own thoughts and desires onto the artist’s. In season 3, she had made a conscious choice. In exchange of her brother, she would gain her freedom. Thus she used the expression “us” 
(chapter 97) This time, it was for her own sake. But the price for her freedom was that she had to sell her brother. She could still have a clean conscience by convincing herself that Yoon Seungho had killed her idol. At the same time, she needed to fake her death. 
(chapter 99) [For more explanations read the analysis “Heena’s curtains”] This means that she was betraying the eonnies one more time. And that’s how I had another revelation. In my eyes, after their separation, Heena had come to view her life in the gibang differently. She had been able to perceive the good aspects of her life as a kisaeng. She could live a comfortable life and as such get new hanboks. (chapter 64) That’s why I believe that she came to forget her brother, like “out of sight, out of mind”. But how did she come to view the gibang as a place of hell? In my opinion, it is related to Yoon Seungho! She knew about his misery. Thus I am deducing that the painter’s vanishing from the gibang coincides with the end of the lord’s misery. Thus I have the impression that her definition of home came to change. It was less connected to the kisaengs and the painter, as such to family. She came to like the place.
But let’s return our attention to episode 46. (chapter 46) Because she didn’t allow her brother to speak his mind, she hurt his heart and created more wounds than before. That’s why I perceive the argument in chapter 68 as important. For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum is not listening to Heena. Since home is where the heart is, her brother could only reject her proposition to come back to the kisaeng house. He had been abandoned by the noona. However, because he was afraid of his own feelings towards the aristocrat, he created new problems with his confession. His description 
reinforced her bad impression about Yoon Seungho. That’s why Heena noona will never believe that this place can become the artist’s true home. For her, this place can only represent a new prison, for she has a negative perception of nobles. Hence she needs to rescue her brother.
(chapter 69) Besides, I believe that she has another reason. The lord is connected to her own guilt, but she is not admitting her responsibility. In the first version, I had expected that due to his confession, the kisaeng would never trust Baek Na-Kyum’s words later. And this was proven correct. Why? First, Heena noona embodies a certain kind of knowledge: prejudices. Because she has already experienced many things, she has the impression that she knows everything. However, she is not realizing that her world view is based on her own perception. Secondly, her superficial knowledge turns her into a blind and deaf person. What she sees and hears will be interpreted the way she perceives the world. I had even written this back then:
“Even if her brother tells her how well Yoon Seungho treats him and how much he loves his companion, she will have the impression that he has been brainwashed or coerced. Why? It’s because she has always treated her brother that way.”
In addition, she knows a part of the truth, while her brother was left in the dark entirely. Thus she reproached her brother his stupidity: 
(chapter 97) Contrary to him, she knows, because she saw and heard things, when Yoon Seungho suffered! Yet, her knowledge is totally superficial, like the last panel exposes it. She just jumped to (false) conclusions. That’s how she got herself manipulated. Because of her bias, she became an easy target of deceptions. That’s the reason why she believes herself in rumors. Like the scholar said it himself, 
(chapter 29) there exists a kernel of truth in the grapevine. Moreover, with her caresses and hugs, she used love to stop her brother from speaking his mind. 
(chapter 46) That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum could only express himself through painting, as he had become mute. Due to her decisions and actions and the scholar’s, she contributed to turn the artist into a boy full of insecurities, unable to express himself. Consequently, Heena noona was put in front of the same choice in season 3. Note that the return of the painter to the gibang coincides with her departure. This means that due to the couple’s love session, she was reminded of her own past. She was forced to recall why she had associated the gibang to hell in the first place. 
(chapter 96) She was definitely scared in that scene. That’s the reason why at the end, she utilized her brother to leave the gibang. (chapter 97) However, the gods wanted to confront her with the true consequences of her choices. She wouldn’t live with her brother, their paths would get separated. (chapter 99) She had to choose between her brother and her life, and she selected freedom over Baek Na-Kyum. This is no coincidence that their bloody reunion happens in front of the scholar’s home. 
(chapter 99) This mirrors that her original dream was to live with her brother and the scholar, but this was just an illusion. She had hoped that once the artist was by Jung In-Hun’s side, the learned sir would come to buy her, and they would live together. She counted on the learned sir’s affection for the painter. But this was never Jung In-Hun’s intentions and he excused his behavior by putting the blame on the protagonist. (chapter 99) That’s the reason why the kisaeng mentioned the bittersweet affections. The scholar came to see the painter as a burden. This new approach gives us a clue why the artist chose the noble over his noona in chapter 68. The lord might have been violent, yet unlike all the other characters he allowed Baek Na-Kyum to be true to himself and to express his thoughts and emotions. Let’s not forget that in reality he was the only one encouraging the painter to paint, which was the commoner’s true passion. He even praised him, while even Heena couldn’t restrain herself from criticizing her brother. Freedom is an important condition for calling a place or people home, next to comfort and safety. But when the kisaeng left the gibang, it was just a fake freedom, as her safety is strongly intertwined to the benevolence of the noble protecting her! (chapter 97) Hence I come to the conclusion that Heena associates home to the learned sir and not to her brother. Exactly like the artist, she made a choice. She sided with Jung In-Hun, the poor learned sir, who got disappointed with Baek Na-Kyum. But she believes now that he is dead. Hence by leaving the kisaeng house, she doesn’t realize that she is abandoning everyone: the eonnies and Baek Na-Kyum. She has no one by her side… except the noble who sent the guards. From my point of view, she is trusting the butler.
5. What is home for the couple?
In season 2, we could see the transformation of the meaning of home. For Baek Na-Kyum, the mansion of Yoon Seungho had become his home, like we could perceive it in chapter 46. 
or in chapter 58. Why? It is related to the way he was treated by the head-maid, the butler and even Yoon Seungho. All of them considered him as part of the mansion. The head-maid gave him advices, the butler through his comment indicated that he belonged now to the mansion. 
(chapter 52) And finally Yoon Seungho treated him well on different occasions by sharing his breakfast with him or sending him to the doctor or by protecting him from Deok-Jae. Yet I believe that the decisive factor is the momentary separation. Although the painter had lost his position as favored servant, the noble never sent him away. He let him live in the study and kept treating him well. The artist could sense that despite the distance, the noble was not willing to cut ties with him. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum resisted to the vicious servant, when the latter tried to force him to leave the property. 
(chapter 53) This was his home now, and he wanted to protect what he had finally found. Despite the pain, he didn’t move. He was ready to do anything for his home. This gives us a glimpse of the painter’s future behavior, when his lover is targeted. There’s no doubt that he will fight for him. And now, if you compare the two following panels, you’ll realize the similarities between the two scenes: (chapter 46) 
(chapter 76) In both scenes, the painter has a revelation. In chapter 46, he is alone and has no place to go. However, he is strong enough to stand on his feet, while in episode 76, he is paralyzed by fear and becomes so weak. Yet, exactly like in the first image, he feels lonely, but since he can’t escape, this position makes him realize his vulnerability. He needs help and protection. That’s why the moment he realizes the noble’s presence
(chapter 76), he seeks his embrace and warmth. 
(chapter 76) Only there he feels safe. This terrible experience opened his eyes: he has to rely on someone.
(chapter 76) Thus for the first time, he requests assistance. So while in the lord’s arms, the painter can slowly calm down, however he is still very shaken, as he has just experienced a life-threatening situation again, revealing the traumas left behind by the first abduction and the blackmail. Yet, after a while he expresses the wish to go home. 
(chapter 76) With these words, it truly outlines that the mansion has become Baek Na-Kyum’s real home, a place where he feels comfortable and secure, which represents a continuation of chapter 46. While in chapter 46, he just considered the mansion more like a refuge or shelter, now he connects it to family. It has truly become part of his identity. But the embrace on the street let him discover that Yoon Seungho could become a home too.
Striking is that there’s a difference between the Korean 
and English version, when the lord replies to his request. 
In the original version, the lord is now admitting that the mansion is also his home now, whereas in the past it was just a prison and he wanted to have a companion by his side. In the English version, there’s only silence. This difference affects a lot the interpretation. By remaining silent, the noble is not acknowledging the mansion as his home, but this doesn’t mean that he has no home. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho perceives the painter as his home, hence he prefers remaining there hugging his lover. The painter gives him the warmth and love the lord has always been longing. That’s why he gives the excuse that they should stay there. It seems that the English version sounds colder than the original, yet I believe that Yoon Seungho is using his position in order to legitimate his refusal. Why do I think that the lord views the painter as his home? First, like I wrote above: Home is where the heart is. Secondly, I had already explained that Yoon Seungho would always follow the painter, because he considered him as his home and as such his family. So far, the lord has always perceived his mansion as prison and the bedchamber his cell. This explicates why the lord rejected the painter’s departure in season 3. He needed him by his side, as he had become his pillar. 
(chapter 85) Baek Na-Kyum represented the foundation of his home. Without him by his side, his “home” would crumble.
Striking in chapter 76, is that because the lord insisted to remain seated, the painter starts enjoying more and more the lord’s embrace, 
hence his head moves closer to Yoon Seungho’s
and at the end he even closes his eyes
. From my point of view, this long and tender hug let him sense that the mansion was not truly his home, but the lord. But this was not entirely conscious. The latter has become his family. That’s why he had been longing for his presence and warmth in the last days. 
(chapter 74) This was a new version of the chapter 51 and 52. And you all know the saying:
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”
This signifies that since both protagonists found their home, they found a part of their identity. Both protagonist could only become stronger. Thus the readers could assist to the return of the painter and lord’s memories. This is no coincidence that the painter could voice his wishes in front of his lover: 
(chapter 78) 
(chapter 84) And it was the same for the lord. That’s the reason why they both argued with each other and with others too. They could now stand on their own, but they still needed the support of the partner.
Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why there was a change in season 3. There, both protagonists learned that home was not a place, but where the heart is. This is no coincidence that Yoon Seungho made the decision to renounce on his possessions, when he had the impression that his “bride” had died. That’s how he learned what home means. It is by his lover’s side, to be in his embrace, and not necessarily the mansion like during the argument exposed it. During the last scene, both protagonists were pushed to recognize that they are now a real family. Yoon Seungho is the painter’s home and it is the same for Baek Na-Kyum. This is perceptible in the final scene: 
(chapter 102) It doesn’t matter where they are. Home is where the heart is. Hence the first question he has is: 
(chapter 102) As long as he is by his side, everything is fine. This new definition of home appeared, when the painter and the lord confessed to each other. 
(chapter 96) 
(chapter 96) It didn’t matter where they were. Thus they could confess in a gibang. They felt safe together. And this is the same in the mountain. Observe that the painter is not asking why they are in the mountain and what the lord intended to do there. In fact, he was more focused on the past than the present. However, for the painter, home is not just a family, he liked to sleep in a warm bed and have a warm meal each day 
(chapter 68), since he had lived like a homeless for a while. Hence both will have to look for a real home, a house. Moreover, the lord will have to provide for the painter, and the latter will feel obligated to assist his lover. This means, in season 4, home should have a new definition. It is not just a family, but also the mansion and the country! Don’t forget that many people died in season 3.
6. Yoon Seungho’s bedchamber: a glimpse of his identity
Since I had elaborated above that home was part of an identity and the home would reflect the owner’s personality, I wish to examine Seungho’s bedchamber again. In other words, I will read his room: 
(doctor frost, chapter 9). What caught my attention is that the lord’s bedchamber is literally empty: There are only one big white vase, a red box, candles 
(chapter 55) and a windscreen. 
(chapter 55) The latter shows trees painted in black, there’s barely nature in the end. It mirrors the lord’s symbolic death. The emptiness of his room reflected the lord’s life. He was living like a zombie and avoided emotions, as he had no souvenir at all. Although he reads a lot, you never see them in his room. Why? It is because he separated his spirit from his body. In his bedchamber, he was a captive trapped in the past, hence he had nightmares. Moreover, I think that his bed is the source of his nocturnal panic attacks, as the colors are the same than the king’s. And now, the manhwaphiles can better comprehend why the noble has never considered his mansion a home. In this house, and in this room, he had traumatic experiences (abuse), which were so horrible that he had entirely repressed it. Nonetheless, the moment the painter calls the mansion his home, this has a huge impact on the lord’s life. The latter is now “forced” to consider the mansion as his home too. Hence in the Korean version, we have this panel: Then in season 3, the lord’s bedchamber became the painter’s bedroom too. Thus at the end of season 3, the painter visited the lord’s study in his lord’s absence. 
(chapter 98) This shows that he had conquered the bed. Season 3 exposes the painter’s conquest of the bedchamber. The turning point took place in chapter 87, when the artist went to the study on his own volition. 
(chapter 87) I can’t help myself thinking that in season 4, the painter will bring his possessions to the bedchamber for good contrary to season 3. 
(chapter 79) The music box was brought back to the painter’s studio after the argument. Since the lord bought a music box for Baek Na-Kyum, and the latter treasures this item, it also has a special meaning for the lord too. The music box represents the lord’s heart, but the main lead didn’t grasp the true meaning, until it was too late. So far, the broken music box got neglected after their argument
(chapter 85), yet I am still hoping for its return, for the lord had recognized its true signification to the painter afterwards. 
(chapter 85) But we shouldn’t forget the lord’s Spring poem 
(chapter 92) Little by little, the lord’s study will be filled with treasures belonging to Baek Na-Kyum which are connected to the noble. This is relevant, because thanks to them, the lord can recall the good moments with the artist. Slowly the lord’s bedroom will become more and more a study. With the arrival of souvenirs, the bedchamber will be filled with life again. This will symbolize that the lord is slowly taking over the bedchamber, and filling his room with things he likes. Where is the orchid? So far, all the nobles had plants in their room: 
(chapter 43) 
(chapter 82) Hence I am wondering if Yoon Chang-Hyeon didn’t punish his son by taking away the orchid, when he painted on the servant’s body: 
(chapter 36).
7. Conclusions
Through this examination, I could expose that each character had a different definition of home, and their perception of home was never constant. However, I have neglected one figure: Kim. The butler associates home to the mansion and nothing more. He is not even including the staff or the lords. That’s the reason why he is switching alliances all the time. But if he is on the verge of losing his mansion, he will do anything to stay there… like for example betraying Heena. Remember that she sold her brother for his own sake, and she didn’t feel deep remorse, when she saw her wounded brother. She even asked an explanation for his wounds: 
(chapter 99) This new interpretation leads me to the following observation. In season 4, we will witness a new battle again, and it will be about the ownership of the mansion. Who is the true owner of the propriety? Kim, Yoon Chang-Hyeon, Yoon Seungho or lord Song?
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The night: The heart versus the mind
This is where you can read the manhwas. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/unintentional 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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Announcement: I updated the essay “The heart and the mind” (number 98)
On the surface, this title is very similar to the essay which I have just reviewed. Nevertheless, there’s a huge difference, because in this analysis, I am focusing on the struggle between the heart and the mind, and more precisely on Baek Na-Kyum’s inner conflict. The latter stood more in the center at the end of the season 2. This was very perceptible in chapter 68, 70, 71, 74, 75 and 76. Yet, as the readers have already noticed it, I am including another manhwa called Unintentional Love Story written by PIBI. While reading this contemporary story, I couldn’t help myself smirking due to certain parallels between these two manhwas. Both Jung are portrayed as well-mannered, smiling and caring, whereas in truth they are just using the protagonist’s innocence and gentleness for their own interest. 
(chapter 1: Ji Wonyoung is standing in front of Jung) Or both main leads come from a rich family and are called Yoon (in Unintentional Love Story, it’s Yoon Taejun). However, the real reason for bringing up this modern Yaoi is the resemblance of Ji Wonyoung’s personality with Baek Na-Kyum’s. Both are selfless, naive, social, kind but more importantly cheerful. They are easily affected. Yet one might argue that the painter is different, as he knew about his sexual orientation very early on
, whereas the pure and cheerful Ji Wonyoung is presented as straight. 
However, an important detail caught my attention. The uke only dated women who would confess to him. He never initiated anything. 
This signifies that the main lead started dating these women, because he felt grateful and touched. That’s why all his ex-girlfriends had nothing in common. In other words, he was never really in love with these women, therefore we could say that he was straight out of convenience. This explicates why he gets more confused, when he starts falling for Yoon Taejun. He goes so far to ask a friend 
how to recognize love. The latter replies with the following description: 
– He would think about the person all the time
, the body is reacting with heart pounding 
, blushing 
, finally he would ramble things 
and make a fool of himself
. I included these pictures from Painter Of the Night for a reason. They expose how the painter is definitely in love with the main lead. And this clearly reveals that Baek Na-Kyum was never in love with the scholar in the end. Hence you comprehend why I am presenting Ji Wonyoung from Unintentional Love Story. It helps to grasp why the painter was in denial for so long. He couldn’t understand his emotions, as he had never felt like this before. Moreover, unlike to our modern protagonist, the artist had no one to confide, not even to his noona. When he saw his lover kissing another man, he was bothered, but he couldn’t admit it entirely.
He wondered about his emotions. When he finally met Heena, it was already too late.
But let’s return our attention to the modern main lead. Imagine how he reacted, when he noticed that he was behaving exactly like his friend had portrayed it. He got really confused 
. Thus he started denying his feelings for Yoon Taejun. First, he reduced it to admiration 
and tried to find excuses for his reaction: 
As you can detect, his mind tried to reason his behavior and emotions. More striking is that the character Ko Hotae is the one who pointed out to him that he was just using too much his mind and he shouldn’t ignore his heart. 
As the manhwaphiles can detect, Ji Wonyoung was struggling to admit his feelings for the potter Yoon Taejun. Nonetheless, this has nothing to do with fear of stigma or loss of reputation, because the moment Wonyoung started dating the main lead, he had no problem to kiss his partner outside.
At no moment, he shows real concern or fear that people might discover his relationship with Yoon Taejun. Sure, he is careful due to the special status Yoon Taejun has as a famous potter. And all these observations led me to the following conclusion: Ji Wonyoung had never fallen in love with anyone before and as such, he had never truly paid attention to his true sexual orientation. He was neither a homosexual nor a straight person per se. He just dated girls, because he felt “attached and obliged” as a gentleman. However, all his partners could sense in the long term that their affection was not truly returned. Striking is that in this story, Ji Wonyoung had a similar attitude than Baek Na-Kyum. The low-born would always use his brain and mind to diminish his emotions.
(chapter 56), even his unconscious was telling him that he longed for the lord’s affection. Both characters were struggling the same way, yet for different reasons.
In the first season, the painter was denying his sexual orientation 
and even worse the existence of sexual desires. That’s why he kept hiding behind doors. The artist feared the gaze and judgement from others. This fright was linked to the scholar’s indoctrination: sexuality is dirty, especially copulating men were filthy. 
Nonetheless, Yoon Seungho was able to revive and liberate the artist’s body on two occasions: first during the sex marathon 
(chapter 31) and secondly during their sex session, when Yoon Seungho was behaving like a client at a brothel. 
(chapter 48) The artist was forced to admit that he felt pleasure while having sex with the main lead. 
However, this doesn’t mean that Baek Na-Kyum was truly emancipated. It was only a partial victory, because the low-born would still deny the existence of feelings. He wasn’t just refusing to acknowledge any attachment from his part, but also from the main lead’s. And we have to question the reason for this attitude. In my opinion, it is related to Heena noona. Why? It is because her words are still lingering in her brother’s mind, while the latter is on the verge to admit his affection for Yoon Seungho. 
In this panel, his face is literally glowing. Yoon Seungho’s words accompanied with a huge smile have already moved his heart, hence his mind reminds him of this: 
He is not allowed to love Yoon Seungho, his noona forbade it. That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum drinks in the tavern 
and blames the noble for his fickle nature. 
