This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
Many readers are able to recognize the similarities between chapter 40 and 75, because both episodes contain the following elements:
- The prank:
(chapter 40) 
(chapter 75: repetition from chapter 74) - The presence of the bulletin board
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75) - The honest conversation between the protagonists, where Yoon Seungho is encouraging his lover to introspect himself
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75) - The color of the sky
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75) - The presence of memories:
(chapter 40) versus 
(chapter 75)
Yet despite all the parallels, if I had to give a title to chapter 75, I would select “Memories” and not “Responsibility”, although the latter is still present in episode 75. Why? It is, because the painter talks about his past and youth and as such, he is forced to bring up memories. 
(Chapter 75) And this made me realize two things: Baek Na-Kyum embodies memories, hence we got many flashbacks from the painter (chapter 2, 11, 23, 34, 38, 40, 41, 46, 56, 57, 60, 66, 74, 75), whereas Yoon Seungho embodies truth. Note that unlike the artist, Byeonduck showed us only a few memories from the aristocrat (chapter 19, 25, 48, 55, 74 with the nightmare). Moreover, the latter is always confronting the painter with his questions and observations. The noble wants him to be true to himself and question his own motivation. (Chapter 75) And this observation made realize another aspect about Yoon Seungho, because unlike chapter 40, the aristocrat stands in the center of episode 75: the significance of memories in the lord’s life.
1. Memories and identity
In order to understand why I came to this conclusion, it is relevant to examine the memories in chapter 40 due to the parallelism. There, the painter recalled the questions and comments from Yoon Seungho, which incited the commoner to ask his teacher about his future. Once the scholar had succeeded, would he become responsible for the painter, like he had implied? And observe that during the confrontation, the artist used a statement from the past: 
(chapter 29) Thanks to the memories, the low-born had gathered courage and faced his teacher. However, this discussion led to a tragedy. Baek Na-Kyum got hurt, because his learned sir chose to destroy him in the worst possible way. With his words, he showed his true thoughts 
(chapter 40) and in order to reinforce his statement, he made sure that Baek Na-Kyum would perceive his real gaze: cold and ruthless. 
(chapter 41) But more striking is that the scholar used memories (the kisaeng house) to define the painter’s identity: he was born to be a prostitute despite his “lessons”. He puts the whole responsibility and blame on the commoner. As a conclusion, the memories served in the conflict to identify Baek Na-Kyum. Who was he really to the scholar? Was he his helping hand, like the low-born claimed, or was he just a “prostitute” according to the scholar?
2. Memory loss and identity
This connection between memory and identity in the manhwa is not random, because according to John Locke’s “memory theory”, a person’s identity only reaches as far as their memory extends into the past. In other words, memory is a necessary condition of personal identity. Thus, as a person’s memory begins to disappear, so does his identity. Therefore, we could say that without memory, there’s no identity. On the other hand, in my previous analysis, I had demonstrated that the lord’s unconscious was trying to force his conscious to remember his past, because he had repressed his traumatic past. This meant that he was suffering from memory loss. Hence we could say, that he lost his own identity. This is not surprising that childhood trauma and memory loss go hand-in-hand. Blocking out memories can be a way of coping with the trauma. It goes even so far that an adult survivor of childhood trauma can even believe that he was never a victim of childhood trauma. Consequently, in case of a permanent memory loss, it signifies that the victim even loses his own identity. Since my theory has been confirmed that the lord was a painter in his youth, chapter 75 actually exposed the memory loss in two different ways:
- First, the lord couldn’t even remember painting an orchid
(Chapter 75), an indication that his short-term memory was defective due to his lack of sleep. - However, the master’s hand could still paint a orchid without paying too much attention to his hand. It exposes that it was actually an automatic gesture, revealing that he had internalized such a gesture in the long-term memory. And note that when he did this, he mentioned his youth
(chapter 36) Therefore I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho’s short-term memory is not working properly. Imagine, he could remember one incident from his childhood, but he couldn’t remember painting the orchid. Hence I believe that the lord can’t even reminisce the drawings in chapter 8 
and 23 
. Only thanks to Baek Na-Kyum’s mention, he was able to recall the drawing. Thus the manhwalovers can comprehend why I consider the artist as a synonym for memories.
3. Trauma and memories
But in the manhwa, there’s more than just memory loss due to a coping mechanism. Traumatic events such as sexual assaults, are encoded differently than more routine due to extreme fear. The victim won’t be able to remember everything, just details, the chronology will be mixed up due to existential fear, that’s why if you recall the following panel, you’ll truly grasp the real atrocity of Yoon Seungho’s suffering. 
(Chapter 65) While he can’t remember what truly happened due to his poor emotional and physical state, Kim somehow blames him. The young master is so confused that he has to defend himself. This means that after the first rape, the domestic didn’t even comfort the protagonist, but he used the victim’s vulnerable state of mind (who was confused due to this terrific incident) to manipulate the noble’s memory.
That’s why when police investigate a sexual abuse and interview a victim, the latter will always be interrogated twice. The first interview focuses more on the sensory and emotional memories, while during the second, the officers will try to reconstruct the chronology. This explicates why they always wait for quite some time for the second statement. It is necessary, as the memories are now stored and they can be retrieved, although due to fear and stress, the incident can never be properly reconstructed. As you can imagine, Yoon Seungho was not in the capacity to testify about the sexual assault. This terrible event affected his memory so much that he was not given the opportunity to denunciate the crime. He was made speechless in the end due to the insinuation and as such manipulation. I bet, he couldn’t even describe what had truly happened to him. That’s why he repressed the first rape.
4. Amnesia and manipulation
But now imagine this. You are exposed to physical and sexual abuse for more than a decade, this means that your memory will be definitely affected. You are living constantly in fear and stress, two important factors, which can trigger memory loss. [read more here: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-causes-memory-loss-4123636] Like I explained briefly above, terrific events are never encoded normally. This signifies in our case that the lord’s faculties to memorize were definitely affected due to the constant exposure, which can make him more vulnerable to false memories. Studies show that individuals with PTSD, a history of trauma, or depression are at risk for producing false memories, when they are exposed to information that is related to their knowledge base. This also signifies that they are more receptive for manipulations. Therefore I come to the next deduction that in chapter 68, Kim was definitely attempting to distort the past and create false memories. 
(Chapter 68) He mixed facts with lies in order to confuse his master’s judgement and memory. That’s the reason why it is important now to recall my initial statement: without any memory, there’s no identity. This signifies that in chapter 68, when Kim tried to give him memories, he desired to give him a certain identity: he was similar to his father. The latter would punish or imprison the boy and not release him. Giving a false reflection and identity is something Kim had never done before in front of his master, as he knew that his master feared his own image. However, he never imagined that Yoon Seungho would react differently. Instead of pushing away the painter, he let the artist choose his fate.
