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
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There is a reason why I selected the illustration 
of season 4 for this essay, though my focus is the past, and more precisely Yoon Seungho’s suffering. It is because the darkness surrounding the protagonist not only refers to his tragic youth, but also it reflects the situation of the manhwalovers. The latter are still in the dark concerning his torment. His terrible secrets have not been totally unveiled. So far, the author allowed the readers to see glimpses of his past, like f. ex. the gangrape or the suicide of his mother. But these were just small pieces of the puzzle, thus it is still impossible to have a complete picture of his martyrdom. There are many reasons for this. The main victim never testified about his suffering, he refused to open up to Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 84) Then many witnesses vanished 
(chapter 86) or the ones alive preferred telling lies in order to hide their own wrongdoings or are simply in denial about their own culpability. Finally, the victim, the perpetrators and accomplices had no idea about the whole truth. They only know or knew certain facts, because many of them were deceived as well. What exactly happened to Yoon Seungho? How could this take place, though he belonged to one of the most powerful noble families? Now, you are probably expecting that I will give you answers to all these questions, and recreate the past. But I have to admit that it is not possible, for I don’t know the whole chronology. Consequently, I added “shadowy” in the title. To conclude, my real intention is more to offer new pieces from the riddle than create a whole new “story”. The main source for this new insight is the painter’s fate which is a reflection from the noble’s past and torment. This means that Byeonduck left traces in season 1, 2 and 3! That’s how I discovered that he had been abandoned and betrayed by everyone, kidnapped, treated as a male kisaeng, robbed, abused, raped and even gangraped at least twice, tortured and finally drugged! But like mentioned above, it is difficult to give the proper order and the persons truly involved in the crimes. On the other hand, what I can guarantee is that Yoon Seungho’s nightmare is linked to conspiracies. I came to this conclusion, because if you compare all the seasons, you will detect the presence of plots. There exists at least 3 main plots in each season, though there definitely exist more. The conspiracies are all connected to incidents.
1. The conspiracies
To validate my theory, I will use the first season as an example. The incident with the ruined drawing was actually initiated by Min and his friend with the mole. Black Heart had slapped his friend 
(chapter 9), so that the latter visited Lee Jihwa to arouse his jealousy. It was to push him to commit a crime so that Baek Na-Kyum would be removed from the main lead’s side. As you can see, there were 3 people involved, though the readers only saw the result. 
(chapter 12) They had the impression that the red-haired master had acted on his own. However, he had been manipulated, incited to commit a crime. But my point is not to diminish his wrongdoing, rather to expose the involvement of the schemers. Hence at the end of season 1, the author unveiled their true role and as such their identities. 
(chapter 43) However, observe that when Lee Jihwa went to the pavilion, the noble with the mole had other guests. 2 nobles left the place, as they refused to participate in a murder. 
(chapter 43) Funny is that they are now witnesses of Min’s crime. This can have repercussions in season 4. Black Heart had been the one who had suggested the assassination to Lee Jihwa. And the aristocrats were still there, when he had made this proposition. (chapter 43) But the two empty seats also serve as a metaphor for the existence of other helping hands: Kim and No-Name! The latter was about to get hired by the young master. Hence I deduce that this scene was to display the existence of accomplices who had always been acting in the shadow. Or we could say that the number of conspirators increased! However, I would like to point out the existence of a second conspiracy: the stolen wine. 
(chapter 19) And this is related to Kim and the gibang. Yet, the butler ruined Black Heart’s plan. To conclude, we have two main plotters in season 1, but the butler’s bad intentions were not detected, for Yoon Seungho’s bad actions were more eye-catching. People had the impression that the valet was defending the artist’s best interest. From my point of view, the number of persons involved in the plot kept increasing, as they needed more and more accomplices. The reason is that their plans didn’t work out like expected. At the end of season 3, Min involved the kisaengs in the gibang, while Kim asked the assistance of the staff, the maids 
(chapter 91) and the servants 
(chapter 97). Thus I deduce that in the past, the same must have happened. Many people were involved in the downfall of Yoon Seungho and his family. But who was the real target in the end? It is difficult to say with 100% certainty.
While Min serves as a reflection from the main mastermind in the past, his actions are not entirely clear. Note that he kept changing his mind and heart. On the one hand, he wished to have the painter killed, then later to have the young artist by his side as a source of entertainment. Yet, there is no doubt that he wished to have sex with Baek Na-Kyum right from the start. 
(chapter 8) Thus in season 2, he came to this resolution: 
(chapter 56) He had planned to rape him before having him eliminated. This shows his inner conflict. From my point of view, the painter’s death is connected to the incident in the gibang. 
(chapter 1) Baek Na-Kyum was a witness of Min’s wrongdoing, just like the painter was a witness and victim of his crimes in the shrine. (chapter 99) One thing is sure: Min was full of greed and jealousy. He was determined to harm and ruin Yoon Seungho. Hence I come to the deduction that the real target of the conspiracy in the past was Yoon Chang-Hyeon. And his son was used against him.
Interesting is that in the first season, the plots were not obvious, except one: the painter’s murder! The conspiracies only came to light, when the readers paid attention to details. The best example is the incident with the open door: 
(chapter 16) This doesn’t look like a crime. However, it is one! It was done on purpose, to separate the couple. Someone had intervened in order to interrupt this session, and as such someone had been spying on them. Deok-Jae only revealed his spying activity from chapter 16 in season 2: 
(chapter 53) Yet, the one opening the door had been Kim. This gesture can be considered as trespassing and invasion of privacy, the new version of this scene. 
(chapter 16) But instead of revealing the truth, the butler sided with Lee Jihwa, and allowed him to trespass the propriety again. In my eyes, the butler thought 
(chapter 17) that Yoon Seungho would come to perceive the painter as a man consumed by lust. He imagined that he would caught them fooling around. As you can see, this ruckus was also a plot, though it doesn’t look like one. Why would the maids gossip in the courtyard? 
(chapter 18) From my point of view, the valet expected that the lord would fear people’s gaze and a scandal. Thus he would send away the painter to protect his “reputation”, but the opposite happened. Under this perspective, the manhwalovers can grasp why it is difficult to calculate accurately the number of plots and accomplices. Besides, some were naïve pawns, others not. And since I examined the first season more closely, it is necessary to analyze the vanishing of Jung In-Hun. His disappearance is strongly intertwined with Yoon Seungho’s secret. How so? The learned sir was determined to find the lord’s vulnerability and as such secret.
2. The scholar’s disappearance
Many readers have the impression that the learned sir is still alive, for they never saw his corpse or his execution. Since they had somehow witnessed Jung In-Hun’s departure, they knew that the learned sir could not have been killed in his humble home. I had already detected very early on, like other manhwaphiles, that the murder scene had been staged. 
(chapter 88) Thus many readers jumped to the conclusion that the learned sir had already switched sides and was plotting against the main lead. They had his following words in their mind: 
(chapter 29) Thus many concluded that he had participated in the prank, faking his death. On the other hand, the manhwalovers believed to have seen Heena’s death! 
(chapter 99) However, observe that we never saw her corpse. She was still alive in this panel. I had already pointed out that her murder was actually faked. Her mouth was not covered, hence she could have screamed, but she remained silent (blank speech bubble). Secondly, she never moved her legs… contrary to Yoon Seungho’s behavior in the gibang. 
(chapter 68) That’s the reason why I came to the conclusion that Heena’s curtains didn’t take place. Hence I deduced that in the past, someone’s death must have been “faked” too and this vanishing must have affected the main lead’s fate. The other deduction is that the learned sir must be “dead”, as the author is working with positive and negative reflections. I had already presented this theory in two different compositions (“That day” and “The secret behind the library“) However, for each murder, the culprit must have a strong motive. For me, the mastermind behind his death is the pedophile himself. This man, 
(chapter 37) who is the king in my eyes. [For more read the essay “The face of lord Song“]
3. The reasons for the assassination
Why would he eliminate the learned sir? In the past, I had said that he had ordered it out of jealousy. He believed that Jung In-Hun had become Yoon Seungho’s lover, for his brother had mistaken his identity. 
(chapter 37) Since Baek Na-Kyum was wearing a hanbok, Yoon Seung-Won thought that the person hidden under the hanbok was no commoner! Thus he called him a fellow. However, this motive is quite thin! Yet, two new details caught my attention. His visit to the “fake shaman” and his request. Notice what he told the man:
(chapter 29) He was announcing to the dark haired man his true intention. He desired to abandon and betray Yoon Seungho the moment he reached the first place in the civil service examination. He saw him as a burden. This is important, because his words represent a confession of his “sin”!! The scholar was admitting to the commoner that once he reached the first place, he would cut off his ties with the protagonist. But actually, the latter is connected to the pedophile. It was, as if he was saying that he would betray the king, for the young main lead is close to the king. On the other hand, he needed to reach the first place for this. And now, you have the explanation why he got killed. He needed to vanish, before he participated in the next round! The mysterious lord Song needed to remove him, before Jung reached the first place and betrayed his “lover”. In a certain way, the man could justify his action that he has been protecting Yoon Seungho from a future betrayal. However, there is no ambiguity that the true motive was jealousy. But he had naturally another motivation. It was important that the lord’s past never came to light either, as his secret was strongly intertwined with the ruler’s past actions. To conclude, the pedophile had every reason to order his assassination. But he was not the only one behind his death. Other people had an interest in this crime as well.
Jung In-Hun’s ”dream” stands in opposition to Yoon Seungwon‘s statement who somehow promised his father that he would reach first place. That’s the reason why the father boasted in the bedchamber. 
(chapter 86) However, in reality, he was relying on the king’s help and intervention. And this confession to the “fake shaman” represents the learned sir’s karma. He had asked the painter to act like a spy 
(chapter 24), not realizing that he could be spied himself! He didn’t grasp that he exposed his weakness to the commoner: the civil service examination. Thus the man had constantly drops of sweat
on his face and interrogated Jung In-Hun. 
(chapter 29) The girl was there to create a certain closeness. He was acting like Kim, asking why! But the stupid and arrogant learned sir thought that because the man was a commoner, he was ignorant and could be manipulated like the painter! 
(chapter 29) He thought that the low-born would buy his lie here… but in my eyes, it was the opposite. He had already perceived the learned sir’s true nature. But he acted, as if he was agreeing. In other words, the scholar fell into his own trap. He envisioned that the man was “powerless”, but he overlooked his connections. The manhwalovers can see the contradiction, for he had approached the man due to his connections! .As you can see, I am more than ever convinced that the scholar has long been murdered. He was betrayed, exactly like he had planned to abandon Yoon Seungho! The pedophile must have heard from the servant about Jung’s plan, as he had confided it to the worker!!
Thus the man decided to meet Jung In-Hun himself, and give him a warning. He described the Yoons as powerless due to the purge. 
(chapter 37) But this doesn’t end here. 
(chapter 37) Yoon Chang-Hyeon was portrayed as a traitor! The “fake servant” implied with his statement that there was a conspiracy, and the patriarch was involved. But in exchange to save his own skin, he had tattled on the others! He was trying to insinuate that if Jung In-Hun interacted more with the Yoons, his reputation could get tainted. He could get suspected of “treason” too, or he could get betrayed too. While the man met the learned sir during the day, the brother went to the villa in a hurry during the night. (chapter 37) So it looked like the “scholar” had not grasped the warning. And if Yoon Seungwon had been informed about the content of the conversation between the learned sir and the “fake shaman”, it is not surprising that he rushed to his brother’s side. He could use this opportunity to warn him about a betrayal. However, he couldn’t do it so, because he imagined that the learned sir was present. This would explain this image: 
(chapter 36) Hence he chose a different approach: filial duty. And the brother’s observation could only corroborate the pedophile’s perception. The scholar was Yoon Seungho’s lover, but he was also a backstabber. But let’s return our attention to the “mysterious lord Song”‘s statement: Yoon Chang-Hyeon is a denunciator, not a man of honor. (chapter 37) Due to his denunciation and crime, he had to leave the mansion so suddenly leaving the protagonist behind. That’s what the old bearded man implied here. However, I believe that this declaration is a mixture of truth and lie! That’s how I could make the sudden connection: 
(Chapter 67) Lee Jihwa had not only been denunciated, but he had been confronted by his friend! And the traitor was right by his side. As you can see, chapter 67 was a reflection from episode 37!! These two episodes have another common denominator: the betrayer had made the following suggestion. 
(chapter 67) In exchange for his “survival”, he should help Black Heart and allow him to act on his behalf. This was the new plan. That’s how he started impersonating Lee Jihwa. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that in the past, the impersonation must have happened, but it took place in the beginning. Secondly, I am assuming that a traitor must have suggested to Yoon Chang-Hyeon to leave the mansion and abandon his son behind! 
(chapter 27) And who is it? For me, it is Kim acting on the pedophile’s behalf. Striking is that in episode 27, the learned sir escaped death thanks to the intervention of the old bearded domestic and Baek Na-Kyum. Thus it came to my mind that the pedophile could even claim that he had eliminated the learned sir, because Yoon Seungho had attempted himself to kill him in the past. He had acted on his behalf. And what do have all these chapters have in common? SPYING and tattling! In episode 27, the servant unveiled a part of the past, 
(chapter 27) Someone had tattled on the Yoons in the past, but the patriarch was turned into the traitor himself which the young main lead came to believe. Thus Yoon Seungho could say this to his father: 
(chapter 86) However, I am suspecting that this is not true, someone else tattled on the powerful family and made a false accusation! As you can imagine, I am inclined to think that father Lee must have been behind this! Why? It is because he can no longer do it! Thus in season 3, he approached the patriarch Yoon. 
(chapter 82) If the lord Seungho had truly committed a crime, he should have reported it to the authorities. The stupid Yoon Chang-Hyeon never wondered why the elder Lee visited him during the night and asked for his assistance. Furthermore, the elder Lee had been allowed to enter the bedchamber and see the huge drawing which could have been perceived as a sign of treason. He was eyeing at the throne. 
(chapter 82) Note that the aristocrat mentioned “punishment” in this context. So maybe, he denunciated the patriarch so that the whole family would get punished. Father Lee was definitely played in this scene, hence I believe that someone had already anticipated his reactions. He would seek revenge. But this doesn’t end here. I had connected “rash departure” to “treason and spying”. And now, observe what Yoon Seungho said to his butler 
(chapter 50) He had sent Jung In-Hun away in order to get rid of him! However, because of the expression “I thought”, I am quite certain that this idea had been suggested to him by the valet! I would like to underline that in this episode, the valet was acting as a tattler! 
(chapter 50) But in order to hide his own crime, he portrayed it as a rumor (It may not be accurate”). This truly underlines the butler’s MO. He used information and turned it as gossips to hide his spying activities. The shadow… Simultaneously, he turned gossips into a verity!! This is no coincidence that in season 3, the same method was employed. Yoon Seungho was supposed to have murdered the scholar and Deok-Jae! My avid readers can sense the leitmotiv in all these episodes. RUMORS are turned into a reality, and as such a CRIME! Even here… 
(chapter 37) (chapter 37) But Kim is not the only spy and traitor! The younger brother Seungwon is also one! Thus he was introduced in the same chapter. And I have an irrefutable evidence that the old bearded man was in contact with the younger master. Only recently, I realized that the man never mentioned the protagonist’s name, he just said “this one”. This idiom implies that there is another one!!! This is the evidence that he was in contact with Yoon Seungwon. Finally, why would the man talk about the elder master Yoon the entire time? It is, because technically Yoon Seungho is just the elder son. This means that the pedophile never officially gave the title to the protagonist. These were empty words. 
(chapter 86) But since our beloved man started living in the bedchamber, this became a reality. That’s the other reason why Yoon Seungho was encouraged to live in debauchery and not to take the civil service examination. But this only occurred, the moment the lord returned living in the mansion and not before!! Secondly, I realized that this statement about Yoon Chang-Hyeon will become a reality for the “fake servant” himself. (chapter 37) Not only he justified his return to the familial domain with the main lead’s lunacy (“under the pretense of some problem with this one”), but also he accused his own son of a crime. 
(chapter 94) This means that he acted as a traitor, tattling on his own relative. Finally, observe that once confronted with brutal reality, the father did run away. 
(chapter 87) The white bearded man’s words became a reality. However, since the fake servant, the mysterious lord Song, judges the elder master Yoon as a troublemaker and hypocrite, there is no ambiguity that the elder master Yoon will get into trouble. Since he did it in the past, he can only get suspected in the present.
Besides, because the scholar is now dead, the pedophile can only put the whole blame on someone else refusing to become responsible for this. He has always acted in the shadow. We have three possibilities: he puts the blame on Yoon Seungwon, and say that he had done it out of jealousy. Or Yoon Chang-Hyeon had intervened, because Jung represented an hindrance to the Yoons’ dream. Besides, he was supposed to stay in the mansion in Hanyang, and that’s where the rest of the family is living. 
(chapter 86) But the worst would be that the painter is blamed for his assassination. He did it out of resent! But this would expose the true thoughts of the schemers, the pedophile and Kim. That’s how they act, when they feel offended and bothered.
Striking is that the protagonist has no idea, that the banishment was staged, for he was told the same lie. In his mind, the father lives in exile.: (chapter 37) One thing is sure: the father’s dream will turn out to be an illusion. 
For me, the younger brother’s biggest wrongdoings are spying, tattling and badmouthing. And the best evidence for this interpretation is this situation: 
(chapter 44) He had given the ruined painting to his father, putting the blame on his brother, well aware that the latter would get angry. He was observing his father’s reaction. 
(chapter 44) Yet, there is a difference to the past. Here, he had been fooled! He truly believed that this was his brother’s doing, whereas in truth the butler had been the one who had fooled him. 