His mind is trying to refrain the heart, to rationalize why he shouldn’t fall for the noble. As you can see, his denial is strongly intertwined with the kisaeng. Then I suddenly remembered this panel 
from chapter 56. The artist always felt the urge to get hugged. As you can see, the artist longed to be embraced as well. Surprising is that in chapter 66, Baek Na-Kyum got hugged by his noona. 
However, this embrace didn’t give him the warmth he was truly seeking, explaining why he didn’t follow his sister. He preferred remaining by the lord’s side. And this observation made me realize that the artist had always desired to be embraced by his lover, but his wish could never get fulfilled with Heena or with Jung In-Hun. Why? It is, because the kisaeng and the scholar are both rejecting sex and sexuality. For Heena, it is more understandable, as it represents a part of her work and world. She is confronted with rich nobles who are often violent and misogynistic. That’s why I believe that while the scholar killed the painter’s body, the noona held her brother’s heart captive. It was enchained. There is no doubt that the kisaeng was well aware that the painter was longing for warmth and love, because she describes him as a sweet boy.
That’s why I think, she knew that the artist was easily swayed, if someone was quite nice and gentle. Note that she hugs him a second time, after the painter has already confessed to her that he had developed some attachment with the main lead. In other words, he was similar to Ji Wonyoung from Unintentional Love Story, he would feel gratitude and become loyal, as long as the person would be caring and warm towards him. I believe that Heena knew that the painter had such a disposition. That’s why she says this “my poor, tenderhearted boy”. If a person showed some affection through caresses and hugs, he would become obedient, as he would be thankful. Yet, in chapter 68, the kisaeng failed twice with her attempts. She even tried to stop him from replying to her points by putting her hands on his cheeks.
She imagined, the artist would react like in the past, when she sent him away. He listened to her words, although he was definitely wounded. Therefore I come to the conclusion that not only the scholar stands for social norms, but also the kisaeng. In my eyes, Heena has never accepted her brother’s homosexuality, she only tolerated it, as long as Jung In-Hun was his muse. 
She knew that the artist would never outlive his homosexuality, because she was well aware that the scholar was not interested in sex. She might have even realized that her brother was more admiring the scholar than truly loving him. Furthermore, what caught my attention is Heena’s reaction, when she heard that Yoon Seungho had confessed to her brother. She denied his feelings, saying that he was just confusing fear with love
. He had no idea what love is. She tried to convince him in every possible way that his feelings were not real or in the last resort, he should not act on his emotions.
As you can observe, Heena was talking to his mind. We could say that she embodies the mind, hence she was the cause for the inner struggle in chapter 75. For she symbolizes the conscious, she also advocates the social norms. If a man showed his love for another man, then this would be a real scandal. From my point of view, she can’t accept homosexuality for two reasons. First, it is related to the nobles’ hobbies. The latter were the ones who bought the artist’s publications, and Heena hates filthy rich aristocrats. But there’s more to it in my opinion. For her, homosexuality is a synonym for addiction or bad life, because love between two men can’t exist. Why do I think like that? It is connected to the image “man consumed by lust”. Note that till the end, the artist worries about this aspect. If the artist were to admit his love for the noble officially, then he would be perceived as a man consumed by lust. That’s why Heena is against this relationship. She knows that all the other nobles will never admit having sex with other men. They are able to maintain their respectability. Thus the kisaeng says this: 
However, let’s not forget that his relationship with the main lead was always full of pain and violence
, hence when the artist confesses his love in front of his sister, the latter should have already realized that the artist didn’t develop such an affection out of convenience or gratitude. That’s why she presents it as the opposite: Yet, if you pay attention to her words, the situation is in truth similar, as there’s a certain expectation and pressure. However, despite all her reasoning, Heena failed, since his feelings were already too strong. His mind and heart were no longer receptive to her advices and points. Only her words lingered in his mind in chapter 75, when the artist was about to accept his feelings.
On the other hand, she was able to stop the artist from confessing his affection to Yoon Seungho. Out of fear, the artist desired the noble to become responsible for him. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum kept waiting for a signal from his lover. That way, the artist would have a better conscience. He wouldn’t be associated to the image “man consumed by lust”, as he was just following Yoon Seungho’s request. However, nothing happened, like Baek Na-Kyum had imagined. The protagonist was no longer willing to put his companion under pressure, he wanted him to make the decisions himself. He should follow his heart and mind, and the main character would listen to him.
And now, it is time to focus on the decisive moment, when his heart is no longer ruled by his mind. There’s a reason for that. For the first time, the artist is terrified.
He gets so scared, when he meets the criminal by chance that his mind is no longer functioning properly. He can no longer rationalize his emotions or blame his lover. I could say, his mind is paralyzed, hence he embraces the noble by instincts. Only in his arms, he feels safe, warm and comfort. As you can sense, the low-born acts by instincts. That’s why he doesn’t pay attention to people. But more importantly, this situation makes him realize that this embrace has nothing to do with “man consumed by lust”. That’s why he actually enjoys being in the lord’s arms. He is definitely moved, as he blushes and feels more relaxed. At some point, he even closes his eyes, a sign that he is trusting his lover and enjoying this instant. Everyone can see that there’s only affection and even the merchant is quite nice. 
Therefore, I believe that for the first time, Baek Na-Kyum recognizes the real meaning of such an embrace. The lord had already done it before, yet the artist judged it as fake 
or he associated it to sex. And what the painter feared the most, the disapproving and judgmental gaze didn’t occur at all. Everyone acted, as if this embrace between a noble and a commoner was a normality. The mind representing society and its rules was defeated by the unconscious which stands for nature and instinct.
As a conclusion, Ji Wonyoung and Baek Na-Kyum had a similar conflict, their mind tried to deny their growing affection to the respective protagonist. However, the heart was always the winner in the inner conflict. Why? It’s because true values like love and friendship are more important than reputation or social norms, like I already mentioned it in “The heart and the mind”. If someone is not true to himself, he will never feel happy, Min is the best example for this situation. He hides his true nature behind his smiles and laughs, yet he is always dissatisfied and envious. The only huge difference between Painter Of The Night and Unintentional Love Story is that homosexuality was a real taboo in Joseon. Nowadays, it is still not entirely accepted, but the existence of this type of love is no longer denied and such people are no longer persecuted in Western societies.
Consequently, imagine how much pressure the commoner is facing, when he admits his love for the main lead in front of people. Yoon Seungho can act so fearless, because he has money and power, but it is not the same for a low-born like Baek Na-Kyum. People could definitely say that he is doing it for privileges and favors, especially when the following rumor starts spreading: Yoon Seungho even bought such an expensive music box for his lover! Some jealous and ill-intended people will say that the low-born requested it… However, for the artist, it will no longer matter, because he has finally experienced what a real embrace is
and what the lord was willing to do in order to protect and console him: he remained seated on the ground, until the painter had calmed down.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Inspirations
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Strolls and guidance
Protected: Painter Of The Night: The shadow and the light
Painter Of The Night: The Ghost and the embrace 💞
This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
As you can imagine, the embrace between the two protagonists stands in the center of this analysis, because we had so many pictures with a hug, like these two: (chapter 76)
Yet, the peak was reached with the following picture, for Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho seemed to have merged as one: 
The readers can barely detect the painter’s presence: only his head and hand are visible indicating the depth of their intimacy and closeness. However, the title is mentioning the presence of a ghost. The latter can not be Yoon Seungho, because the panel above announces his official wedding with the commoner due to the presence of the red and blue lanterns called Cheongsachorong. These are used for wedding ceremony in Joseon. Therefore who is the ghost? And why do I perceive the existence of a spirit in this chapter? But before revealing the identity of the ghost, I would like to expose the reason behind such a title. While focusing on the embrace, I came to the following observation.
Each time Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho embraced each other, I detected the presence of a ghost. During the second season, we had 6 real hugs:
- chapter 49,
- chapter 53
, - chapter 62
, - chapter 66
, - chapter 71
, - chapter 76.
While comparing all the hugs, I will determine the ghost’s identity each time. In chapter 49 the painter was reminded of Jung In-Hun 
due to the warmth exuding from the main lead. The painter couldn’t restrain himself from thinking about that fake embrace
(chapter 29), therefore he chose to push away the wealthy aristocrat out of fear that he might get hurt and betrayed again. The commoner judged the embrace and warmth as a deception. This means that the low noble as a “spirit” was the reason why both protagonists couldn’t get closer. The low-born was only acknowledging Yoon Seungho as his sex partner and nothing more. Striking is that in episode 76, we have a reference to the hug from chapter 49, as the position of the painter’s head in this image resembles a lot to this one: (chapter 49). Yet the outcome is different, as the manhwaphiles can witness how the painter moves his head closer to Yoon Seungho’s. Moreover, the artist’s gaze is truly looking at his lover. We even have the impression that the artist is smelling the lord’s scent in order to reassure himself. Although the manhwaphiles couldn’t enter Baek Na-Kyum’s thoughts this time, they could perceive the change of his attitude. The embrace is no longer judged as fake. This signifies that the ghost Jung In-Hun has vanished for good, which is even reflected in a different panel: (chapter 76) The lord allowed the low-born to embrace him in front of people, whereas the scholar had to ask the commoner to follow him in a deserted alley. 
(chapter 29) The low noble feared people’s gaze, his attitude truly showed that he didn’t want to be connected to Baek Na-Kyum. His action was definitely a sign of hypocrisy and cowardice. That’s why in chapter 76, the painter could only come to the conclusion that the lord’s embrace was genuine and the lord’s feelings were not trivial. Moreover, the main character never pushed his lover away(chapter 76), he even lowered himself and sat down on the ground for a while, so that Baek Na-Kyum could calm down. Imagine, when the powerful lord arrived to the place where the main character had a panic attack, everyone was bowing in front of the noble. They didn’t even dare to face him, yet when he saw his lover trembling, the master lowered himself and attempted to help his partner. However, his gestures led to be misinterpreted in the beginning, hence a shop owner started interfering. 
However, he was stopped with a frightful gaze: 
Besides, when the noble kept calling the protagonist in an informal way (Na-Kyum-Ah), people could realize his real intention. He meant no harm. In fact, he was treating the low-born like a precious treasure, who needed help. By calling his name Na-Kyum-Ah, the main lead tried to reassure his lover. Hearing his name made the low-born realize that he wasn’t attacked by the jester. This explains why the artist immediately embraced his companion. (chapter 76) Thus we could say that “Na-Kyum” had finally become a magical word like Seungho-Ya. Another contrast to the scene in episode 29 is that the way the low noble called Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 29) The former teacher was just caught by surprise, hence “Na-Kyum” was said more or less randomly. On the other hand, Yoon Seungho used this name as a sign of intimacy. He desired to give comfort and warmth to his lover. And now, you understand why Baek Na-Kyum hugged his lover by instinct. With his embrace, the protagonist would feel safe, which contrasts so much to the one in chapter 29. Back then, after the hug the learned sir brought the artist back to the mansion, although the low-born had run away out of fright. He mostly feared for the scholar’s life 
(chapter 29) thus he tried to find him. And now the mansion has become the painter’s home, just like the lord’s embrace. It is a synonym for comfort, warmth and safety. Another huge contrast is that for the first time, the painter asked for Yoon Seungho’s help directly. (chapter 76) Imagine that so far, he has never relied on others. Even as a low-born, he was willing to save others (Jung In-Hun or Deok-Jae or Heena 
(chapter 65). Surprising is that when he was bullied by Deok-Jae, he never complained and asked for the head-maid’s assistance or his lover’s. His attitude to never rely on others was even more perceptible in his escape in chapter 46. The cause for this behavior is linked to his abandonment issues. Due to his past, he was forced to only rely on himself. Nonetheless, in chapter 76 he changes his attitude. This shows that he is now opening up. That’s why his head rests on the lord’s shoulder completely. (chapter 76) This is a sign of trust, Baek Na-Kyum is willing to trust his lover. By comparing these 2 hugs, I come to the conclusion that Jung In-Hun has been totally removed from the painter’s mind as well. This embrace and marriage represent the scholar’s defeat. From now on, he won’t be able to use the painter as his pawn, because the latter is no longer attached to him. The lord’s love for Baek Na-Kyum can not be used as a weakness, since the low-born is reciprocating the affection. That’s why I would say that this panel (chapter 76) embodies the learned sir’s loss. There’s no one separating them, not even Heena noona who was the last person defending the scholar and as such representing his interest. So was Jung In-Hun the ghost I was referring to? Yes and no… because there’s more to it. That’s why it is important to examine the other embraces.
In chapter 53, the ghost was Yoon Seungho himself, since he was considering himself as a spirit. (chapter 53) However, the painter’s hug made him realize that he was a human after all, and that his fists and punches could definitely hurt his precious painter. Unlike in chapter 76, the painter’s voice couldn’t calm down the vengeful spirit
(chapter 53), hence the gentle boy needed to intervene directly. The lord was definitely deaf to the artist’s words. Striking is that here again, we had the presence of danger, the painter feared for Deok-Jae’s life. Moreover, despite his fear and shaking hands, 
(chapter 53)the commoner chose to protect the vicious servant, but Yoon Seungho too. He desired him not to let his emotions blind his behavior. The gentle and selfless man didn’t even ask for help, he stopped the noble with his body twice: first his face, then he hugged him. Striking is that in chapter 62 and 66, we had a similar situation. One of the protagonists was behaving like a ghost. In chapter 62, Yoon Seungho, who was reliving his traumatic past, almost became a demon
(chapter 62), whereas in chapter 66 the artist had a flashback, hence he wasn’t himself. 
(chapter 66) This meant that in both episodes, neither the aristocrat nor the commoner could sense the lover’s comfort and warmth. 
(chapter 66) Both of them didn’t feel safe and displayed extreme fear due to betrayal and abandonment.
But let’s return to the embrace in chapter 53, because this incident has another common denominator with the embrace from episode 66 and 76, the presence of a certain witness: Black Heart. 
There’s no doubt that the vicious noble felt extremely jealous in both episodes (53-66). The manhwaphiles should envision that despite his rage and his terrible behavior, the artist was willing to embrace such a man, which could only make Min envious. Moreover, the low-born showed courage and even strength. He didn’t reproach anything to his sexual partner. He just attempted to calm him down. Then even after seeing how poorly the main lead had treated the artist, the latter chose not to leave Yoon Seungho’s side. Min was definitely certain that after waking up, Baek Na-Kyum would follow his sister and come back to the kisaeng house. 
(chapter 69) That’s why he was waiting there. He imagined that the boy would be delivered to him on a silver plate, yet nothing like he had expected happened. In chapter 76, we have a new version of chapter 53. However, when Black Heart witnesses the painter’s second embrace, he can detect the huge difference. (chapter 76) This time, the artist is seeking his lover’s warmth and love. There’s no fear related to the “monster”. While in the past (53-54) The Joker mocked Yoon Seungho for his affection, here he can’t do it at all. The noble is not denying anything. In fact, he accepted the low-born’s embrace without feeling shame or embarrassment. He didn’t pay attention to the town folks, he just followed his heart. While in chapter 54, Min was able to separate the protagonists with his mockery and words
(chapter 54), in episode 76 Black Heart is truly defeated. And by contrasting these two scenes, it becomes obvious why Yoon Seungho assaulted his guest back then. The noble was in fact punishing The Joker for insulting his lover, as the latter was just reduced to his status: a low-born. He had no name and as such no identity. The powerful aristocrat didn’t do it in order to protect his honor, but the artist’s. At no time, the main lead was afraid of losing his reputation, he is well aware of his bad notoriety. Thus this shows that in chapter 54, the one who feared more social norms was indeed Baek Na-Kyum, which was still visible in chapter 75. That’s why the commoner denied the lord’s affection.
(chapter 54)The expression “it can’t be” was referring to permission and social rules. No wonder why the noble felt so hurt in the end and retaliated. He misunderstood the artist’s rejection.
What caught my attention in chapter 76 are Black Heart’s behavior and words. First, he notices that he is too late. (chapter 76) He imagined that time would work for him, as in his mind, no one would ever stay by Yoon Seungho’s side. That’s why he didn’t hurry the second abduction. The latter had such a terrible reputation (mood swings, his huge rage, his violence), yet nothing could pressure the artist to leave the mansion. Even his noona was not able to convince him to follow her and to return to the kisaeng house. However, when he saw the couple in front of the tailor’s shop, his jealousy and greed reached a new peak. That’s why that night he had planned to visit Nameless. He wanted him to abduct the artist a second time. The expression “time is running out” outlines The Joker’s urgency. He couldn’t wait any longer, as he could witness how close they had become within 2 weeks. And if you look at the panel above, you’ll detect the presence of a shadow, in other words, a ghost. However, this is the jester Nameless looking at the couple. When the painter faced the joker
(chapter 76), the ghost from his nightmare
(chapter 61), the painter got so panicked that he got paralyzed. Only the lord’s embrace could calm him. As you can see, the commoner denominator between 53 and 76 is that the presence of a terrible ghost. The latter pushed the artist to embrace his lover. This time, he needed himself protection. However, Nameless was not the only ghost witnessing the protagonists’ embrace. Lord Min has already become a ghost himself in my opinion. First, he is wearing a black hanbok which I am associating to death. Moreover, because he threatens the criminal to kill him
(chapter 76), I view The Joker as a grim reaper. What caught my attention is his reaction, when he saw the heartfelt hug. He had to vomit and this is no coincidence. 
(chapter 76) Observe that the color green is connected to two reactions: “to be green with envy” and “to be green” (sickly). Besides, we have in French “être vert” as a synonym for fuming, furious and disgusted. Hence it’s not surprising that it exist these emojis: 🤮🤢. Both contain green. That’s why I believe that when Min saw the embrace between the protagonists, he got so upset and disgusted that he felt the urge to vomit. It was definitely a mixture of envy and rage. However, he had to lie to the others in order to hide his “weakness”. 
(chapter 76) For me, there’s no ambiguity that The Joker was not honest here. First, he has no dark circle and red eyes like Jihwa who definitely drank again.
(chapter 76) Besides, has Black Heart ever apologized to others? No. He didn’t even care, when he smoked opium in front of commoners. When he was asked to stop it, 
(chapter 52), he never expressed a real apology, he rather criticized the other for ruining the good mood and his fun. Besides, he looks down on low-borns and even Jihwa…
(chapter 76) so why would he apologize? It is, because he is slowly recognizing that his urges for Baek Na-Kyum are not linked to sex!! When he saw the hug, he could recognize the affection between the two lovers, and he felt powerless. Moreover, he envied Yoon Seungho even more than before. Let’s not forget that Min fears social norms despite his nihilistic tendencies. In this scene, the main lead showed courage and genuine affection, something that The Joker can’t do. Till chapter 76, he thought that he had been bewitched and he only felt the urge to have sex with Baek Na-Kyum. In other words, he wasn’t honest to himself and to the others. Until now, he had always imagined that once he had tasted the artist, his thirst would be satisfied. But the warm and tender embrace made him realize that he was wrong. Consequently, when he saw the hug, his envy and jealousy reached a new peak. He had to vomit. This signifies that the resent from chapter 53 became much stronger and obvious to the point that others could detect it now. Hence he has to lie. But in my opinion, he had another reason for vomiting. From my point of view, while the main lead spent his time drinking and reading, Min was busy smoking opium. Let’s not forget that Byeonduck portrayed Min with such a hanbok 
(chapter 56) and the pattern reminds the readers of opium smoke. Contrary to Yoon Seungho who only smoked it once during that terrible party, Min chose to keep smoking opium. First, the manhwaphiles could detect that he enjoyed the kick in chapter 52. 