5. Making memories and forgiveness
However, in order to comprehend the topic memory, it is relevant to know how memory functions. The latter is divided in 3 parts: encoding, storage and retrieval. And in order to encode information, you have to utilize your senses. There are 3 types of encoding: semantic (words), visual and acoustic (sound). The manwhaphiles should recall that according to my interpretation, Yoon Seungho had been deprived of all his senses, therefore he lived like a ghost. And this signifies that he couldn’t make any memory at all. And with no memory, you have no identity and as such no life. That’s why when he cut ties with Jihwa the first time, he never mentioned the word “memories”, but time spent together: 
(Chapter 18) In my opinion, this shows that Yoon Seungho had no true memory in reality. He knew that they had sex together, but that was it. It was more like “the night is long and I need to kill time so that dawn can come faster.” Note that he never mentions their childhood together. With this interpretation, it becomes comprehensible that the main lead could act, as if nothing had happened between Jihwa and himself after the topknot incident. 
From my point of view, he had literally forgotten the incident, yet for Jihwa, it meant that he had been forgiven. 
(Chapter 59) And this explicates why Yoon Seungho barges in the mansion in chapter 67: he makes it clear that he won’t forget what happened. 
(Chapter 67) The real forgiveness occurred in chapter 59: Despite the caused pain, Yoon Seungho was willing to overlook the terrible action
(chapter 59), but he made it clear that he would never reciprocate the feelings. This was real forgiveness from my perspective, whereas in the past, Yoon Seungho couldn’t remember anything. Jihwa had the terrible habit to use the past in order to torment his childhood friend, which always triggered buried emotions connected to memories, which the noble couldn’t control. From my point of view, the lord only had flashbulb memories which the readers could discover in chapter 55: 
(chapter 55)
“A flashbulb memory is an accurate and exceptionally vivid long-lasting memory for the circumstances surrounding learning about a dramatic event. Flashbulb Memories are memories that are affected by our emotional state.” quoted from https://www.simplypsychology.org/flashbulb-memory.html
These memories connected to emotions were the remains of his deeply repressed memories. The lord could only remember the feelings he had felt during his traumatic past. To sum up, the lord had no real recollection of his past, and the few things he knew were manipulations and lies explained by his butler. Therefore you can comprehend why Kim got scared
(chapter 56), when he heard that lord Song asked for a meeting. The latter could definitely reveal new information and let the protagonist realize that he was truly suffering from memory loss.
6. Recovery from amnesia: memories
However, due to the exposure to arts, his eyes got healed, hence he could sense positive emotions and as such create good memories (visual encoding). From my point of view, when Baek Na-Kyum entered his life, the noble had started developing good memories, because so far, all he had were traumatic memories. However, Yoon Seungho’s capacities to memorize were under-developed due to the lack of practice. This explicates why he shows no interest to discover why the commoner stopped painting. This was not meaningful to him, and the readers should know that people will only memorize significant information. The emergence of his memory is visible in chapter 1. We see him speaking about his nightly activities so positively, but observe that he is only talking about recent and meaningful memories. 
(Chapter 1) Striking is that when Baek Na-Kyum confronts him with his poor image (“man consumed by lust”)
(chapter 4), the lord is bothered. He is forced to ponder why he is described like that, hence he has to recall events from the past. At the same time, when the lord read the poem, he was encouraged to recall the original sijo. This shows that at some point, Yoon Seungho rediscovered literature. Words and paintings helped to create memories. Thus if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the more time passes on, the more memories the lord has. They are strongly intertwined with the paintings. The latter helped him to reminisce the sex sessions and his past. He can’t forget how the painter masturbated behind the door. He is even getting more and more good memories. 
(chapter 18) Then in chapter 19, he reminisces the painter’s facial expressions which puts him in a good mood. 
(Chapter 19) This explicates why Yoon Seungho was so moved by the painter’s confession during their Wedding night. For the first time, he experienced warmth and love, he even heard a love confession. This could only be stored as a wonderful memory. At the same time, he hoped, the artist would create a picture of this night in order to ensure that this memory was real. Moreover, note that in chapter 58, 
he externalized how much this night meant to him. 
(Chapter 58)
Yet, the manhwaphiles can detect that in his confession, the memory is not entirely described as positive: “haunt”. This explicates why I consider the Wedding night as a turning point in Yoon Seungho’s life. This memory is a combination of positive and negative elements. The lord wished to relive this, but he was not satisfied, because he knew that he had impersonated the scholar. Moreover, the manhwaphiles should reminisce that after this night, the lord will do terrible things to the artist and as such, he gets now terrible memories. That’s the reason why in my opinion, Byeonduck chose to expose the rape as a flashback from the master’s perspective. Because of his bad actions, Yoon Seungho feels huge pangs of conscience and can’t act like nothing happened. He is now forced to remember. However, in my eyes it is different from the past. Before, he was just a ghost, hence he was incapable to get memories, with Baek Na-Kyum’s help, he can get memories which will help him to face his own traumatic past.
7. Memories and learning
There’s one aspect, strongly connected to memory, which I didn’t mention so far: learning.
” Learning and memory operate together in order increase our ability for navigating the environment and survival. Learning refers to a change in behavior that results from acquiring knowledge about the world and memory is the process by which that knowledge is encoded, stored, and later retrieved.” quoted from https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105/chapter/8-2-how-memory-functions/
As you can see, in order to change, the lord needs memories. Through positive and negative experiences, the noble can gain knowledge leading to a change of attitude which the readers could observe. Gradually, the noble learnt from his mistakes and good memories. Therefore, this is no coincidence that when in chapter 75, Baek Na-Kyum talks about his past and memories, he criticizes his master: (Chapter 75) He gives him the impression that he will never change, the lord wouldn’t even remember him after his death. Now, you grasp why he reproaches Yoon Seungho his fickle nature, he is indirectly referring to the lord’s memories. 
(Chapter 75) His feelings will fade away just like memories. He will forget him. What the painter doesn’t realize is the following: this date is actually an important moment in Yoon Seungho’s life. For the first time, he gets to discover the painter’s memories and past, which now the noble can store as his own. He will never forget this day, especially when he heard that the painter would cry because of him 
(a new version of chapter 21: 
(chapter 21) , but here out of concern. In other words, Baek Na-Kyum would like to be remembered. Hence he complains that the lord didn’t call for him. And this can only make the lord happy, because he can detect through the painter’s words that the latter is longing for his presence and care. From my perspective, Yoon Seungho has finally grasped why the artist is not truly honest with him. Therefore he can only tease his lover pushing him to make the first step. Let’s not forget that right now, the master is now treating his lover as his new lord. So the latter has to call for him. 
(Chapter 75) Here, the protagonist clearly displays that he has never forgotten his companion. Their date is so important for two reasons. It allows the noble to gather more information about the commoner, and get a really good memory before the next tragedy.
From my point of view, it will help him to face his own traumatic past. Let’s not forget that a rape is planned, so if the noble was to discover this, he would be definitely reminded of his own past. And this truly happened in season 3. Simultaneously he would be able to help his lover to recover from the traumatic incident. We shouldn’t forget that during the kidnapping, the lord’s smile was the reason why Baek Na-Kyum didn’t lose his sanity 
(Chapter 60) and could cope with the kidnapping much better. Note that he has no nightmare afterwards. And this detail is important, because we have to envision that while Yoon Seungho was exposed to physical and sexual abuse for a decade, he had no good memory at all in order to remain sane. Moreover, he never felt loved. Consequently, he couldn’t even think of anyone in a positive way. That’s why he was so damaged in the end. (Chapter 57)
The presence of a loved one is necessary in order to cope with traumatic childhood abuse.