(chapter 38) And this is important, because when the letter was given to the brother, Jung In-Hun witnessed the wrongdoing from the butler!! 
(chapter 38) And now, you know why the learned sir had to die!! He had caught the valet in the act. He had betrayed Yoon Seungho, though he didn’t realize it. The learned sir tried to discover the content of the letter, and as such was prying on his sponsor’s weakness.
(chapter 38) Hence I come to the conclusion that KIM played a huge role in the learned sir’s death as well. I would even say that he was the one who pushed the others to have the scholar and the painter killed. Both knew about the butler’s tricks without realizing his significance. 
(chapter 37) Hence I deduce that as the story progressed, the role of the butler started changing. Now, I see him as a the main plotter, while all the others are now his pawns. We could say that the valet has gradually followed the pedophile’s path. However, there is no ambiguity that it was not the same in the past!
4. A new plot
I am quite certain that many manhwalovers are doubting my theory that the fake servant is the king and the main culprit in Yoon Seungho’s nightmare. Why? It is because in chapter 83, we saw a dark haired man, and according to Lee Jihwa, this was the mysterious lord Song. 
(chapter 83) How can he be the same than the one from episode 37? The change of his hair color could be explained by a huge shock. But this is rather thin as a justification. Besides, now I am more inclined to think that these are two different persons, and that the main culprit is the one from episode 37. Why? It is because he smoked and utilized the same expression: “strange”. 
(chapter 37) An idiom that Yoon Seungho constantly utilized: chapter 16, chapter 21
, chapter 50, chapter 71 
(chapter 71). This means that he couldn’t understand, for he has a different way of thinking. This outlines his narrow-mindedness and his tendency to plan everything. He doesn’t like surprises.
Since the readers saw the hanbok and the beard, they imagine that he is the main culprit. But I would like the readers to keep in mind that Baek Na-Kyum’s fate is the clue about the main lead’s suffering. And how many people desired to have him by their side? TWO! Yoon Seungho and Min…. and we could say that both kidnapped the artist! The main lead did it in episode 1, and the other in episode 99! This means that Yoon Seungho should have two main sexual abusers in the past! However, in difference to the young lord, the painter only had sex with the main lead. Min always failed to taste him! That’s the reason why I am suspecting that the man from chapter 83 could represent the “first sexual abuser”. Besides, observe that he is not smoking! (chapter 83)
Because we saw the purple hanbok, we all imagined that he was representing the king or was connected to the palace. But is it true? Notice that one of the guests only has a moustache beard (chapter 83) which is actually connected to commoners. [For more read the essay “Painful departures“] Remember that Min tried to deceive people by wearing a similar hanbok which Lee Jihwa would often wear. 
(chapter 69) Hence I started wondering if the mysterious man with the beard was not impersonating someone, for example “lord Song” and in reality he was just a merchant. Why merchant? It is related to the shungas and the hanboks. The king can not be involved in trading directly. However, this is what Yoon Seungho told to the learned sir: 
(chapter 22) Nevertheless, the main lead could have never been involved in commerce, for he lived as a prisoner for many years. And this is what was said about the ruler: 
(chapter 76) He is not so wealthy. How come? Yoon Seungho’s fortune must have a different origin.
Besides, I would like to outline that when Min was facing the ghost Yoon Seungho, he denied his responsibility by putting the blame on the childhood friend: 
(chapter 102) Min had never predicted that the young master would run to his friend and denunciate him to Yoon Seungho. However, since Black Heart had employed the assistance of servants
(chapter 101) , the kisaengs 
(chapter 95) 
(chapter 96), the officer 
(chapter 98), No-Name, the doctor with the drugs and butler Kim, this signifies that behind the name Lee Jihwa stand many people! As you can see, the name “lord Song” doesn’t refer to one person, but many… My theory is that No-Name is the true owner of the title, but that’s how he ended up losing his home and his name! That’s the reason why I believe that in this image (chapter 83), we only see one of many persons hiding behind the name “lord Song”. To conclude, I came to the theory that the men from chapter 37 and 83 are both “lord Song”, though the one from episode 37 can only be the king. But if the man in episode 83 was impersonating lord Song, and as such was dressed up as a royal, he was actually violating laws.
I would like to point out that Min had three goals, not only to ruin Yoon Seungho, but also to get rid of Baek Na-Kyum and Lee Jihwa. Why? It is because he had framed them for the incident in the gibang. (chapter 1) Furthermore, Lee Jihwa could testify that Black Heart was the mastermind of the murder. Thus I deduce that in the past, the mastermind must have had three intentions as well:
- remove Yoon Chang-Hyeon from his son’s side. That way, he could outlive his sexual fantasies. (chapter 50)
- ruin the Yoons which represented a thorn to his power, hence the young man was incited to hate and blame his father.
- get rid of all the potential witnesses and accomplices.
We shouldn’t overlook that Min used to be the main lead’s sexual partner too. Hence we could say that he was trying to get rid of a former lover and potential rival! That’s why I can’t help myself thinking that the man in purple could have been fooled himself. (chapter 83) Here, he was smiling… but don’t forget that in this story, karma always retaliates immediately! The best example is the scholar who wished to discover the noble’s secret, but didn’t realize that his vulnerability and intentions were revealed. In episode 83, this smiling man tried to drive an edge between the two childhood friends, and he could definitely witness how the two sons entered the room before the arrival of the elders! Therefore his punishment should have been separation as well. (chapter 83) The main lead was slapped and called animal, hence there is no ambiguity that at some point, the man must have suffered as well, unless he let others take the fall for him. We know for sure that the main lead was tortured, and as such arrested for a crime he didn’t commit! Besides, I would like the manhwaworms to keep in mind the importance of cosplay and “coup de théâtre”. We had the perfect illustration in chapter 37, 
(chapter 71) 
chapter 87) and 
episode 92. The schemers in the past had definitely played with illusions and tricks. Thus I am expecting that it is now the pedophile’s turn to get fooled.
One possibility is that father Lee denunciated the Yoons saying that they were planning a coup d’Etat, and had already selected a new king. And don’t forget that he was wearing clothes that was indicating that he belonged to the royal family!! Thus his identity could have been mistaken. To conclude, for me, the man with the purple hanbok represents the reason why Yoon Seungho suffered. This led to the purge of the noble families close to the Yoons. But since the real “lord Song” had allowed people to use his name, he became the culprit for all the wrongdoings committed by others. Hence he lost everything. 
(chapter 82)
5. The poisoning
Another possibility is that the man with the purple hanbok got poisoned, and Yoon Seungho was framed for the man’s death or injury. I am suspecting a poisoning incident in the past. If it didn’t take place during that fateful night/day (chapter 83), then it definitely must have taken place before. But how did I come to this conclusion? According to my observations, karma always retaliates right away, though the “wrongdoer” has no idea, as the person doesn’t see the connection between the “punishment” and the sin. But I would like to point out that in each season, we had poisoning. 
(chapter 36) Here, the painter was forced to take an aphrodisiac under the pretense of his health. This action was repeated in season 2 
(chapter 54) and 3. 
(chapter 100) The nobles made him smoke opium or drink the aphrodisiac. The purpose of such drugs is to obtain the painter’s submission and control his mind and reactions. Striking is that each time, the perpetrators were “punished”. Kim was insulted and his plan didn’t work out. 
(chapter 37) As for the young lords, they were evicted like commoners and later the others were even killed. As you can see, each time the poison was employed, there was a retaliation.
But note that in season 2, Deok-Jae had put stones in the painter’s rice. 
(chapter 47) 
(chapter 47) If the painter had not eaten with the lord, the latter would have never noticed the incident. However, he believed the maids’ words. 
(chapter 47) Hence he never investigated the matter. But this prank represented a serious issue. This could have been judged as an attempt against the owner of the mansion. 
(chapter 47) And now look at this panel: 
(chapter 83) Yoon Seungho had refused to take the drug! The bowl reminded me of the one from chapter 47! Finally, the butler had tried to give his master the drug in season 3 
(chapter 77), but the latter had again rejected it and this twice.
(chapter 77) Kim calls the drug “medicinal tea”, truly an euphemism. It is also possible that the real target of the poisoning was Yoon Seungho, but since he was protected by the gods, someone ended up taking the “drug”. Because he was wearing a purple hanbok, the investigator mistook his identity, a royal member. Hence the Yoons were suspected of treason. Don’t forget that during this party, there was a kisaeng by their side. (chapter 83) And the latter are trained to cook dishes for the clients. My avid readers are certainly recalling that since season 2, I have been waiting for a poisoning incident which became a reality at the end of season 3. Thus I come to the conclusion, that such an incident should be shown in season 4, one in the past and the other in the present.
To conclusion, since many people were hiding behind the name “lord Song”, it became a taboo. However, as the king had achieved all his goals thanks to this name, 
(chapter 56), he came to adopt this title in order to hide his identity and actions. Byeonduck explained in her notes that Baek Na-Kyum had no idea about Min’s name. And this is the same for Yoon Seungho. The pedophile could continue hiding behind “lord Song”, as the latter was blamed for everything. The pedophile could divert attention from his own tricks. That’s the reason why he would never write any letter to Yoon Seungho under this name. This means that at the end, the main culprit, the king, will be perceived as the main responsible for Yoon Seungho’s torment, similar to Min’s situation, just before got killed. Though many other people were involved, Yoon Seungho was able to judge the joker’s actions correctly, he was the main mastermind behind the plots. This explicates why the gods made Yoon Seungho forget the old bearded men’s face. 
(chapter 44) This was a blessing in disguise. The moment the main lead faces the king, Yoon Seungho will be able perceive the truth. The king was behind his torment, and the butler had been his helping hand all along, the professional spy planted in his family. However, I don’t think that the monarch will admit his crimes and apologize for his wrongdoings. He will need a scapegoat, and this can only be the butler, the only one who knows the truth!
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
The manhwalovers could barely see Yoon Seungho’s face, for he was surrounded by darkness. When I saw it, my first thought was to associate the protagonist to “Sleeping beauty”. He had the same expression than in the bedchamber, when he was sleeping totally relaxed. 
(chapter 87) He was not tormented by a nightmare, like the painter discovered it in chapter 38: 
And the darkness reminded me of the forest of thorns and as such of the curse put on the princess. The darkness, the metaphor for the forest of thorns, is the reason why the lord felt trapped and suffocating in his torment. 
(chapter 86) This contrasts to the princess’ situation, for the latter had no idea about the existence of the prison. It only appeared, when she fell asleep. Moreover, in this picture
(chapter 63), love and happiness in his nightmare. In his darkest moment, he voiced a wish, which exposed the return of hope. This corresponds to the spark of faith, the gradual return of trust in his life. On the other side, Baek Na-Kyum came to view his lover as the moon giving him light and hope during the night again. 
(chapter 94) I would like to point out that the artist has always associated this satellite to a source of joy and love, like we can detect it here. 
(chapter 94) Finally, Talia could get liberated from her curse thanks to her children. The splinter of flax got removed from her finger, the moment the babies were sucking on them. This signifies that she got revived thanks to love and life. Moreover, she woke up, the moment the source of her pain was removed. This observation leads me to the following conclusion: the noble can only be completely freed from this darkness, the moment his suffering is removed and as such revealed!! This means that Yoon Seungho will be able to voice his misery and denunciate the crimes he was exposed to. He will be able to identify the persons responsible for his suffering. He might know a name, lord Song, but he has no idea about his true identity. That’s how his burden will be erased. Like mentioned above, the noble’s physical and sexual assault will be brought up to light. That’s the reason why the new image announcing season 4 is so dark. They represent a reflection from Yoon Seungho’s past and torment. 
(chapter 38) I thought that the couple would share the bed, thus the lord could relax. He felt protected by his lover. In other words, I was already envisioning that this scene is a reflection from chapter 97/98, for the couple had not been able to sleep together. 
(chapter 97) However, the moment Lezhin published the second panel
(chapter 77) that he was doing it for the noble’s best interest. He insinuated that he was protecting him and he should trust him and his father. But this was not true, for he had not revealed the truth to Yoon Seungho, the stolen kiss. 
(chapter 88) This image was mirroring the past, someone had made the promise to the young master that he would “stay by his side”, implying that he would protect him, but he had failed to keep his words, for he had trusted more in others’ comments. 
(chapter 88) Because of the tragedies, the main figure got blamed, and as such he got cursed. He was a bird of misfortune, while in reality he was the main victim. In “Sun, Moon and Talia”, the perpetrator and the accomplices, the king and the astrologers, they all got scot-free. I am certain that it was the same in Yoon Seungho’s past. And because there are astrologers in this fairy tale, I am more than ever convinced that a shaman played a huge role in the young master’s downfall. 
(chapter 83) In Painter Of The Night, the hunts were always used to provoke a quarrel and as such a separation, but it never worked. This is important, because this shows that the couple from the Italian story had to separate. It is now time to reveal the whole quote from Milner: 
(chapter 97) Back then, the lord was scared, for he still doubted the artist’s love confession. It was too beautiful to be true! However, back then, the artist never doubted his own resolution, thus he gave comfort to his lover by giving him his hand. 
(chapter 97) 
(chapter 97) In other words, he desired that the painter would follow his requests and as such he should vow him loyalty and trust one more time. The irony is that the lord was actually the one breaking his vow, for he left his lover without saying goodbye. Thus I conclude that in this scene, 
(chapter 78) This means that the lord is smelling his partner’s hair helping him to remain strong and calm. He is now trying to memorize his lover’s odor so that he can forget this stench, a remain from the past: 
(chapter 86) This can only help him to defeat his “opponents”. Finally, in different analyses, I had already interpreted that Baek Na-Kyum was embodying memory, whereas the lord stands for truth. The image is actually a reference to recollection and as such honesty. There is no ambiguity that both men are trusting each other, but the painter is crying, for he fears for his lover’s life either. Yoon Seungho is leaving him in order to protect him in my eyes. And this leads me to the following deduction. When the lord is about to leave, Baek Na-Kyum is not left in the dark contrary to episode 97. He knows the whole truth, for the lord must have confessed to him. We could say that he is not leaving without a word 
(chapter 97). Furthermore, this signifies that the artist doesn’t need any longer to rely on the explanations from others. Thus the artist will keep his promise
(chapter 23) 
(chapter 24) In other words, this announces the return of Yoon Seungho’s passion for painting! And it is the same for the painter. The erotic picture should reflect their love for each other, created based on memories. At the same time, this can only push the noble to demonstrate his talents to others refuting all the negative rumors about him: he is intelligent and possessing his whole mind. Furthermore, this can help him to reminisce his tragic past, what led him to his downfall and suffering. This signifies that he will be able to confront his past and his memories. He will be able to identify the rape, and Kim already exposed the truth to Yoon Seungho, when the former suggested him to ensure the painter’s consent. This shows that Kim was well aware of the sexual abuse, but he chose to never divulge the verity. On the other hand, the pedophile thought in the past that the young master would never forget him due to his position, thus he had no problem to leave Yoon Seungho behind and make no real promise. Departure was never painful for him… hence this quote (“Promise me you’ll never forget me because if I thought you would, I’d never leave.”) will become a reality for the mysterious lord Song, but it is already too late. In fact, the gods punished him by making Yoon Seungho suffering from amnesia. He is not attached by loyalty to the pervert. 
(chapter 57) That’s the reason why I believe that when an incident occurred during that night 
(chapter 11) However, there is no ambiguity that the painter can only fear for his lover’s life. The closed eye contradicts the haunted gaze in the shaman’s house. 
(chapter 102) Despite his closed eyes, he is now able to discern the truth, and it is the same for the painter. Their Third eye is now fully awakened. 
(chapter 21) This gesture symbolizes the epitome of the noble’s affection and the desire to give “happiness”. Then in the bedchamber, he did it in order to console his partner. 
(chapter 82) With his kiss, he was asking for his forgiveness. This means that the kiss on the eye serves as reassurance and comfort either. Thus we had this scene in the study: 
(chapter 84) The lord had kissed his lover there, because he was voicing his attachment and desire to redeem himself and to comfort the artist. As you can see, it was a combination of all the previous significations. Yet, the lord had not grasped the “gravity” of his “wrongdoing”. Thus the kiss was associated a certain playfulness in the study. As a conclusion, this image 
(chapter 94) 
(chapter 94) 
(chapter 34) 
(chapter 11) 
(chapter 19) He came to feel more safe during the night, until he met Yoon Seungho in season 1. From that moment on, his night life got slowly affected. That’s how he discovered that night could be associated to pain and agony too. Yet, deep down, he still felt safe by the noble’s side. As you can see, the new illustration 
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 10) He was perceived as arrogant and heartless, as he was judging Kim Dan for his way of life and as such for his poverty. Anyone can see that Kim Dan’s social status was inherited. The debts were already there, when the protagonist was a child. 
(chapter 05) That’s the reason why many readers were siding with the doctor, and got infuriated towards the champion due to his comments. 
(Chapter 2) Later, he was the one who changed the amount of the salary for his services 
(Chapter 6) which led to the addition of a condition. Thus they came to an agreement. As a conclusion, Joo Jaekyung has never sexually assaulted the young man. It was consensual, even if there is no ambiguity that Kim Dan was not doing it out of pleasure. Consequently, certain readers viewed it as rape, while in truth it is just “work” and as such “prostitution”. Moreover, the pressure from accepting the deal comes less from the athlete himself 
(chapter 3), rather more from the halmoni’s health issues and the remaining debts. 
(chapter 11) To conclude, this comment 
(chapter 10), when the latter had woken up. Hence the host got displeased and was harsh with his words. 