(chapter 52) Secondly, the hanbok was another indication. Finally, I perceive the lord’s nausea in chapter 76 as another evidence for Black Heart’s opium addiction. Vomiting/nausea are listed as side effects of opium. From my point of view, when he saw the happy couple in the street
(chapter 74), he chose to smoke one pipe in order to relieve his frustration before visiting Jihwa and urging him to contact Nameless. This was a new version of chapter 56. That’s why they came both to meet the criminal. 
(chapter 76) Hence I come to the conclusion that Min is slowly turning into a ghost himself, losing his mind due to his addiction to opium and at the same time due to his greed and obsession for Baek Na-Kyum. The embrace in chapter 53 led to the kiss and indirectly it was the trigger for Min to change his original plan. 
(chapter 56) Therefore I deduce that this second embrace is forcing him to change his plan again. From my point of view, he is no longer interested in tasting the painter once and have him killed afterwards. Black Heart is now determined to take away Baek Na-Kyum from Yoon Seungho. He is definitely longing for the artist’s love. He has every reason to be so jealous. The painter showed such a loyalty and courage. He is no longer fearing people’s gaze unlike in the past. Then, he even forgave his lover for his violence and mistreatment. Slowly, Min is showing his vulnerability in front of Jihwa and as such losing his power over him. He is definitely less laughing. As a conclusion, in chapter 76, the ghost Jung In-Hun vanished for good, while a new one appeared: Black Heart, who is now dressed like a grim reaper. However, there’s a huge difference, because Min has never entered Baek Na-Kyum’s mind and heart. He has no chance at all.
But wait… you might now wonder why I have not mentioned the hug from chapter 71 yet. Where was the ghost? Note that in this panel, the artist is portrayed without eyes. This insinuates that the artist is somehow blind. Secondly, we have this picture where the manhwalovers could see the lord’s footprints. 
(chapter 71) My explanation is the following: Baek Na-Kyum wasn’t sure how to judge the lord’s behavior. Imagine that in the morning, his lover had tied him up, while in the evening he was so gentle and calm. That’s why I believe that in this hug, the artist wasn’t certain how he should perceive the lord’s embrace. He knew that it was no longer fake, but like he explained it much later… how long would Yoon Seungho have feelings for him? Therefore I believe that in this scene, Baek Na-Kyum viewed him as an illusion, a spirit who could give him warmth and comfort. 
(chapter 71) Note the difference with the following picture: (chapter 76) First, the painter’s gaze is much softer and less questioning. In addition, the position of his head is different which exposed that they are much closer now. Besides, let’s not forget that the embrace took place before the long love session. The artist’s reaction was totally normal.
As a conclusion, the last picture from chapter 76 displays two major developments. (chapter 76) The protagonists are no longer separated by their fears and issues. The ghosts in their mind and heart have finally disappeared. That’s why they are portrayed like one here. However, there are now other shadows and ghosts surrounding them, the ones who would do anything to destroy their relationship, like Min, Jung In-Hun and father Yoon.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: Changes (second version)
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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
I was surprised to discover that in chapter 75 Lezhin had changed the translation in two different panels. From 
it became, while 
turned into 
. For the readers who can’t read the original, it is truly frustrating, because we are relying on the translation. Since I pay attention to each word, it definitely changes the interpretation. And here, the painter’s new words give a different impression. In the first translation, he is reproaching his lover his fickle nature. Therefore when he claims that he doesn’t expect the lord to change, it outlines Baek Na-Kyum’s despair and frustration, because expectation is a synonym for hope. On the other hand, “I won’t weep over you” signifies that his affection for the lord is not that deep, if Yoon Seungho were to abandon him due to his fickle nature. Strictly speaking, with the new translation, Baek Na-Kyum is describing his own feelings implying that he can move on and change. He might have drunk today because he felt sad, yet he won’t be too sad, if the lord moves on. Even in his last moments, he won’t express any regret or sadness. Nevertheless, both translations contain the same message: it is definitely a love confession, but full of denial. Their relationship will fail due to the lord’s fickle nature and contrary to his past love for Jung In-Hun, the painter won’t miss him and shed a tear. The reason is simple: the lord is responsible for the failure of their relationship due to his bad personality, whereas in the learned sir’s case, Baek Na-Kyum was to blame for the separation and abandonment. He committed a sin, hence Jung In-Hun can only resent him.
This panel was important for another reason. Since the readers have got used to the artist’s habit to say the opposite of his real thoughts in chapter 75, his last words exposed his fear that he would get hurt and betrayed again, exactly like the scholar did to him in the past. Why? For the painter, this abandonment would be caused by Yoon Seungho’s fickle nature. Baek Na-Kyum was definitely afraid that his lover would move on. And this thought is already perceptible much earlier: Hence the artist is definitely stating that he is not investing too much affection and hope. And this message is quite similar to the words He won’t miss him, if the lord were to forget him or move on to a new interest. The nuance is that in the first translation, Baek Na-Kyum was indirectly asking Yoon Seungho not to move on to a new interest, while with “I won’t weep over you”, the painter gives the impression that he is certain that his feelings are not deep. He doesn’t give any hope to his lover.
Nevertheless what caught my attention is the following: . He gets drunk because of the noble and right before this, the artist had stated 
He felt awful and sad, because he couldn’t let got of the feelings in his heart 
. The reason was that he could no longer paint. Remember how I pointed out that in reality the passion was more connected to painting than to the scholar, as the latter had never asked him to give up on his love or admiration for him. Nonetheless, the fact that he had to renounce his passion (painting) caused him so much pain that he needed to numb his heart and hand. And with this new translation, I realized another important aspect: the trigger for Baek Na-Kyum to paint. I have already stated that the scholar was the artist’s muse, so when he was vowed to never paint, it meant that he had to give up on his muse. So when Yoon Seungho dragged him to his mansion, he forced him to paint. It was a work, he had to do, nonetheless note that the first paintings revealed the artist’s repressed sexual desires, which explains why they were so lewd and beautiful. Intentionally, the artist’s passion was awakened again, hence he had this wet dream. However, as time passed on, the lord became more fixated on the artist so that the pictures became irrelevant. Moreover, the artist was still thinking about the scholar, hence he couldn’t detect how slowly his affection was changing. The manhwaphiles certainly recall the huge amount of pictures Baek Na-Kyum produced in chapter 41.
The latter were no longer reflecting sensuality and warmth, just pure sex. He was painting like a robot, he was working like requested.
But there was no passion. And during the second season, the readers could detect that the artist’s emotional state had an influence on his works:
- chapter 47
: Both protagonists were portrayed as prostitutes - chapter 52:
In this picture, the artist was confessing how much pleasure he felt during this session. That’s why Min has the impression that the artist is only interested in sex. Baek Na-Kyum hadn’t still found his new muse.
However, in chapter 75, Baek Na-Kyum is finally confessing that he feels awful and sad, because he can not paint, although he blames the main lead for this. His heart is so full, but if he were to create a new picture, the latter would reveal how much he already loves Yoon Seungho. So far, Baek Na-Kyum has never painted for Yoon Seungho, because he felt the need to. Until now, he did it out of obligation (chapter 47 and 52) which would justify his stay at the mansion. He is there to create pictures. Furthermore, the noble is now just asking Baek Na-Kyum not to push him away. 
At no moment, Yoon Seungho has been requesting a picture from him. As you can observe, the new translation made me realize why Baek Na-Kyum is reluctant to confess. His “feelings” are strongly connected to painting and he has not entirely grasped that Yoon Seungho will become his new muse, something I had already announced much earlier. Since they are not making love, there’s no inspiration and only frustration. However, the artist has his heart full of emotions which he can’t express, neither physically nor on the paper. On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum made the main lead remember that he painted an orchid 
which was connected to sex. And we know for sure that the protagonist tried to paint their Wedding night in order to trigger the artist’s memory: 
That’s why I come to the conclusion that the noble could be the one who creates a painting in order to prove to the artist that his affection won’t fade away and that he is his source of inspiration and strength. We shouldn’t forget that in chapter 36, the noble was definitely exhausted, yet frustrated too, because the painter was keeping his distance from him. 
Baek Na-Kyum was pushing him away with his silence and lack of motivation to create a painting. And now, you understand why there’s a connection between chapter 36 and 75. The roles have been switched: Baek Na-Kyum is frustrated, he feels the need to create a picture in reality, but he has not recognized it. Therefore I deduce that we are at a turning point. Baek Na-Kyum is on the verge to realize that he has already found his new muse and source of inspiration. However, this recognition is delayed by Heena’s intervention. The manhwaphiles are well aware that she was the one who kept reminding Baek Na-Kyum that the latter only loved the scholar and his feelings for the learned sir were not so trivial. 
Why is she so certain? It’s because she knows that the scholar has always been the artist’s muse, and when Kim showed her the painting with the learned sir
, she can only see it as a confirmation. For her, Baek Na-Kyum’s love was expressed through the picture and it will never change. However, the kisaeng is making a huge mistake, because such an adoration can change. Furthermore, this painting doesn’t represent reality, only the artist’s hope. Finally this admiration vanished, the moment the idol revealed his true face. In other words, this picture doesn’t represent “eternal love”, but “illusion”. Striking is that the painter couldn’t forget Yoon Seungho’s painting on his body, although this picture has not be immortalized, as it was not created on paper. It disappeared, when the painter washed himself. It’s because for the first time, someone painted something for him. Baek Na-Kyum was not only the muse but also the recipient of the painting. He was the lord’s canvas
, his source of inspiration. This was totally new for Baek Na-Kyum, no one had ever done such a thing for him. Both works contrast so much, yet the orchid left a deeper impression on Baek Na-Kyum than the picture with the inauguration, as the latter had already become meaningless. Remember what I wrote about memories: they are stored, the moment they become meaningful. This explicates why the artist felt the need to lie to the scholar the next day. This so-called punishment had deeply impressed the artist in reality, which I only realize now. The lord had painted so quickly on a shivering body, yet the result was really good and the artist could perceive it. And this displays the lord’s true talent. There’s no doubt that the artist will admire Yoon Seungho’s skills later.
Moreover, I believe that the artist’s prediction will become untrue for two reasons:
- The lord will paint again for Baek Na-Kyum, which could definitely move the painter to tears.
- Exactly like in chapter 60, the artist will remember Yoon Seungho and cry for him, when he is facing Min. We shouldn’t forget that in the pavilion, the low-born cried in front of the main lead
and later called for his learned sir, who didn’t come for his rescue: 
As you can imagine, I am expecting a different outcome in the second abduction. The main lead will save him, as he already failed the first time. Maybe that’s the reason why the translation was changed, although I have to confess that I preferred the first one. Nonetheless, I have now come to this realization. The readers should be happy and just imagine that Baek Na-Kyum confessed this to his lover:
“Now, I get drunk and cry because of you, my lord”
“I don’t expect you to change. Hence I won’t weep over you, my lord, even if I were to die”
In other words, we got to read more than the Korean version 😉😂
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: “Secrecy and perpetrator” (third version)
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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
“In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” ― Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror
After reading this quote, it becomes understandable why Yoon Seungho not only repressed his first rape, but also was encouraged to forget it and to live with memory loss. The manhwaphiles could witness how Judith Lewis Herman’s quote was applied right after the sexual assault, when the butler made sure to attack Yoon Seungho’s credibility. 
He tried to silence the main lead with guilt and fear. Note how the poor boy has to beg for the servant’s mercy, which reminds us of the physician’s reaction in the same chapter: 
Both characters are grabbing the valet’s clothes. This exposes that both were put in the same situation: their innocence and ignorance were used against them, making them speechless. However, Kim was not the rapist himself, he was just the helping hand of the perpetrator. [Imagine how my first essay about Kim “The helping hand” fits his personality so perfectly, although I had portrayed him in a good light]. I have to admit that after writing the analysis “Interpretation of a nightmare”, I kept thinking about the identity of the culprit.
One might say that the culprit’s identity is now clear. It’s lord Song, especially if the manhwaworms take the following panels into consideration: 
. However, this is not correct, because Yoon Seungho is suffering from memory loss, hence he can not be connecting lord Song to his first sexual assault rather to the second rape and betrayal. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the main lead and his friend have been misled that only lord Song is responsible for the protagonist’s suffering. That’s why the main lead associates his suffering to lord Song. Yet, he has repressed the first sexual assault in the domestic quarters. 
(chapter 74) On the other hand, the manhwaphiles should remember how scared Kim was
, when he heard about a meeting between lord Song and Yoon Seungho. He definitely didn’t want them to meet 
for the simple reason that if the main character had encountered his so-called enemy, lord Song could have been able to defend himself and claim that he was not responsible. Since according to my theory, lord Song is the king and has been hiding his identity, it is possible that the real meeting would have revealed the lies told by Kim. But there’s another reason why I am suspecting two perpetrators responsible for Yoon Seungho’s suffering. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that Baek Na-Kyum has attracted the attention of two nobles: the main lead and Black Heart. The former did rape the painter 
(chapter 25) and the second aristocrat planned to assault the artist sexually too. (chapter 56). So we have two perpetrators in my opinion. There’s no doubt that the main culprit is the king, nevertheless I believe that the first culprit is as guilty as the monarch, for after that incident, father Yoon chose to train his son as prostitute. The manhwaphiles will certainly recall that after the artist’s rape, the scholar brought back the low-born with the intention of treating him as a spying prostitute. 
(chapter 29) That’s why I came to realize that we should look for two old bearded men.
Besides, since I had elaborated that the man was able to trespass the propriety without getting noticed, it meant that he was acquainted with the mansion and the family. That’s why it can not be be lord Song, because Jihwa only knows his name. In other words, the perpetrator must have been close to father Yoon. Then we have another clue about the rapist’s identity:
He was rather old and had a beard. Because Yoon Seungho was just a teenager, old should be relativized. It just meant that the man was already married and had his own family. Thereby none of the single aristocrats around Yoon Seungho and Min have a beard. 
They are not married, so they are still considered as young. To sum up, the man with a beard was acquainted with father Yoon, hence he had the opportunity to meet the young prodigy and started lusting after him. 
And then I had suddenly this revelation. We already met an old bearded man: 
(chapter 67) Yes, father Lee! 😱 First, Lee Jihwa was a childhood friend from the main lead, which means that father Lee and father Yoon were close. Moreover, the man must have brought his son to the mansion and used this as an excuse to watch the young man from afar. Besides, the second lead is someone who used to sneak in the main lead’s propriety.
Let’s not forget that the story keeps repeating itself, hence this means technically that the father could have done the same. He chose to trespass the propriety in order to taste the young man. Like father, like son. With such a description, it signifies that father Leee was exactly like Min, who felt that he had been bewitched by Yoon Seungho (chapter 43) and could no longer resist this temptation. (chapter 56) Hence he asked for Kim’s help. We know for sure that the valet will never defend anyone, only his own interest, because he would like to lead a peaceful life. The problem is that Jihwa was himself attracted to the main lead, and when Jihwa and Yoon Seungho were caught due to an erotic painting [for further details: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/01/25/painter-of-the-night-painting-and-desires-part-2/] , Father Yoon decided to separate the children. 
(chapter 57) Thus father Lee could no longer use Jihwa as a justification for his visitations. Moreover, it looks like the young boy was imprisoned in the servants’ quarter. Therefore, father Lee had no longer the opportunity to see Yoon Seungho, which is quite similar to Min’s method. The latter used the painting as a reason for his second visit
and later tried to engage a discussion with the main lead and the painter because of a painting
. Strictly speaking, father Lee utilized his son to approach the protagonist. From my point of view, the culprit is definitely similar to Black Heart, because the latter has the impression that he has been bewitched, that he just needs to taste him and after that, his thirst will be satisfied.
And now with this new theory, we would have explanations to the reasons why father Lee neglected his son. The latter was just using Jihwa to approach the main lead, and after tasting the young man, he had definitely no reason to repeat this, because the young boy didn’t react, like he had envisioned it. The manhwaphiles should recall that The Joker has been eyeing the painter because of his facial expressions and gaze oozing purity and attraction.
(chapter 33) So it is definitely possible that father Lee was attracted to Yoon Seungho’s face
. But the rape triggered the opposite reaction in Yoon Seungho. Hence the culprit’s lust vanished. And this would represent the only divergence with Min, for the latter was not bothered by Baek Na-Kyum’s shocked expression with the kiss.
Moreover, the enemies and betrayers are often the one closest to the main characters, see for example the scholar who backstabbed and abandoned Baek Na-Kyum on many occasions. Kim did the same to his master Yoon Seungho. He even created false memories. Moreover, we have Heena who hurt her brother through her words and actions, just like Jihwa did to his childhood friend. The two characters wounded the protagonists out of love. So why not father Lee betraying his acquaintance, the eldest master Yoon?
Moreover, if you pay attention to father Lee’s reactions in chapter 67, you’ll notice three important aspects. First, he is shaking out fear. This can’t be explained with the presence of the sword, for the main lead had already stated that he wouldn’t cause too much trouble
and the head of the family was not the target. Yoon Seungho was even quite respectful towards father Lee. One might say that he was shaking out of anger due to the uproar. However, the father even yelled before. Moreover, his discomfort kept increasing despite the calm words from the main lead. First, a drop of a sweat appeared on his face
, then his face was getting redder and redder. At the end, he was even trembling. Both are a sign of fear and embarrassment. Why? My theory that he is the rapist could give the explanation for such a reaction.
On the other hand, one could argue that Yoon Seungho mentioned the presence of old bearded men, indicating that father Lee couldn’t have been alone. Yet, the readers shouldn’t forget that in the rape in the shed we had another person involved: Kim. And the man is also an old bearded man! 
Imagine that after so many years, the main lead faces his rapist and it is definitely possible that he could remember the incident. When father Lee heard about the main lead’s barging, he just rushed to his son’s side without thinking, yet once meeting each other, he is reminded of his own crime. We shouldn’t forget that Kim had also repressed the rape, but he was reminded, when he saw Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho having sex in the shed. 
The father could have a similar reaction. He had totally forgotten the incident, until he saw his face again. What caught my attention is the following panel:
How could the protagonist sully the Lee family name any further? This means that there could be more than the ruckus he created. And since the aristocrat spoke before about a business he had to deal with Jihwa, father Lee could have interpreted it differently. It could definitely be related to father Lee’s wrongdoing. Yoon Seungho could reveal the father’s crime. Besides, since the eldest master was well aware of this son’s relationship with the main lead, hence it can not be truly linked to sodomy as such. As for the appearances, everyone in town knew the special relationship between Jihwa and the main lead, therefore it was no real secret. And the manhwaphiles should keep in mind this quote:
“If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.”
Note how the father is trying to destroy Yoon Seungho’s reputation. First, he points out his debauchery, then he describes him as a scoundrel and beast. If he is the perpetrator, then he is definitely silencing the victim by attacking his reputation so that the moment the protagonist remembers, no one will ever believe him. From my point of view, father Lee never met again the protagonist after the rape, as the latter was sent to the palace. The manhwaphiles have to keep in mind that Jung In-Hun witnessed the rape, but he never intervened, as it didn’t serve his interest. Therefore there’s a high chance that father Yoon saw in the sexual assault a new possibility for Yoon Seungho. We should remember that the protagonist was sent to the servants’ quarter, this signified that the eldest master no longer saw any use in the eldest son. He was exactly like a commoner, he had no value. Concerning father Lee, the experience didn’t meet his expectation, hence he left the boy behind and chose to forget his wrongdoing: Out of sight, out of mind. And this explicates why the man could more or less forget his crime. He was one of those, whose feelings would fade away so quickly: Furthermore, by putting the whole blame on Yoon Seungho for his son’s sodomy, it could be his way to avoid any responsibility. He is just trying to wash off his hand, the protagonist was a seductive sodomite right from the start and he is the reason why his son was bewitched later. He is the cause for his “rape” and his son also fell under his spell. The only difference is that Jihwa couldn’t escape from the “witch’s power”, therefore he became a filthy sodomizer.