8. The impact of Yoon Seungho’s traumas on his mind and attitude
And this leads me to the next observation: Due to his childhood trauma, the lord’s memory was affected and didn’t work properly, as for a long time, his memory was not encouraged to encode events. On the other hand, because of Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was forced more and more to face his traumatic past, therefore his fears and abandonment issues came to the surface. This explicates why he couldn’t pay attention to details and never questioned the circumstances of the first abduction. Note that during the night at the physician’s, he still doesn’t trust his own senses. 
(Chapter 58) This signifies that he is unsure if what he is experiencing is real or not. From my point of view, the memory loss and his life as ghost affected his brain and the way to encode and store information. Hence he has no real recollection of the incident with Deok-Jae (chapter 30 and 53). That’s why he is not asking for his whereabouts. However, I believe to see a turning point in chapter 75. By giving the lord the opportunity to have a real date, where he could hear and see that Baek Na-Kyum was definitely affected by him, the noble will react differently compared to the first abduction and after the painter’s first flashback. He will not lose his mind blinded by his emotions and insecurities, he knows that the artist chose him. And he won’t blame himself like for the first flashback. Remember that in chapter 66, he never called the physician. Why? Because someone told him that the painter needed the presence of a loved one to recover. Kim made sure that Yoon Seungho would feel guilty. Deep down, Yoon Seungho knew that he was responsible for the panic attack.
(Chapter 66) But the real cause for all this was the butler’s silence and complicity. That’s why he remained by his side, until the artist had recovered. Thus I had predicted that after meeting Nameless, Baek-Na-Kyum would get a panic attack.
(Chapter 75)
This is what I wrote in the first version:
“However, this time, the noble will wonder how this could happen. They had a nice conversation, where they exchanged thoughts. He is not responsible and it can’t be the alcohol. Moreover, he will recall his lover’s words: He won’t focus on his own emotions, but will try to calm down the artist and investigate why the painter reacted like that.” It is definitely possible that he brings back the painter to the mansion and decides to visit the physician in order to ask for an advice. From my point of view, thanks to the new memories, the noble is learning more about his surroundings and gaining more experience.”
However, the reality was that Yoon Seungho thought that the painter’s panic attack had just been triggered by the entertainers.
(Chapter 76) He didn’t take his words seriously, for he believed that he had discovered the truth. Therefore the lord never investigated the circumstances of the kidnapping. Since he thought, he knew the truth, he had no reason to question this. Why did the Joker scare the painter so much? Thus the lord didn’t take the memories from the painter seriously. How could he, since he had been already informed? However, the revelation from Min had diverted Yoon Seungho’s attention from the real problem: the involvement of the helping hands (Kim, Deok-Jae, No-Name) and of the mastermind behind this.
9. Baek Na-Kyum’s memories and truth
What caught my attention is that Baek Na-Kyum is also hurt, though he has memories from his past. What he confessed to his lover represented a bad memory, and this made him feel guilty. Striking is that he believes, he knows the truth, as he can reminisce his past. Yet, he is making a huge mistake: memories are by no means facts, they are biased and even tainted. The artist took the scholar’s words as face-value. He never questioned his words, therefore he blamed himself for Jung In-Hun’s failure. Here, I would like the manhwaphiles to notice the parallels between Jihwa and the artist: both feel responsible for a tragedy, while in reality it was not the case. Both were victims of manipulations and lies.
My theory is that the learned sir imagined that he had finally the possibility to get a high position. Yet the incident in the gibang put an end to it, and this is definitely related to the erotic pictures. However, there is no ambiguity that Jung In-Hun was actually receiving his karma. Remember that in the Alternative Universe, the protagonist used Jung Na-Min as his artist name. In other words, the name of the artist must have had an effect on his career. Besides, let’s not forget that the teacher is preaching immobility, for people’s fate is always determined. 
(Chapter 6) They can not escape their conditions. Thus the gods chose to punish him the following way: he could never escape his own situation. He would remain a man with no wealth and connection. Thus no matter what he did, it ended with a failure. Therefore it is not surprising that he came to resent the painter, for he caught the attention of a powerful noble and this at least twice. The scholar was offered a position, but due to the incident in the gibang, the sponsor changed his mind. Hence he blamed Baek Na-Kyum for not securing a post. It was, as if he had stolen it from him. I think, Jung In-Hun published poetry, but couldn’t get recognition. Therefore he used the incident (discovery of the erotic pictures) in order to punish him and force him to give up on painting. He couldn’t allow that a commoner was more successful than him. At the same time, it was the reason why there was a ruckus in the gibang too. But now, we have to wonder why Baek Na-Kyum talked about his past. From my point of view, an important detail played a huge role at the inn: 
(Chapter 74) Observe that the woman has a similar hair dress than his noona. That’s why I believe that when he saw her, he must have been reminded of her. Note that when he speaks about the leftovers, he describes leaving food as a sin, but strangely, in chapter 40/41, he had the opposite attitude.
(Chapter 41) He didn’t eat all the sweets or even skipped meals. 
(Chapter 41) In other words, he didn’t eat everything and committed a sin. This indicates a certain hypocrisy, simultaneously Baek Na-Kyum’s lack of critical thinking, when it comes to his noona. Moreover, he says the opposite of what he thinks. In chapter 74, he claims that the lord has changed
(chapter 74), in episode 75, he claims that he has not improved his behavior. The painter’s memories clearly reveal Heena’s strong influence, which explains why he doesn’t make the first step in the end. He would like the lord to become responsible for him. But Yoon Seungho would like the opposite, because that way, the low-born can never claim that he was forced or pressured by him. In my eyes, Baek Na-Kyum still fears to be perceived as a man consumed by lust, if he makes the first move.
That’s why I believe that Yoon Seungho embodies the truth, while Baek Na-Kyum represents the past and memories. The commoner’s past will become the trigger for Yoon Seungho to decide to discover the truth about his own past and as such regain his own identity: he was a talented painter with a promising future. Since the low-born’s past with the kisaeng and the scholar are more recent, it is much easier for Yoon Seungho to unveil the lies concerning Baek Na-Kyum’s past in the kisaeng house. At the same time, thanks to the physician, Baek Na-Kyum is gathering information about his lover’s past
(chapter 57), which will assist him to regain his lost memories.
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The lord was definitely expressing his joy and excitement. For the first time he truly desired that the night would be long to enjoy this moment where he was accepted. Unfortunately, the night ended so abruptly due to the painter’s exhaustion. 
The power of the climax and the sex marathon from the previous night were too much for his frail body. Knowing that the artist liked his bed, the lord let his lover rest in the bed and chose to sleep far away from him. 
And the readers should wonder why, especially after witnessing how in chapter 38, they lied next to each other. 
Back then, he didn’t put the painter on the bed, but covered him with his beautiful hanbok. Since he abhors his own mattress, he believed that the artist would judge his bed the same way after the terrible night (the assault and the interrupted gangrape). However, he didn’t stay by the artist’s side unlike in chapter 38. For the lord, the night after the eviction of the nobles must have been very long. That’s why there are bottles of wine next to him. He sat there drinking in order to kill time. The readers have to envision that he was sitting the whole night without being able to open the window or the door, as Baek Na-Kyum was not sleeping under a real cover. He was scared that the pure man would catch a cold. Moreover, I believe that he kept watching over his lover out of fear that the artist might have a nightmare to the terrible event from the previous night. This explicates why in chapter 74, he went to rest in the next room in front of the opened window. 