(Chapter 10) And note that the reproach from the sportsman did affect the doctor.
(Chapter 7) because Joo Jaekyung had used his condition in the shower room to achieve his goal, 
(chapter 8). When the athlete had added the condition, Kim Dan had imagined that the athlete would act exactly like during their first night together. He would call him at any moment, and the uke had to come to his flat. Yet because of the sex session in the showers, the doctor could only get the impression that he would do it, even if there were people next to them. So for the poor doctor, it looked like Joo Jaekyung was consumed by lust. He had already done it in the past ,and this has always been the main lead’s intention to ask for sexual favors anywhere and at any time. However, this is not correct, for the sportsman had acted that way out of jealousy. 
(Chapter 7) This was something totally new, for he had never shared the shower with other athletes before. But I doubt that in the shower, the physical therapist had really understood the comment from Oh Daehyun and his colleague
(chapter 08) As you can see, in the penthouse, both protagonists had a false perception of each other. 
(chapter 09) In other words, the athlete was partially responsible for his inebriation too. But the man was actually denying his responsibility. To conclude, when the couple fought in the penthouse, both were at fault. Why? It is because they don’t know each other well. Furthermore, they both have such prejudices about each other, as they both come from two different worlds: the upper-class symbolizing wealth 
(chapter 10) versus the low social class connected to poverty 
(chapter 10) What caught my attention is that Kim Dan refused to explain his situation to the athlete. Why? It was only out of pride. With his tragic life, he would appear as pitiful. Thus he thought like this: 
(chapter 10) He didn’t want to get pitied! Let’s not forget that the young man was able to study and become a doctor despite his origins. This means that he was able to raise his social status due to his intelligence and determination. That’s the reason why he valued his job so much. Since he is a “self-made” man, he strongly internalized that he could do everything on his own. He doesn’t need anyone’s help. However, his “dream” got ruined, the moment his halmoni became sick. Note that even cornered, the doctor is refusing to explain his situation to others 
(chapter 11) and especially to Joo Jaekyung. 
(chapter 11). He has another reason which I will explicate further below. But this doesn’t end here. When he begged the sportsman on his knees, he preferred offering him something in return. 
(chapter 11) In exchange for money, he would offer his help and services. And when he proposed this, he was already thinking about sex!! Nevertheless, he could have explained his situation, but he chose to hide everything.
Quoted from 
(chapter 10) And he is not wrong, since Kim Dan was supposed to leave the district. 
(chapter 11)
(chapter 10) He is implying that he has more knowledge than Kim Dan who has always lived there. The champion knows about safety norms and what should be considered as normal. Besides, don’t forget that when the boxer entered the room, he saw not only the mold, but also the alcohol on the floor. 
(chapter 10) So in his mind, the doctor looked like a heavy drinker, even like a drug addict! And now, you comprehend why the athlete said this to the physical therapist!! 
(chapter 11) He should pay attention to his drinking habits!! But this actually displays his innocence contrary to the coach Park. 
(chapter 11) The former has no idea about the abusive behavior of loan sharks. 
(chapter 10) In other words, he was actually showing concerns for the doctor, but the latter never realized it. He only saw it as arrogance and lack of empathy. For him, “it’s disgusting” sounded like “you’re disgusting”. Besides, I also think that his intervention was not well perceived. I would like to point out that Kim Dan’s life has always been affected in a negative way, when people interfered in his life, and these were the loan sharks!! 
(chapter 10) Since the fighter has a similar behavior (rough, rude and cold), there is no ambiguity why the doctor would reject the athlete’s advices and assistance. 
(chapter 10) So when the doctor resented the champion, for he knew nothing about his life, he was not realizing that it is the same for him. He knows nothing about Joo Jaekyung as well, for he judges him based on impressions. Both characters both jumped to false conclusions. Since the athlete lives in a huge and fancy house, and he owns a very expensive car, it looks like he is swimming in money. I would even say, he even imagines that Joo Jaekyung is throwing away his money so easily, and because of this scene. 
(chapter 2) But he is actually wrong. He is definitely careful, like we could discover it in episode 11. 
(chapter 11) On the other hand, he never pondered on the question how the young man could spend 14.000 dollars within a week. In my eyes, he is jumping to a false conclusion, exactly like the doctor. In his mind, the young man must be probably gambling. In other words, I believe that Joo Jaekyung has the following mind-set: people are poor due to their poor mind-set (drug addiction, gambling, no real common sense or good taste). To conclude, they are responsible for their misery. From my perspective, the major problem between these two characters is their bias about rich and poor people. On the other hand, Kim Dan views the sportsman as a selfish and spoiled brat
(chapter 11), hence his personality is lacking!! Thus when the boxer explained why he brought Kim Dan to his house, the latter could only have the impression that he had done it against his will. 
(chapter 10) The champion’s words reinforced his false perception about the main lead. He was just selfish, and his gesture was not done out of generosity. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that even Kim Dan didn’t feel any gratitude towards Joo Jaekyung as well. If he had felt indebted, he wouldn’t have looked away and blamed himself for this incident. By putting the responsibility on him, he was actually denying the boxer’s selflessness. And exactly like in the video mentioned above, the tones and the gestures contributed to increase the misunderstanding between them. However, when Joo Jaekyung declared “It’s not like I wanted to do it”, he was actually thinking like this. He had done it, because the doctor had requested it!! 
(chapter 10) This shows that actually, Joo Jaekyung had been quite considerate. For me, there is no doubt that he felt pity for Kim Dan, who was crying and clinching onto him. And I have a proof for this interpretation. When Kim Dan was begging on his knees, this is what the athlete thought. 
(chapter 11) Pathetic is a synonym for pitiful! So while his words “fucking pathetic” gave the impression that he was calling Kim Dan a loser, I believe that it was the opposite. Thus he replied to this plea, he desired to do something new. He was seeking “entertainment”! The antonym of pathetic is HAPPY and CHEERFUL! And that’s how he responded. He was not mocking Kim Dan in the end. He wished to change the atmosphere in my eyes. 
(chapter 11), many readers were again upset, because they were thinking exactly like the doctor. Some manhwalovers were already imagining that the champion would ask for a BDSM session due to his expressions: “I’ve been wanting to try”. Why? It is because so far, his conditions were all linked to his sexual behavior. BUT if the manhwalovers look for the story’s description, they will discover that Jinx is not tagged with BDSM! It is just categorized as “rough”. That’s why I don’t think that this is what the lover has in mind! For me, his new desire is to share his penthouse with the doctor. So far, he has never lived with anyone else before. Yes, I believe that he is proposing cohabitation. Don’t forget that Joo Jaekyung saw his terrible house. Secondly, he refused to give him money, because in his mind, this will never solve the problem. From his perspective, Kim Dan will keep spending money (either alcohol or gambling) I also think that the fighter prefers not to rely too much on his family and his wealth. 
(chapter 04) Yet, later he came to regret it. Striking is that he had never asked the young man to leave the bed, when he woke up. 
(chapter 4) This shows that he had not mind of sharing his bed with him. 
(chapter 10) In this place, he could witness her love. She protected him from the loan sharks, 
(chapter 10) This means that this small house is a place full of “good memories” despite his struggles. Thus the doctor made the choice to never leave this place. One might say that his stay is related to his promise to his grandmother. 
(chapter 11) But there is more to it. Let’s not forget that when he sensed the presence of Joo Jaekyung in the room, he already imagined that this was his grandmother. 
(chapter 10) It is because he has never brought home anyone else before. He didn’t want people to see his “poverty”. From my point of view, he wanted to stay there, because it was the only thing that was reminding him of his grandmother! If she were to die, he would have nothing left. For the champion, it looked like the doctor was living alone, as there were no traces of the grandmother. The champion could discover his loneliness and his abandonment issues. The house itself symbolizes the halmoni. That’s the reason why he is so attached to it. And this displays that Kim Dan had decided to stay there on purpose. That way, he wouldn’t feel too lonely. But the thought to lose the flat is like announcing the grandmother’s death. For me, there is no ambiguity that he is very scared of losing her. To conclude, for Kim Dan, home is connected to a loved one and the souvenirs they share together. But this notion stands in opposition to the champion’s who prefers living far away from his own family. 
(chapter 10) He was the only one who knew about his living conditions!! In a way, he can feel good, if he proposes cohabitation to Kim Dan. What he is not realizing is that he is indirectly learning to take care of others, to open up and to share things (the showers, and in the future his flat). And this leads me to the following observation. During that night, the fighter had been quite generous. While Mingwa exposed Joo Jaekyung’s narrow-mindedness 
(chapter 10), it was up to the readers to detect his kindness. 
(chapter 10) Despite the crude idiom “dude”, he was quite gentle, when he tapped him with his foot. Then, when the main lead woke up, he was sleeping in the middle of the bed with the cover on him. 
(chapter 10) This exposes that Joo Jaekyung had covered him and not just let him fall on the bed. Secondly, he had even offered him a bed, while he had slept elsewhere. He could have dropped him on the sofa. And if you compare the boxer’s behavior in the earlier chapters, you can detect the huge transformation: 
(chapter 02) The dispute was short, but it ended in violence. However, this is not the case with the sweet Kim Dan. Note that he could have pushed away the doctor more brutally, as he is really strong, but he never did. 
(chapter 10) He is already changing. Nevertheless, his other problem are his expressions and as such his vocabulary. His favorite idioms are “fuck” and “punk”
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 5), his disappointment, his admiration
(chapter 8), his arrogance… He speaks up his mind all the time. Thus he made a deal with the doctor, and the latter is aware of the content which he also accepted. Furthermore, I would like to add that calling people “toxic” is actually wrong, for this implies that they will never change. I agree with the author 
(chapter 11) They felt pleasure by tormenting Kim Dan, for they felt powerful. They don’t care if they ruin his career. 
(chapter 11) Who would hire or keep a physical therapist, when he appears with bruises on his face? Kim Dan never revealed his situation to the Black Team, for he feared that he could lose his job, as he is connected to dubious loan sharks. 
(chapter 11) And if my prediction is correct, the athlete will be able to monitor his roommate’s movements. So far, the champion thinks that the halmoni is no longer from this world. 
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 05) Thus the coach was also seen there. So the moment Kim Dan’s face appears on TV next to the champion, many people will be surprised: the vicious director of the hospital, the loan sharks, and if my theory is correct, then the persons responsible for the debts! They could discover Kim’s lucky career! They could even imagine that the physical therapist is now rich, since he is working for a successful person. So they would jump to the conclusion that the family was able to pay off the debts so that they would resurface and try to rekindle with the halmoni and Kim Dan.
(chapter 16) What does he mean with this statement? In order to grasp his words, it is necessary to contextualize his assertion. In that scene, the main lead was mentioning his sister Kim Juyeong and her poor health. 
(Chapter 16) It is clear that he loves her a lot, though he calls her gorilla and doesn’t consider her as adorable. 
(Chapter 16) The reason for such a description is actually to mask his affection. For me, he has always tried to diminish his love for her through words, while in reality he is spoiling her. Why? It‘s his attempt to protect his heart, because he has always been scared to lose her. 
(Chapter 16) The hand on his gaze was not random. He wished to hide his vulnerability, heartache and anxieties. As the manhwalovers can detect, the main character has long associated love to fear and pain. 
(Chapter 16) Thus I am deducing that he wishes to keep his distance from people in order to protect himself and his heart. He doesn’t want to go through agony and the loss of a loved one, his future companion. Under this new light, the manhwaphiles understand the signification of a normal life for Kim Juhyeok. It is a life without pain, but it also implies the absence of human interaction. This coincides with his wish to leave South Korea. By leaving everything behind, he also cuts off ties with his family and friends. Striking is that when the artist wrote his statement, she used a lot of colorful bubbles, but she ended his confession with a white zone. 
(Chapter 16) For me, the panel has a metaphorical meaning. His definition of a normal life is like death. There is no emotion at all and as such no event. By avoiding love and people, Kim Juhyeok is actually burying himself alive. Therefore it is not surprising that his dream is to go to a sunny place. Hence it is not random that the main character is often put in painful but comical situations. It forces him to become emotional and to interact with others. At the same time, it is to confront him with his bias and prejudices. Since he views omegas and alphas as „categories“, his punishment is to be mistaken for an alpha or an omega. 
(Chapter 6) That way, he is encouraged to question his knowledge and perception about humans.
(Chapter 20) It is because he viewed it as an exception, as something unusual. Let’s not forget that he informed himself about alpha and omega through books and videos. 
(Chapter 1) Nonetheless, there is a certain danger by such a research. Since the books and movies are only focusing on the relationship between omegas and alphas, society is somehow occulting the interactions between betas and the other categories. Sexuality between a beta and an alpha or omega is neglected. For it is not studied or even brought up, it is not considered as a norm, rather as an anomaly. On the other hand, it becomes quite clear that Kim Juhyeok has always been attracted to men, just like he caught the attention of men, 
(chapter 19) and in particular alphas or omegas felt enamored by the protagonist.
(Chapter 20) When the protagonist detected an attraction with someone, Seol Gido deceived his friend by letting him believe that he was delusional. Imagination implies the disregard for normality. Creativity stands for exception which is an antonym for norms. Because of his lies and his ignorance, Kim Juhyeok came to internalize that a relationship between an alpha and beta can only exist as a friendship. However, there is no ambiguity that Seol Gido was marking his friend as his possession. Thus he spreads his pheromones on him while giving the fake excuse that he was just drunk. 
(chapter 20) Secondly, the actor keeps reminding the main lead of his „decision“. 
(chapter 20) He was stating it as a fact, yet contrary to the past, Juhyeok felt the need to make a rectification. In addition, when the protagonist narrated to his friend that he had received two confessions, the alpha thought that the two persons must have been betas. 
(chapter 20) Why? It is because for Seol Gido no alpha or omega would ever confess to a beta directly. He was totally relaxed, when he heard about it first. He was smiling with closed eyes, a sign that he never suspected a danger. However, this changed immediately, when he discovered the identity of the rivals: an alpha and omega. The nature of his gaze switched instantly. That’s the reason why the main lead had to defend himself. 
(chapter 20) He had already experienced such a stare. Observe that Seol Gido had to state that his friend would not date an alpha or an omega. It was, as if he was giving him an order. Furthermore, from alpha or omega it became anyone! 
(chapter 20) Why is the actor covered by the white? It is because he embodies the values Kim Juhyeok is advocating. However, there is no ambiguity that the alpha is interested and even attracted to Kim Juhyeok! Let’s not forget that Seol Gido is an actor, and as such his success is based on his fame and reputation. Secondly, in the k-dramas he is acting as an alpha falling in love with omegas! From my point of view, he has somehow internalized such values and fears that if he were the main lead’s partner, his career could suffer. That’s the reason why I am assuming that the departure to a foreign country is also influenced by his friend. No one would pay attention to the actor Seol Gido abroad. 
(chapter 20) which explains why he is not rejecting Lee Sihyeon, Seol Gido or Ha Weonyi as friends. Friendship stands in opposition to destiny and fated love. However, in the last image, the character was imagining Lee Sihyeon’s reaction, when he would see his “loved one” disregarding dress code. This vision pained him a lot… And my readers can already sense the importance of social norms in this dream. He thought that the director would come to reject him, for he had caused a ruckus with his strange attire. But what the main lead doesn’t realize is that director Lee is someone who doesn’t fear social norms! He likes the protagonist for his extraordinary behavior. He didn’t mind being seen courting the beta. Thus the whole office knows about his affection for Juhyeok. The latter is confident, but also naïve, thus he makes the boss laugh. He embodies exception and rarity, because betas are supposed to represent the norm and normality. Consequently, I deduce that the meeting between Lee Sihyeon and Seol Gido will serve as a huge wake-up call for the actor. He thought, he could mislead his friend, while waiting for the right time to confess to him. In my eyes, the actor wanted him to wait for his departure and seclusion before making a move on him. He didn’t want to jeopardize his life in the end. And this contrasts so much to the main lead’s vision. No matter what, they will end up together. And the moment, the beta discovers the truth, he can only reply that their love was not fated. But actually, the actor has another rival, and he is not even aware of his influence and existence, the second Mister K. 
(chapter 4) Mister Kang is an omega 
(chapter 2) who already has a partner. He represents the biggest threat to the alpha actor, for he embodies the opposite values. He stands for honesty and open-mindedness. He doesn’t view people based on their “sex” 
(chapter 18), he treats them all equally, for in his eyes, they are all human beings. 
(chapter 1) That’s how clueless the main lead was. But we shouldn’t overlook that his perception had been manipulated by his friend alpha for years. But there is more to it. When the alpha Lee director played a trick on Juhyeok, he revealed the truth to his co-worker. 
(chapter 6) As you can see, his actions contrast so much to Seol Gido’s. And the reason why I described him as lovely, it is because he is playing cupid. First, he tried to pair the beta with the omega Ha. 
(chapter 13) But before becoming proactive, he asked for Kim’s feelings and thoughts. The readers can also detect how observant he is. He noticed that Kim Juhyeok felt comfortable with the omega. Then when he sensed no huge resistance or denial from the main character, he made such a suggestion:: 
(chapter 13) He had already intervened before, when he had noticed Weonyi’s interest for the beta. 
(chapter 13) Then at the restaurant, he told his co-worker that a guest was interested in him. 
(chapter 18) He pushed the main lead to ponder on the question why the boss was handsome. His interrogation 
(chapter 18) contrasts so much to Seol Gido’s who tries to impose his will onto the main lead. The huge smile on his face 
(chapter 18) mirrors the actor’s cold gaze. 
(chapter 20) Thus when they returned from lunch, Mister Kang couldn’t help himself teasing the colleague. 