One might argue that when he saw father Lee, Yoon Seungho didn’t seem flustered or shaken. He was rather calm and had the strength to reply to the lord’s accusation. Thus he didn’t react, like he portrayed himself in chapter 44. However, we shouldn’t underestimate the lord’s fury in that scene. Yoon Seungho was so mad at his former childhood friend due to the abduction, hence his body didn’t react to the presence of an old bearded man. His mind and heart were focused on his childhood friend. Moreover, his statement outlines that he reacts, when he is facing more than one old bearded man. But so far, he only met them separately.
Furthermore, Yoon Seungho’s nightmare only appeared right after meeting father Lee, as the events in chapter 67 and 74 took place during the same day and night. Hence this can not be a coincidence. Facing the perpetrator triggered his memory, thus every incident related to his long suffering resurfaced. However, he still can’t remember the face. He only recalls the hand grabbing him.
Nonetheless, his unconscious is telling him that he should remember the culprit’s face. Note that he is here only looking at one person. Besides, since Kim had a brief recollection of the rape just before father Lee’s appearance, it could be perceived as a clue that the culprit had a similar experience. And both tried to repress it. So imagine this: Father Lee used the main lead’s terrible reputation to keep his distance from him, asking from his son to never meet the protagonist in order to maintain their respectability. Consequently, Lee Jihwa had to hide his relationship from his father, but the father didn’t care. He had the perfect excuse to avoid the main lead. However, the real reason for this escapism was the following. He still feared that the young boy could remember, and now Yoon Seungho has definitely power due to his wealth and connections to officials. In addition, the main lead is no longer under the control of father Yoon.
And if this theory is correct, then it means that the moment Yoon Seungho remembers the first rape, he will recall father Lee’s face. Therefore I doubt that the protagonist will remain passive, he will definitely go after the Lee family. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho declared to father Lee that he was now responsible for his son, and he could no longer feign ignorance. 
(chapter 67) In other words, once there’s no secrecy any longer, the lord could retaliate again father Lee and use Jihwa’s misdeeds to punish the father for his crime. And since the father is a coward, he will act like father Yoon, who abandoned his son. Father Lee will turn his back on his own son. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget the principle: Jihwa is going to suffer, exactly like the painter and as such Yoon Seungho. Both were betrayed and abandoned by their fathers. In other words, the second lead would pay for the father’s sin, it would be his karma. At the same time he will experience what Yoon Seungho went through, and no longer claim that he truly knows. Envision this: the second lead would be punished for his father’s crime, however Yoon Seungho would use the painter’s kidnapping and Deok-Jae’s death as an excuse for the authorities’ intervention. He might have had a bad reputation, yet Yoon Seungho is a noble and he has definitely some connections to the authorities. Finally, even the noble with the mole pointed out that the artist’s death could have serious consequences. 
So does this theory plausible or not? One thing is sure: the fathers are portrayed in a terrible light: coward, selfish, hypocrite and stupid… and father Lee is no exception. Hence he could have definitely committed a crime, but as a noble he got away, because for the eldest master Yoon, the protagonist was like a commoner, he had no worth at all. That’s why he lived in the servants’ quarter and received a straw mat beating. 
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Sins (third version) 🛐
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Interpretation of a nightmare (second version)
Painter Of The Night: Truth and memories (second version) 🧠
This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Many readers are able to recognize the similarities between chapter 40 and 75, because both episodes contain the following elements:
- The prank:
(chapter 40) 
(chapter 75: repetition from chapter 74) - The presence of the bulletin board
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75) - The honest conversation between the protagonists, where Yoon Seungho is encouraging his lover to introspect himself
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75) - The color of the sky
(chapter 40) versus (chapter 75) - The presence of memories:
(chapter 40) versus (chapter 75)
Yet despite all the parallels, if I had to give a title to chapter 75, I would select “Memories” and not “Responsibility”, although the latter is still present in episode 75. Why? It is, because the painter talks about his past and youth and as such, he is forced to bring up memories. 
(Chapter 75) And this made me realize two things: Baek Na-Kyum embodies memories, hence we got many flashbacks from the painter (chapter 2, 11, 23, 34, 38, 40, 41, 46, 56, 57, 60, 66, 74, 75), whereas Yoon Seungho embodies truth. Note that unlike the artist, Byeonduck showed us only a few memories from the aristocrat (chapter 19, 25, 48, 55, 74 with the nightmare). Moreover, the latter is always confronting the painter with his questions and observations. The noble wants him to be true to himself and question his own motivation. (Chapter 75) And this observation made realize another aspect about Yoon Seungho, because unlike chapter 40, the aristocrat stands in the center of episode 75: the significance of memories in the lord’s life.
1. Memories and identity
In order to understand why I came to this conclusion, it is relevant to examine the memories in chapter 40 due to the parallelism. There, the painter recalled the questions and comments from Yoon Seungho, which incited the commoner to ask his teacher about his future. Once the scholar had succeeded, would he become responsible for the painter, like he had implied? And observe that during the confrontation, the artist used a statement from the past: 
(chapter 29) Thanks to the memories, the low-born had gathered courage and faced his teacher. However, this discussion led to a tragedy. Baek Na-Kyum got hurt, because his learned sir chose to destroy him in the worst possible way. With his words, he showed his true thoughts 
(chapter 40) and in order to reinforce his statement, he made sure that Baek Na-Kyum would perceive his real gaze: cold and ruthless. 
(chapter 41) But more striking is that the scholar used memories (the kisaeng house) to define the painter’s identity: he was born to be a prostitute despite his “lessons”. He puts the whole responsibility and blame on the commoner. As a conclusion, the memories served in the conflict to identify Baek Na-Kyum. Who was he really to the scholar? Was he his helping hand, like the low-born claimed, or was he just a “prostitute” according to the scholar?
2. Memory loss and identity
This connection between memory and identity in the manhwa is not random, because according to John Locke’s “memory theory”, a person’s identity only reaches as far as their memory extends into the past. In other words, memory is a necessary condition of personal identity. Thus, as a person’s memory begins to disappear, so does his identity. Therefore, we could say that without memory, there’s no identity. On the other hand, in my previous analysis, I had demonstrated that the lord’s unconscious was trying to force his conscious to remember his past, because he had repressed his traumatic past. This meant that he was suffering from memory loss. Hence we could say, that he lost his own identity. This is not surprising that childhood trauma and memory loss go hand-in-hand. Blocking out memories can be a way of coping with the trauma. It goes even so far that an adult survivor of childhood trauma can even believe that he was never a victim of childhood trauma. Consequently, in case of a permanent memory loss, it signifies that the victim even loses his own identity. Since my theory has been confirmed that the lord was a painter in his youth, chapter 75 actually exposed the memory loss in two different ways:
- First, the lord couldn’t even remember painting an orchid
(Chapter 75), an indication that his short-term memory was defective due to his lack of sleep. - However, the master’s hand could still paint a orchid without paying too much attention to his hand. It exposes that it was actually an automatic gesture, revealing that he had internalized such a gesture in the long-term memory. And note that when he did this, he mentioned his youth
(chapter 36) Therefore I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho’s short-term memory is not working properly. Imagine, he could remember one incident from his childhood, but he couldn’t remember painting the orchid. Hence I believe that the lord can’t even reminisce the drawings in chapter 8 
and 23 . Only thanks to Baek Na-Kyum’s mention, he was able to recall the drawing. Thus the manhwalovers can comprehend why I consider the artist as a synonym for memories.
3. Trauma and memories
But in the manhwa, there’s more than just memory loss due to a coping mechanism. Traumatic events such as sexual assaults, are encoded differently than more routine due to extreme fear. The victim won’t be able to remember everything, just details, the chronology will be mixed up due to existential fear, that’s why if you recall the following panel, you’ll truly grasp the real atrocity of Yoon Seungho’s suffering. (Chapter 65) While he can’t remember what truly happened due to his poor emotional and physical state, Kim somehow blames him. The young master is so confused that he has to defend himself. This means that after the first rape, the domestic didn’t even comfort the protagonist, but he used the victim’s vulnerable state of mind (who was confused due to this terrific incident) to manipulate the noble’s memory.
That’s why when police investigate a sexual abuse and interview a victim, the latter will always be interrogated twice. The first interview focuses more on the sensory and emotional memories, while during the second, the officers will try to reconstruct the chronology. This explicates why they always wait for quite some time for the second statement. It is necessary, as the memories are now stored and they can be retrieved, although due to fear and stress, the incident can never be properly reconstructed. As you can imagine, Yoon Seungho was not in the capacity to testify about the sexual assault. This terrible event affected his memory so much that he was not given the opportunity to denunciate the crime. He was made speechless in the end due to the insinuation and as such manipulation. I bet, he couldn’t even describe what had truly happened to him. That’s why he repressed the first rape.
4. Amnesia and manipulation
But now imagine this. You are exposed to physical and sexual abuse for more than a decade, this means that your memory will be definitely affected. You are living constantly in fear and stress, two important factors, which can trigger memory loss. [read more here: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-causes-memory-loss-4123636] Like I explained briefly above, terrific events are never encoded normally. This signifies in our case that the lord’s faculties to memorize were definitely affected due to the constant exposure, which can make him more vulnerable to false memories. Studies show that individuals with PTSD, a history of trauma, or depression are at risk for producing false memories, when they are exposed to information that is related to their knowledge base. This also signifies that they are more receptive for manipulations. Therefore I come to the next deduction that in chapter 68, Kim was definitely attempting to distort the past and create false memories. 
(Chapter 68) He mixed facts with lies in order to confuse his master’s judgement and memory. That’s the reason why it is important now to recall my initial statement: without any memory, there’s no identity. This signifies that in chapter 68, when Kim tried to give him memories, he desired to give him a certain identity: he was similar to his father. The latter would punish or imprison the boy and not release him. Giving a false reflection and identity is something Kim had never done before in front of his master, as he knew that his master feared his own image. However, he never imagined that Yoon Seungho would react differently. Instead of pushing away the painter, he let the artist choose his fate.
5. Making memories and forgiveness
However, in order to comprehend the topic memory, it is relevant to know how memory functions. The latter is divided in 3 parts: encoding, storage and retrieval. And in order to encode information, you have to utilize your senses. There are 3 types of encoding: semantic (words), visual and acoustic (sound). The manwhaphiles should recall that according to my interpretation, Yoon Seungho had been deprived of all his senses, therefore he lived like a ghost. And this signifies that he couldn’t make any memory at all. And with no memory, you have no identity and as such no life. That’s why when he cut ties with Jihwa the first time, he never mentioned the word “memories”, but time spent together: 
(Chapter 18) In my opinion, this shows that Yoon Seungho had no true memory in reality. He knew that they had sex together, but that was it. It was more like “the night is long and I need to kill time so that dawn can come faster.” Note that he never mentions their childhood together. With this interpretation, it becomes comprehensible that the main lead could act, as if nothing had happened between Jihwa and himself after the topknot incident. 
From my point of view, he had literally forgotten the incident, yet for Jihwa, it meant that he had been forgiven. 
(Chapter 59) And this explicates why Yoon Seungho barges in the mansion in chapter 67: he makes it clear that he won’t forget what happened. 
(Chapter 67) The real forgiveness occurred in chapter 59: Despite the caused pain, Yoon Seungho was willing to overlook the terrible action (chapter 59), but he made it clear that he would never reciprocate the feelings. This was real forgiveness from my perspective, whereas in the past, Yoon Seungho couldn’t remember anything. Jihwa had the terrible habit to use the past in order to torment his childhood friend, which always triggered buried emotions connected to memories, which the noble couldn’t control. From my point of view, the lord only had flashbulb memories which the readers could discover in chapter 55: (chapter 55)
“A flashbulb memory is an accurate and exceptionally vivid long-lasting memory for the circumstances surrounding learning about a dramatic event. Flashbulb Memories are memories that are affected by our emotional state.” quoted from https://www.simplypsychology.org/flashbulb-memory.html
These memories connected to emotions were the remains of his deeply repressed memories. The lord could only remember the feelings he had felt during his traumatic past. To sum up, the lord had no real recollection of his past, and the few things he knew were manipulations and lies explained by his butler. Therefore you can comprehend why Kim got scared (chapter 56), when he heard that lord Song asked for a meeting. The latter could definitely reveal new information and let the protagonist realize that he was truly suffering from memory loss.
6. Recovery from amnesia: memories
However, due to the exposure to arts, his eyes got healed, hence he could sense positive emotions and as such create good memories (visual encoding). From my point of view, when Baek Na-Kyum entered his life, the noble had started developing good memories, because so far, all he had were traumatic memories. However, Yoon Seungho’s capacities to memorize were under-developed due to the lack of practice. This explicates why he shows no interest to discover why the commoner stopped painting. This was not meaningful to him, and the readers should know that people will only memorize significant information. The emergence of his memory is visible in chapter 1. We see him speaking about his nightly activities so positively, but observe that he is only talking about recent and meaningful memories. 
(Chapter 1) Striking is that when Baek Na-Kyum confronts him with his poor image (“man consumed by lust”)
(chapter 4), the lord is bothered. He is forced to ponder why he is described like that, hence he has to recall events from the past. At the same time, when the lord read the poem, he was encouraged to recall the original sijo. This shows that at some point, Yoon Seungho rediscovered literature. Words and paintings helped to create memories. Thus if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the more time passes on, the more memories the lord has. They are strongly intertwined with the paintings. The latter helped him to reminisce the sex sessions and his past. He can’t forget how the painter masturbated behind the door. He is even getting more and more good memories. 
(chapter 18) Then in chapter 19, he reminisces the painter’s facial expressions which puts him in a good mood. 
(Chapter 19) This explicates why Yoon Seungho was so moved by the painter’s confession during their Wedding night. For the first time, he experienced warmth and love, he even heard a love confession. This could only be stored as a wonderful memory. At the same time, he hoped, the artist would create a picture of this night in order to ensure that this memory was real. Moreover, note that in chapter 58, 
he externalized how much this night meant to him. 
(Chapter 58)
Yet, the manhwaphiles can detect that in his confession, the memory is not entirely described as positive: “haunt”. This explicates why I consider the Wedding night as a turning point in Yoon Seungho’s life. This memory is a combination of positive and negative elements. The lord wished to relive this, but he was not satisfied, because he knew that he had impersonated the scholar. Moreover, the manhwaphiles should reminisce that after this night, the lord will do terrible things to the artist and as such, he gets now terrible memories. That’s the reason why in my opinion, Byeonduck chose to expose the rape as a flashback from the master’s perspective. Because of his bad actions, Yoon Seungho feels huge pangs of conscience and can’t act like nothing happened. He is now forced to remember. However, in my eyes it is different from the past. Before, he was just a ghost, hence he was incapable to get memories, with Baek Na-Kyum’s help, he can get memories which will help him to face his own traumatic past.
7. Memories and learning
There’s one aspect, strongly connected to memory, which I didn’t mention so far: learning.
” Learning and memory operate together in order increase our ability for navigating the environment and survival. Learning refers to a change in behavior that results from acquiring knowledge about the world and memory is the process by which that knowledge is encoded, stored, and later retrieved.” quoted from https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105/chapter/8-2-how-memory-functions/
As you can see, in order to change, the lord needs memories. Through positive and negative experiences, the noble can gain knowledge leading to a change of attitude which the readers could observe. Gradually, the noble learnt from his mistakes and good memories. Therefore, this is no coincidence that when in chapter 75, Baek Na-Kyum talks about his past and memories, he criticizes his master: (Chapter 75) He gives him the impression that he will never change, the lord wouldn’t even remember him after his death. Now, you grasp why he reproaches Yoon Seungho his fickle nature, he is indirectly referring to the lord’s memories. 
(Chapter 75) His feelings will fade away just like memories. He will forget him. What the painter doesn’t realize is the following: this date is actually an important moment in Yoon Seungho’s life. For the first time, he gets to discover the painter’s memories and past, which now the noble can store as his own. He will never forget this day, especially when he heard that the painter would cry because of him 
(a new version of chapter 21: 
(chapter 21) , but here out of concern. In other words, Baek Na-Kyum would like to be remembered. Hence he complains that the lord didn’t call for him. And this can only make the lord happy, because he can detect through the painter’s words that the latter is longing for his presence and care. From my perspective, Yoon Seungho has finally grasped why the artist is not truly honest with him. Therefore he can only tease his lover pushing him to make the first step. Let’s not forget that right now, the master is now treating his lover as his new lord. So the latter has to call for him. 
(Chapter 75) Here, the protagonist clearly displays that he has never forgotten his companion. Their date is so important for two reasons. It allows the noble to gather more information about the commoner, and get a really good memory before the next tragedy.
From my point of view, it will help him to face his own traumatic past. Let’s not forget that a rape is planned, so if the noble was to discover this, he would be definitely reminded of his own past. And this truly happened in season 3. Simultaneously he would be able to help his lover to recover from the traumatic incident. We shouldn’t forget that during the kidnapping, the lord’s smile was the reason why Baek Na-Kyum didn’t lose his sanity 
(Chapter 60) and could cope with the kidnapping much better. Note that he has no nightmare afterwards. And this detail is important, because we have to envision that while Yoon Seungho was exposed to physical and sexual abuse for a decade, he had no good memory at all in order to remain sane. Moreover, he never felt loved. Consequently, he couldn’t even think of anyone in a positive way. That’s why he was so damaged in the end. (Chapter 57)
The presence of a loved one is necessary in order to cope with traumatic childhood abuse.
8. The impact of Yoon Seungho’s traumas on his mind and attitude
And this leads me to the next observation: Due to his childhood trauma, the lord’s memory was affected and didn’t work properly, as for a long time, his memory was not encouraged to encode events. On the other hand, because of Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was forced more and more to face his traumatic past, therefore his fears and abandonment issues came to the surface. This explicates why he couldn’t pay attention to details and never questioned the circumstances of the first abduction. Note that during the night at the physician’s, he still doesn’t trust his own senses. 
(Chapter 58) This signifies that he is unsure if what he is experiencing is real or not. From my point of view, the memory loss and his life as ghost affected his brain and the way to encode and store information. Hence he has no real recollection of the incident with Deok-Jae (chapter 30 and 53). That’s why he is not asking for his whereabouts. However, I believe to see a turning point in chapter 75. By giving the lord the opportunity to have a real date, where he could hear and see that Baek Na-Kyum was definitely affected by him, the noble will react differently compared to the first abduction and after the painter’s first flashback. He will not lose his mind blinded by his emotions and insecurities, he knows that the artist chose him. And he won’t blame himself like for the first flashback. Remember that in chapter 66, he never called the physician. Why? Because someone told him that the painter needed the presence of a loved one to recover. Kim made sure that Yoon Seungho would feel guilty. Deep down, Yoon Seungho knew that he was responsible for the panic attack.
(Chapter 66) But the real cause for all this was the butler’s silence and complicity. That’s why he remained by his side, until the artist had recovered. Thus I had predicted that after meeting Nameless, Baek-Na-Kyum would get a panic attack.