He knew that the commoner would sleep peacefully. However, the chapter 74 gave us the final clues why Yoon Seungho has always had nightly activities in the past and why he avoids his bed. Remember how Jihwa in his love confession underlined the connection between the sexual activities and the importance of the nightmares
(chapter 57) which exposes that the nightly torment is related to his phobia of the bed and to his insomnia. I come to the conclusion that his nightly activities helped him to get through the night, because he couldn’t even lie down in his bed. They helped him to kill time. This is what Jihwa even witnessed. 
The beholder views how the main lead pushes his friend away with his arm. Why? One might say that as soon as he sleeps, he has a nightmare. However, as you can imagine, there’s more to it.
That’s why the lord has to sleep in the cold, outside the cover 
Here, he could barely speak.
. This gives us the answer to why the artist had such a disheveled hair the next morning in chapter 38: 
On the one hand, the headband represents a hindrance for the lord, on the other hand it was removed even before he spent the night with Yoon Seungho. From my point of view, touching the artist’s hair has a calming effect indicating that the lord truly needed Baek Na-Kyum’s assistance that night. The night spent by the painter’s side helped him to go through the night, therefore he felt more refreshed the next morning. However, he must have had a panic attack, hence he left the bed before the painter woke up. I believe, the artist’s regular and deep breathing has a calming effect for Yoon Seungho. Therefore in chapter 74, he lied down next to Baek Na-Kyum 
and looked at his face. Like I pointed out the last time, the noble is in a fetal position which is a clue that he is relaxing. The panic attack vanished so quickly thanks to Baek Na-Kyum. Now, you understand why the lord is visiting the artist from time to time during the night. 
That’s when he has a panic attack and the sleeping face of his lover with his normal breathing helps him to recover quickly. He doesn’t want to trouble his lover. We could even say that when the main lead kisses the artist, it is to express his gratitude. Thanks to him, the night doesn’t seem so long now. That’s why he can smile more often 
and becomes cheerful again. 
, I could make a connection with the bed. 
This picture comes from Gyeongbokgung palace and note how the colors of the bed and seats are similar to the one from the protagonist’s. Besides, I am sure that people have already watched sageuks, historical korean dramas, where the king is dressed with a red hanbok adorned with golden embroidery, where you can see a dragon like this one: 
(chapter 57). In this scene, the noble attempted to kill himself. Striking is that he had just lost his hair revealing that this had happened after the public humiliation with the topknot. I come to the conclusion that the bed itself triggered his anxiety and has so far represented a source of his panic attacks. Back then, it was so strong that he desired to end his own agony. Moreover, observe how the valet is forcing him to remain on the bed. The manhwaphiles certainly recall how I described that this picture actually illustrated the lord’s captivity. He was treated like a prisoner. Now that we know that his phobia of the bed is linked to sexual abuse and to the king, you can comprehend why Yoon Seungho desired to end his life here. As soon as he saw the bed, he was reminded of his time with the king and the sexual abuse. There’s no ambiguity that the main lead was held captive in the palace. Since the butler stopped him from committing suicide, the manhwaphiles had the impression that Kim truly cared for his master. On the other hand, for we are aware of the signification of the bed and its colors, the manhwaphiles should question why the master has such a bed. First, in this manhwa, nothing is random. For the lord was not in the capacity to choose his bed, someone had to pick the bed. As you can imagine, the butler made the choice and from my point of view, he did it on purpose. He made sure that the lord would always be reminded of his traumatic past. That way, he would remain trapped in the past. In my opinion, he must have accompanied the young master to the palace. Therefore he knew that the poor man was traumatized and chose to take advantage of it. Note that when the physician visited the painter’s study, he noticed that Baek Na-Kyum was lying on a bed reserved for nobles. 
Even the physician thought, it was Yoon Seungho’s bed which shows that technically the lord could have had such a bed. But no, the yellow-red bed was never changed. Since Yoon Seungho was mentally sick, I doubt that he could choose his own bed after returning from the palace. As for father Yoon, when he went into exile, I don’t think that he left his own mattress and cover behind. Moreover, if you pay attention to father Yoon’s bedchamber
, you’ll detect that the father prefers blue due to the bed and the background. That’s the reason why his sons were both dressed in blue: 
(chapter 57) 
Kim made sure that Yoon Seungho would go down that road. Yoon Seungho is even wondering why he started living like that. This truly exposes that he never made the decision consciously. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the red and yellow bed represents the source of his misery, making sure that he never relaxes.
the cover is turned over. Yoon Seungho never did it even with Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 31) and (chapter 73) 
, so he had defeat his opponent and enemy, forcing him to surrender. However, when the latter didn’t fight him back and showed no sign of resistance
, he was bothered. Deep down, he felt that he still hadn’t truly won the war. Strangely is that the painter started conquering the yellow-red bed to the point that in chapter 72 the low-born preferred making love on the bed.
Hence the lord followed his request. Since here, he was making love to Baek Na-Kyum, his mind was not focusing on the bed. All his attention was directed to his lover, hence he could lie down for the first time. That’s why I come to the deduction that the lord should buy a new bed or put the painter’s bed in his bedchamber. The lord will only be able to overcome his nocturn panic attacks, when he has the painter by his side. But more importantly, he should talk about it to Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would definitely give him the comfort and reassurance that he is safe next to him. However, as long as Kim is working at the mansion, I fear, the bedchamber will never be a safe place. 
(chapter 43), Deok-Jae 
and the physician 
. This explains why The Joker could denunciate the second lead’s crime
, although Nameless and Kim had made sure to give the impression that the painter had run away due to the footprints. 
However, there were traces of a kidnapping and sequestration: the wounds on the painter’s face 
(chapter 61) and wrists 
(chapter 66). But back then, the lord, too blinded by his own insecurities and fears, didn’t notice these. As you can observe, it was not a perfect crime, because Yoon Seungho got to discover the truth due to Min’s revelation. But if the lord had investigated it properly, he could have discovered the crime. First, the physician was a witness and he could have seen the bruises. On the other hand, strictly speaking it can be considered as a perfect crime so far, as the culprit (Jihwa) was not arrested and prosecuted. His only punishment was that the lord chose to cut ties with his childhood friend officially. That’s why the main lead visited the Lees’ mansion, he wanted to warn the father. If something strange were to happen again, the lord Lee would have to assume his responsibilities. He wouldn’t just go after Jihwa, but also after the father. 
, the kiss and the beautiful legs showing that he is already too obsessed with the painter. But more importantly is that Min and his accomplice Kim are overlooking an important aspect: human nature. Both have the impression that they know Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 33)
(Min, chapter 52). Nonetheless, people can change and as such they can change their habits. In chapter 74, the painter notes the lord’s transformation. 
As you can observe, they have developed a routine. What caught my attention is the following aspect: the lord’s nightly visits. Only Baek Na-Kyum and the readers know what the lord does there. He gazes at his lover and he gives him a good night kiss at the end. Yet, we shouldn’t forget that the study was the place, where they often had sex. Moreover, the manhwalovers will certainly recall this important sex session in chapter 48-49.