(chapter 19) However, his true intention was to push Kim to realize that he was not immune to the boss. 
(chapter 19) This is important, because Mister Kang is now aware of the protagonist’s thoughts and emotions, though the latter is still in denial. This explicates why he left his colleague’s side, when director Lee proposed a walk to his love interest. He was playing cupid again. 
(chapter 19) This signifies that director Lee has already won an important ally in order to win the beta’s heart. Finally, observe that the alpha actor was introduced in chapter 4 
, while the lovely omega started playing a bigger role in the same chapter! 
(chapter 18) However, note that the cute omega is still thinking that their relationship is not over, for the manager still has feelings for his “partner”. 
(chapter 18) Thus I deduce that Mister Kang is going to be the beta’s counselor in his love life. And this leads me to the following question. Why does Mister Kang feel the need to pair the beta with someone? In my eyes, the young man has already sensed his loneliness and solitude. First, he knows about his dream to move to a warm country implying that he has no “attachment” here. Besides, let’s not forget that he helped Mister Kang, when the latter had some health issue. He took over his work. 
(chapter 1) And observe that unlike all the other betas, he was the only one who viewed it as a violation of human rights. 
(chapter 1) That shows the disregard towards the omegas. They can be “mistreated”, for it is in the alphas’ nature to demonstrate their power and strength. This explicates why manager Lee listened to the beta’s advice. He shouldn’t tolerate such a mistreatment and file for a divorce. This took his companion by surprise! 
(chapter 16) He never envisioned that the manager omega would cut ties with him. He used the excuse that the other omega had released his pheromones to “justify” his cheating. He couldn’t control himself. The manhwaphiles can detect the contradiction between nature and society. Since alphas and omegas are living in a civilization, they should be able to “control” their nature. This truly points out that love between omegas and alphas are not simply fated, the partners have to work together to maintain a healthy and natural relationship. And that’s what the beta taught to the arrogant Seo. He imagined that a half-commitment was enough, and the rest would be left to nature and as such “destiny”. However, he is wrong. A true couple has to respect each other. Finally, I would like to outline that though Lee Hyeonjae is an omega, he is a manager displaying his intelligence and strength. As an omega, he doesn’t want to be reduced to his function, the partner of an alpha, and as such to become a housewife. And that’s how his former companion came to recognize how different the omega was. 
(chapter 16) Slowly, the violent and selfish manager is realizing that his marriage was not destiny. As a conclusion, the lovely beta is also playing a huge role in the love life of Lee Hyeonjae. He showed him what he should expect from his partner or not. Thus I interpret that while Mister Kang embodies love and jokes, the other Mister K. stands for reason and norms (in a positive sense contrary to Seol Gido).. The beta is the representative of hard work, pride and reality, the dark-haired omega views fun, jokes and dream. Therefore it is no coincidence that the two workers got so close to each other. 
(chapter 13) Thus he is teaching his co-worker to drop his prejudices indoctrinated from his friend Seol Gido. That’s the reason why I view Mister Kang as the “antagonist” of Seol Gido. The irony is that the alpha will only consider Lee Sihyeon as a potential rival, overlooking the power from the cute omegas, Mister Kang and Mister Ha. 
Yes, when people read juicy deeds, they were already imagining that I would describe a love session like this one 
(chapter 96), because of the expression „to do the deed“: 
(chapter 87) However, the deed is not just related to intercourse, like the manhwaphiles could discover it in chapter 51. 
With „deed“, Deok-Jae was referring to murder and assassination. As you can see, deed has other meanings than sex. Thus it has for synonyms action, accomplishment and reality!! So when I selected this name for the essay, I was thinking of the relationship between action and word. And this connection came to my mind, when Byeonduck released the last picture, because the painter’s action symbolizes a conversation and as such words.
(Chapter 88) By reaching his hand, the painter was letting him know that he was no longer alone in this world. He was not only joining his side, but he was willing to try to understand the main lead. 
(Chapter 88) This gesture stands in opposition to the situation with Yoon Chang-Hyeon.
(Chapter 86) During that fateful night, the father neither talked to his son nor looked at him. He even turned his back to him, when the young master attempted to grab his father‘s hanbok. Both scenes from chapter 88 and 86 have two common denominators: an action accompanied with silence!! Yet, what distinguishes them from each other is the nature of the deed, the action. Alliance and empathy versus abandonment and estrangement! This is no coincidence that after reaching his hand, Baek Na-Kyum started confessing his thoughts and emotions to his lover: 
(Chapter 88) As you can sense, the hand gesture delivered a message, but the painter still felt the need to clarify the meaning of his hand. He was willing to remain by his side, but he was still afraid of him. He didn’t want to create a misunderstanding, like for example that he wouldn’t argue with him or that his loyalty was now unconditional or total. That way, Yoon Seungho wouldn’t come to view him as a hypocrite or as dishonest, if an argument would appear. Thus he needed words to explain his position. He would remain by his side and attempt to sympathize with him, but he still felt insecure and had doubts. In other words, his action (his hand gesture) was not truly reflecting his mind and heart. 
(Chapter 88) Later he even asked his lover not to leave his side no matter what. 
(Chapter 88) To conclude, the hand gesture in episode 88 was connected to insecurities and as such fear, yet the painter had shown no hesitation to take his hand. The anxiety was not visible.
(Chapter 30) His fingers barely grabbed his hand, so when he made the following vow, he was not entirely sincere or better said, truly determined to keep his promise. 
(Chapter 30) The words were not truly in unison with the gesture either. Therefore he once tried to leave the mansion in season 2. When he pledged loyalty, his intention was to protect his teacher. To conclude, fear has always been present, when the painter took Yoon Seungho’s hand. Even in chapter 88, but contrary to the scene in the courtyard, his hand was not shaking. 
(Chapter 82) This explicates why the artist chose to remain by his side, though the lord had broken his promise. 
(Chapter 82) On the other hand, in this scene 
(chapter 82), the lord was grabbing his lover’s hand out of fear. He was recognizing his mistake and was trying to beg for his forgiveness, though he couldn’t express it directly. Striking is that during the lord’s flashback, his hand was trembling as well, grabbing onto his partner’s body. 
(Chapter 81) It was, as if Baek Na-Kyum was his rescue buoy, helping him not to be swallowed by the darkness. Thus I came to the conclusion that the protagonists’ hand gestures are all connected to anxiety and pain. 😲 Hence I am deducing that in this scene, Baek Na-Kyum is holding his lover’s hand, 
(Chapter 98) Back then, he had been waiting for his lover‘s return and explanations. He wanted to hear him and get his reassurance and comfort. .
(Chapter 98) The latter couldn’t reassure the painter with his hand contrary to the previous night. 
(chapter 97) Striking is that in the gibang, the lord confessed his biggest fear to his future “spouse”. He feared to lose him, though one of his biggest desires had been finally fulfilled. This means that Yoon Seungho felt even more insecure and frightened than before after receiving the artist’s love confession. That’s the reason why I believe that the new picture is standing in opposition to the scene in the gibang. The lord will feel relief after his admission. As a conclusion, the image is announcing 
(Chapter 89) While the painter was sitting on his partner’s lap
(chapter 89), he was massaging the wounded fingers. It was, as if he was treating his companion’s wound. Note that after his terrible flashback, the painter had avoided to grab his hand out of fear that he might hurt Yoon Seungho even more. 
(Chapter 84) Therefore I conclude that the new panel is an allusion to treatment. While in episode 89, the painter was acting as a doctor, in the new image, the young man is working more like a counselor or psychologist. The aristocrat’s hand might not be wounded in that scene, but this is not the case for his heart and mind. So for me, this scene is connected to mental treatment. 
(Chapter 84) However, the lord had refused to open up. This is no coincidence that the author had not created such a picture during that chapter. As the manhwalovers can detect, I believe that in that scene, 
(chapter 75) And because I detected a discrepancy between words and gestures, I recognized the presence of another trick from Byeonduck.✨
(chapter 91), the latter denied this with the following statement. 
(chapter 91) But when did the painter admit that he liked embracing him? In this panel! 
(chapter 88) That’s the reason why the lord got surprised and moved. As you can see, the author never revealed this whispering to the manhwalovers! The latter had the impression that the lord’s reaction was related to the loving embrace, but it was only partially correct. 
(chapter 62), when the lord had confessed to adore him. 
(chapter 62) This explicates why Yoon Seungho was so pained in season 2. He got embraced, but there were no words. Consequently, when the painter vanished during that night, the lord could only perceive the embrace as hypocrisy and fakeness. That’s how I realized that the story is developed on the contradiction between words and actions. But not only that, there exists a strong link between silence and passivity. Thus after the abduction in season 2, Baek Na-Kyum remained more or less silent
(chapter 62), and as such he was totally passive. He never stood up and begged the lord for his leniency. He stayed there on the bed giving the impression that he was indifferent. That’s the reason why Yoon Seungho got more enraged, for he felt fooled. This means that the absence of words represent inaction… This explains why Yoon Seungho had to corner the main lead in chapter 48 
(chapter 48) to say something, as he had sensed his passivity behind his „submissive attitude“. This is no coincidence that during this night, the painter felt extreme pleasure to the point that he peed. Therefore he could voice his wish to Yoon Seungho during the love session from season 2. 
(chapter 73) That’s how the lord concluded that the painter liked riding him, while in reality such a climax had appeared for the first time, when both were facing each other! 
(chapter 49) 
(chapter 4) than season 2. He was encouraged by his future partner to speak up, yet the moment he got heartbroken, he was left speechless. And note that when the lord played his prank in the bedchamber, he never said anything to his father. 
(chapter 83) He didn’t move as well. Why? It is because he knew that talking to his father was pointless. However, Yoon Seungho had hoped that with his prank his father would finally see the truth. He had been fooled by Lee Jihwa and father Lee!! But the stupid father never realized it. As you can see, the lord had in that scene long given up to use words, he hoped that his father would see the truth with the prank. Don’t forget that deed stands for truth and reality. He thought that “actions would speak louder than words”, but he was proven wrong. This signifies that in this scene, 
(chapter 86) Yoon Seungho had acted the opposite, he had tried to speak up, but he had been muted. I am also thinking that the young master must have attempted to converse to his father 
(chapter 77) here as well, but the lord had not listened to him. Why? It is because Kim had said nothing!! 
(chapter 77) Silence was considered as an admission. This is no hazard that the butler didn’t take care of his young master. This scene symbolizes the quote “Actions speak louder than words” 
(chapter 77) The butler had betrayed the young master’s trust, for he had not intervened. He should have defended Yoon Seungho, but no in fact he had sided with the elder master Yoon once again. Not only he had not reminded Yoon Chang-Hyeon of his promise, but also he had assisted the ruthless father by giving himself the straw mat beating! 
(chapter 98) Here, he examined the robe and questioned the officer. The problem is that he was still relying on his staff and as such Kim. Therefore it is not surprising that he could still be manipulated by the schemers. Hence I am anticipating a total change in season 4. By conversing with the painter, the lord can only become more proactive to the point that he will be able to ruin the next schemes. I am even expecting a prank from the protagonists in season 4!! But this doesn’t end here. I am deducing that in the past, Yoon Seungho suffered because one tormentor would do things and say nothing, while the other would talk a lot, but act the opposite!! For me, these descriptions fit to Kim and the pedophile. I have the impression as well, that both characters came to switch their behavior. In one circle, Kim did many things, but remained mute, but later he did the exact opposite. I would like to point out that in season 3, he acted this way. He would promise loyalty to the lord, 
(chapter 77), but backstabbed him in the shadow. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that a narcissist’s words don’t match their action, because they are pathological liars. And so far, I had portrayed father Yoon (overt), Kim (covert) and even Jung In-Hun (overt) as people suffering from NPD. And I am assuming that the mysterious lord Song is not different from them, though I am suspecting that he must be a covert type. 
(chapter 77) Besides, it also snowed, when the painter got abducted twice, a sign that actually a promise had been broken. 
(chapter 102) He is no longer following social norms. This could only happen, because the lord had just committed a huge crime. What is the point to respect laws and tradition, when he became a murderer? Any other transgression can only appear as harmless. That’s the reason why I am expecting that Yoon Seungho decides to disregard social norms from that moment on and play a prank on the “villains” of this story. 
(chapter 76) 
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 87), while the same extremity symbolizes the opposite with the villains and antagonists: violence, silence, submission 
(chapter 83), hatred and resent 
(chapter 97) Here, Heena was hurting her brother, because she wanted him to face “reality”. What caught my attention is that we never saw the father’s hand in chapter 86! 
(chapter 86) Why? It is because it reveals his powerlessness. And this leads me to the following conclusion: the deed stands for reality and honesty, while the words symbolize emptiness, illusion and deception. And now, you comprehend why this work is composed by the dichotomies: dream, words and mouth versus reality., action and the hand. This means that in season 4, the manhwaphiles should try to analyze the thoughts and emotions of the characters behind the hand gestures. At the same time, they can also verify if my interpretation is correct. Is the zoom of the protagonists’ hand connected to fear, confession, empathy and assistance? 
(chapter 8) She felt guilty for their death. Thus she dedicated her life to find a way to punish the evil child. 
(chapter 13) Then Queen Yoon decided to employ dark arts to protect her son. 
(chapter 21) Yet, the amulets were actually curses, as they were supposed to keep away the ghosts and spirits. 
(chapter 20) Hence when the king discovered the amulets, he truly believed that Queen Yoon had tried to hurt the Crown Prince. As you can see, there is a strong connection between devotion, affection and curse. Finally, if you read my first analysis about The Ghost’s Nocturne, you are already aware that Yeomra didn’t curse his son Jae Shin 
(chapter 1) in order to wound or humiliate him. His malediction and punishment were a sign of his affection, it was to protect him in the end. It was the prince’s fate to remain in the mortal realm and meet Lee Nok. 
(chapter 3) I am quite certain many people know this saying: Who loves well, chastises well. Yes, this proverb is actually insinuating that children need to know boundaries, because through a bad experience, the loved one can learn a lesson and come to internalize social norms. They need to learn to become responsible for their wrong choices or bad behavior. To conclude, boundaries are necessary to become not only loyal and honest, but also brave. [For more read the essay 
(chapter 21) Thus when she discovered the incident with the wounded servant, she was greatly disappointed, especially when the villain showed no remorse or guilt. 
(chapter 21) Her words oozing indifference and coldness could only shock and infuriate the queen. 
(chapter 21) By hurting her, the sovereign was reminding her of her true nature; she was a human after all. Queen Yoon hoped with her punishment that the court lady would come to learn to show more respect towards the maids. Chae-Hee should view them as humans, and just like her, they would feel pain. The matriarch didn’t value people based on their social status, but on their condition: they are also vulnerable mortals. 
(chapter 20) Thus after the chastise, the young lady cursed Queen Yoon with her thanks. 
(chapter 21) But contrary to Yeomra, the future queen had a different intention. Her words displayed her thoughts. She was already planning to hurt the sovereign. 
(chapter 13) and finally Lee Nok. Why? It is because all these maledictions are the most obvious one. Yet there is more to it. Though Queen Yoon got sentenced to death by the king of Joseon,
(chapter 21) I believe that the gentle woman was targeted by a god from the Underworld, the true father of Han Chae-Hee as well. Moreover, we have the ghosts circulating around the punished prince. 
(chapter 13) Finally, I believe that Han Chae-Hee was cursed as well, thus the father Han Jung-Eon asked for the shaman’s assistance in the first place. Note how Yeom described the young lady: 
(chapter 8) She was associated to misfortune, to bad karma, thus she had to become a righteous person in order to change her situation. But why had she such a bad “karma”? It is because her father is from the afterlife. In my first essay about The Ghost’s Nocturne, I had already presented her as the fruit of a god and a human, but I had no idea about the identity of her parents and as such her true lineage. However, now it is different, for I could gather more information. 
(chapter 21) The young lady refused to sit on the pillow embroidered with the name “Han Jung-Eon”. 
(chapter 21) She explained her attitude as a sign of great devotion and filial respect, whereas in my eyes, it was the opposite. She was not recognizing the official as her true father. Secondly, the queen asked the villain to report this incident to her “father!” 
(chapter 21) While Lee Nok’s mother had in mind the official Han, the young woman could think otherwise. She would report it to her biological father, and the latter would definitely retaliate. 😲 
(chapter 1), Jin-Gwang and Cho-Gang. 
(chapter 3) Striking is that each deity is associated to a certain punishment: tongue ripping, the knives and the fiery cauldrons! Thus Cho-Gang wondered why Jae-Shin had not be sent to him. 
(chapter 3) However, in Korean and Chinese, the number 4 sounds similar to DEATH!! This explicates why in South Korea the number of 4 is often avoided. The 4th floor in a building will be referred to 3B and it is the same for the place in a parking lot! That’s how I deduced the existence of a 4th god of the Underworld. And Han Chae-Hae must be related to him. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Jae Shin’s brothers are working for the 3rd office. 
(chapter 15) Yeomra’s realm corresponds to the 3rd office. Thus I am assuming that each god from the afterlife has his own office, Jin-Gwang and Cho-Gang’s being the first and second bureau of the Underworld. However, because of their interactions in the patio, it becomes clear that only these 3 gods were close to Jae Shin, and not the 4th god. But since Yeomra and the other gods of the Underworld are associated to a certain punishment, I am deducing that the 4th god must also represent a certain suffering. But what could it be? That’s how I came to the following idea: poisoning. Note that in order to rip the tongue, you need a knife. As you can see, I believe that there must exist a connection between each torture from the afterlife. And for a poison, you need a cauldron and probably fire… Finally, the manhwalovers should notice how Han Chae-Hee destroyed the queen. The schemers used rumors to tarnish her reputation, her tool was poison tongue. 