(Chapter 75)
This is what I wrote in the first version:
“However, this time, the noble will wonder how this could happen. They had a nice conversation, where they exchanged thoughts. He is not responsible and it can’t be the alcohol. Moreover, he will recall his lover’s words: He won’t focus on his own emotions, but will try to calm down the artist and investigate why the painter reacted like that.” It is definitely possible that he brings back the painter to the mansion and decides to visit the physician in order to ask for an advice. From my point of view, thanks to the new memories, the noble is learning more about his surroundings and gaining more experience.”
However, the reality was that Yoon Seungho thought that the painter’s panic attack had just been triggered by the entertainers. (Chapter 76) He didn’t take his words seriously, for he believed that he had discovered the truth. Therefore the lord never investigated the circumstances of the kidnapping. Since he thought, he knew the truth, he had no reason to question this. Why did the Joker scare the painter so much? Thus the lord didn’t take the memories from the painter seriously. How could he, since he had been already informed? However, the revelation from Min had diverted Yoon Seungho’s attention from the real problem: the involvement of the helping hands (Kim, Deok-Jae, No-Name) and of the mastermind behind this.
9. Baek Na-Kyum’s memories and truth
What caught my attention is that Baek Na-Kyum is also hurt, though he has memories from his past. What he confessed to his lover represented a bad memory, and this made him feel guilty. Striking is that he believes, he knows the truth, as he can reminisce his past. Yet, he is making a huge mistake: memories are by no means facts, they are biased and even tainted. The artist took the scholar’s words as face-value. He never questioned his words, therefore he blamed himself for Jung In-Hun’s failure. Here, I would like the manhwaphiles to notice the parallels between Jihwa and the artist: both feel responsible for a tragedy, while in reality it was not the case. Both were victims of manipulations and lies.
My theory is that the learned sir imagined that he had finally the possibility to get a high position. Yet the incident in the gibang put an end to it, and this is definitely related to the erotic pictures. However, there is no ambiguity that Jung In-Hun was actually receiving his karma. Remember that in the Alternative Universe, the protagonist used Jung Na-Min as his artist name. In other words, the name of the artist must have had an effect on his career. Besides, let’s not forget that the teacher is preaching immobility, for people’s fate is always determined. 
(Chapter 6) They can not escape their conditions. Thus the gods chose to punish him the following way: he could never escape his own situation. He would remain a man with no wealth and connection. Thus no matter what he did, it ended with a failure. Therefore it is not surprising that he came to resent the painter, for he caught the attention of a powerful noble and this at least twice. The scholar was offered a position, but due to the incident in the gibang, the sponsor changed his mind. Hence he blamed Baek Na-Kyum for not securing a post. It was, as if he had stolen it from him. I think, Jung In-Hun published poetry, but couldn’t get recognition. Therefore he used the incident (discovery of the erotic pictures) in order to punish him and force him to give up on painting. He couldn’t allow that a commoner was more successful than him. At the same time, it was the reason why there was a ruckus in the gibang too. But now, we have to wonder why Baek Na-Kyum talked about his past. From my point of view, an important detail played a huge role at the inn: 
(Chapter 74) Observe that the woman has a similar hair dress than his noona. That’s why I believe that when he saw her, he must have been reminded of her. Note that when he speaks about the leftovers, he describes leaving food as a sin, but strangely, in chapter 40/41, he had the opposite attitude.
(Chapter 41) He didn’t eat all the sweets or even skipped meals. 
(Chapter 41) In other words, he didn’t eat everything and committed a sin. This indicates a certain hypocrisy, simultaneously Baek Na-Kyum’s lack of critical thinking, when it comes to his noona. Moreover, he says the opposite of what he thinks. In chapter 74, he claims that the lord has changed
(chapter 74), in episode 75, he claims that he has not improved his behavior. The painter’s memories clearly reveal Heena’s strong influence, which explains why he doesn’t make the first step in the end. He would like the lord to become responsible for him. But Yoon Seungho would like the opposite, because that way, the low-born can never claim that he was forced or pressured by him. In my eyes, Baek Na-Kyum still fears to be perceived as a man consumed by lust, if he makes the first move.
That’s why I believe that Yoon Seungho embodies the truth, while Baek Na-Kyum represents the past and memories. The commoner’s past will become the trigger for Yoon Seungho to decide to discover the truth about his own past and as such regain his own identity: he was a talented painter with a promising future. Since the low-born’s past with the kisaeng and the scholar are more recent, it is much easier for Yoon Seungho to unveil the lies concerning Baek Na-Kyum’s past in the kisaeng house. At the same time, thanks to the physician, Baek Na-Kyum is gathering information about his lover’s past (chapter 57), which will assist him to regain his lost memories.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Protected: Painter Of The Night: Nightmares and their message (second version)
Painter Of The Night: The night is long
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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
After reading the title, the manhwaphiles surely recall that these words were voiced by Yoon Seungho in chapter 71: 
The lord was definitely expressing his joy and excitement. For the first time he truly desired that the night would be long to enjoy this moment where he was accepted. Unfortunately, the night ended so abruptly due to the painter’s exhaustion. 
The power of the climax and the sex marathon from the previous night were too much for his frail body. Knowing that the artist liked his bed, the lord let his lover rest in the bed and chose to sleep far away from him. 
And the readers should wonder why, especially after witnessing how in chapter 38, they lied next to each other. 
What caught my attention is that he had a similar attitude in chapter 55.
Back then, he didn’t put the painter on the bed, but covered him with his beautiful hanbok. Since he abhors his own mattress, he believed that the artist would judge his bed the same way after the terrible night (the assault and the interrupted gangrape). However, he didn’t stay by the artist’s side unlike in chapter 38. For the lord, the night after the eviction of the nobles must have been very long. That’s why there are bottles of wine next to him. He sat there drinking in order to kill time. The readers have to envision that he was sitting the whole night without being able to open the window or the door, as Baek Na-Kyum was not sleeping under a real cover. He was scared that the pure man would catch a cold. Moreover, I believe that he kept watching over his lover out of fear that the artist might have a nightmare to the terrible event from the previous night. This explicates why in chapter 74, he went to rest in the next room in front of the opened window. 
He knew that the commoner would sleep peacefully. However, the chapter 74 gave us the final clues why Yoon Seungho has always had nightly activities in the past and why he avoids his bed. Remember how Jihwa in his love confession underlined the connection between the sexual activities and the importance of the nightmares
(chapter 57) which exposes that the nightly torment is related to his phobia of the bed and to his insomnia. I come to the conclusion that his nightly activities helped him to get through the night, because he couldn’t even lie down in his bed. They helped him to kill time. This is what Jihwa even witnessed. 
The beholder views how the main lead pushes his friend away with his arm. Why? One might say that as soon as he sleeps, he has a nightmare. However, as you can imagine, there’s more to it.
From my point of view, the main character is suffering from nocturn panic attacks and the nightmare in episode 74 showed us how the panic attack comes. A person is considered to be suffering from a night panic attack, when he experiences 4 or more from the following symptoms:
- sweating:
That’s why the lord has to sleep in the cold, outside the cover - chills
- feeling faint
- nausea
- palpitations, a pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate
- feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- feeling unsteady
- trembling or shaking
- feeling smothered :
- feeling a fear of dying
- depersonalization, or the feeling of being detached from oneself
- sensations of shortness of breath
Here, he could barely speak. - feelings of choking
- fear of losing control:
- pain or discomfort in the chest
- paresthesia, or sensations of tingling or numbness
- derealization, or feelings of unreality quoted from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324531#how-to-calm-down
As the manhwaphiles can detect, what the lord has are more than just nightmares or insomnia. This explicates why he doesn’t sleep next to the painter. The latter always sleeps so peacefully that Yoon Seungho can’t bear the thought of disturbing him. However, you can observe that by just being by the artist’s side, his panic attack disappears. That’s why he plays with the painter’s hair 
. This gives us the answer to why the artist had such a disheveled hair the next morning in chapter 38: 
On the one hand, the headband represents a hindrance for the lord, on the other hand it was removed even before he spent the night with Yoon Seungho. From my point of view, touching the artist’s hair has a calming effect indicating that the lord truly needed Baek Na-Kyum’s assistance that night. The night spent by the painter’s side helped him to go through the night, therefore he felt more refreshed the next morning. However, he must have had a panic attack, hence he left the bed before the painter woke up. I believe, the artist’s regular and deep breathing has a calming effect for Yoon Seungho. Therefore in chapter 74, he lied down next to Baek Na-Kyum 
and looked at his face. Like I pointed out the last time, the noble is in a fetal position which is a clue that he is relaxing. The panic attack vanished so quickly thanks to Baek Na-Kyum. Now, you understand why the lord is visiting the artist from time to time during the night. 
That’s when he has a panic attack and the sleeping face of his lover with his normal breathing helps him to recover quickly. He doesn’t want to trouble his lover. We could even say that when the main lead kisses the artist, it is to express his gratitude. Thanks to him, the night doesn’t seem so long now. That’s why he can smile more often 
and becomes cheerful again.
Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho tried once to share his bed with Jihwa with the hope to get rid of these nocturn panic attacks, but the second lead couldn’t help him at all. That’s why Jihwa accepted these nightly activities afterwards, he had resigned that his friend could never recover. As the readers can envision it, the causes for these nocturn panic attacks are the lord’s traumatic experiences, these panic attacks are the symptom of PTSD. This explicates why he hated night in truth. In other words, he became a nocturn animal due to his suffering path.
After elaborating why the lord can’t rest in his bed, I would like to give another explanation for the trigger of these panic attacks. Since we know that Yoon Seungho was sexually abused by the king due to the drawing of the mountain
, I could make a connection with the bed. 
This picture comes from Gyeongbokgung palace and note how the colors of the bed and seats are similar to the one from the protagonist’s. Besides, I am sure that people have already watched sageuks, historical korean dramas, where the king is dressed with a red hanbok adorned with golden embroidery, where you can see a dragon like this one:
So this is not surprising that as soon as the lord sees these colors and especially the bed, he gets stressed. Thus it is important to examine the following picture again: 
(chapter 57). In this scene, the noble attempted to kill himself. Striking is that he had just lost his hair revealing that this had happened after the public humiliation with the topknot. I come to the conclusion that the bed itself triggered his anxiety and has so far represented a source of his panic attacks. Back then, it was so strong that he desired to end his own agony. Moreover, observe how the valet is forcing him to remain on the bed. The manhwaphiles certainly recall how I described that this picture actually illustrated the lord’s captivity. He was treated like a prisoner. Now that we know that his phobia of the bed is linked to sexual abuse and to the king, you can comprehend why Yoon Seungho desired to end his life here. As soon as he saw the bed, he was reminded of his time with the king and the sexual abuse. There’s no ambiguity that the main lead was held captive in the palace. Since the butler stopped him from committing suicide, the manhwaphiles had the impression that Kim truly cared for his master. On the other hand, for we are aware of the signification of the bed and its colors, the manhwaphiles should question why the master has such a bed. First, in this manhwa, nothing is random. For the lord was not in the capacity to choose his bed, someone had to pick the bed. As you can imagine, the butler made the choice and from my point of view, he did it on purpose. He made sure that the lord would always be reminded of his traumatic past. That way, he would remain trapped in the past. In my opinion, he must have accompanied the young master to the palace. Therefore he knew that the poor man was traumatized and chose to take advantage of it. Note that when the physician visited the painter’s study, he noticed that Baek Na-Kyum was lying on a bed reserved for nobles. 
Even the physician thought, it was Yoon Seungho’s bed which shows that technically the lord could have had such a bed. But no, the yellow-red bed was never changed. Since Yoon Seungho was mentally sick, I doubt that he could choose his own bed after returning from the palace. As for father Yoon, when he went into exile, I don’t think that he left his own mattress and cover behind. Moreover, if you pay attention to father Yoon’s bedchamber
, you’ll detect that the father prefers blue due to the bed and the background. That’s the reason why his sons were both dressed in blue: (chapter 57) (chapter 55)
We have two possibilities: either the butler acted on father Yoon’s order or he made the decision himself. As you can imagine, I’m more inclined to believe that the butler made the choice on his own. That way, Yoon Seungho would never try to get revenge on his tormentors and discover Kim’s betrayals, simultaneously the butler would be able to live a quiet life. The lord could never relax due to the bed, hence he would seek relief elsewhere. That’s why he could fall into debauchery so easily, 
Kim made sure that Yoon Seungho would go down that road. Yoon Seungho is even wondering why he started living like that. This truly exposes that he never made the decision consciously. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the red and yellow bed represents the source of his misery, making sure that he never relaxes.
An important detail caught my attention in chapter 14. When Jihwa visits him for a sex session, 
the cover is turned over. Yoon Seungho never did it even with Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 31) and (chapter 73) . From my perspective, it outlines how much Jihwa meant to Yoon Seungho. He never saw the sex sessions with him as a battle, exposing why Yoon Seungho is so lenient towards his childhood friend. But it was different with the painter. The latter kept rejecting him in the beginning
, so he had defeat his opponent and enemy, forcing him to surrender. However, when the latter didn’t fight him back and showed no sign of resistance
, he was bothered. Deep down, he felt that he still hadn’t truly won the war. Strangely is that the painter started conquering the yellow-red bed to the point that in chapter 72 the low-born preferred making love on the bed.
Hence the lord followed his request. Since here, he was making love to Baek Na-Kyum, his mind was not focusing on the bed. All his attention was directed to his lover, hence he could lie down for the first time. That’s why I come to the deduction that the lord should buy a new bed or put the painter’s bed in his bedchamber. The lord will only be able to overcome his nocturn panic attacks, when he has the painter by his side. But more importantly, he should talk about it to Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would definitely give him the comfort and reassurance that he is safe next to him. However, as long as Kim is working at the mansion, I fear, the bedchamber will never be a safe place.
No wonder why the lord felt so happy, when Baek Na-Kyum was accepting his advances, for the first time he truly desired the night to be long, whereas he had wished the dawn came quicker, when he was on his own. And when the second abduction takes place, it will be a very long night for everyone: the protagonists, the villains and the readers as well. 😓
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: A perfect crime? 😱 (second version)
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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Announcement: I updated the essay “Painting and desires – part 2” and “Fire and Darkness: Yoon Seungho”
What is exactly a perfect crime? The definition is that from a legal point, a crime remains either undetected, or unattributed to a perpetrator, or otherwise unsolved due to the lack of evidence. This signifies not only that the perpetrator will never face any legal charge, but also that the crime has been perfectly covered up, because there are no witness and evidence and even in the worst case no official victim. However, for this to happen, it requires great planning implying that the mastermind desired to seek perfection. The condition is that the culprit behind the crime must know exactly what he wants. Besides, the fewer people are involved, the lower the risk is to get caught.
Striking is that on the surface the first kidnapping doesn’t fit these criteria. First, Jihwa was a reluctant criminal, he didn’t truly wish the painter’s death, just to remove him from Yoon Seungho’s side. Moreover, he feared the consequences of this wrongdoing. Third, there were witnesses: the nobles at the party
(chapter 43), Deok-Jae 
and the physician 
. This explains why The Joker could denunciate the second lead’s crime
, although Nameless and Kim had made sure to give the impression that the painter had run away due to the footprints. 
However, there were traces of a kidnapping and sequestration: the wounds on the painter’s face 
(chapter 61) and wrists 
(chapter 66). But back then, the lord, too blinded by his own insecurities and fears, didn’t notice these. As you can observe, it was not a perfect crime, because Yoon Seungho got to discover the truth due to Min’s revelation. But if the lord had investigated it properly, he could have discovered the crime. First, the physician was a witness and he could have seen the bruises. On the other hand, strictly speaking it can be considered as a perfect crime so far, as the culprit (Jihwa) was not arrested and prosecuted. His only punishment was that the lord chose to cut ties with his childhood friend officially. That’s why the main lead visited the Lees’ mansion, he wanted to warn the father. If something strange were to happen again, the lord Lee would have to assume his responsibilities. He wouldn’t just go after Jihwa, but also after the father.
And since the next abduction is around the corner, the manhwaphiles have to question themselves if Black Heart will be able to create a perfect crime. As you can imagine, my answer is no. Why? First, Min doesn’t know exactly what he wants. He is deluding himself that if he tastes Baek Na-Kyum, he can get rid of the artist afterwards. Nevertheless, he couldn’t forget the painting , the kiss and the beautiful legs showing that he is already too obsessed with the painter. But more importantly is that Min and his accomplice Kim are overlooking an important aspect: human nature. Both have the impression that they know Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 33)
(Min, chapter 52). Nonetheless, people can change and as such they can change their habits. In chapter 74, the painter notes the lord’s transformation. The latter smiles, is caring and humble. Then lord Na-Kyum describes their daily life: 
As you can observe, they have developed a routine. What caught my attention is the following aspect: the lord’s nightly visits. Only Baek Na-Kyum and the readers know what the lord does there. He gazes at his lover and he gives him a good night kiss at the end. Yet, we shouldn’t forget that the study was the place, where they often had sex. Moreover, the manhwalovers will certainly recall this important sex session in chapter 48-49.
That’s why I come to the conclusion, that for an outsider observing the lord’s moves, it looks like the painter still has sex with his master, when the latter wishes it. After the deal is done, then he leaves the study. And if someone heard the lord’s words in the bathroom, he could definitely get a false impression: Besides, according to my theory, the valet heard their conversation during that night (chapter 48-49). Thereby in the butler’s eyes, the painter seems to have finally accepted his role as favored servant and has become submissive, while the noble can satisfy his thirst for sex once in a while. Since it is clear for me that the butler has always viewed his master as a man consumed by sex, he must associate these visits during the night to sex. In his eyes, the lord has not changed. First, he still has sex with the painter who surely won’t love such a man after the way he mistreated him. Secondly, he sits at the window and smokes, exactly like in the past. He might not be angry, but this is because he has no reason to. While the routine is definitely new to Baek Na-Kyum, it looks like the same for the butler. Since the lord has cut ties with Jihwa and his friends, there are no parties, but the lord hasn’t given up on sexual intercourse. Thus I deduce that for someone who has lived so long by the lord’s side, I doubt that Kim can notice the real transformation.
Another important detail is their habits: they spend some time together but after that, they separate. Once in a while, the protagonist brings sweets or visits the study during the night. Striking is that during all this time, the painter couldn’t create a new picture, as his wrist was still injured. 
This means that their routine can now change. Baek Na-Kyum can start painting again. And since I demonstrated in my previous analysis that the protagonist has finally decided to face his own feelings, I come to the deduction that right after his return, he will decide to create a new painting displaying his affection for Yoon Seungho. This signifies that there will be a change in the routine. In my opinion, the painter won’t feel hungry, too focused on his work. Imagine that in chapter 40, he even didn’t eat the sweets. (chapter 40) That’s why I believe that during the day and evening, the painter will be too busy with his work that he won’t feel the need to eat anything. There’s no ambiguity that Baek Na-Kyum won’t mention the picture to Yoon Seungho and will hide his action so that the lord ends up eating his meal alone. And remember in my previous prediction called “the purge”, I developed the idea of the drug. Now, I consider this panel as a clue for my theory: 
Here, the physician is asking if the painter is feeling well. Why? It can’t be related to his past testimony, because he shows no sign of real discomfort. This means that he must have heard that Baek Na-Kyum was not feeling alright. As you can anticipate, from my perspective, he must have received Kim’s visit, a new version of chapter 65. Remember that this story is always repeating situations from season 1 and 2. However, this time the butler didn’t frighten the doctor, he must have faked his concern for the artist. The latter had a flashback and now he has sleeping problems due to the kidnapping. He must have also confessed how the commoner was treated by his master after his return. Therefore he needed to give him some drug against insomnia, then the physician must have reply: 
. Consequently, the valet repeated this: 
But since the lord is already taking medicine for his insomnia, like it was mentioned in chapter 55, the doctor must have questioned the butler why he would buy the same medicine, when master Yoon already has his own:
(chapter 33). In season 1, Kim could give the medicine to the maid saying that it was for his health, while in reality it was to give the painter an aphrodisiac. As you can see, the valet is now determined to drug the painter a second time, but this time he should fall asleep so that he can be taken away in his sleep. Kim can’t give the medicine from master Yoon’s, because the maids would question the butler’s intention and they could mention it to the lord. However, it becomes a different story, if he says that it was ordered by lord Yoon due to the flashback, which one of the maids witnessed. As you can see, this is Kim’s MO. He uses people’s ignorance and trust.