That’s why I come to the conclusion, that for an outsider observing the lord’s moves, it looks like the painter still has sex with his master, when the latter wishes it. After the deal is done, then he leaves the study. And if someone heard the lord’s words in the bathroom, he could definitely get a false impression: 
Besides, according to my theory, the valet heard their conversation during that night (chapter 48-49). Thereby in the butler’s eyes, the painter seems to have finally accepted his role as favored servant and has become submissive, while the noble can satisfy his thirst for sex once in a while. Since it is clear for me that the butler has always viewed his master as a man consumed by sex, he must associate these visits during the night to sex. In his eyes, the lord has not changed. First, he still has sex with the painter who surely won’t love such a man after the way he mistreated him. Secondly, he sits at the window and smokes, exactly like in the past. He might not be angry, but this is because he has no reason to. While the routine is definitely new to Baek Na-Kyum, it looks like the same for the butler. Since the lord has cut ties with Jihwa and his friends, there are no parties, but the lord hasn’t given up on sexual intercourse. Thus I deduce that for someone who has lived so long by the lord’s side, I doubt that Kim can notice the real transformation. 
This means that their routine can now change. Baek Na-Kyum can start painting again. And since I demonstrated in my previous analysis that the protagonist has finally decided to face his own feelings, I come to the deduction that right after his return, he will decide to create a new painting displaying his affection for Yoon Seungho. This signifies that there will be a change in the routine. In my opinion, the painter won’t feel hungry, too focused on his work. Imagine that in chapter 40, he even didn’t eat the sweets. 
Here, the physician is asking if the painter is feeling well. Why? It can’t be related to his past testimony, because he shows no sign of real discomfort. This means that he must have heard that Baek Na-Kyum was not feeling alright. As you can anticipate, from my perspective, he must have received Kim’s visit, a new version of chapter 65. Remember that this story is always repeating situations from season 1 and 2. However, this time the butler didn’t frighten the doctor, he must have faked his concern for the artist. The latter had a flashback and now he has sleeping problems due to the kidnapping. He must have also confessed how the commoner was treated by his master after his return. Therefore he needed to give him some drug against insomnia, then the physician must have reply: 
. Consequently, the valet repeated this: 
But since the lord is already taking medicine for his insomnia, like it was mentioned in chapter 55, the doctor must have questioned the butler why he would buy the same medicine, when master Yoon already has his own:
(chapter 33). In season 1, Kim could give the medicine to the maid saying that it was for his health, while in reality it was to give the painter an aphrodisiac. As you can see, the valet is now determined to drug the painter a second time, but this time he should fall asleep so that he can be taken away in his sleep. Kim can’t give the medicine from master Yoon’s, because the maids would question the butler’s intention and they could mention it to the lord. However, it becomes a different story, if he says that it was ordered by lord Yoon due to the flashback, which one of the maids witnessed. As you can see, this is Kim’s MO. He uses people’s ignorance and trust.
The physician is truly a good man, but a stupid and dangerous doctor. Actually, he should realize that with his actions he is committing a crime (negligence) and he knows this, but his doubts are always removed by Kim’s magical word: the lord’s authority. Note that in both episodes 33 
and 65
, the valet abused his position and threatened the doctor, but Yoon Seungho didn’t notice it in chapter 33, as he was too worried about Baek Na-Kyum. But observe that he never threatened the man himself. 
He dismisses this contradiction, insinuating that he doesn’t even trust his own judgement and eyes. That’s how deceitful the butler is and naïve the doctor is.
(chapter 55) However, since Baek Na-Kyum is totally unpredictable, their plan won’t go like expected. The painter won’t be sleeping during that night, because he didn’t eat his dinner. 
(chapter 74) and the following panel. 
(chapter 71) I believe, Byeonduck already gave us a clue with this picture. Here, we have a waning crescent, while in chapter 70/71 the painter looked at a waxing crescent: 
(chapter 70). Therefore this implied that these were two different nights. That’s why I believe that the first panel announces the second abduction. The change of the moon gives us a clue how many days have between their Wedding and the second kidnapping: 14 days, enough for the painter’s wrist to recover. Moreover, remember my analysis of this image: all the elements (water, fire, air and earth) were in harmony
So in my opinion, the butler is looking at his master’s chamber. He needs to confirm if the lord is indeed asleep, before the second kidnapping can take place.
She would justify her action that she is saving her brother. Let’s not forget that in chapter 69, she never recognized her wrongdoing in front of Yoon Seungho. 
Therefore she can definitely repeat such a misdeed, as she legitimates her action out of love. Note that she doesn’t fear Joseon justice system, only divine retribution
Consequently, I am expecting a new version of chapter 65, but this time the kisaeng will trespass the property during the night soundless. It’s possible that Kim visits Baek Na-Kyum’s chamber and realizes that the plan with the drug failed so that he can’t carry him to gate. The manhwaphiles should reminisce that the butler once carried the painter from the study to the lord’s chamber in chapter 33/34.
Thus there should be a new version of this trick. Therefore, once the butler recognizes that drugging the commoner was a failure, he can only ask Heena noona to pay a visitation to her brother in order to deceive him. For the butler, this is actually perfect, as he can manage to maintain his image as loyal and caring servant. When she meets her brother, she questions him if he wants to leave the propriety, but he will again reject the offer. Therefore she will use her guards to take away her brother. On the other hand, in order to achieve her goal, she will deceive her brother asking him to accompany her to the door. She will justify her appearance that the lord threatened her, hence she can only see him during the night. Full of trust, Baek Na-Kyum will follow her and once at the gate, a hand will grab his chin and drag him away. 
, Min, impersonating Jihwa, incites Heena by telling her this: 
The painter has been bewitched by the infamous hell-raiser. He has fallen too much into sodomy, he needs to be rescued. Yet, The Joker is well aware that as a kisaeng, she can’t truly protect her brother from Yoon Seungho due to his wealth and power. Hence he will propose her the following deal: he will offer her the painter’s protection. Since Heena noona judges people based on their reputation and appearances, she won’t mistrust Min. That’s why he will ask her to deliver Baek Na-Kyum to him so that he can get away from the protagonist’s claws. There’s no doubt that she will have heard that there was a scandal between the Yoons and the Lees, hence she will definitely trust Black Heart’s words. Since the enemy of an enemy is a friend, for her “the fake Jihwa” is her “friend”. Besides, the manhwaphiles should recall her final words in the study: 
It is definitely possible that Min describes himself as a great admirer of her brother’s work and even shows her that he owns many publications. That’s why she will be persuaded by The Joker. The latter will never be rude and violent, exactly like the scholar Jung In-Hun. Let’s not forget that in chapter 43, Min justified the murder by portraying the second lead as a savior. He needed to remove the painter, as his friend was in danger in front of a “witch”. However, this time the “witch” will be Yoon Seungho in the kisaeng’s eyes. 
(a new version of this panel). In addition, the warning from the servant reinforced her hatred towards the aristocrat, therefore when Kim opens the door gate that night, she will thank him for his “kindness”. 