(chapter 21)The tongue is often depicted as an instrument that is full of death and poison. It is also unruly—unpredictable, listless, nervous and easily agitated, and always prepared to inject venom. We could witness this, when the young lady cursed the queen with her “gratitude”. 
(chapter 13), as a drug can create the sensation of heat. That’s how I recognized too that Han Chae-Hee’s father is behaving the opposite of Yeomra. While the latter is fair and impartial so that he doesn’t fear to sentence his son, the other is blinded by his love for his daughter. He will do anything for his daughter. Thus he made sure that she becomes Queen in the mortal world. She is definitely treasured. She felt insulted, when the shaman Yeom criticized her for bad karma.. She was “cursed” due to her father’s true origins, while the villain felt powerful thanks to him. She could control malevolent spirits. 
(chapter 8) Yet, like Han Jung-Eon mentioned it to the queen, a monk had helped them to change her situation. 
(chapter 20) This means that between the 10 years of Yeom’s wandering, the family Han had discovered a mean to keep away the spirits. However, for me, the official definitely deceived the Queen by letting her believe that they had used the same stratagem to help the daughter. My theory is that they used Lee Nok as her replacement!
(chapter 20) Striking is that the Crown Prince had been fetched by a single man dressed in black. However, the rule is that a deceased has to be followed by a messenger and a ward. 
(chapter 15) And there was no exception for Jae Shin too. 
(chapter 1) Why? It is because they make sure that no grim reaper or god meddles in the mortal world. Since Jae Shin is wandering around alone in the human world, he was able to manipulate the book of names. He was not monitored like all the others, because he needed to go there in order to replenish his energy. And note that the brothers came to pay him a visit together! 
(chapter 15) Thus I came to the following observation: the man in black had brought Lee Nok on purpose to the afterlife. This was never a mistake! 
(chapter 1) But who is this mysterious man? It can not be a messenger or a ward, for all of them are wearing hats. Secondly, I am excluding Jae Shin, as the latter never wears a topknot in the Underworld. This could only be a god and as such the 4th god. Thus he has access to the book of names. And only someone from the Underworld could know that it was not his time to cross the river. 
(chapter 1) was the man in black from Lee Nok’s dream. How could he get aware of Jae Shin’s supernatural powers and of his imminent death? Someone with knowledge and connected to the afterlife could manipulate the stupid noble Park. The mysterious man in Black knew that Jae Shin would get caught and even punished for his trick!! But why? 
(chapter 3) It was their fate to meet. But why did the mysterious man bring Lee Nok to the shore of the 3 ways-river?
(chapter 1) On the surface, it looks like he turns into a human during the night. But this is not entirely correct, he might preserve his human form, but this doesn’t mean that he is powerless. Hence he could survive the stabbing from the Crown Prince. 
(chapter 16) Secondly, he never mentioned Jae Shin’s true form during the day. 
(chapter 1) Creature can refer to an animal or a human. However, since he is a white puppy, he can never be perceived as a curse, for this creature is supposed to ward off evil spirits. As you can see, his curse was actually a blessing in disguise. The Queen and her father can only attack the prince from the Underworld during the night. That’s the reason why they will try to separate the “ghost” from his fated companion during the night. 
(chapter 3), when Jae Shin was marking Lee Nok as his partner. 
(chapter 3) And the crown prince got ill, after taking a bath outside with his mother. 
(chapter 21) As you can see, I believe that the connection between the two worlds is the water, and as such the pavilion. 
(chapter 13) This means that she gave up on reincarnation. She is condemned to wander for eternity on Earth. 
(chapter 15) As you can see, earth is strongly connected to the spirits, while water to the afterlife. That’s the reason why I believe that the author is playing the following elements: Water and air 
versus earth and fire. Hence C.-R. Jade was asked to used such colors, when Jae Shin was descending to his father’s realm. Was it air or water? And this observation brings me to the following deduction. Yeom can not approach the young Queen, for the latter is protected. The spirit thinks that it is an amulet
(chapter 13), but observe that the drawer employed blue as a color at the bottom. I see it as a clue that the father must have brought “water” from the divine river. That’s the reason why the ghost can not enter her palace. This 4th god from Hell is violating all the rules from the Underworld. 
(chapter 30). For me, the man on the left is her father. Who would imagine that such a poor and weak man would be so powerful? First, he might not be dressed in black, but he is wearing the same hair dress than the mysterious man in black. Striking is that in that scene, he acted exactly like Han Chae-Hee, he spreads lies about Jae shin in order to separate our favorite couple. He badmouthed Jae Shin to scare Lee Nok. Moreover, he is alone. Finally, he is blind… and remember what people said about the “viper”. Her gaze was truly terrible. 
(chapter 8) 
(chapter 21) It was, as if her father had given her his eyes. And remember that I had described him blinded by love and obsession for his daughter. He would do anything for her, though deep down, I am sensing that he is motivated by hatred and jealousy towards Yeomra. But since his meddling caused the death of many people, there is no ambiguity that the god’s fight is pointless. Han Chae-Hee is headed to face a terrible karma. Each action has a consequence, and since her father changed the fate of many people, her destiny got changed and not for the better! 
(chapter 13) For me, there is no ambiguity that she will never be allowed to enter the afterlife and as such she will never be able to live with her father or get reincarnated. Hence the devoted god’s curse can only turn into a true malediction. Why? It is because this deity never realized that “death” was a blessing in disguise for his daughter. She would never have to bear the pain to wait for the return of the fated companion. She would have no memory of her past love. Jae Shin, as an immortal, will be the only one remembering his relationship with Lee Nok, unless he chooses to give up on his immortality. 
(chapter 1) represents Kim Dan’s perception about Joo Jaekyung. But what does he mean actually here? First, he is referring to his successful career. The man has not been defeated for a long time. However, this declaration implies as well that the champion is super healthy. It is because strength is a synonym for health and vitality. First, we shouldn’t overlook that Kim Dan is also a physical therapist. Secondly, there is no ambiguity that the doctor thought this as well, because the moment he massaged his client, he kept praising him for his muscles 
(chapter 1) and his skin! 
(chapter 1) The color and texture of skin and the muscles serve as indicators to detect an illness. 
(chapter 7) Moreover the biggest proof of her cancer was the huge loss of weight! She was so thin that moving represents a huge hurdle for her. And the moment the manhwalovers compare the champion’s leg 
(chapter 7), they can grasp why Kim Dan made such a statement. For him, the athlete could only appear healthy!! His body contrasts so much to his grandma’s! Hence Joo JAekyung could only appear as the strongest man in the world. However, as you can imagine, I believe that the doctor’s judgement is wrong! I came to develop this theory while reading chapter 9. Yes, Joo Jaekyung is not healthy!! For me, he is hiding an illness. 😲
(chapter 9) He called his famous member a maniac. This idiom caught my attention, thus I started investigating what mania truly is. 
(chapter 5) On the other hand, the protagonist showed huge mood swings, from extreme euphoria to anger or the reverse. But what are the symptoms for mania? 
(chapter 4) This scene revealed that the top didn’t sleep much. Furthermore, pay attention to his eyes. Mingwa drew him with small dark circles 
(chapter 7) and some redness around the eyes. 
(chapter 9) As you can see, I am suspecting that Joo Jaekyung is somehow suffering from insomnia. He should sleep much more, especially if he has a fight the next day. Finally, he has already become obsessed with the physical therapist. But what are the causes of mania?
(chapter 9) In South Korea, this is very unusual due to History of Korean drinking culture. Alcohol serves to create connections and reinforce relationships. So rejecting to participate in such events indicate avoidance to drink alcohol. The only explanation is that the person has some health issues. Finally, Joo Jaekyung’s reaction to Kim Dan’s drunkenness exposed his true thoughts: 
(chapter 9) If he drinks, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. His irritability could come to the surface. And the moment I realized that Joo Jaekyung was sick, I had this thought: What if he has been suffering from the consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)? Let’s not forget that he is a boxer!! And the cauliflower ears are the evidences that he was hurt in the past. 
(chapter 1) Finally, he even admitted to the main lead that he received blows to his head 
(chapter 3) 
(chapter 9) 
(chapter 9) 
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 9) He could have visited the hospital. But he doesn’t necessarily need to be suffering from CTE, one TBI is already enough to have life long consequences, like I pointed out above. Since such an injury affect the person’s personality, this means that they become more violent, reckless and tend to use drugs. Therefore there is a high risk that such a person dies young. 
(chapter 1), but also acceptance. They would close an eye to his “strange and aggressive” behavior due to his special status. Under this new light, his past behavior appears in a different light. He is not the strongest man in the world. His money, his muscles and fame were just masking his true condition, he is in pain. Thus he has such an expression in this image. 
(chapter 1) He lost a part of himself in the end. This is the result of his past injuries, but since Joo Jaekyung is moving around and is able to fight, anyone thinks that he has already recovered. But I don’t think that’s the case. Like pointed out above, the consequences of TBI are long lasting. Since Kim Dan knows about his halmoni’s sickness, I am assuming that it is the opposite for Joo Jaekyung. And as his physician, it is his role to discover it, because Joo Jaekyung is no longer close to his family. 
(chapter 9) Here, he might look handsome, but what about his brain? It got definitely bruised and wounded. His lack of empathy and his projections onto Kim Dan are in my eyes the results of his past injuries as a boxer. Finally, since the halmoni is suffering from cancer, I come to the deduction that the champion’s illness is more mental. This is definitely much harder to discover. And since I am assuming that Joo Jaekyung has a family, but he is not in contact with them, it is up to Kim Dan to recognize the situation. Since he is a man full of empathy, he will be able to understand Joo Jaekyung and have a different attitude than in this scene. 
, as Baek Na-Kyum was still viewed as a boy. Moreover, according to social norms, it was impossible, for his lover is a man. Then in front of Yoon Chang-Hyeon, he made fun of his father. 
, (chapter 2) the other sleeps in one room apartment in a small house. 
(chapter 5) 
(chapter 1) This signifies that while the champion is at the top of Korean society, the other is at the bottom. This is no coincidence that their social status is mirrored in their relationship. While the athlete owns an expensive car
(chapter 9), the other uses public transportation. 
(chapter 1) As a conclusion, one character embodies wealth, while the other stands for poverty. 
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 3) 
(chapter 2) grabbed the champion’s robe. Striking is that he barely held the cloth, as if he didn’t dare to touch the jacket. He was looking down, a sign of humbleness and resignation. I would even add, his attitude reminded the viewers more of a beggar, pleading for leniency and generosity. This panel truly displayed the power relationship between Kim Dan and Joo Jaekyung. Money was in the center of this couple and this is what brought them together initially! The poor needs the assistance of the rich. On the other hand, this gesture also announced a change. For the first time, Kim Dan was not only interacting with someone belonging to the top, but also was relying on someone else. Yet, this was more prostitution than work in the beginning, until Joo Jaekyung revealed his dependency on Kim Dan through the missed calls and the job offer. That’s the reason why the physical therapist was no longer imploring the champion, but now making requests. 
(chapter 9) It even looks like manager Park Namwook was also recording this event. Striking is that for the first time, both main leads are interacting together in front of others. The drink is supposed to bring Kim Dan closer to the team and as such closer to Joo Jaekyung, which indeed happens afterwards. The latter is forced to enter Kim Dan’s world, and discover a new face of reality. 
(chapter 9)
(chapter 9) is a metaphor for the future link between the two protagonists. The doctor is there to help the athlete to win competitions, or like I had mentioned before, he is his reward and prize for his long and painful career. I would even add,, they will bond through sport, just like it occurred in the shower room. 
(chapter 9) This is important, because the doctor has truly earned the respect from Black Team, he is definitely accepted as one of them. Thus from that moment on, neither money nor the contract can have an influence on the relationship between the physician and the fighters. Observe that they keep calling him “doc”, which shows that they respect him not only due to his seniority but also due to his education. He studied hard to become a physical therapist. Hence Oh Daehyung refuses that Kim Dan acts as a servant, it is not his role and place to fetch ice cream for the boxers. 
(chapter 9) He is no errand boy. They don’t judge him based on his social class, but on his college degree. As you can see, sport is a place that can bring people from different social classes together. This explicates why we have famous sport events like Olympic games or World cups. Here, people from different countries are competing against each other, but it is the same principle. These events were created to generate friendship and avoid military conflicts. In tournaments, talents matter more than money and social status, though this statement has to be relativized, for “poorer countries” offer less chances to develop talented sportsmen. Hence some athletes decide to change their citizenship. Nevertheless, we can definitely state that sport generates bonds among the different social classes and as such serve to reduce the gap between the top and bottom. 
(chapter 6) Secondly, there was no one by his side except his hyung, Park Namwook, when he won his fight. 
(chapter 5) Finally, this theory got reinforced, when I saw this panel. 
. (chapter 9) We could also say that it was his karma, for abandoning him before in the shower. Because the main lead had to bring the doctor home, he discovered a new world which left him speechless. 
(chapter 1) This means that no one had witnessed the wrongdoing committed on the anonymous lord. However, it is important, because it exposes how a person committing a wrongdoing could escape scolding and punishment, even from the readers. There was no witness! Only an attentive reader could detect this. Hence you have the explanation why Yoon Seungho suffered for so long. There was either no witness or the persons chose to close an eye and remained silent. Since it was the negative reflection from Baek Na-Kyum’s slap and the main lead had used his right hand 
(chapter 11), I deduced that the culprit was left-handed. That’s how I could identify the culprit, lord Min. The lord was in reality left-handed. We could observe this in chapter 8
, episode 19 
, chapter 33
and episode 43
, but also in episode 76 
, in chapter 96 
, in episode 100
and finally in chapter 102 
! Yet, in other occasions like in episode 33 
or 43, or 52 
, he used his right hand! Thus one might argue that Min was simply ambidextrous. However, I can prove 100% that Black Heart is left-handed!😮 The evidence is the usage of the bow. 
(chapter 22) This is how a right-handed man shoots an arrow. On the other hand, we never saw Min using the bow. The bird was already wounded by the arrows, when the scene of the second hunt took place. 
(chapter 41) However, the manhwaphiles can discover the verity thanks to one detail: the bag of arrows. 
(chapter 22) As you can see, the bag is carried on the right side, but the arrows are almost touching the left shoulder. They need to be on the other side, since the scholar needs his right hand to grab the item. And now compare the position of Min’s bag. It is inclined in the opposite direction, hence the arrows are visible on his right side! 
(chapter 41) Thus the noble is carrying the bag 
(chapter 41) differently from the painter too. 
(chapter 22) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Byeonduck never showed the Joker’s hunting skills. People would have noticed that he is left-handed immediately. She made sure to hide this important fact, thus within the same chapter Min was often portraying as using both hands. In episode 43, he employed his left hand to pour the alcohol in the glass
(chapter 43), when he gave the drink to Lee Jihwa. 
(chapter 9) Here, he was still present, but even before the end of the sex session, he had already vanished. 
(chapter 9) Finally, when the noble with the mole visited Lee Jihwa, the latter claimed that he had spent a long time at Yoon Seungho’s. 
(chapter 9), and his friend never denied it. As you can see, the characters made sure to confuse the readers with the change of the chronology. As you can see, it took me a long time before noticing the bruised face (only during season 3), then to bring up the conclusive evidence that Min was the culprit of the slap. Then in the shaman’s house, he took the dildo with his left hand, because he was angry and frustrated. 
(chapter 100) too. This shows that he could barely control himself here. And once he faced the main lead’s sword, he got so scared that he showed Jung In-Hun’s glasses with his left hand again. 
(chapter 92) The irony is that in this scene, the main lead employed his left hand too, the positive reflection from the night in the pavilion (chapter 43). While here it was to bring him back to reality, in the pavilion, the Joker had the opposite intention: to lure Lee Jihwa to believe in illusions. 
(chapter 74) They announce the future events, though the information is not given properly. On the other hand, since they are memories either, this signifies that they contain insight about the lord’s tragedy. Thus I noticed that the anonymous perpetrator used his left hand to grab his hanbok!! I deduced that the perpetrator in the past is also left-handed!! Secondly, since this vision can also be seen as the announcement of the painter’s second kidnapping, this is no coincidence that Byeonduck created such panels during the painter’s last torment. 
(chapter 99) However, in the shaman’s temple, Black Heart grabbed Baek Na-Kyum with his right hand. He was trying to manipulate the artist, he was acting. He was not showing his true self. Yet, the vision was revealing the truth: the future mastermind of the last scheme was in reality left-handed!! It didn’t matter, because at the end, the main lead was able to discern the truth. He sentenced Black Heart, for he believed that he had killed his loved one! That’s how I realized why the author would focus so much on the hands and on the distinction between unconscious and conscious! The hand in Painter Of The Night represents the crucial clue to identify the culprits!! 
In season 1, we had the hands in the illustration. The hands were revealing the crime committed against the main lead. The latter was totally passive in this picture. The hands are touching and unclothing the immobile man. It also shows that Yoon Seungho was at the center of the conspiracy, in the past and in the present! The painting in the background indicates the presence of a hidden painter. Thus Baek Na-Kyum was not drawn in the cover. The painter of the night was in truth someone else, the painter from the past! Nevertheless, the main lead was looking at the readers, indirectly at Baek Na-Kyum, the young painter of the night. This describes the arrival of Baek Na-Kyum in his life. Striking is that the painting in the background was destroyed… indicating that the portrayed relationship was no longer existent. This represents another clue that the lord’s suffering is linked to a previous relationship. Then in season 2, 
the author revealed Baek Na-Kyum as the painter, who had now become the target of the plot. Yet behind him we see Yoon Seungho’s foot. The latter symbolizes the main lead feared to get close to him, but he wouldn’t leave his side. Moreover, this corresponds to the lord’s impulsive decisions, he let his foot guide him. Thus during the first night of the failed gangrape, he walked towards the study and stopped unconsciously, when he was next to the room. 