The physician is truly a good man, but a stupid and dangerous doctor. Actually, he should realize that with his actions he is committing a crime (negligence) and he knows this, but his doubts are always removed by Kim’s magical word: the lord’s authority. Note that in both episodes 33 
and 65
, the valet abused his position and threatened the doctor, but Yoon Seungho didn’t notice it in chapter 33, as he was too worried about Baek Na-Kyum. But observe that he never threatened the man himself.
So when the doctor faces the artist, he notices that the artist is looking well and is showing no sign of insomnia. He has a vivid eye and a rosy complexion. That’s why he questions the painter. But instead of explaining the reason for this question, he chooses to remain silent. 
He dismisses this contradiction, insinuating that he doesn’t even trust his own judgement and eyes. That’s how deceitful the butler is and naïve the doctor is.
Therefore I predict that Min and Kim have already planned to drug the two protagonists, so that the lord wouldn’t visit the painter during the night. This would facilitate the painter’s abduction. There would be no fight and no resistance contrary to chapter 53. The butler can give later the excuse that it was prescribed by his physician. (chapter 55) However, since Baek Na-Kyum is totally unpredictable, their plan won’t go like expected. The painter won’t be sleeping during that night, because he didn’t eat his dinner.
When I stated that the next kidnapping would occur in the next chapter, I had two reasons for this declaration: the presence of Min spying on the two protagonists (chapter 74) and the following panel. 
(chapter 71) I believe, Byeonduck already gave us a clue with this picture. Here, we have a waning crescent, while in chapter 70/71 the painter looked at a waxing crescent: 
(chapter 70). Therefore this implied that these were two different nights. That’s why I believe that the first panel announces the second abduction. The change of the moon gives us a clue how many days have between their Wedding and the second kidnapping: 14 days, enough for the painter’s wrist to recover. Moreover, remember my analysis of this image: all the elements (water, fire, air and earth) were in harmony, which would fit with my following interpretation: Baek Na-Kyum has the intention to confess to Yoon Seungho with a painting, a new version of chapter 40. On the other hand, this image resembles a lot to the one from chapter 32/33: 
So in my opinion, the butler is looking at his master’s chamber. He needs to confirm if the lord is indeed asleep, before the second kidnapping can take place.
But now, we have the following problem: who will take away Baek Na-Kyum? My initial thought (Animals of misfortune) was Min. However, I have to admit that The Joker is the mirror of Kim. Both are cowards who will always use others so that they don’t have to dirty their own hands. Note that with the drug, the doctor becomes responsible for his misdeeds, even if he can say that he had no idea about the valet’s intention. Deep down, he knew that he was committing a wrongdoing. Yet, the butler has already lost his position, for he is now working in the backyard indicating that he has no control over the staff. He can’t even use the male servants in my opinion. Imagine, during these 14 days, they led a really peaceful life, hence I doubt that the domestics are now truly resenting the low-born. Yet, as you can envision, I am suspecting that Kim will try as much as possible to let someone else take the fall, since old habits are hard to die. First, he will try to incriminate the maids with the drug, like I had explained in the essay “The purge”. Secondly, he needs someone else to take away the artist. And there’s only one person left who would do it without thinking: Heena. She would justify her action that she is saving her brother. Let’s not forget that in chapter 69, she never recognized her wrongdoing in front of Yoon Seungho. 
Therefore she can definitely repeat such a misdeed, as she legitimates her action out of love. Note that she doesn’t fear Joseon justice system, only divine retribution
Consequently, I am expecting a new version of chapter 65, but this time the kisaeng will trespass the property during the night soundless. It’s possible that Kim visits Baek Na-Kyum’s chamber and realizes that the plan with the drug failed so that he can’t carry him to gate. The manhwaphiles should reminisce that the butler once carried the painter from the study to the lord’s chamber in chapter 33/34.
Thus there should be a new version of this trick. Therefore, once the butler recognizes that drugging the commoner was a failure, he can only ask Heena noona to pay a visitation to her brother in order to deceive him. For the butler, this is actually perfect, as he can manage to maintain his image as loyal and caring servant. When she meets her brother, she questions him if he wants to leave the propriety, but he will again reject the offer. Therefore she will use her guards to take away her brother. On the other hand, in order to achieve her goal, she will deceive her brother asking him to accompany her to the door. She will justify her appearance that the lord threatened her, hence she can only see him during the night. Full of trust, Baek Na-Kyum will follow her and once at the gate, a hand will grab his chin and drag him away.
And now, you are wondering how Heena noona will decide to kidnap her own brother. In my opinion, there is a repetition of chapter 43, but this time, the conspiracy takes place at the kisaeng house. , Min, impersonating Jihwa, incites Heena by telling her this: The painter has been bewitched by the infamous hell-raiser. He has fallen too much into sodomy, he needs to be rescued. Yet, The Joker is well aware that as a kisaeng, she can’t truly protect her brother from Yoon Seungho due to his wealth and power. Hence he will propose her the following deal: he will offer her the painter’s protection. Since Heena noona judges people based on their reputation and appearances, she won’t mistrust Min. That’s why he will ask her to deliver Baek Na-Kyum to him so that he can get away from the protagonist’s claws. There’s no doubt that she will have heard that there was a scandal between the Yoons and the Lees, hence she will definitely trust Black Heart’s words. Since the enemy of an enemy is a friend, for her “the fake Jihwa” is her “friend”. Besides, the manhwaphiles should recall her final words in the study: It is definitely possible that Min describes himself as a great admirer of her brother’s work and even shows her that he owns many publications. That’s why she will be persuaded by The Joker. The latter will never be rude and violent, exactly like the scholar Jung In-Hun. Let’s not forget that in chapter 43, Min justified the murder by portraying the second lead as a savior. He needed to remove the painter, as his friend was in danger in front of a “witch”. However, this time the “witch” will be Yoon Seungho in the kisaeng’s eyes. 
(a new version of this panel). In addition, the warning from the servant reinforced her hatred towards the aristocrat, therefore when Kim opens the door gate that night, she will thank him for his “kindness”. 
The latter seems so gentle and selfless. Now, you are probably thinking that I must resent the kisaeng for developing such a prediction. But no. She is just a flawed character. Besides, the manhwaworms should recall that she was already responsible for the artist’s misery in the past. She might have justified her action that she wanted to protect her brother and did it out of love, yet she never asked for Baek Na-Kyum’s consent. There is this saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. This quote embodies perfectly Heena’s mentality and role in Baek Na-Kyum’s life. And her terrible choices led to the artist’s misery. Not only he lost his home, but also he lost his passion and confidence. He was exposed to physical and emotional abuse. The result was that he became a drunk after all. So when she says 
, I believe that her words are actually reflecting her own role: she is the one bringing her adoptive brother misfortune. However, she was never confronted by Baek Na-Kyum, and the manhwaphiles shouldn’t overlook the fact that for almost one and half year, she never tried to contact her brother!! Sure, she is not doing it, because she needs his help, but due to her stubbornness and blindness, she is not realizing that she has been abusing her position as a noona towards Baek Na-Kyum. Besides, I’ve got another reason why I am expecting such a development. The painter’s destiny is to go through the same experiences than Yoon Seungho’s and the latter experienced abandonment and betrayal by his own brother. This explicates why the protagonist had huge trust issues, which is a normal reaction for people suffering from PTSD. So far, the painter has not experienced the sister’s betrayal, only the abandonment… but he chose to overlook it, as she showed great concern and care after their reunion. That’s why this second abduction can never be a perfect crime. The artist will realize that he can no longer trust Heena and the divine retribution she has always feared will be to lose her brother’s trust and support. Moreover, in chapter 40, we had the scholar’s betrayal, hence we have to expect a betrayal from a person close to Baek Na-Kyum.
So my idea is that during the night, Kim ensures that both protagonists are asleep and goes to the gate. He lets the kisaeng trespassing the propriety and the latter goes directly to the study. There, she surprises Baek Na-Kyum painting. After convincing her brother to follow her to the door for a last farewell (a new version of chapter 29 
, she lets her guards abduct her brother, and goes to the location recommended by Min. In my opinion, he will ask her to bring the artist to the mansion of the noble with the mole. Why? There’s no ambiguity that he will try to erase every evidence leading to him. He has definitely planned that Jihwa and the kisaeng will become his scapegoats. Secondly, the noble with the mole is Jihwa’s friend. Besides, when the first conspiracy took place, it was at a pavilion: 
, It’s not just a secluded place, but also the place where the artist was raped. For the low-born has created a new work, the new image will be brought to Min. Remember how the painting was the trigger for Yoon Seungho to kiss the protagonist at the pavilion which led to a rejection and confession… the result was that the main lead forced himself on the painter.
Once the painter has been dragged away, Kim has to ensure that there is no evidence left of an abduction, a repetition of the past. He removed the painter’s footprints. However, during that night the artist was painting, hence there’s evidence that the painter’s not trying to flee. In order to remain as close as possible to the truth (which is Kim’s MO), the butler decides to write a fake letter. I came to this idea because of the following panel: 
Note that the brushes are still full of ink, although he had finished with the picture. Even if the valet cleaned the brushes, they would be still wet the next day. That’s why he writes a letter in Baek Na-Kyum’s name. He explains why he decided to leave: the lord was still a man obsessed with sex and would even tie him up. There’s no doubt that the butler will use expressions that he heard while spying. As you can see, I haven’t changed my mind about this aspect: there will be a fake letter.
Strangely is that the real trigger for this essay was a comment left by Luzy outlining that we had a lot of panels with the sound of a door, therefore I selected a few: 
(chapter 74) 
(chapter 71)
(chapter 69) 
(chapter 59)
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 52)
After noticing this, the manhawphiles should question themselves, why did Byeonduck pay so much attention to the sound of the door? Observe that in certain panels, we don’t even see the characters, like for example in chapter 74, 71, 69 and 53. In other words, they don’t truly contribute to the narration of the story. In chapter 53, she could have drawn Min standing up in front of his friends while on his way to the door. However, if I contextualize the image from chapter 69, the panel plays a huge role. 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. Strangely is that Yoon Seungho could hear the noise from the door and he was sitting in his bedchamber. That’s why Kim needs to ensure that Yoon Seungho won’t hear the noise during that night. Secondly, in my essay “investigation”, I elaborated the theory that the physician had heard the noise from the restroom, when the main lead had to wash himself. And I believe to have found a confirmation in chapter 74: In my opinion, that’s why Byeonduck chose to draw such a picture. She wanted her readers to connect the noise from the door with the physician. With this new interpretation, I noticed that in chapter 52 and 53, there were so many “Creeak”😱 that I have the impression that this time, the “creeak” will serve as an evidence for the painter’s kidnapping. The readers will recall that during that night, the sound was definitely linked to Min, hence from my perspective Byeonduck decided to create such panels: Thereby the noise will become the domino and evidence for the abduction. Just like a domino game, where the first falls down and everything falls apart, the conspiracy will be discovered piece by piece. Remember that in the first abduction, the physician remained silent, as he didn’t pay attention to that noise, but only realized it afterwards. But who will hear the noise of the door and mention it to the lord? There’s no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho will realize that the letter is fake, but the problem is that he needs to know what truly happened and needs to investigate. Note that in front of Kim, he never revealed that the letter was fake. 
He can’t just beat his staff. From my point of view, the person mentioning the noise of the door will be the head-maid. First, in chapter 11, a maid revealed her observation to her master, when the painting got ruined. 
Then remember how the head-maid walked through the courtyard, when the butler was looking at the lord’s bedchamber. 
Besides, in chapter 63, Kim ignored her question and left her behind, he never justified why he was going outside.
I can imagine that the butler will come up with an excuse, he entered the lord’s chamber in order to know if his master needed something. Then he did the same with the painter. This would explicate why the author created such a panel in chapter 71: Because the lord didn’t hear the noise of the door in his bedchamber, he could investigate the matter leading to the discovery: he was fed with the medicine. That’s why he will definitely threaten his servants and not just beat them like a crazy man. At the end, one of them will finally reveal what he told the kisaeng.
I have the feeling that unlike in chapter 30, the domestics will betray the butler and abandon him revealing how they acted on his order. They trusted him and thought, he was acting on Yoon Seungho’s order. I would like to remind the readers that in that chapter 30, Deok-Jae never revealed the butler’s involvement, although he could have. He definitely remained loyal, yet he got the worst punishment. He definitely hoped that both would share the responsibility of Baek Na-Kyum’s disappearance
(chapter 29), yet Kim let him take the fall. That’s why the vicious servant called him a bastard later. He had finally perceived the valet’s true personality. And that’s how the kisaeng will be connected to the incident.
I have to admit that in my first theory, I still had a problem with the following panel: 
finding the authorities! Who would ask for the authorities’ help? Now, I have a clue how we would have a repetition of this scene. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho as a transformed man will decide to seek help from the authorities, something he never did before. And like I mentioned it before, the schemers will be defeated, because they disregarded human nature and the possibility of change. You might not know but people suffering from PTSD have huge trust issues and view the authorities as incompetent and untrustworthy, as the latter failed to protect them. In our case, it becomes comprehensible why the noble would avoid authorities, as they represented the source of his misery (the father, the king and the officials). However, if we consider that now Yoon Seungho has become the painter’s servant and Na-Kyum is a lord, he has technically no power to use his staff. That’s how the purge will start. The kisaeng will be interrogated and her temerity, which many confused with courage, will let her think that she is protecting her brother’s interest. She will never reveal anything, until the main lead reveals to her Baek Na-Kyum’s secret: he can’t write and read, because the scholar never taught him. I believe that once she recognizes this as truth, she will mention Jihwa leading to his arrest.
However, the one who will save Baek Na-Kyum from The Joker is Nameless. Like I have already elaborated before, the latter stands in opposition to the noble. He surely knows that Yoon Seungho showed leniency towards his childhood friend, the last incident confirmed the red-haired noble’s statement. So he has every interest to protect the artist’s life. And let’s not forget that we had Min and Nameless appearing in the same chapter. 
In episode 54, the criminal killed the servant, because he represented a threat to Jihwa. Since Baek Na-Kyum’s fate is now strongly intertwined with Jihwa’s, the second Joker will repeat the same action than in episode 54: defend Jihwa and as such lord Na-Kyum’s interest. Moreover, in the past the criminal refused to enter the mansion and do the deed for the following reason: 
. Therefore imagine that the painter is now at a pavilion, a secluded and restricted area, exactly like Nameless prefers it. However, I doubt that Nameless will kill the Joker with a knife, because this would leave traces of a crime. Remember that I always said that Black Heart would die suffocating. With Nameless’ help, the painter would be saved. Therefore the conspiracy could be finally revealed: the physician’s negligence and Jihwa’s silence who knew long ago that Min was lusting for the artist. I am still expecting that the lord’s words from chapter 11 will come true: 
No one will ever suspect that Min died due to Yoon Seungho in the end. As for Kim, his fate is almost sealed
. The moment he drugs the protagonists, he can no longer let others take the blame, although there’s no doubt that he will try to incriminate the maid. The lord will finally be free from the last remain of darkness. However, as you can imagine, the moment father Yoon hears about his loyal butler’s death, the latter will decide to become proactive and retaliate against his rebellious son. As for the painter, there’s no doubt that first he will confront The Joker and defend his lover. It is definitely possible that he calls for his help, but this time, it will be: 
And this love confession will be heard by Nameless who was also present, when the painter was calling for his help the first time. He will detect that their relationship is truly genuine. Imagine, how beautiful it would be for Nameless to finally get an identity, because he saved Baek Na-Kyum. This would truly show Yoon Seungho’s generosity and prove the commoner that there still exist pure and nice people among commoners and nobles.
As a conclusion, Min and Kim will fail with their “perfect crime”, because they couldn’t imagine that people can change. A so-called ruthless and greedy assassin convinced Jihwa to remain pure, then he acted as the painter’s personal guard. At the same time, they didn’t notice Yoon Seungho’s gradual transformation. Their real mistake was to overlook the power of love.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: A Fool 🤡 in love 😍❤️🔥 (third version)
This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Announcement: I updated the essay “Painting and desires – part 3”
Like I already pointed out in the essay “Animals of misfortune”, chapter 74 is a new version of chapter 40, for there are similarities in the topics (responsibility and jealousy) and the situation. The main leads are on a date again. However, I didn’t examine a particular scene in details: the walk on the street. Hence this will be in the center of this analysis and by contrasting the two scenes, the manhwaphiles will discover the protagonists’ state of mind reflecting the evolution of their relationship.
After leaving the physician’s, the lord is strolling in front of the painter
(chapter 74), exactly like in the past. (Chapter 40) On the surface, it looks like a repetition. Yet, the first contrast are the steps. While in chapter 40, lord walks away and the painter remains immobile first, in chapter 74 the young man is following the lord step by step. This illustrates the progression of their relationship. Yoon Seungho is like his guide and the commoner just follows him, full of trust.
Moreover, in the two scenes, we have a prank (chapter 40) (chapter 74). However, the trigger for the joke is diverse. In chapter 40, he got jealous, while in chapter 74 he was curios. And this comparison between the two pranks led me to realize that the red dot on the forehead had another signification. In my first interpretation about the chapter 40, I exposed that the red dot on the forehead was the symbol of marriage, the bride would wear such a sign. However, if you recall that Yoon Seungho described the painter as a fool , the red dot is also a reference to the Third eye, the chakra. In other words, when the lord put the red point, he hoped that the painter would experience an awakening. By meditating, he would introspect himself and get new insight. That way, he would no longer be foolish. And exactly like the main lead wished, it truly happened. Through the lord’s critical thinking triggered by rhetorical questions
, Baek Na-Kyum realized that he was indeed hoping for more, although he claimed the opposite during the conversation.
(Chapter 40) That’s why after pondering, the artist visited his teacher and expressed his wish for the first time that he would like Jung In-Hun to become responsible for him, like the former had promised. As you can see, the red dot and the questions did cause an Awakening. But it was a brutal waking up, as the painter discovered how the learned sir truly viewed him: a prostitute and nothing more.
But why did the lord play this prank, not recognizing that his gesture was totally ambiguous? According to him, he was just hoping that the painter would meditate, while in his unconscious, he was already claiming the artist as his “wife”. The reason for this prank was that he got jealous and annoyed, when he saw the artist smiling by simply thinking that the scholar would pass the exam soon. 
Imagine, the commoner was walking right behind him, yet Baek Na-Kyum was not mentally and emotionally present. His thoughts were directed at the scholar. This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho resented his lover. In the aristocrat’s mind, this signified that the painter was not even enjoying his time with him. He preferred thinking about the learned sir than talking or looking at his lover. In other words, he was standing behind the lord absentminded. And the lord sensed it, hence he looked behind
. How did he notice it? It is because the artist didn’t keep asking about the date. There was a silence after the question. And when he saw the blushing accompanied with a huge genuine smile, Yoon Seungho was hurt that he couldn’t help criticizing his lover. 