The latter seems so gentle and selfless. Now, you are probably thinking that I must resent the kisaeng for developing such a prediction. But no. She is just a flawed character. Besides, the manhwaworms should recall that she was already responsible for the artist’s misery in the past. She might have justified her action that she wanted to protect her brother and did it out of love, yet she never asked for Baek Na-Kyum’s consent. There is this saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. This quote embodies perfectly Heena’s mentality and role in Baek Na-Kyum’s life. And her terrible choices led to the artist’s misery. Not only he lost his home, but also he lost his passion and confidence. He was exposed to physical and emotional abuse. The result was that he became a drunk after all. So when she says 
, I believe that her words are actually reflecting her own role: she is the one bringing her adoptive brother misfortune. However, she was never confronted by Baek Na-Kyum, and the manhwaphiles shouldn’t overlook the fact that for almost one and half year, she never tried to contact her brother!! Sure, she is not doing it, because she needs his help, but due to her stubbornness and blindness, she is not realizing that she has been abusing her position as a noona towards Baek Na-Kyum. Besides, I’ve got another reason why I am expecting such a development. The painter’s destiny is to go through the same experiences than Yoon Seungho’s and the latter experienced abandonment and betrayal by his own brother. This explicates why the protagonist had huge trust issues, which is a normal reaction for people suffering from PTSD. So far, the painter has not experienced the sister’s betrayal, only the abandonment… but he chose to overlook it, as she showed great concern and care after their reunion. That’s why this second abduction can never be a perfect crime. The artist will realize that he can no longer trust Heena and the divine retribution she has always feared will be to lose her brother’s trust and support. Moreover, in chapter 40, 
, she lets her guards abduct her brother, and goes to the location recommended by Min. In my opinion, he will ask her to bring the artist to the mansion of the noble with the mole. Why? There’s no ambiguity that he will try to erase every evidence leading to him. He has definitely planned that Jihwa and the kisaeng will become his scapegoats. Secondly, the noble with the mole is Jihwa’s friend. Besides, when the first conspiracy took place, it was at a pavilion: 
, It’s not just a secluded place, but also the place where the artist was raped. For the low-born has created a new work, the new image will be brought to Min. Remember how the painting was the trigger for Yoon Seungho to kiss the protagonist at the pavilion which led to a rejection and confession… the result was that the main lead forced himself on the painter. 
Note that the brushes are still full of ink, although he had finished with the picture. Even if the valet cleaned the brushes, they would be still wet the next day. That’s why he writes a letter in Baek Na-Kyum’s name. He explains why he decided to leave: the lord was still a man obsessed with sex and would even tie him up. There’s no doubt that the butler will use expressions that he heard while spying. As you can see, I haven’t changed my mind about this aspect: there will be a fake letter. 
(chapter 74) 
(chapter 71)
(chapter 69) 
(chapter 59)
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 52) 
He can’t just beat his staff. From my point of view, the person mentioning the noise of the door will be the head-maid. First, in chapter 11, a maid revealed her observation to her master, when the painting got ruined. 
Then remember how the head-maid walked through the courtyard, when the butler was looking at the lord’s bedchamber. 
Besides, in chapter 63, Kim ignored her question and left her behind, he never justified why he was going outside.
I can imagine that the butler will come up with an excuse, he entered the lord’s chamber in order to know if his master needed something. Then he did the same with the painter. This would explicate why the author created such a panel in chapter 71: 
I have the feeling that unlike in chapter 30, the domestics will betray the butler and abandon him revealing how they acted on his order. They trusted him and thought, he was acting on Yoon Seungho’s order. I would like to remind the readers that in that chapter 30, Deok-Jae never revealed the butler’s involvement, although he could have. He definitely remained loyal, yet he got the worst punishment. He definitely hoped that both would share the responsibility of Baek Na-Kyum’s disappearance
(chapter 29), yet Kim let him take the fall. That’s why the vicious servant called him a bastard later. He had finally perceived the valet’s true personality. And that’s how the kisaeng will be connected to the incident. 
finding the authorities! Who would ask for the authorities’ help? Now, I have a clue how we would have a repetition of this scene. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho as a transformed man will decide to seek help from the authorities, something he never did before. And like I mentioned it before, the schemers will be defeated, because they disregarded human nature and the possibility of change. You might not know but people suffering from PTSD have huge trust issues and view the authorities as incompetent and untrustworthy, as the latter failed to protect them. In our case, it becomes comprehensible why the noble would avoid authorities, as they represented the source of his misery (the father, the king and the officials). However, if we consider that now Yoon Seungho has become the painter’s servant and Na-Kyum is a lord, he has technically no power to use his staff. That’s how the purge will start. The kisaeng will be interrogated and her temerity, which many confused with courage, will let her think that she is protecting her brother’s interest. She will never reveal anything, until the main lead reveals to her Baek Na-Kyum’s secret: he can’t write and read, because the scholar never taught him. I believe that once she recognizes this as truth, she will mention Jihwa leading to his arrest.
In episode 54, the criminal killed the servant, because he represented a threat to Jihwa. Since Baek Na-Kyum’s fate is now strongly intertwined with Jihwa’s, the second Joker will repeat the same action than in episode 54: defend Jihwa and as such lord Na-Kyum’s interest. Moreover, in the past the criminal refused to enter the mansion and do the deed for the following reason: 
. Therefore imagine that the painter is now at a pavilion, a secluded and restricted area, exactly like Nameless prefers it. However, I doubt that Nameless will kill the Joker with a knife, because this would leave traces of a crime. Remember that I always said that Black Heart would die suffocating. With Nameless’ help, the painter would be saved. Therefore the conspiracy could be finally revealed: the physician’s negligence and Jihwa’s silence who knew long ago that Min was lusting for the artist. I am still expecting that the lord’s words from chapter 11 will come true: 
No one will ever suspect that Min died due to Yoon Seungho in the end. As for Kim, his fate is almost sealed
. The moment he drugs the protagonists, he can no longer let others take the blame, although there’s no doubt that he will try to incriminate the maid. The lord will finally be free from the last remain of darkness. However, as you can imagine, the moment father Yoon hears about his loyal butler’s death, the latter will decide to become proactive and retaliate against his rebellious son. As for the painter, there’s no doubt that first he will confront The Joker and defend his lover. It is definitely possible that he calls for his help, but this time, it will be: 
And this love confession will be heard by Nameless who was also present, when the painter was calling for his help the first time. He will detect that their relationship is truly genuine. Imagine, how beautiful it would be for Nameless to finally get an identity, because he saved Baek Na-Kyum. This would truly show Yoon Seungho’s generosity and prove the commoner that there still exist pure and nice people among commoners and nobles. 
(chapter 74), exactly like in the past.
(Chapter 40) That’s why after pondering, the artist visited his teacher and expressed his wish for the first time that he would like Jung In-Hun to become responsible for him, like the former had promised. As you can see, the red dot and the questions did cause an Awakening. But it was a brutal waking up, as the painter discovered how the learned sir truly viewed him: a prostitute and nothing more. 
Imagine, the commoner was walking right behind him, yet Baek Na-Kyum was not mentally and emotionally present. His thoughts were directed at the scholar. This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho resented his lover. In the aristocrat’s mind, this signified that the painter was not even enjoying his time with him. He preferred thinking about the learned sir than talking or looking at his lover. In other words, he was standing behind the lord absentminded. And the lord sensed it, hence he looked behind
. How did he notice it? It is because the artist didn’t keep asking about the date.