(chapter 53) Due to his strong denial, he was strolling not realizing that his feet were under the influence of his subconscious. And it was the same, when he opened the door with his foot at the Lees’ 
(chapter 67) Nonetheless, I believe that the author had another reason to draw the foot in the cover. The foot prints are the evidence of the crime, and as such the deceptions and the culprits. 
(chapter 59) 
(chapter 60) 
(chapter 61) The shoes were the clues how to recognize the perpetrators and accomplices. That’s why I compared these feet 
(chapter 59) with those 
. (chapter 66) My avid readers are already aware of my theory. For me, we have two kidnappers, and one tried to kill the artist! To conclude, Byeonduck left the clues how to unveil the mystery from the past and the present in the illustrations of each season. The paper in the second cover 
(chapter 56), but also to the theft of the painting
(chapter 56) and the painter’s break! At the end of season 2, he was no longer painting and in the beginning, he had also stopped due to his heartbreak. Simultaneously, we have the presence of water which serves as a connection to season 1 with the ruined painting and to season 3 with the well and drowning. The dark shades were an allusion to the lord’s darkness and suffering. The latter would come to the surface. However, since the cover only showed the lord’s foot, it exposes that the lord would not divulge his traumatic past. 
(chapter 78) In season 3, this time the main leads were facing each other, they were recognizing each other: their true self! But this stands in opposition to the deceased people without identity! 
(chapter 94) We never saw the face of the corpses, as they were either covered
, the back 
(chapter 97) or the clothes and shoes 
Here, we have 3 men, and don’t forget the left hand from before. 
(chapter 99) That’s the reason why I am anticipating a cover with the gibang. It would be the perfect place to find closure for the couple. It is a place where both suffered. Moreover, I think, belongings should serve as an evidence for the identification of the schemers and accomplices. Remember that we had the glasses as the evidence of a murder in season 3, yet I am sensing that the possession should serve to identify the perpetrators from the past and the present. Since the clothes were used to confuse people in season 3, I am assuming that in season 4, they should help to recognize people, but at the same time, it is totally possible that our main leads decide to employ the same method to fool the schemers and accomplices. And now, we have the cover for season 4. Both protagonists are not only facing each other, but also touching each other. They are no longer hiding their emotions and thoughts. 
This image represents the opposite to the other seasons. At the same time, the author is again referring to the bedchamber indicating that this place is strongly connected to the protagonists’ suffering. On the other side, since the painter is wearing a silk white shirt, it implies that he is not a commoner. This panel indicates that the main lead was able to the true owner of the study and even bed. However, due to the tears, the beholder can sense that this season will be painful as well. Striking is that in the cover, they were either alone, or they were just looking at each other, hence they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings. Consequently, they couldn’t sense the presence of a plot and the schemers. This indicates that the couple is still not prepared to face new schemes. To sum up, the author selected such covers because she had planned to leave clues there about the mystery! But wait… I had outlined that the person who grabbed the young master Seungho was left-handed, and he played a huge role in the main lead’s downfall and suffering! But who is left-handed in this story? 
(chapter 12) 
(chapter 56). But then I noticed that he carried his master on the left side. 
(chapter 57) Nevertheless, the person threatening the painter was right-handed. 
(chapter 66) and since it is for me the butler, he was not the person from the nightmare. That’s the reason why I am excluding him from the suspect list. For me, if he was involved in the past, it is because he lit the candles 
(chapter 74). Furthermore, don’t forget that in his nightmare, the author exposed the presence of plates with 3 candles 
(chapter 74) which were also used in the shaman’s house. Finally, in this picture, we have a right-handed person. 
(chapter 74) So Kim could have been the one silencing him with his hand.
(chapter 86) On the other hand, at the doctor’s office, he employed his right-hand to keep his son by his side. 
(chapter 57). Why is there this change? The turning point was the prank in the bedchamber. 
(chapter 83), then with the left! Striking is that the author never showed, when the patriarch employed his left hand. The readers could only hear the sound, and see the result of the beating. Both cheeks were wounded. From my point of view, he was conditioned exactly like Min! He was not allowed to use his left hand, but the angrier he got, the less he could hide his true self: he was left-handed and he was a stupid and brutal father!! 
(chapter 57) 
(Chapter 74) I don’t believe in hazard. Besides, the lord had his nightmare during the same chapter. This means that he could have leaked this information about Yoon Seungho to an outsider, like he did with the painter. As the manhwalovers can grasp, the physician is more suspicious than before. 
(chapter 92) Besides, observe that the angry man put the brush on the left side. 
(chapter 92) The man is left-handed! And what did Yoon Seungho do? 
(chapter 92) He grabbed him by the collar! Exactly like in the dream!! 
(chapter 44) or patio of his mansion, similar to Heena’s. And since the young main lead suffered so much, it is normal that he doesn’t have such believes. IT is also possible that the young master Seungho played a prank which made the man angry and humiliated. As you can see, I come to the conclusion that jealousy and resent were the reasons why he got involved in the first place. Moreover, we shouldn’t forget that the calligrapher is linked to the kisaengs! He even recognized Baek Na-Kyum, as he called him a peasant. 
(chapter 92) Yet, he was either perceived as servant, a noblewoman or as a sir so far! He was never recognized as a peasant. Since he could identify the artist, it is also possible that he was also able to identify Yoon Seungho. But he thought that he was not well educated after living as a male kisaeng for so long. From my point of view, the man could have decided to get revenge on Yoon Seungho and participated in his abduction and gangrape!! Thus his karma was to lose his home! 
(chapter 91) The fact that Yoon Seungho grabbed him the same way than in the nightmare is not random. It was, as if he was getting justice. Honestly, I am more and more suspecting that in the past, Yoon Seungho got raped by commoners! Naturally, I have not changed my mind that the king was behind this plot: to get revenge on the Yoons! Who benefitted the most from the crime? Definitely the king, as he was able to ruin their influence. 
(chapter 39), the other only recognizes him as master Yoon. 
(chapter 64) This means that the latter knows about the existence of elder master Yoon. Like mentioned above, the calligrapher, the physician, the tailor, the fake servant and the “shaman” from chapter 29 have all one thing in common: the beard!! 
(chapter 86) Let’s not forget that in season 3, clothes were used to deceive Yoon Seungho, and the authorities played along. Besides, as the painter had become the love interest of Yoon Seungho and Black Heart, it is very likely that in the past, the victim was exposed to two different abusers, but they all hid behind the name: lord Song. Note that during this feast, one man had a moustache beard which is in Painter Of The Night the sign that he is no yanbang, not even chungin, the upper-middle class. He could be a rich merchant. Just because they are all wearing hanboks 
(chapter 87), this doesn’t mean that these men belong to the aristocracy. Furthermore, Kim never said “nobles”, he just said “visitors”!! Finally, I would like to point out that since Yoon Seungho lived secluded for 10 years, I doubt that he had the means and the knowledge to be involved in the trade: 
(chapter 39) Thus I am deducing that the barn in season 2 
(chapter 51) could have belonged to the tailor or the owner of this shop. And note the couple was in the same position than with the kisaeng with No-Name in episode 51! 
(chapter 51) This was the negative reflection from episode 39: no penetration versus penetration, no interruption versus interruption, no rumor versus rumor etc. And this contrast clearly displays that the tailor shop is involved in Yoon Seungho’s suffering. And the best evidence for this is the nightmare. The main lead’s clothes had a design. 
(chapter 8) Naturally, this is how the main lead must have felt, and the readers were all putting themselves in the shoes of Kim Dan. How could they not be hurt? He had somehow to clean up the mess left by the selfish and rude fighter. To conclude, this image reinforced the impression that Kim Dan had been the loser of this encounter. However, I believe this is not entirely correct. Why? First, we shouldn’t judge this situation from the doctor’s perspective. It is necessary not to view this episode based on emotions and impressions. Why? I would like the manhwaphiles to keep in mind that this story is entitled JINX! In other words, chance and bad omen play a huge role in the manhwa, but the main characters have no idea about this. Finally, Kim Dan has always felt unlucky in his life. Hence he can not perceive his last interaction with the champion as “luck” at all. Thus in this composition, I would like to present my interpretation of the chapter under the aspect “defeat” and “good fortune”. The purpose of this essay is to introduce my predictions about the next chapter. For me, there is no doubt that Joo Jaekyung’s “success” is just a Pyrrhic victory, but Joo Jaekyung is clueless about it.😉 This Pyrrhic victory will have terrible consequences for the champion, and this very soon. And the moment I viewed episode 8 in that perspective, I could only anticipate chapter 9 and looking forward for Joo Jaekyung’s jinx. 😁
(chapter 8) It displays that they feared his reaction. It seemed more like they were very unlucky. One of them had even seen the champion vanishing in the showers, but he had still trusted his friend’s judgement. They were embarrassed and somehow fearful, hence they proposed to leave the room. Their insecurities were perceptible thanks to the rhetorical question (“What do we do?”), the stammering and the pause (uh and the points of suspension). Thus imagine their surprise, when they saw Joo Jaekyung’s smile and heard his invitation. They could only feel honored that the “winner” would accept them in the room. Their admiration for him could only increase, for he acted as a generous man. 
(chapter 8) Thus while one was smiling out of happiness and relief, the other bid farewell to the athlete properly. However, the biggest evidence for their growing appreciation is when 
(chapter8) the blond fighter asked the protagonist for his shampoo. Since they were already sharing the showers with him, they could also use the same washing!! It was, as though the athlete was no longer putting his distance from them and the gap was reducing. However, his friend warned him, he shouldn’t abuse the champion’s leniency: “Dude, don’t bother him, while he’s showering” (chapter 8) As you can see, the two boxers could only become happy and feel lucky, since Joo Jaekyung had accepted them in the showers. Furthermore, he had made no reproach to them, because they had talked or asked him for shampoo. The celebrity could appear as more humble and selfless to them. To sum up, they were the “lucky losers”.
(chapter 7) For the first time, he got punched by a man much smaller than him. To sum up, this scene could be seen as an evidence for his jinx. Here, he was the loser of the “battle”. Besides, observe that in the gym, the doctor had never approached him. He had watched him from a certain distance. (chapter 7)
(chapter 8) He was definitely savoring this situation. Moreover, Joo Jaekyung has the tendency to project his own thoughts and emotions onto Kim Dan. When he said “You’re even tighter today… guess you like a little thrill, huh?
(chapter 7) In the last image, his gaze was directed to the left, which is a sign that someone is lying. Yet, in the bathroom, the champion was looking straight at his sex partner. He was genuine in his admiration. To sum up, the idiom “doc” in episode 8 was a mark of real respect from Joo Jaekyung. His pride was not even hurt, as he kept smiling 
(chapter 1). This truly exposes that with Kim Dan it was different right from the start. Joo Jaekyung brought himself the doctor to the showers, an unconscious sign that he wanted to share privacy and intimacy with him, which stands in opposition to this scene: 
(chapter 8) Hence the latter could only feel lucky. Not only he had immense pleasure there, but also he had not been caught. Observe that he mentioned this on two occasions; Joo Jaekyung; “Looks like we got away with it” / 
(chapter 8) This displays how important it was not to get caught. He has more to protect than the doctor in the end. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why he was smiling constantly. He felt lucky, while the gentle physician could only feel the opposite. But here is the question: Was it really luck that the boxers entered the showers? 
(chapter 7), hence it was not clear to the other boxers if he had gone to the showers. He could have gone to the room to have a massage like in chapter 1. Besides, all of the fighters knew that they were not allowed to enter the bathroom, when the champion was there. But since the young man had followed the sportsman, they jumped to the conclusion that Joo Jaekyung was not taking a shower. That’s the reason why they entered the room. (chapter 8) In other words, this has nothing to do with luck at all. 
(chapter 7), when he started working: a off-white tee-shirt with grey sweatpants. Like the huyng manager told him, he would receive his uniform tomorrow. 
(chapter 7) This means that Kim Dan was not wearing an uniform, and he has no change of clothing. But now, all his clothes are wet. 
(chapter 7) 
(chapter 1) They will think that Joo Jaekyung was jealous, because he had to give up on his privilege, he was no longer the hyung in the team next to the coach. However, the irony is that in the shower room, the champion had come to recognize the protagonist as a man and had called him “doc”. To conclude, for me, this image doesn’t just represent Kim Dan’s suffering, but also the evidence of his “luck”. 
(chapter 5) to this 
(chapter 57) So in this short essay, I would like to present my new observations and interpretation concerning this intriguing man.
(chapter 57), as it resembles a lot to the ones from the yangbans. 
(chapter 67) 
. (chapter 86) His beard is so different from the commoners’. 
(chapter 45) This is important, because it reveals that the doctor belongs to a different social class: Chungin, the upper-middle class. 
(chapter 57) He is the only one who portrayed the protagonist in a positive light. Why? In my eyes, it was to gain the painter’s trust. That way, the doctor would appear as impartial and neutral. Thus he said the truth first in order to divert attention from his own actions. He had been the one supplying the drug to the butler. 
(chapter 57) I had already criticized the doctor in the past, for he kept giving the medicine to the valet, and never made the connection to his “hot-headed” temper. He appeared as quite stupid. In my eyes, he already appeared as a passive accomplice, but mainly due to his lack of discernment. He would trust the butler too much. Thus in the composition „the purge“, I had predicted his involvement in a plot which would bring to light his complicity. 
(chapter 57). This shows that right from the start, he was already putting the whole blame on the elder master Yoon. That way, the physician was avoiding to become responsible. He had been giving the drug to the butler for a long time, while claiming that he had not been able to diagnose the illness. Besides, we shouldn’t overlook that in this chapter, we only have the physician’s version!! We never heard the testimony from the father. Just because we saw the bruises and the hand on the main character’s neck, this is no real guarantee that the father said this to the doctor. 
(chapter 57) That’s how I realized that the doctor had been deceiving the painter all along. He lied by commission, but also when he talked about the visitation, he was actually delivering the truth in delay, paltering!! He used the same MO than Kim. He feigned ignorance, and mixed a truth with a lie!! This is no coincidence. This leads me to the following question: why did he talk about the past to Baek Na-Kyum?
(Chapter 57) Yes, it was to protect himself!! He was diverting the painter‘s attention. From that moment on, I could no longer judge him the same way. He was now an active and smart accomplice, who would utilize innocence, truth and knowledge to his advantage. 
(chapter 57) However, the office is actually far away from the mansion. (For more read the essay 
(chapter 55) But like I have always pointed out, Yoon Seungho had no idea about the drugs and medicine. He was totally left in the dark, for the valet would call the drug ” medicinal tea”. 
(chapter 35) He employed an euphemism. This truly shows that the doctor and the valet were partners in crime, both accomplices due to their passivity, knowledge and silence. Nevertheless, I don’t think that the physician was directly involved with the kidnapping and assassination plot. The conversation between the valet and the physician displays the lack of honesty coming from Kim. 
(chapter 57) The latter portrays himself as a victim. 
(chapter 63) He felt bound by secrecy to the bearded man. On the other hand, this incident must have worried him, as it had taken place at his own mansion. Thus he could get into trouble. Kim realized that he needed to reassure the doctor. If the latter started speaking, he could get into trouble, for he had left the propriety during that night. He had no real alibi. Hence the valet visited the doctor during that night, but he never threatened him. 
(chapter 65) The doctor believed that the moment someone talked, someone could take the fall. Observe that in the yard, the butler followed the physician’s advice: he should say nothing. 
(chapter 65) This truly exposes that the doctor is not just a naive man, but an accomplice not only due to his silence and passivity, but also due to his own manipulations. He described himself as a concerned observer who had done nothing wrong. But no, this is not true, as the drug is the evidence of his participation. Who paid for the drug/medicine in the end? Since the elder master Yoon was no longer living in the mansion, the valet was the one responsible for the expenses. I doubt that Yoon Seungho would take a closer look to the accounts. Then when he said that he only saw the protagonist twice 
(chapter 57), this doesn’t mean that he was not involved in the main lead’s suffering. He could have affected Yoon Seungho’s life differently. We have the perfect example in season 3: he treated the butler 
(chapter 77), while he neglected the lord’s hand 
(chapter 57) But since my theory is that Kim was a shaman, this signifies that he should have recognized Kim as the shaman!! In that case, I deduced that the physician had been lying to the elder master Yoon by omission. Naturally, it is also possible that the father had hired the shaman, but out of fear for his reputation, he acted, as if he had no idea about the butler’s true identity. In other words, all three men acted, as if they knew nothing. This would explain why all the characters had no eye in the last picture. Anyway, because of my latest theory, I reexamined the physician‘s statement and found more incongruences 
(chapter 57) Here he doubted the elder master Yoon’s words, for he stated as a fact that the young master Lee Jihwa was not mentally sick. Keep in mind that according to the doctor, the protagonist was described as someone suffering from a mental illness. And this detail caught my attention: the physician took the Lees’ side. Furthermore, the patriarch Lee was thinking similarly than the doctor: the shaman and the mental illness. 
(chapter 82) Finally, I would like to point out that in that chapter, the physician was mentioned too, and this next to the patriarch Lee. 
(chapter 82) Thus I believe that the physician’s fate is linked to Lee Jihwa and his father.
(Chapter 57) Finally, the manhwaphiles should detect that the doctor never mentioned the presence of the servants in the bedchamber. Both were restraining the wounded lord. 