Note that with such a comment, the noble is not interested in initiating a conversation, he already knows what the low-born is thinking. And if you contrast this to the scene in episode 74, you’ll detect a huge difference. Although the artist is absentminded as well, he is already meditating about his lover and his relationship. The lord’s back 
(chapter 74) is the trigger for him to ponder. And this shows the noble’s increasing influence on Baek Na-Kyum. Meditating is definitely the lord’s favorite occupation so far. In addition, this shows how much the aristocrat means to him. All his thoughts are now directed at Yoon Seungho. Therefore we have to imagine this. While Baek Na-Kyum is walking, the lord notices that he is just walking lost in his thoughts. Hence he throws him the hat as a joke. On the one side, he definitely wants him to be present mentally and emotionally, like in the past. On the other hand, note that unlike in the past, there’s no reproach, in truth he desires to discover what the artist is thinking. This is one of the biggest wishes Yoon Seungho has ever had: 
(chapter 49) The lord always felt the need to share what was in their mind. Now, I can truly grasp why it’s a dream for Yoon Seungho. Remember when I described how the lord lived for so many years in the darkness. He only knew that he existed through his mind and thoughts. But during this whole time, he could never communicate his thoughts to anyone, he felt terribly lonely. This explicates why he had such a huge desire to communicate with the painter. He felt closeness in their soul, which he could detect in the art. As you can see, although the noble detected that his lover was lost in his thoughts, he no longer reprimands him. In fact, he voices curiosity. Moreover, he is no longer claiming that Baek Na-Kyum is transparent contrary to chapter 40. There’s a reason for that. The artist has changed so much as well. He is indeed applying his lover’s philosophy: introspection and meditation. And this leads me to the next observation. There is a huge difference between these two scenes: the chronology.
| Chapter 40 | Chapter 74 |
| criticism | no reproach |
| Prank | Introspection |
| Questions: why? | Prank |
| Introspection | Open question |
This meditation at the beginning displays the artist’s maturity. However, if you pay attention to Baek Na-Kyum’s thoughts, you’ll notice that he is not meditating about himself, but about his lover. (Chapter 74) He recalls all his actions, and he notes the lord’s selflessness and humbleness. 
And this truly exposes that now the roles have been switched. The so-called foolish one is Yoon Seungho, but the latter has long forgotten his own words. On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum is the one wishing more, he is definitely not content with a kiss from time to time, while Yoon Seungho is thinking like the artist in the past: 
(chapter 74) versus (chapter 40). What caught my attention is the significance of hope. Yoon Seungho is definitely no longer hoping for a love confession, which makes me think that in chapter 58, he wasn’t entirely honest
. He still had that dream, this explicates why he mentioned Jihwa. He envisioned that the artist would get jealous. But the artist remained silent. Then he confessed twice (“I adore you” and 
) in order to push the protagonist to reply to his confession. He definitely dreamed that if he confessed, the painter would feel pressured to return the affection. That’s why the painter was trapped under the noble and the latter was grabbing the painter’s hand. 
(Chapter 58) His gestures illustrated the pressure made on the artist. But the master never got a reply. Thus it elucidates why the noble got infuriated after the painter’s disappearance. He might have admitted his defeat, nevertheless he hoped for a confession, as a new form of allegiance. That way, Baek Na-Kyum was obliged by his words. However, in chapter 74, the only desire the noble has is to exchange their thoughts. He has truly given up on his dream. When in chapter 49 the master voiced this wish for the first time, he was lowering his expectations. That’s why I believe that this indicates that Yoon Seungho is no longer hoping for more. He is so in love, and the past Yoon Seungho would call him: a fool!
However, there’s a huge difference between episode 40 and 74. Contrary to the actual Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was acting under the influence of his unconscious and he wasn’t aware of this. That’s why he never realized the signification of the gesture with the red dot. He had no idea that he was already in love and he was longing for the painter’s confession. On the other hand, the painter is already aware that he has developed some feelings for Yoon Seungho. He even admitted to his noona that he would think a lot about the noble (chapter 68), which is a similar attitude to the past Yoon Seungho. The latter was confusing the heart with the mind, however the low-born has been just afraid of admitting his affection.
Striking is that in his reflection, Baek Na-Kyum senses that he’s hoping for more. 
(Chapter 74) The repetition of “nothing more” is an evidence for the painter’s longing for more. There’s no doubt that his wish is physical intimacy, because for the artist sex is a synonym for love. Consequently, he stands up during the night in order to look at the lord’s bedchamber from far away or he is awake
, (chapter 74) when the noble visits his study. All this exposes that he is longing for the lord’s warmth. A simple kiss is enough to make the painter blush, but not enough to satisfy his “thirst” for affection.
When the lord plays the prank with the hat, Baek Na-Kyum’s attention returns to his lord standing in front of him. When he sees the noble smiling and showing curiosity, he is definitely moved. From my point of view, he is slowly realizing his true affection for Yoon Seungho. That’s why his eyes are bigger than before, like in this panel. 
(Chapter 74) He is literally glowing. He is enjoying this moment with the noble, hence he stares at him so intensively. And this represents the biggest contrast to the chapter 40. Back then he didn’t truly enjoy the walk with the master. He was either embarrassed or thinking about the scholar. At the end, he was even called “a fool”.
From my perspective, this scene (chapter 74) marks a turning point in the painter’s love life. He is on the verge of accepting his feelings, for the noble. That’s why we have the color of the rainbows, a sign for hope. He has made up his mind for three reasons. First, he has just admitted that the lord has changed. This signifies that he recognizes that Yoon Seungho is trustworthy. Secondly, he views the noble’s huge and genuine smile. I believe that this was one of the triggers for Baek Na-Kyum to face his love. Let’s not forget that in the past, the commoner was definitely affected by the scholar’s smile
. (Chapter 7) Secondly, as the lord is the mirror of the artist and the former once expressed the wish to see the painter’s smile
(chapter 63), I deduce that Baek Na-Kyum has a similar mentality. As long as he can make someone happy, he is really touched and thankful. The manhwaphiles should reminisce that the painter has always felt as a burden and had abandonment issues. But there’s another important reason for Baek Na-Kyum to be so affected by Yoon Seungho. For the first time, someone is wishing to know his thoughts. (Chapter 74) Imagine, in the past the scholar reprimanded him 
(chapter 10) or silenced him with a caress
. Heena noona had a similar atttitude, she never asked for his opinion, when she sent him away. (Chapter 46) The painter is realizing that the only one who is treating with great respect is the noble. First, the lord eats his meals with the artist in his room, giving the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is the host and the lord his guest. Secondly, the lord allows him to speak freely. Thus the painter is so moved to the point that he is about to recognize his affection for Yoon Seungho. But then he remembers Heena’s words: (chapter 74) he would be a fool, if he followed his instinct and heart. This leads me to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum restrains himself in the last moment and doesn’t reveal his true thoughts. When he recalls his sister’s warning, I interpret that he is refusing to have a leap of faith. However, he is not recognizing that he has already changed. He might deny his attachment to the master, yet the tailor is not blind: (chapter 74) Baek Na-Kyum’s behavior is acting like a man in love. This change of behavior is the sign of his slow transformation, but he doesn’t realize it. This explicates why he doesn’t pay attention to his surroundings and shows no embarrassment. He no longer cares for reputation or appearances. What truly matters for him is Yoon Seungho, the foolish one who is not asking for more. Besides, since the chapter 40 was about responsibility, it implies that Baek Na-Kyum is not willing to become responsible for Yoon Seungho, still too afraid of getting hurt. He has been a fool in love in the past with Jung In-Hun, he fears to re-experience it.
Another divergence is that this time, the lord is declaring the commoner as his wife consciously, that’s why he chose such a headgear, which is reserved for women. Contrary to the past, this significant gesture is noticed by the tailor, that’s why we see him whispering. (Chapter 74) There’s no ambiguity that he will mention it to the other shop owners, creating some new gossips. However, I don’t think, town folks will condemn the lord, because he has definitely changed. After the disappearance, there was no scandal any longer and the aristocrat didn’t organize any sex party. He had settled down for good. Consequently if the artist disappears for a second time, I doubt that the tailor will believe in his escape. He saw how they flirted in front of his shop.
However, as you can imagine, I believe that “their blossoming romance” can be interrupted. We have Min monitoring their moves and after watching them from afar, his envy and jealousy will reach a new peak. In this scene, he was sensing that his chances to get Baek Na-Kyum were diminishing. He could definitely sense that the relationship between the protagonists had changed. Baek Na-Kyum was not keeping his distance from Yoon Seungho. He even accepted the hat without protesting, while in the past he rejected the lord and remained distant to him. (Chapter 54) And in the first version, it came to my mind that we could have a new version of this scene due to the Joker’s arm and hand. In chapter 52, the lord was protecting the painter with his arm and hand, which became true in chapter 76. The lord’s hug gave Baek Na-Kyum a certain comfort and safety. The existential fear could slowly disappear.
Due to the last terrible experience, the noble is slowly realizing that he needs to pay better attention to his surroundings and enemies. As a fool in love, he must recognize that he is behaving the same way than Baek Na-Kyum in chapter 40: (chapter 40) After the fake abduction, he had not investigated the matter, though the painter had mentioned one detail: (Chapter 76) For him, the incident had been resolved, but he never imagined that in reality, he had not solved the problem at all. The real mastermind was Min. Hence after the last tragedy, he is tasked to investigate the circumstances which led to the bloodbath in the shaman‘s house. 
(Chapter 102) He knows the perpetrator, he is himself the murderer, but what he doesn’t know is how it came to this. The painter’s question is actually inciting the main lead to investigate the matter, and as such to discover the helping hands. Lee Jihwa blamed Min, and the latter reproached the red-haired master. But the Joker asked him this: 
(chapter 102) How come that Black Heart had the learned sir’s glasses? He has now to prove his reliability and trustworthiness towards his partner. He should become more proactive, if he wants to protect his loved one better. My final conclusion is that in chapter 74, we don’t have one fool in love, but two! The painter has unfortunately forgotten Min’s confession in chapter 52.
If he hadn’t thought too much about Yoon Seungho due to the separation and been surprised by Min, he would have realized that his life was in danger. Both protagonists are so in love that they don’t realize that their special relationship represents a threat to others, especially to people who stand for social norms and traditions. Simultaneously, their scandalous relationship is a source of envy for others, as Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho were able to break free from the shackles of social customs and hierarchical society. The couple becomes a symbol of liberty and true love … no wonder why The Joker is so envious. Because both were two fools in love, they couldn’t detect the enemies around them and the existence of the plot. On the other hand, the last tragedy brought back the two lovers to reality. They needed to pay more attention to their surroundings.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: Refraction 🌈
This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Announcement: I updated the essay “Kim: a dog, a matchmaker or a father?”
You are probably wondering about the selection of such a title and its signification, especially if you are not familiar with physics. What is refraction exactly?
“Refraction is the bending of light when it goes from one medium to another so, when a ray of light passes through a glass prism, refraction of light occurs both, when it enters the prism as well as when it leaves the prism. Since the refracting surfaces are not parallel, therefore, the emergent ray and incident ray are not parallel to one another. In this case the ray of light is deviated on passing through the prism.” quoted from https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/refraction-of-light-through-a-glass-prism-1456391639-1#:~:text=Refraction%20is%20the%20bending%20of,when%20it%20leaves%20the%20prism.&text=In%20this%20case%20the%20ray,on%20passing%20through%20the%20prism.
People observe this phenomenon, when there’s a rainbow.
This spectacle can only occur, if there are rain and sunlight together. Due to the presence of water, the beholder perceive the existence of light, which is actually a combination of all colors. Although light seems colorless to our eyes, it is not correct. It is just that our brain is used to perceive light as such. Now, you are probably intrigued how I could associate the manhwa with laws of refraction, when the author never drew a rainbow. But refraction is not just limited to the rainbow. It is also perceptible under other circumstances, like for example: when the sunlight goes through a real glass prism
As you can observe, there’s a deviation and dispersion of the light through the glass prism. So when did the manhwaphiles witness this experience in Painter Of The Night?
Byeonduck applied laws of refraction in two episodes:
- chapter 55:
- chapter 74:
Yes, the presence of the colorful bubbles are a sign of refraction.
And these episodes are quite important, for due to the refraction, the readers can finally perceive the presence of light and as such warmth. When the episode 55 was released, I had explained that these bubbles of light announced the revival of the lord’s body. He was no longer living as a zombie, he was finally becoming a real human. But only now, I’ve recognized the real signification of these bubbles of light. (chapter 55) I am not saying that my previous statement was wrong. It is just that I’ve realized the gravity of the lord’s wounds. Yoon Seungho opened the door of this bedchamber, which meant that he was letting the sunlight enter his room. This had a symbolical meaning: the noble was finally allowing the light to enter his inner world. That’s why in this chapter, the noble confessed. He was opening up to the painter and permitting him to see the darkness in his mind and heart. He was jealous and he expressed his murdering and suicidal thoughts
(chapter 55), therefore he imagined that the painter would run away, too shocked by the obscurity of his inner world. And this signifies that until chapter 55, the lord’s soul and body were trapped in the darkness. Now, you might come to the conclusion that he was in a similar situation than Jihwa. Because the latter was figuratively deaf and blind, he had the impression to live trapped in a dark room, separated from the outside world. 
However, this is just a false perception. Jihwa was still in possession of his body, he could feel through his hands. Consequently, he could detect the presence of others. There’s no doubt that he felt lonely and was also lacking for warmth, however the protagonist was in the worst possible situation. He had been literally swallowed by the darkness. (chapter 74) He could feel nothing at all. Even his own mind was trapped in the darkness reinforced by his huge guilt triggered by father Yoon. Remember when I wrote that his body was covered by an armor, this referred to his loss of sensation. Imagine yourself in this situation: everything around you is dark and cold and you can feel nothing at all. No wonder why the lord came to believe that he was just a ghost. This is definitely the negative version of Blaise Pascal’s philosophy: cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am). Yoon Seungho could only recognize his existence through his thoughts. And the chapter 74 was terrible for two reasons: it unveils to the manwhaphiles how the lord became a ghost. We see him disappearing in this blackness step by step:
- His powerlessness in front of brutality. He can’t protect himself (chapter 74) He can no longer yell for help and use his leg in order to defend himself, which contrasts to the beginning of his nightmare.
(chapter 74) - Then when his body starts flying in his terrible vision (chapter 74), this displays that the noble is losing the control of his body which can be explained with the usage of drugs. But he is still feeling the touch.
- Then the hands are covering up his mouth indicating that he can no longer express himself (chapter 74), but at the same time, it indicates the loss of sensation. This panel symbolizes that he is no longer possessing his body at all. All he has left are his eyes.
- Even at the end, he loses his sight… (chapter 74) This is the last vision he has before his eyes are also trapped in the darkness.
So the manhwalovers have now to question themselves: How do you leave this darkness, when you are surrounded by it? It is impossible, you can’t even feel the warmth of a body, because even your sense of touch is dead. In order to perceive the presence of light, you need colors… like I explained above. Light is composed by all the colors. And that’s how the lord could slowly leave his state of torpor. When he saw the erotic panels from Baek Na-Kyum, he could see the light, as they embodied love and warmth. That’s why he became so “addicted” to the pictures. They stood in opposition to the world he had been exposed to: sex, not as prostitution, but as a symbol for affection and warmth. The “colors” from the paintings helped him to see the light. After this new interpretation, it becomes understandable why he treasured so much the artist’s hands.
(chapter 1) 
They were the reason why he could see glimpses of light in the darkness of his world. And since he became trapped in the blackness due to hands of scholars and officials, it is not surprising why Baek Na-Kyum’s hands are healing him. Therefore, when the painter touched his chest with his hand
(chapter 73), he purified his heart. This explicates why in chapter 74, the noble is no longer interested in sex. The hand liberated his heart and allowed him to express his affection differently. At the same time, the loving gaze in the painter is the reason why the lord feels warmth in the end. All he ever wanted was to see light, but he truly discovered it through the painter’s embrace. (chapter 21) That’s why even in the darkness of the room, he could only be moved. Therefore he was focused on the painter’s body in the first place. The warmth made him realize the existence of light next to his body.
So when Yoon Seungho met the commoner for the first time, his eyes were already healed, as his eyes were exposed to colors constantly. No wonder, why the main lead fell in love at first sight. He had every reason to love the protagonist. The latter had saved him through the colors, making him view glimpses of light. Hence he could feel alive again. But more importantly, he could sense in the pretty face genuineness and naturality. But what the main lead didn’t realize is that Baek Na-Kyum was his mirror and as such his reflection. In other words, he was his glass prism. Since the painter felt attracted to him, the lord saw in the first painting 
(chapter 2) that he was handsome and attractive. That’s why he could experience his sexual emancipation afterwards. A part of his self-hatred disappeared. However, in order to liberate the lord entirely from his darkness, he needed to drop his fathers’ doctrines, which represented the biggest problem. His healing process got delayed due to Kim’s interventions and the painter’s own indoctrination. Striking is that Baek Na-Kyum was entirely healed by the lord, even before the latter has properly recovered from his own traumas. This clearly outlines his selflessness in the end.
And now, if I compare the first bubbles (chapter 55) to the ones from chapter 74, you’ll detect a huge difference. While there are only three colors in the first image (white, red, blue), the bubbles from chapter 74 remind us more of the colors from a rainbow. This coincidence with the character’s development. Yoon Seungho is seeing more and more light in his mind and heart. In chapter 55, only his conscious allowed the warmth and light associated to the painter to enter his inner world. But it is not the same with the unconscious… only in chapter 74, the light is entering his unconscious which explains why he is slowly remembering what happened to him. The lord can finally perceive his nightmares, while in the past they were just connected to terrible sensations. 
(chapter 38) I doubt that in chapter 38 and 59, he saw images. Due to the darkness of his inner world, he came to repress the horror he was exposed to. Thus it is not surprising that Yoon Seungho is not sleeping next to the painter, even after that night. (chapter 74) He still has this fear that Baek Na-Kyum might get affected by the blackness of his unconscious. At the same time, when he is facing the sleeping artist, it gives him comfort. Remember that the low-born is the glass prism of Yoon Seungho, hence his peaceful sleep helps the lord to relax. Note that he is lying in a fetal position, an indication of the return of his innocence. There’s no doubt that the visits in the painter’s study during the night (chapter 74) help the lord to relax and move on from his insomnia. Since he is now seeing light and feeling warmth thanks to the painter’s presence, he no longer feels the need for physical intimacy. Hence the lord can’t restrain himself showering Baek Na-Kyum with affection and care. However Yoon Seungho is not realizing that thanks to the artist, he is finally able to show his true self: a phoenix who got burnt by selfish and greedy people. This explicates why Yoon Seungho still perceives himself as a bad omen, because he can still see the blackness in himself. On the other side, this truly exposes the ravages caused by the traumatic experiences. From a sensitive, gentle, selfless and intelligent man, he became the opposite, reflecting the real image of the ones who destroyed him.