Note that with such a comment, the noble is not interested in initiating a conversation, he already knows what the low-born is thinking. And if you contrast this to the scene in episode 74, you’ll detect a huge difference. Although the artist is absentminded as well, he is already meditating about his lover 
(chapter 74) is the trigger for him to ponder. And this shows the noble’s increasing influence on Baek Na-Kyum. Meditating is definitely the lord’s favorite occupation so far. In addition, this shows how much the aristocrat means to him. All his thoughts are now directed at Yoon Seungho. Therefore we have to imagine this. While Baek Na-Kyum is walking, the lord notices that he is just walking lost in his thoughts. Hence he throws him the hat as a joke. On the one side, he definitely wants him to be present mentally and emotionally, like in the past. On the other hand, note that unlike in the past, there’s no reproach, in truth he desires to discover what the artist is thinking. 
(chapter 49) The lord always felt the need to share what was in their mind. Now, I can truly grasp why it’s a dream for Yoon Seungho. Remember when I described how the lord lived for so many years in the darkness. He only knew that he existed through his mind and thoughts. But during this whole time, he could never communicate his thoughts to anyone, he felt terribly lonely. This explicates why he had such a huge desire to communicate with the painter. He felt closeness in their soul, which he could detect in the art. As you can see, although the noble detected that his lover was lost in his thoughts, he no longer reprimands him. In fact, he voices curiosity. Moreover, he is no longer claiming that Baek Na-Kyum is transparent contrary to chapter 40. There’s a reason for that. The artist has changed so much as well. He is indeed applying his lover’s philosophy: introspection and meditation. And this leads me to the next observation. There is a huge difference between these two scenes: the chronology.
And this truly exposes that now the roles have been switched. The so-called foolish one is Yoon Seungho, but the latter has long forgotten his own words. On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum is the one wishing more, he is definitely not content with a kiss from time to time, while Yoon Seungho is thinking like the artist in the past: 
(chapter 74) versus 
. He still had that dream, this explicates why he mentioned Jihwa. He envisioned that the artist would get jealous. But the artist remained silent. Then he confessed twice (“I adore you” and 
) in order to push the protagonist to reply to his confession. He definitely dreamed that if he confessed, the painter would feel pressured to return the affection. That’s why the painter was trapped under the noble and the latter was grabbing the painter’s hand. 
(Chapter 58) His gestures illustrated the pressure made on the artist. But the master never got a reply. Thus it elucidates why the noble got infuriated after the painter’s disappearance. He might have admitted his defeat, nevertheless he hoped for a confession, as a new form of allegiance. That way, Baek Na-Kyum was obliged by his words. However, in chapter 74, the only desire the noble has is to exchange their thoughts. He has truly given up on his dream. When in chapter 49 the master voiced this wish for the first time, he was lowering his expectations. That’s why I believe that this indicates that Yoon Seungho is no longer hoping for more. He is so in love, and the past Yoon Seungho would call him: a fool! 
(chapter 68), which is a similar attitude to the past Yoon Seungho. The latter was confusing the heart with the mind, however the low-born has been just afraid of admitting his affection. 
(Chapter 74) The repetition of “nothing more” is an evidence for the painter’s longing for more. There’s no doubt that his wish is physical intimacy, because for the artist sex is a synonym for love. Consequently, he stands up during the night in order to look at the lord’s bedchamber from far away or he is awake
, (chapter 74) when the noble visits his study. All this exposes that he is longing for the lord’s warmth. A simple kiss is enough to make the painter blush, but not enough to satisfy his “thirst” for affection. 
That’s why his eyes are bigger than before, like in this panel. 
(Chapter 74) He is literally glowing. He is enjoying this moment with the noble, hence he stares at him so intensively. And this represents the biggest contrast to the chapter 40. Back then he didn’t truly enjoy the walk with the master. He was either embarrassed or thinking about the scholar. At the end, he was even called “a fool”. 
. (Chapter 7) Secondly, as the lord is the mirror of the artist and the former once expressed the wish to see the painter’s smile
(chapter 63), I deduce that Baek Na-Kyum has a similar mentality. As long as he can make someone happy, he is really touched and thankful. The manhwaphiles should reminisce that the painter has always felt as a burden and had abandonment issues. But there’s another important reason for Baek Na-Kyum to be so affected by Yoon Seungho. For the first time, someone is wishing to know his thoughts. 
(chapter 10) or silenced him with a caress
. Heena noona had a similar atttitude, she never asked for his opinion, when she sent him away. 
(Chapter 46) The painter is realizing that the only one who is treating with great respect is the noble. First, the lord eats his meals with the artist in his room, giving the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is the host and the lord his guest. Secondly, the lord allows him to speak freely. Thus the painter is so moved to the point that he is about to recognize his affection for Yoon Seungho. But then he remembers Heena’s words: 
(chapter 74) he would be a fool, if he followed his instinct and heart. This leads me to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum restrains himself in the last moment and doesn’t reveal his true thoughts. When he recalls his sister’s warning, I interpret that he is refusing to have a leap of faith. However, he is not recognizing that he has already changed. He might deny his attachment to the master, yet the tailor is not blind: 
(Chapter 54) And in the first version, it came to my mind that we could have a new version of this scene 
The lord’s hug gave Baek Na-Kyum a certain comfort and safety. The existential fear could slowly disappear. 
(Chapter 102) He knows the perpetrator, he is himself the murderer, but what he doesn’t know is how it came to this. The painter’s question is actually inciting the main lead to investigate the matter, and as such to discover the helping hands. Lee Jihwa blamed Min, and the latter reproached the red-haired master. But the Joker asked him this: 
(chapter 102) How come that Black Heart had the learned sir’s glasses? He has now to prove his reliability and trustworthiness towards his partner. He should become more proactive, if he wants to protect his loved one better. My final conclusion is that in chapter 74, we don’t have one fool in love, but two! 
If he hadn’t thought too much about Yoon Seungho due to the separation and been surprised by Min, he would have realized that his life was in danger. Both protagonists are so in love that they don’t realize that their special relationship represents a threat to others, especially to people who stand for social norms and traditions. Simultaneously, their scandalous relationship is a source of envy for others, as Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho were able to break free from the shackles of social customs and hierarchical society. The couple becomes a symbol of liberty and true love … no wonder why The Joker is so envious. Because both were two fools in love, they couldn’t detect the enemies around them and the existence of the plot. On the other hand, the last tragedy brought back the two lovers to reality. They needed to pay more attention to their surroundings. 
(chapter 55), therefore he imagined that the painter would run away, too shocked by the obscurity of his inner world. And this signifies that until chapter 55, the lord’s soul and body were trapped in the darkness. Now, you might come to the conclusion that he was in a similar situation than Jihwa. Because the latter was figuratively deaf and blind, he had the impression to live trapped in a dark room, separated from the outside world. 
However, this is just a false perception. Jihwa was still in possession of his body, he could feel through his hands. Consequently, he could detect the presence of others. There’s no doubt that he felt lonely and was also lacking for warmth, however the protagonist was in the worst possible situation. He had been literally swallowed by the darkness. 
(chapter 74) He can no longer yell for help and use his leg in order to defend himself, which contrasts to the beginning of his nightmare. 