(Chapter 57) This is also no coincidence that he didn‘t point out the absence of the elder master Yoon during the second visit. He couldn‘t, because his tactic to put the whole blame on the patriarch would have totally failed. And this leads me to the following observation: 
(chapter 74) The doctor was not honest here either. Exactly like in episode 57, he was faking his worries towards Baek NA-Kyum. First, we have the presence of the drop of sweat on his cheek, a sign of dishonesty, but more importantly, his question was just theoretical, he was influencing the painter. The latter just needed to agree. He hoped that the artist would never bring up the incident in his mansion, and as such would wonder about his whereabouts and his responsibility concerning the kidnapping. At the same time, he could have asked this with the hope that the painter would blame the protagonist for his misery. He would use the painter‘s suffering (the unfair judgement leading to his imprisonment) in order to divert attention from his own wrongdoing: his silence, his passivity and his lack of commitment. He never tried to look for Baek Na-Kyum‘s vanishing. He never felt responsible. But he had to give up, because the artist was truly ignorant.
(chapter 74) He never made any reproach towards the main lead. 
(chapter 4) As you can imagine, in this essay, my main focus will be on executive director Yoon Jae, because he is surrounded by mystery and secrets. However, this perception is not entirely correct, because they exist other wackos in this story which I will present at the end. 😲
. 
This means that Fujoking and Samk were hiding his real character on purpose, though the readers already knew his job and name: executive director Yoon. As you can see, the mystery concerning Yoon Jay is not about his name, but about his personality. He is indeed very difficult to understand contrary to Lee Yoohan who can be read like an open book. 
(chapter 1) He lived for a long time in the US, and he hasn’t been working at Dream Ent for a long time. He is portrayed as a ruthless man, for he doesn’t mind firing people. However, I believe that his bad notoriety is linked to his smile as well. How so? It is because when he rejects or fires people, he has a huge smile on his face. It was, as if he was feeling Schadenfreude. We have the perfect example, when he rejects Song Myungshin’s advances. 
(chapter 9) Though the image seems to ooze warmth due to the flowers and bright colors, we should perceive it as the opposite due to the huge contrast between the background and the immense NO. He is here acting, mirroring the actor’s hypocrisy. Besides, note that the main lead has closed eyes, an indication that he is hiding his true thoughts and emotions to the antagonist. Because the main lead combines a smirk with cold words, he appears heartless… almost like a psychopath! Hence he is also called psychopath. 
(chapter 35) That’s the reason why Yoon Jae is not surprised or upset hearing it from his protégé. His negative reputation incites fear and intimidation, like the spy admits it. Even the manager Choi gets frightened, when he hears his name. 
(chapter 6) However, the readers should question if Yoon Jae’s dangerousness is not exaggerated. Why? First of all, despite his claims, the worker was actually revealing secrets about the executive director to the actor Song Myungshin. If he truly feared him, then he shouldn’t have exposed the director’s research for the rabbit. 
(chapter 1) This was absolutely private. But who is Yoon Jae in reality? 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 8) Striking is the preference for dark colors, essentially brown and black. 
(chapter 9) He investigated about his past immediately. And what is the signification of brown then?
(chapter 35). One might object to this interpretation, for contrary to the office in Dream’s building and Alice’s labyrinth
(chapter 13), the floor and walls of his home are white. Why is there this difference? The color exposes the emptiness and loneliness of his life. This explains why the main lead barely goes home. I am even assuming that he is avoiding the place. He prefers sleeping on the bank 
(chapter 34) from the rooftop of the building than going home. And now, you comprehend why the director’s relative and friend sent Lee Yoohan there. He desired to ensure that his acquaintance would get enough sleep. Yoon Jae realized that if he desired to keep the main lead by his side, he needed to go back home so that they could share a bed together. 
(chapter 35) As you can see, I was able to create connections between the main lead’s office and other scenes indicating the importance of the design of a room. 
(chapter 35) Since he switched from the office in the Dream’s building to the one at Alice labyrinth’s, he can barely notice sun light. And now, you have the explanation why the main lead is so feared by the workers from Dream Ent. He forces them to work non-stop, even to sacrifice their night (see chapter 38)! That’s the reason why he is called a psychopath. He doesn’t know the true meaning of life. For him, there only exists work, work, work. Under this new light, the readers can perceive the similarities between the two protagonists. Both were leading a similar way of life, but definitely for different reasons. 
(chapter 10) The topic exposes the main lead’s loneliness and dull life. There is no real fresh air in his office, as it is just a picture. This room feels suffocating. It was, as if Yoon Jae was buried under work. Finally, the manhwaphiles can notice the absence of family pictures. And this is the same in the second office at Alice labyrinth’s and his real home. He is truly alone. The darkness of the room and the absence of a family display that Yoon Jae is not truly living. He is just working. There’s no joy or happiness in his life. That’s the reason why he appears so ruthless to others, because he doesn’t take into consideration his workers’ love life and family. This is the second common denominator with Lee Yoohan. And now, it is time to focus why the main lead called Yoon Jae a wacko.
(chapter 3), Yoon Jae showed his hostility immediately. First, he remained silent, then he insulted him by throwing the butt to his feet. 
(chapter 3) Such a reaction could only shock Lee Yoohan, as the latter had showed no sign of aggressiveness before. But why did the mysterious man react so negatively then? It is because for Yoon Jae, the rooftop had become his true home, the place where he could breathe. That’s the reason why he didn’t want anyone there, until he met the other main lead! And it is the same at Alice‘s labyrinth either. The rooftop is the main lead’s refuge where he can connect to “nature”. He can watch the city, but also the stars in the night sky or find some sleep. 
(chapter 3) This perception got even reinforced, when Fujoking chose black to show Yoon Jae’s words. 
(chapter 3) Unlike with Song Myungshin, the main lead decided to expose his true thoughts and emotions, therefore Lee Yoohan could see his gaze. In other words, the scene 9 stands in opposition to chapter 3 and 4. This is important, because this explains why Yoon Jae came to “show an interest in Lee Yoohan” righ away. While in chapter 9, the executive director sent away the evil and fake actor 
(chapter 9), he proposed a deal to “Lee Baekwon”. 
(chapter 4) The reason for this change of attitude is that Lee Yoohan showed no fear in front of him. He didn’t feel humiliated to take the butt and he even retaliated. 
(chapter 3) This means that he had no problem to defy Yoon Jae, while the latter knows about his terrible reputation. The protagonist would even glare at him after the punch. 
(chapter 4) 
(chapter 4), but also he rejected his assistance. 
(chapter 5) This shows that Lee Yoohan was no real leech. In other words, the young man was acting the opposite to the people Yoon Jae had ever met so far: hypocrites and greedy leech. That’s the reason why Yoon Jae found him so intriguing. 
(chapter 4), amusing 
(chapter 11), impressive 
(chapter 13), boring 
(chapter 23) and “amused” 
. (chapter 23) These idioms belong to the semantic field “entertainment”, which stands in opposition to work! To conclude, Lee Yoohan brought joy and light into his dull life, this is not surprising that at the end of season 1, Yoon Jae is now investing in an independent movie. 
(chapter 35) But why did he react to “revenge” then? He had never done something like that before, for he had always been on his own. He had always been indifferent towards people. But the more he saw the young actor, the more he got aroused sexually, the consequence of his racing heart. 
(chapter 13) This indicates that he was slowly brought back to life. 
t (chapter 30) He was not allowed to voice his emotions and thoughts to his “mother”. That’s the reason why Fujoking portrayed him as emotionless. 
(chapter 30) He had no smile on his face as a child, because he had been forced to lose it. There is no ambiguity that he was not allowed to cry either. The reason seems to be related to the mother’s high expectations for her son. 
(chapter 30). She made plans that Yoon Jae had to make come true. That’s how he internalized that life consists of only work and expectations. Everything else is pointless. It doesn’t matter, if this woman is his biological mother or his “adoptive mother”. Let’s not forget that the executive director has two names, Han and Yoon. Yoon comes from his mother. He is using “Yoon”, which could be seen as a sign of pride, while he resents “Han”. 
(chapter 30) He only had to use his intelligence and deny the existence of his heart. That’s the reason why he became a lonely and detached person. The lack of intimacy explains why Yoon Jae discovered sexuality very late. He only had sex with Lee Yoohan so far. 
(chapter 30) He had not the time and the opportunity to question his sexual orientation. His whole life revolved around work since his childhood. 
(chapter 14) He had a wounded arm, he was hiding his gaze behind his hair… a sign that he was having a hard time. He could only voice his emotions through aggression in the end. Striking is that in this situation, he utilized the idiom “play” contrasting to his philosophy of life: work: 
(chapter 14) In his mind, play was a synonym for fighting, but Lee Yoohan changed the meaning: sex. Thus when he had sex with the young man, he made two discoveries: tears which could only move his heart
(chapter 14), for they represented what Yoon Jae had always been repressing so far, his broken heart and sadness.
(chapter 35) This means that the young actor serves as a role model for the executive director. At the same time, he felt sexual pleasure for the first time
(chapter 14), and he could give warmth to someone. 
(chapter 15) He was no longer evaluated based on his work performance, but on his kindness. I am quite certain that during this encounter Yoon Jae must have felt time differently too. 
(chapter 15) I would even add that he was totally sincere, when he gave him the following advice: 
(chapter 15) But what the executive director had in mind back then was totally different from Lee Yoohan. Thanks the pink rabbit, he had discovered that he was not truly alone, there existed warmth and emotions besides work. This meeting had definitely affected the main lead’s perception, hence he added this: 
(chapter 15) He was smiling again, because he felt that a new chapter in his life was about to begin. However, the problem is that his words resonated for the former thug differently. He had deserved to lose his mother and his brother, as he had neglected them before. He was responsible for their death. He reinforced the main lead’s guilt and shame. Thus the latter got angry and punched Yoon Jae’s wounded arm before giving him money. 
(chapter 15) He was not allowed to receive affection, though his future lover meant the exact opposite. From my point of view, this was the moment Yoon Jae learned the following lesson: smile is associated to rejection and coldness. This explicates why his facial expression in the motel room 
(chapter 17), but still was longing for him and his embrace. 
(chapter 37) One thing is sure. Because of this incident, the executive director learned not to show his affection immediately. So when Lee Yoohan got into trouble at Alice Labyrinth’s, the executive director denied that he had sent the waiter in order to assist him. 
(chapter 7) Lee Taemin was here cornered. If he had mentioned the incident on the rooftop, the protagonist would have lost his interest in him. However, this pushed the main lead to become proactive and even creative. Then later, it was the same. His help was never for free.
(chapter 10) The irony is that here, the debutant didn’t grasp the ambiguity of his words. He could mean that he was selling his body, while in reality he had in his mind to work for the mysterious “helper”. The executive director had already perceived his innocence, hence he indeed offered him a job. 
(chapter 13) Secondly, Lee Tamin never truly employed his assistance directly. When he made the first phone call to wacko, he asked him to have his manager punished. Why? That way, Song Myungshin’s intervention would be mentioned. This means that Lee Yoohan used more or less the normal way to achieve his goal. That’s the reason why no one has ever made a connection between the executive director and Lee Taemin. The latter always tried to resolve the problems on his own. This could only impress the executive director. He could see that the young man was hard working. Striking is that Jay revealed his attachment and admiration towards Lee Yoohan very early on, because he introduced himself as Jay! 
(chapter 13) This is quite unusual for Koreans. Moreover, observe that he allowed him to enter his office at Alice Labyrinth’s. This is definitely his hiding place, hence I doubt that he allows strangers to visit him there. Slowly, the executive director Jay allowed Lee Yoohan to visit his private places: first the roof, then his office at Alice’s Labyrinth, the rooftop there too and finally his home. 
(chapter 29) He knew that he had to play cupide. 
. (chapter 15) This shows that Yoon Jae associates love to faithfulness and strong emotions, but the innocent rookie has long disconnected sex with affection. That’s the reason why he couldn’t see his jealousy 
(chapter 16) and as such his growing affection towards him.
(chapter 37) This picture announces the final transformation of the “wacko”. He is so overjoyed, that he wished to give his lover everything. 
, (chapter 38): fame, revenge… but also his heart! Thus he added this
(chapter 38) He will give him affection and warmth so that he can overcome his loss. 
(chapter 07) Thus he embodies the opposite values of chairman Kim, who doesn’t care about great movies and realism. Thus he changes scripts or actors. 
(chapter 23) For him, only his pleasures matter. He uses his money and connections to obtain his goal. He is actually the real monster who will abuse and rape men. 
(chapter 40) And the actor Song Myungshin is his helping hand who selects the man’s future preys
(chapter 40) with fake promises, while he benefits the most by receiving money and support for his career. The manager Choi described them as parasites who take pleasure at the suffering of others: 
(chapter 40) The actor is not different from chairman Kim, because as long as the others are sacrificed and as such suffering, he will never envy them. Song Myungshin is full of jealousy, and can not bear that someone else can be successful, thus he is determined to ruin the life of others: manager Choi, the talented Lee Hansoo and the rookie Lee Taemin. He perceives everyone as a source of threat due to his insecurities and greed. Since Chairman Kim and Song Myungshin embody rape and prostitution, it is normal that Yoon Jae never forced Lee Yoohan to have sex with him. He is the romantic one through and through, thus he is waiting for a real sign from his lover. Therefore it is no coincidence that he said this to the main lead: 
(chapter 28) He was signalizing that he wished to have sex with him, he had trouble to wait. 
(chapter 28) These words expose that for Yoon Jae sex and love were the same thing for him. He couldn’t differentiate them. Hence he can only appear as a wacko to the fake actor and chairman Kim. Therefore Song Myungshin is doomed to failure, he will never be able to seduce the powerful and attractive executive director Yoon Jae. 
(chapter 2) Queen Yoon vanished, because she was condemned as a witch. Naturally, her disgrace is linked to Lee Nok’s special situation. His yin energy is so strong that he attracts ghosts which his mother noticed. If the king knew about this, he would definitely see it as a curse. Thus Queen Yoon tried to protect her son with talismans which led to her demise. Because of this incident, the king turned concubine Han into his new Queen. The latter gave birth to a son who definitely represents a threat to Lee Nok. 
(chapter 8) This explicates why the boy is turning his back to Lee Nok. Their position in this picture already displays the existing rivalry between them which Queen Han is trying to diminish by faking concern and pity for the Crown prince. She seems to take the Crown Prince’s side, for she has to mask her involvement and true intentions: ambition. She is eyeing at the throne. If the main lead was involved in a scandal, the king could decide to nominate his second son as the future Crown prince. As you can see, Lee Nok’s situation is quite fragile and as such precarious. There is no ambiguity that the loss of his mother wounded the Crown prince deeply. We could detect it thanks to Jae Shin. The main lead chose to adopt the cute puppy, as the latter was motherless. 
(Chapter 7) As you can see, the main lead was projecting his own emotions and thoughts onto the small dog. He feels also abandoned in the palace, as he has no one to rely on. He can not even trust his close aid, the eunuch Ahn, and his love interest, Choi Kyung Joon, as his secrets (sodomy and the ghosts lusting after him) would shock them (disbelief and rejection).
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 2). Though the verdict looks similar, I come to a different interpretation. How so? 
(chapter 1), the other is badmouthed to be involved with dark arts through posters. 
(chapter 2) Yet there is no evidence. I would even add that contrary to Yeomra, the king never gave Lee Nok a choice to defend himself and to determine his fate. How so? As soon as the father read the poster, he accused his son: “What have you been doing that things have come to this?” This means that he believes that there exists a kernel of truth in this rumor. The cause for his mistrust is Lee Nok’s birth mother, the former Queen Yoon. Because his mother was already involved in such a ruckus, the king can only blame the Crown prince, all the more when the latter defends his mother’s honor. 
(chapter 2) These words could only reinforce the father’s prejudices. He was already guilty by association. 
(chapter 2) No one is able to see his face. His only support and connection to aristocrats is his friend Choi Kyung-Joon, the son of a minister. That’s how powerless the Crown prince is in the palace. He is even surrounded by maids spying for Queen Han. Consequently, I come to the conclusion that Lee Nok’s father represents the negative reflection of Yeomra. He doesn’t send away his son in order to protect him, rather to hide him out of shame and resent. In other words, the king doesn’t love his son contrary to Yeomra. Interesting is that the latter let his son make the choice about his own destiny. Why? He wished to give him the liberty to determine his fate in order to prove him what DESTINY is. 
(chapter 2), and later he listened to her fake concerns. This shows how easily the king can be manipulated, he is not even realizing that his royal secretary 
(chapter 2) is working against Lee Nok, while claiming that he will look for the author of these posters. I couldn’t help myself connecting Lee Nok’s seclusion in his quarters to the death of the shaman Yeom: both are “buried alive”. 
(chapter 8) The only difference is that the Crown prince is still living. However, for the Queen, it is just a matter of time, until people forget Lee Nok completely so that her son can replace him. At the same time, his isolation can only increase suspicions. And the more he is badmouthed (dark arts or sodomy), the more the king will turn away from his own son. While the king of the hell of tongue ripping wished Jae Shin to recognize his mother, the king of Joseon desired the exact opposite: he should deny his relationship to his birth mother, Queen Yoon. 
(Chapter 2) Moreover, the god never imposed his will onto Jae Shin. The latter has to discover this himself, whereas the king made the opposite choice.