The irony is that the lord is not aware of his own transformation. In his mind, the painter has become his sun, hence he gave him a yellow-orange scarf. (chapter 74). When he sees the light next to the painter, he has the impression that it comes from the artist, while in reality, the painter is just mirroring his own light and warmth. Remember that the mirror in the manhwa has the form of the glass prism described above: 
(chapter 28) And in this panel (chapter 74), it is particularly visible, as the light coming from Yoon Seungho is reflected in the painter (glass prism), hence the colors are behind the artist’s head. This is not surprising why Baek Na-Kyum is so affected. Everything from Yoon Seungho is exuding love and care. At the same time, the lord serves also as a mirror for the painter. The latter can only sense love and warmth in the lord’s face and gaze. (chapter 74) He can only be smitten. But since the lord is also the glass prism for the painter, you can observe the refraction in this panel: (chapter 74) The painter’s affection is literally shining through the lord so that colors appear behind the lord’s back. The diversion becomes obvious for the readers, who are the beholders of such a phenomenon This is not surprising that the painter is falling more and more for Yoon Seungho. That’s why he blushes after a good night kiss. (chapter 74) He is now even longing for Yoon Seungho’s warmth, hence he stands up during the night and looks at the light in the lord’s chamber. (chapter 74) However, the lord is keeping his distance due to the darkness still existing in his unconscious. He fears that this could represent a nuisance to the painter’s peaceful sleep. Moreover, he still perceives himself as impure contrary to Baek Na-Kyum. What the lord fails to recognize is that the artist seems to have sleeping trouble now, because he is longing for his lover’s warmth too, another clue for the painter’s thirst for love and strong libido. There’s no doubt that as long as the commoner doesn’t claim the lord’s bed as his own and expresses the wish to share the bed with his lover, the latter will never suggest this to Baek Na-Kyum.
Because the lord allowed the light from the painter to enter his spirit and heart, he is shining like a sun, which coincides with the animal embodying the noble: the Phoenix. In other words, the nightmare from the aristocrat should be judged as a necessary healing process. 
(chapter 74) Slowly, the lord is getting rid of the blackness. He is turning his light to the Earth, the painter, mistaking his lover for a sun. Their blossoming love will definitely bring the artist to improve his talent and creativity. But it will have the same effect on the noble. The longer Yoon Seungho is spending his time with Baek Na-Kyum, the better the lord can perceive the colors and light. Through art, the noble will rediscover his lost passion: painting and even poetry. And in my opinion, in order to reconnect to painting, the lord needs to sense the colors for real. The painting in his nightmare was made of black ink and nothing more. (chapter 74)
Both are so fascinated by the colors coming from the refraction that they are seeing the world in bright colors now. However, their fascination for the light makes them careless. They are not paying attention to their surroundings. (chapter 74) In their innocence, they are not realizing that if there’s light, there exists darkness too. Consequently, they don’t detect that darkness is already gathering around them, preparing for the next attack. From my point of view, the darkness should be perceived either as an eclipse or as clouds. Imagine the lord’s reaction, when he loses his prism glass, he will feel definitely devastated. However, there is one thing that even darkness couldn’t destroy after all these years: the lord’s intelligence. He might have acted stupidly during the second season, but his mind was clouded by his emotions. Now that he knows that the painter chose him and is no longer pushing him away, he will be able to use his brain properly. He has more evidences for that. Baek Na-Kyum allowed him to put the scarf properly. Observe the difference between the first (chapter 74) and second image. (chapter 74) The knot is different and he has now a hat. The noble put the scarf exactly like in chapter 69. 
(chapter 69) Moreover, the new headgear, reserved for women, is a sign that Baek Na-Kyum is accepting his marriage officially. (chapter 74) Hence there is no ambiguity that his disappearance will lead to an investigation and Yoon Seungho will interrogate his staff. Finally, neither an eclipse nor the clouds can truly separate the sun from the Earth, consequently they won’t be able to disrupt this harmonious relationship for long. As a conclusion, the painter as a representative of all virtues could only become Yoon Seungho’s savior, as he brought light into his darkness. This explicates why Yoon Seungho views the commoner as his god and lord. (chapter 71) He was as strong as a god, when he entered his obscure world. No wonder why the noble is so humble and thankful towards his lover. He brought him back to life, hence his life can only revolve around the painter from now on. The sun will never sense his own light and warmth, unless it witnesses how the nature on Earth is blossoming. It needs the existence of another planet to realize the existence of its own heat.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Painter Of The Night: Animals of misfortune
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. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
In the essays “Yoon Seungho’s suffering path” and “Kim: a dog, a matchmaker or a father?”, I compared the butler Kim to a black dog, as he was reminding me of Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld (Greek mythology). The latter was a three-headed dog whose function was to hinder dead people from leaving the realm of Death. The reason why he has three heads is simple. They represent time: past, present and future. The black dog with three heads has to ensure that nothing changes, it stands for status-quo in the end. Surprising is that when I examined the relationship between the butler and time, I came to a similar conclusion. The valet was determined to refuse any change in the lord’s life, but since Baek Na-Kyum’s appearance in his life, the butler had to plan in the future in order to get rid of the commoner. To sum up, Kim is in my eyes Cerberus, the black dog with three heads which explains why he knows so much too.
And since black dogs are connected to the Underworld (Cerberus, Anubis), you can imagine now why black dogs are considered as bad omen. They are judged as bringing misfortune because of their connection to death. It was, as if they would bring death to the living. What caught my attention in chapter 74 is that Kim’s realm seems to have shrunk. While in the first season, he was often seen in the inner courtyard 
(chapter 7) 
(chapter 25) 
(chapter 35), now he is connected more to the backyard. 
(chapter 65) 
(chapter 74). Another important progression is the presence of the wall and border. The more time passes on, the more the valet is backed up against the wall. Note that in the last panel, the space between the building and the fence is so narrow that only one person can stand there. The pictures outline the valet’s loss of power. Besides, he has now even taken over Deok-Jae’s role. In chapter 35, he was the one sweeping the leaves, now it is Kim’s turn to sweep snow. This displays that he is covering up Deok-Jae’s disappearance. Another huge contrast is that the manhwaphiles can only recognize the domestic through his shoes and trousers which I interpret as another clue for his loss of authority. Since we don’t see his face, it signifies that he has lost his “identity”. He is now just a domestic among others, because he is no longer considered as the lord’s right-land. He has lost control over the staff. The cause for this huge change is that Yoon Seungho is no longer requesting his services. In other words, no one is asking him for an advice and help, like in chapter 17: 
and 65 
for example. However, if you pay attention to the last panel, you’ll detect that the butler was not supposed to do such a work due to the maid’s remark. This exposes that as the master’s right-hand, the staff expected from him another attitude. This truly reveals the valet’s worries and cowardice. He is now hiding in the backyard, as if it was the only place where he could find a refuge. And his world is getting smaller and smaller to the point that he looks like trapped between the wall and the fence. (chapter 74). However, I believe that he is just biding his time. He is still following his own philosophy: . He has not learned his lesson from my perspective. To sum up, he is just waiting for the next uproar, because he knows about The Joker’s intention. Since the latter was bold enough to mock Yoon Seungho in his own mansion, the butler is perceptive enough to recognize that Min won’t give up on his plan. He is waiting for the next tragedy so that once it happens, he can “come to Yoon Seungho’s rescue”, acting as if he was helping him to recover from the loss. So since Kim is now hiding in the backyard, the staff, especially the maids, can notice the butler’s loss of favoritism.
And the huge gap between Yoon Seungho and Kim truly exposes Kim’s true role in the protagonist’s life. The moment Kim disappears from his master’s life, the latter returns to his original form: He has a rosy complexion and a vivid eye again. Exactly like in the past, he is smiling. For the return of life coincides with the butler’s departure, it can never be a hazard. Therefore I can only see it as a confirmation that Kim is a villain. The only problem is that Yoon Seungho has not really perceived his valet’s true personality and role in his life. He just knows that he no longer needs him, because he has found someone else who truly accepts him. Despite his wrongdoings, Baek Na-Kyum has forgiven him and is even accepting his presence. Since the lord heard Heena noona’s words (chapter 65), he has himself the impression that he is a bad omen for the painter, that’s why he keeps his distance from the artist. He must see himself as a crow, an animal associated to misfortune. First, in his dream, he has the impression to fly , secondly his vision is connected to red and black. which reminds me of wings with feathers, although I am well aware that they are supposed to represent the hands. This explains why he can’t even lie next to Baek Na-Kyum in bed. It was, as if he feared to soil the artist’s pure soul which would lead the painter to misery. Moreover, I believe that the aristocrat is afraid of disturbing Baek Na-Kyum’s sleep, a sign of innocence. Thus during this night he never lied down in his own bed. and later doesn’t share his bed with the painter. This elucidates why Yoon Seungho no longer asks for sex from the painter. The lord is just happy that Baek Na-Kyum chose him and is not pushing him away. I believe that this is an important phase for the artist and the main lead. While the latter learns to express his affection differently, the lover can finally perceive Yoon Seungho’s true nature. He was not a man consumed by lust, but just longing for love and acceptance. The main lead has not recognized his true nature, his soul is still trapped in the past. His abandonment issues might have been resolved, but his own insecurities have not entirely disappeared. Let’s not forget that during their last confrontation, Kim made sure that the lord would have a negative reflection about himself by comparing him to his father. 
That’s why I feel, he sees himself as a bird of misfortune. However, what the valet didn’t expect either is that Baek Na-Kyum wouldn’t push away the protagonist. When he sent the artist to the bathroom through the male servant, Kim imagined that the artist would still judge Yoon Seungho as a man consumed by lust. Imagine another sex session after the rough sex marathon.
However nothing happened like Kim anticipated, because they were making love. This trick even solidified their relationship. This was the ultimate defeat for the butler, that’s why he is now waiting for Black Heart’s intervention. What Kim fails to recognize is the significance of love. Remember that a coward is avoiding emotions in order not feel guilt and pain. That’s why he doesn’t comprehend the notion of love, giving us a clue why the butler never showered his young master with real affection. Because the painter asked him to help him to have an orgasm and he witnessed how the artist felt extremely pleasure, Yoon Seungho no longer needs to mark Baek Na-Kyum’s body as his. He is now truly wooing the painter, aiming at his heart, but I am not sure, if it is a conscious choice. This explicates why Yoon Seungho no longer feels the need for sex. He has learned to make the difference between love and sex. This explicates his change of behavior. Because of his love for the painter, Yoon Seungho is now sharing his days with Baek Na-Kyum. He eats with him, talks to him, smokes with him, which makes it impossible to create a misunderstanding between the protagonists. He is expressing his affection in a different way, although he can’t resist to have an indirect kiss with the painter through the pipe. 
Thus he smiles so easily. Moreover, he always keeps the artist close to him, he never truly leaves his side, only during the night. When he feels the need to see his lover during the night, then he pays a visit to his study, while the painter fakes sleeping. The irony is that Yoon Seungho is totally unaware that his actions are actually bringing fortune and protection to his loved one. And this becomes more perceptible, when the second animal of misfortune appears: The real crow!! This bird is often associated to bad omen due to the color and the fact that it is a predator despite his size. A group of crows can definitely push away an eagle.
In my eyes, there’s no doubt that this is Min. First, The Joker has the habit to copy Yoon Seungho’s style. It became really obvious after the failed gangrape: Chapter 53 The moment the host appeared with a hanbok containing a pattern, Min had a similar hanbok, yet it definitely looked less refined. And when Black Heart saw him at his mansion, Yoon Seungho was dressed with a beautiful black hanbok 
. That’s why The Joker is dressed with a black hanbok. Moreover, we have another clue due to the presence of the tailor. Let’s not forget that in the first season, Min mentioned the tailor with his loose lips. 
Since chapter 74 is a new version of chapter 39-40, where our cute couple goes on a date , it means that there are parallels between these two chapters:
- Responsibility: By giving him such a hat, Yoon Seungho treats the painter as his wife. The warm headgear is actually reserved for women. The huge difference from chapter 40 is that this time, the artist understands the gesture. Hence the painter is blushing, he is deeply moved by Yoon Seungho’s decision. Just before, he had recognized that the lord had definitely changed and he was trustworthy. He had kept his promise. Now, their relationship is official and note that the painter is no longer looking at his surroundings. He is no longer feeling ashamed
(chapter 40) and fears people’s gaze. Observe the contrast between chapter 40 
and 74 Baek Na-Kyum is neither pushing away the noble nor avoiding his gaze. The protagonists have a locked gaze in front of people. In addition, Kim is no longer present, giving us the impression that he was one of the reasons why the painter couldn’t feel comfortable. We know or sure that he remained at the mansion in chapter 74. - Jealousy: This aspect played a huge role in chapter 40. Whereas the main lead was jealous of the scholar, because he would bring a smile to the painter, Jung In-Hun was resenting the low-born.
The latter had been able to get the lord’s attention and admiration. In other words, the person looking at the couple must be dying of jealousy. And this can only be Min. Why not Jihwa? First, when the second lead decided to send back the painter to his childhood friend, this gesture meant that he was resigning. He would no longer feel jealous. And when Black Heart visited his “pupil” Jihwa, he never mentioned the painter in order to arouse jealousy in the red-haired aristocrat. In chapter 67. he just used the noble’s fear for death and punishment. 
But there is another clue why I am convinced that
Min is the beholder. Yes, this image! My interpretation was that Min chose to impersonate Jihwa, because he imagined that after the rough treatment, Baek Na-Kyum would decide to leave Yoon Seungho’s side. Consequently he waited at the kisaeng house. However, the plan didn’t work out, like he had anticipated. Heena noona returned empty-handed. In other words, his scheme had failed. But this impersonification is full of symbolism. The moment Min put on the second lead’s clothes, it announced the beginning of The Joker’s real suffering. He would feel the same agony than Jihwa did in the past. It was, as though the latter had passed the baton to him. So the crow’s envy keeps increasing, and his thirst for Baek Na-Kyum can no longer be satisfied. He circles around the couple like a real crow would do before attacking its prey.
But now, the manhwaphiles have to wonder how Black Heart can be present in that shop spying on the couple. It means that the villain was looking for an opportunity. There’s no doubt that Kim must have told him that the artist’s wrist was injured and he needed to go to the physician’s. Min hoped that the artist would go alone or be accompanied with a servant. However, he had to see how Yoon Seungho was attending to the commoner. Black Heart witnesses how Yoon Seungho is not feeling embarrassed to act like a servant and to show his affection to a commoner in front of people, in particular in front of the loose-lipped tailor. In the past, I used to believe that The Joker’s jealousy was related to Yoon Seungho’s position and wealth. Although he had a bad reputation, he was still invited by nobles. I even called him the alpha king, while now his real status reminds me more of a head-kisaeng’s than anything else. Therefore, Min’s envy and jealousy towards the main lead can not be explained by a thirst for power. Only now, I recognize the true cause for his envy. The Joker envies Yoon Seungho, because the latter doesn’t care about people’s opinion in general. Remember how I portrayed the protagonist: he is a free-spirit, a libertine, which means that he doesn’t pay attention to social norms. He advocates freedom. Despite his bad notoriety, Yoon Seungho remains calm and acts like a confident person. While the main lead is free from social norms, Min as a hypocrite has to hide his nihilistic mindset behind his laugh and good manners. That’s why he manipulates people in the end. He likes playing games, for he can’t truly act like he wished in front of people. Black Heart can’t admit that he fears people’s opinion and prioritizes appearances. This is perceptible in chapter 54: He is mocking the main character, hoping that the latter would deny his feelings for the low-born. However, this exposes Min’s own anxiety. Hence he insulted Jihwa as a sodomite
, although his words sound absurd. He is no different in reality, since he has sex with other men too. He feels now so attracted to the painter that he can’t forget him. He justifies his obsession by saying that this is just sexual… although there’s no ambiguity that the moment he “tasted” the painter, he longed for more. The kiss is definitely an evidence that The Joker is so mesmerized by Baek Na-Kyum. After that kiss, he asked the second lead to change the plan right away. (chapter 56) When he says this, he is even recalling the painter exposing his huge desires. His hypocrisy is also the reason why he didn’t look for the artist, although he liked his work. 
He justifies his action that he had imagined the artist differently. However, the manhwaphiles should realize that he would have become the source of the new gossip, if he had invited such a painter to his propriety. People would have talked and said that he had fallen so deep into sodomy that he was now asking a painter to work for him. The final evidence is the conversation in the woods (chapter 41). 
As you can see, Min is using rumors in order to embarrass Yoon Seungho, asking him to pay more attention to social codex. This truly exposes Min’s fear… on the one hand, he is a nihilistic person, on the other hand he can’t act like he would like to, because he fears people’s gaze. That’s the reason why the noble is so attracted by the painter in the end. The latter never hid his sexual desires in his face or in the painting. He definitely showed his carefree side. As the new “Jihwa”, Min is no different from his pupil: 
He is fiery in his jealousy, because he can’t give up, but also weak at heart, because he is not brave enough to face people’s judgement. Therefore The Joker acts like the valet after all. Both are two peas in a pot in this aspect. So since the lord doesn’t leave the painter’s side outside the mansion, it means that Black Heart has to develop a new strategy. He can no longer use the second lead, as the latter’s crime has been revealed. Moreover, the red-haired noble will stay far away from his childhood friend out of fear. And if you compare The Joker’s situation to the butler’s, you’ll note that they are both in a similar situation. They have no pawn to employ like in the past. That’s why I have the impression that Min could decide to enter Yoon Seungho’s mansion with Kim’s complicity. Let’s not forget that the latter works in the backyard… so there could be a small gate. Besides we shouldn’t forget that during the first season, Jihwa trespassed the house twice (chapter 10
-17
), which was discovered by the owner. Then he came unannounced once (chapter 12
) and visited officially twice (1-5). And if you recall Black Heart’s visit, he came as a guest twice (8-52), arrived unannounced once (chapter 66
), but he never trespassed the lord’s propriety. That’s why I come to the deduction: The Joker could definitely enter the mansion without the lord’s knowledge and Kim would have to open himself the door. Since Kim is sweeping the snow alone, I interpreted that he has no power over the servants. Note that time has passed on and since the painter’s return, the domestics had an easy life. There was no party and no trouble. Both protagonists led a peaceful and quiet life. Hence for the servants, it looks like “paradise” now. The lord seems to be always in a good mood. Now, you comprehend why I think that cornered and with no pawn left, both villains have to dirty their own hands. So my idea is that Black Heart will try to abduct the painter during the night again… because that’s the only time, when the two main leads are separated. However, the problem is that the noble is still suffering from insomnia and visits the painter from time to time. In my essay entitled “the purge”, I had this idea that someone would get drugged, as there was no repetition so far… Therefore, my prediction would be to say that the butler drugs the master so that Baek Na-Kyum can be abducted during the night. And if this happens, then the butler will forge a fake letter.
However, their plan is doomed to failure for a particular reason: the presence of the second Joker: Nameless. Since Jihwa’s crime was revealed to Yoon Seungho, the criminal is intelligent enough to recognize that if something bad happens again to the artist, the red-haired aristocrat will become the scapegoat. Since the criminal was portrayed with a good heart, I doubt that he would punish the painter, as the second lead never suffered any punishment. He got away with a scandal and a little fright, but that was it. And if you look at the different panels from chapter 74, you feel his presence through the panels We have views of the rooftop, a symbol for Nameless, and the author is showing us places where the criminal was seen: the physician’s office 
an inn. Besides, the city is the place where Nameless lives. That’s why I believe that the second abduction is taking place very soon. Remember that Min went hunting with Yoon Seungho in chapter 41, a very ominous sign. Hence the animals of misfortune will reveal their true nature in front of the couple. However, there’s no ambiguity that the black dog and the crow will meet their fate in the end. Their hypocrisy and crimes will be unveiled. On the other hand, the crow and dog’s action will help the couple to get closer than before, contributing the lord to overcome his trauma. The aristocrat will realize that he needs to be at the painter’s side all the time, if he wants to protect him properly. He will realize the true meaning of accountability. Responsibility doesn’t just mean to provide a good meal and a roof over the head, but also guarantee real safety. At some point, he will realize that he has to provide an education for his loved one so that they can have a longer conversation. But this realization will only happen with the scholar’s return.
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