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:

1. The lord will paint again for Baek Na-Kyum, which could definitely move the painter to tears.
2. 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 😉😂

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