(chapter 1). This shows that the ghost has a deep respect for his father in the end. This explains why after his sentence he thought about his father 
(chapter 1) His words don’t ooze resent, he is more pleading his cause, begging his father to recognize that humans don’t deserve such mercy and care. He trusted his father and his fairness, hence he spoke the truth. He never hid anything from him. As for Lee Nok, despite the father’s verdict, he still follows social norms. He accepts his father’s order. Then despite the rejection, he tried to see his father, and he even went to the Queen’s palace to greet her. He acts like an obedient and dutiful son. Finally, he tried to defend his mother’s honor, as he knew that she had sacrificed herself for him. I am convinced that he must feel guilty for her disgrace. 
(Chapter 8) This truly displays that he had no faith in his son, for in the king’s eyes, the prince is ignorant about Queen Han’s good nature. To sum up, Lee Nok is rejected by his own father, he has no one to rely on. He might have loyal servants like inspector So-Rib 
(chapter 2) or Eunuch Ahn, but the latter have no real power in the palace. Furthermore, he can not confide to them everything. He is not loved which stands in opposition to Jae Shin who grew up as a spoiled prince. 
(Chapter 2) That’s the moment he can finally breathe. This corresponds to the situation of being buried alive which I mentioned above. Since he is surrounded by maids, he has no privacy. But contrary to the Queen and the king, he has no real control over his staff. Due to his innocence and purity, he is not aware that one of his maids is reporting to Queen Han. He is definitely cautious, but he is not cunning enough to anticipate the Queen’s moves. As the manhwaphiles could sense, Lee Nok is indeed a fragile and lonely prince.
(chapter 18) He is masking his own vulnerability, at the same time he gives the impression that Lee Nok has no other choice than to depend on him. He is trying to turn the tables in the end. 
(Chapter 4) Besides, according to me, Yeomra fell in love with a human, this means that his action affected the mortal world, so he has to restore the harmony in the mortal realm. But the problem is that Lee Nok is already in love with his childhood friend Choi Kyung-Joon. So the main lead might have become the Crown prince’s sex partner, but he has not conquered his heart yet. Nevertheless, it is just a matter of time. The irony is that humans are mortals, hence their time is limited. This shows that Jae Shin is actually working against time. He could end up living as a puppy forever. So he is also weak, totally depending on Lee Nok’s heart and good will. 
(Chapter 16) The latter might have not died, but he lost his yin energy. Thus he lost his strength. Only the Crown prince could heal him.
(Chapter 13) Why would she say that? First, Lee Nok is aware that his friend hates sodomy. 
(Chapter 3) Hence he is forced to hide his affection from him. This means that he can never be honest to Choi Kyung-Joon, yet like already pointed out above, the Crown prince embodies innocence and as such honesty. This means that his lack of honesty towards his loved one can only wound his heart. So far, the Crown prince could never outlive his sexual orientation, for he had no partner at all. Thus he could still maintain his image in front of his loved one. This hopeless love gave him a certain strength. 
(Chapter 9) This outlines the mortal’s power. 
(chapter 13) The friends can not become lovers, as this would represent a threat to them. However, there is no ambiguity that Choi Kyung-Joon is aware of the Crown prince’s affection and he is taking advantage of it. By using social norms, rejection of sodomy, he can keep his distance from Lee Nok, but still maintain his relationship with him. How did I come up with this interpretation? 
(Chapter 3) Note that he is using the personal pronoun “I”, while in reality he is just usurping the Crown Prince’s authority. 
(Chapter 3) He was definitely arrogant, selfish and intolerant in that scene. He didn’t pay attention that his friend was not feeling well the whole time. Secondly, with such an attitude, he could create a ruckus for the Crown prince and damage his reputation. 
(Chapter 3) They were in a gibang, and note that the poster was released shortly after this visitation. Finally, Jae Shin was already hinting about Lee Nok’s love to Choi Kyung-Joon
(chapter 3) It was clear that he was designating his companion, as their path crossed there for the first time. But since the ghost was just insinuating, the other could still feign ignorance. However, despite this warning, the minister’s son didn’t change his attitude. In fact, he became even more caring and gentle than before. Moreover, observe that when the main lead was summoned to his father, Choi Kyung-Joon never asked for an audience and speak up for his friend. 
(chapter 10) Thanks to Painter Of The Night, we all know that this exam has more rounds. Why did he not pass the second round? In my opinion, it is because he is relying on Lee Nok’s support. This shows that he is not determined to become a high official on his own merit. That’s the reason why he is close to the Crown prince in the end. His well-being is his ticket to get power. 
(Chapter 9) But since Queen Han sent someone to tail the childhood friend, it is only a matter of time, until jinsa Choi realizes that he can obtain more, if he supports Queen Han. Besides, if he detects that Lee Nok is hiding things from him, he can utilize this as a sign that he is losing favors. And the moment he switches sides, Lee Nok won’t be able to forgive him. But there exists another possibility how their friendship can get ruined, Choi Kyung-Joon’s attitude represents a problem itself, which I had already outlined above. He almost caused a ruckus in the gibang, then he didn’t try to defend his friend in front of the father, and finally, he made another huge mistake. He let Lee Nok sleep outside. 
(chapter 10) Though his advices sound selfless and great, they are actually terrible. How could he leave the room, after the prince had fallen asleep? He should have left before. Then he makes sure that no one sees him. This can create a misunderstanding. Why did they do there together? So the moment there is a rumor that Lee Nok is a sodomite, the minister’s son could get suspected. So in order to save his skin, he could betray his friend and testify against him. He saw the hickeys. 
(Chapter 13) This is important, because Jae Shin is powerful contrary to the childhood friend. He can use his connection from the afterlife: his brothers, Yeom and the ghosts. And contrary to the minister’s son, his movements can not be detected first. As an investigator, he can unveil how Queen Han used ghosts to ruin Lee Nok by altering the book of names. The ghosts remained in the mortal world, 
(chapter 13) Like his father, he believes in fate, not realizing that his sin is the evidence that destiny can be changed. From my perspective, this change of heart and conviction can only happen, when he discovers that someone else committed the same crime affecting him directly. Interesting is that Yeom serves as a mother figure to Jae Shin. Despite his rejection, he still followed her advice. He trusted her words, when she said this: 
(chapter 13) He recognized the truth in her words. This shows that through Jae Shin, Lee Nok can gain powers. Indirectly, the latter is also receiving the help of the mother figure, Yeom. The punished prince can give orders to ghosts, he can chase away evil spirits and as such put an end of Queen Han’s influence. Moreover, thanks to his loving brothers, Jae Shin can get an access to the book of names and know about people’s fate. 
(Chapter 15) He doesn’t necessarily needs to interfere directly, his knowledge can help Lee Nok (for example the king’s passing). Remember the saying: knowledge is power. As a puppy, Jae Shin can tail Choi Kyung-Joon too, and he won’t be suspected, as a white puppy is supposed to chase away evil spirits. In fact, the friend knows how Lee Nok cherishes the dog, so he has no interests to mistreat or suspect him. This shows that the Crown prince has powers in the afterlife, 
and his purity is his strength.
(chapter 2) and chose to protect him. Despite his status, he showed humbleness. But this doesn’t end here. He shared not only his bed and his food with him, but also his secrets. . 
(Chapter 2) Jae Shin had already become his confident. And this leads me to my final conclusion: Lee Nok is strong because of his huge heart too. He is neither arrogant nor selfish, and he has not such a negative view about humans and life in general, more about ghosts, the cause for his suffering. For me, he has never lost hope. He contrasts so much to his lover, thus he can teach him these values and change him. On the other hand, Jae Shin can give the Crown prince what he has been missing the most: a true home thanks to his affection and support. 
(chapter 7) For them, Kim Dan became a hot topic among the staff (def. 4). 
(chapter 7) Then they recognized his skills immediately (“He’s a totally different weight class. Definitely won’t be easy”). He not only looked young, but also was skillful (def. 5) Hence one member made the following request that the doctor should treat them too. This is important, because thanks to the manager and coach, the gentle Kim Dan was welcome properly. He was accepted as a member of their team, though he didn’t have his uniform yet. Consequently, it is not surprising that the moment the protagonist offered his help to an injured fighter, the other boxers came to his side, and wished to be examined too. 
(chapter 1) The latter used his position to isolate the main lead and put the blame on him. As you can imagine, I am expecting the opposite in Black Team. If something happens, they will side with Kim Dan, because the latter treated them well contrary to the champion. 
(chapter 7), he acted differently, as he treated the other boxers. He was selfless, and the other hot boys could witness it. In their eyes, Kim Dan is definitely a hot boy (def. 4.-5-9)!
(chapter 7), exactly like his fighter Joo Jaekyung (chapter 1). However, I believe that there exists a difference. The champion came to take this expression literally, hence he shows a certain arrogance which is not the case for the coach. Nevertheless, the athlete respects the coach. The former never retaliated, when the hyung scolded him after smacking his back. 
(chapter 7) This means that he has to call Kim Dan hyung like the other fighters now. And now, you comprehend his reluctance to address Kim Dan properly. 
(chapter 7) It was, as if he didn’t want to lose his title “hyung” to the physical therapist. And this leads me to the following observation: Kim Dan became the hot topic between the protagonist and the coach (def. 3). And it is only a question of time, until hyung discovers the existence of the deal between the two protagonists. In this scene, he is hot on his athlete’s trail for his arrogance and disrespect towards people. (def. 11)
(chapter 1) and in this society, the alphas are at the top of the hierarchy, while the omegas are at the bottom. This explicates why alphas are either CEO or school principals or professors due to their intelligence, while the omegas are “housewives”
(chapter 1), for they have problems to find a job due to their heat cycles. The male omegas have the possibility to give birth to children, and their mates are alphas like mentioned in the illustration above. The attraction between omegas and alphas is mutual, especially when the omegas are in heat. They can not control their reactions, hence they need to take medicine called suppressants or inhibitors. It was, as if they were behaving like animals. The moment an alpha get bonded to an omega by biting his neck, they can never be separated. In certain stories, it goes so far that distance or separation can become deadly. As for the alphas, they also have a cycle called rut, and exactly like their counterpart, they can not control their libido. Another characteristic of the alphas and omegas is their phemorones, exposing their heat cycle or their emotions and desires. In this scene, 
(chapter 12) the terrible Seo Heetae, an alpha, is spreading his phemorones on the protagonist Kim Juhyeok out of anger and jealousy. This signifies that betas distinguish themselves from alphas and omegas, for they don’t possess such abilities. They are not so strong or „intelligent“ compared to the alphas, and they can not detect phemorones. On the other hand, they are not vulnerable contrary to the omegas who actually need the protection of an alpha. To sum up, betas are simply average. However, they make up a large part of society. This means our main lead, Kim Juhyeok, is a beta. And here is the next question. How does the protagonist view himself compared to alphas and omegas?
(chapter 1) The man oozes pride and confidence, as he is seen smiling with stars and bright colors in the background. This means that he doesn’t consider himself inferior to the others. Why? First, due to his hard working attitude, he became the representative of the new employees. 
(chapter 1) This shows that he could distinguish himself from all the other betas. Striking is that this cute man is full of ambition. His goal is to surpass alphas and omegas.
(chapter 1) It was, as if he wanted to make his name known. Let’s not forget that betas are considered as the normality, as the crowd. As you can sense, Kim Juhyeok has a competitive attitude which reminds us of the alphas. Hence it is not surprising that when he got on stage as the representative, he caught the attention of the alpha, Lee Sihyeon, the second main lead. To conclude, Kim Juhyeok is different from all the other betas, as he is trying to compete with alphas and omegas. 
In this illustration, Kim Juhyeok is pushing the alpha Lee Sihyeon away by putting his hands on his mouth. This shows that he is determined not to date anyone. And this observation leads to me to the next inquiry: Why is the young man desiring to remain single, for he could date a beta? 
(chapter 14) His reply is that it is a long story. As you can see, he has many reasons for putting a wall between himself and the others.
(chapter 1) And it looks like it was not different, when he went to college. 
(chapter 1) However, this is actually a deception. Kim Juhyeok was friend with an alpha, the actual actor Seol Gido!! This truly shows that he already came in contact with omegas and alphas at the university, yet he didn’t pay too much attention to them. He only started showing an interest in them, when he began working at the company. 
(chapter 1) where he can live in seclusion. Hence he is seen alone here.
(chapter 4) Since the beta can not detect the presence of phemorones, he never realized the truth behind his friend’s trick to chase his potential rivals: 
(chapter 4) He was always informed afterwards. Seol Gido just needed to fake the excuse to be drunk to release his pheromones to claim Kim Juhyeok as his own. One might argue with this interpretation, because Seol Gido has a girlfriend. 
(chapter 7) But if this was true, why did he spend the night at his friend’s place and not at his partner’s? Besides, if so, he should have first gone to his friend, then later to his girlfriend. The order exposes the importance of Juhyeok in Seol Gido’s life. And this observation leads me to the following deduction: Kim Juhyeok is just a pure and innocent man who had never the opportunity to date anyone. He is literally clueless, hence he relies on his acquaintance’s advices. 
(chapter 4) However, the latter is definitely deceiving him. I would even add that he convinced the main figure that alphas would only date omegas. This panel exposes the misinformation. He can not imagine that a relationship between beta and omega or alpha with a beta is possible. We can see the actor’s influence in this scene. 
(chapter 4) The young man is not realizing that his neighbor, an alpha, is flirting with him. Observe how the actor reacted. He bumped into the guy on purpose 
(chapter 4), and though he heard the neighbor’s despair, he never revealed the truth to his friend. This shows that Kim Juhyeok has no idea about seduction and flirting, because Seol Gido messed up his perception, which he called “delusion”. 
(chapter 1) For Kim Juhyeok, alphas and omegas behave like animals, for their behavior has such a negative influence on the company.
(chapter 1) This is what he said to his “wife” Lee Hyeonjae after slapping him. Besides, the heat cycle of omegas represents a huge hindrance. 
(chapter 2) The main lead seems so gentle and selfless, while in reality it was for his own peace of mind. As you can detect, their behavior stands in opposition to the protagonist’s philosophy and work ethics. The latter values work very much, as that way he can distinguish himself from others.
(chapter 4) However, here the protagonist had not rejected his superior, the latter was upset, because he had detected phemorones from Seol Gido on him. Hence Lee Sihyeon had spread his own heat phemorones on Juhyeok. And that’s how he got mistaken for an alpha by Ha Weonyi! 
(chapter 2) In other words, due to his interaction with Lee Sihyeon and Ha Weonyi, Kim Juhyeok’s identity got questioned: was he an alpha or an omega? At the same time, he was encouraged to interact more and more with Lee Sihyeon and Ha Weonyi. This is important, because that way, he can finally drop his prejudices about alphas and omegas. 
(chapter 14) As the manhwaphiles can detect, this image stands in opposition to the first panel: 
(chapter 14) This means that Juhyeok is longing for a cheesy and amazing relationship, but he has the impression that this can never happen to him!! It is only reserved for alphas and omegas… and now, you comprehend why he doesn’t desire to date anyone. In his eyes, this will never be a fated love! This means that he wished to have secret marks on his body, but he will never admit it so openly. Hence this scene in chapter 1 
should be perceived differently. When he saw the bite marks on the omega manager Lee, he expressed his displeasure internally 
(chapter 1), yet deep down he felt jealous. This explicates why after this discovery, he wished more than ever to leave the company. 
(chapter 1) Far away from anyone, he won’t be confronted with envy and regret!! In other words, he doesn’t wish to have an ordinary love life which is perceptible in the following words: 
(chapter 14) Here, he implied that dating with a beta wouldn’t trigger deep emotions, as it is not “fated”. I detected a contradiction too. The only couples he mentioned so far were alphas-omegas. So far, he reproaches the couple to yell and weep constantly, yet he says that their relationship is fated. As you can see, in truth he envies them. And this shows that deep down, the main lead is suffering from inferiority complex which was already palpable with his desire to surpass alphas and omegas. Deep down, he did feel inferior to them. Under this new light, he becomes comprehensible why he feels the need to run away from alphas and omegas. 
(chapter 10) The irony is that in the last scene, Sihyeon only paid more attention to the end of the sentence than the beginning: the omegas were all small, pale and cute! Consequently, he got jealous after hearing his love interest’s words! Yet, Juhyeok was actually praising him.
(chapter 10) He grabbed his hand and led him, which is not something an omega would do. Yet, Juhyeok’s words oozed innocence! And since his dream is to be loved, and even to have a fated love, it is not surprising that he is already falling for Lee Sihyeon. He was the first one who confessed to him so plainly!! He was disappointed, when he thought that the director was not keeping his words.
(chapter 14).The director Lee Sihyeon will do anything to woo his “prey”, the beta Kim Juhyeok. Exactly like Seol Gido, he chose a different approach: they are now friends! That way, he hopes that the young beta will put down his guard. 
(chapter 14) And observe that Sihyeon’s speech was similar to Seol Gido!! He also asked for a confirmation from the protagonist, that’s how both alphas are “influencing” the beta! However, contrary to the actor, Lee Sihyeon is more honest. He warned the beta not to trust the alphas, including himself. Another difference is that he is more straightforward than the actor. He definitely uses physical contact to break “the ice”. 
(chapter 13)
(chapter 14) Ha Weonyi prefers betas over alphas, as the latter seem to be rude, arrogant and self-centered. His cousin even added that he would attract “weird alphas”. From my point of view, this will take place, because thanks to his interaction with the two cousins, Sihyeon and Weonyi, Kim Juhyeok will judge them as humans and no longer as alphas or omegas!! Yes, the major flaw of the protagonist is to lump alphas and omegas together. He needs to stop viewing people as a crowd, and starts perceiving them as individuals. Finally, since director Lee is the main lead’s superior, he can contribute that their “affection” doesn’t affect Juhyeok’s work and his philosophy. In fact, he can help him to achieve his goal, to become a role model for alphas and omegas! 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 