(chapter 74)
(chapter 1) 
They were the reason why he could see glimpses of light in the darkness of his world. And since he became trapped in the blackness due to hands of scholars and officials, it is not surprising why Baek Na-Kyum’s hands are healing him. Therefore, when the painter touched his chest with his hand
(chapter 73), he purified his heart. This explicates why in chapter 74, the noble is no longer interested in sex. The hand liberated his heart and allowed him to express his affection differently. At the same time, the loving gaze in the painter is the reason why the lord feels warmth in the end. All he ever wanted was to see light, but he truly discovered it through the painter’s embrace. 
(chapter 2) that he was handsome and attractive. That’s why he could experience his sexual emancipation afterwards. A part of his self-hatred disappeared. However, in order to liberate the lord entirely from his darkness, he needed to drop his fathers’ doctrines, which represented the biggest problem. His healing process got delayed due to Kim’s interventions and the painter’s own indoctrination. Striking is that Baek Na-Kyum was entirely healed by the lord, even before the latter has properly recovered from his own traumas. This clearly outlines his selflessness in the end.
(chapter 38) I doubt that in chapter 38 and 59, he saw images. Due to the darkness of his inner world, he came to repress the horror he was exposed to. Thus it is not surprising that Yoon Seungho is not sleeping next to the painter, even after that night. 
(chapter 28) And in this panel
(chapter 74) Slowly, the lord is getting rid of the blackness. He is turning his light to the Earth, the painter, mistaking his lover for a sun. Their blossoming love will definitely bring the artist to improve his talent and creativity. But it will have the same effect on the noble. The longer Yoon Seungho is spending his time with Baek Na-Kyum, the better the lord can perceive the colors and light. Through art, the noble will rediscover his lost passion: painting and even poetry. And in my opinion, in order to reconnect to painting, the lord needs to sense the colors for real. The painting in his nightmare was made of black ink and nothing more. 
(chapter 69) Moreover, the new headgear, reserved for women, is a sign that Baek Na-Kyum is accepting his marriage officially. 
(chapter 7) 
(chapter 25) 
(chapter 35), now he is connected more to the backyard. 
(chapter 65) 
(chapter 74). Another important progression is the presence of the wall and border. The more time passes on, the more the valet is backed up against the wall. Note that in the last panel, the space between the building and the fence is so narrow that only one person can stand there. The pictures outline the valet’s loss of power. Besides, he has now even taken over Deok-Jae’s role. 
and 65 
for example. However, if you pay attention to the last panel, you’ll detect that the butler was not supposed to do such a work due to the maid’s remark. This exposes that as the master’s right-hand, the staff expected from him another attitude. This truly reveals the valet’s worries and cowardice. He is now hiding in the backyard, as if it was the only place where he could find a refuge. And his world is getting smaller and smaller to the point that he looks like trapped between the wall and the fence. 
That’s why I feel, he sees himself as a bird of misfortune. However, what the valet didn’t expect either is that Baek Na-Kyum wouldn’t push away the protagonist. When he sent the artist to the bathroom through the male servant, Kim imagined that the artist would still judge Yoon Seungho as a man consumed by lust. Imagine another sex session after the rough sex marathon.
However nothing happened like Kim anticipated, because they were making love. This trick even solidified their relationship. This was the ultimate defeat for the butler, that’s why he is now waiting for Black Heart’s intervention. What Kim fails to recognize is the significance of love. Remember that a coward is avoiding emotions in order not feel guilt and pain. That’s why he doesn’t comprehend the notion of love, giving us a clue why the butler never showered his young master with real affection. Because the painter asked him to help him to have an orgasm and he witnessed how the artist felt extremely pleasure, Yoon Seungho no longer needs to mark Baek Na-Kyum’s body as his. He is now truly wooing the painter, aiming at his heart, but I am not sure, if it is a conscious choice. This explicates why Yoon Seungho no longer feels the need for sex. He has learned to make the difference between love and sex. This explicates his change of behavior. Because of his love for the painter, Yoon Seungho is now sharing his days with Baek Na-Kyum. He eats with him
Thus he smiles so easily. Moreover, he always keeps the artist close to him, he never truly leaves his side, only during the night. 
The moment the host appeared with a hanbok containing a pattern, Min had a similar hanbok, yet it definitely looked less refined. And when Black Heart saw him at his mansion, Yoon Seungho was dressed with a beautiful black hanbok 
. That’s why The Joker is dressed with a black hanbok. Moreover, we have another clue due to the presence of the tailor. Let’s not forget that in the first season, Min mentioned the tailor with his loose lips. 
Since chapter 74 is a new version of chapter 39-40, where our cute couple goes on a date 
(chapter 40) and fears people’s gaze. Observe the contrast between chapter 40 
and 74 
The latter had been able to get the lord’s attention and admiration. In other words, the person looking at the couple must be dying of jealousy. And this can only be Min. Why not Jihwa? First, when the second lead decided to send back the painter to his childhood friend, this gesture meant that he was resigning. He would no longer feel jealous. And when Black Heart visited his “pupil” Jihwa, he never mentioned the painter in order to arouse jealousy in the red-haired aristocrat. In chapter 67. he just used the noble’s fear for death and punishment. 
But there is another clue why I am convinced that
He is mocking the main character, hoping that the latter would deny his feelings for the low-born. However, this exposes Min’s own anxiety. Hence he insulted Jihwa as a sodomite
, although his words sound absurd. He is no different in reality, since he has sex with other men too. He feels now so attracted to the painter that he can’t forget him. He justifies his obsession by saying that this is just sexual… although there’s no ambiguity that the moment he “tasted” the painter, he longed for more. The kiss is definitely an evidence
that The Joker is so mesmerized by Baek Na-Kyum. After that kiss, he asked the second lead to change the plan right away. 
He justifies his action that he had imagined the artist differently. However, the manhwaphiles should realize that he would have become the source of the new gossip, if he had invited such a painter to his propriety. People would have talked and said that he had fallen so deep into sodomy that he was now asking a painter to work for him. The final evidence is the conversation in the woods (chapter 41). 
As you can see, Min is using rumors in order to embarrass Yoon Seungho, asking him to pay more attention to social codex. This truly exposes Min’s fear… on the one hand, he is a nihilistic person, on the other hand he can’t act like he would like to, because he fears people’s gaze. That’s the reason why the noble is so attracted by the painter in the end. The latter never hid his sexual desires in his face or in the painting. He definitely showed his carefree side. As the new “Jihwa”, Min is no different from his pupil: 
He is fiery in his jealousy, because he can’t give up, but also weak at heart, because he is not brave enough to face people’s judgement. Therefore The Joker acts like the valet after all. Both are two peas in a pot in this aspect. So since the lord doesn’t leave the painter’s side outside the mansion, it means that Black Heart has to develop a new strategy. He can no longer use the second lead, as the latter’s crime has been revealed. Moreover, the red-haired noble will stay far away from his childhood friend out of fear. And if you compare The Joker’s situation to the butler’s, you’ll note that they are both in a similar situation. They have no pawn to employ like in the past. That’s why I have the impression that Min could decide to enter Yoon Seungho’s mansion with Kim’s complicity. Let’s not forget that the latter works in the backyard… so there could be a small gate. Besides we shouldn’t forget that during the first season, Jihwa trespassed the house twice (chapter 10
-17
), which was discovered by the owner. Then he came unannounced once (chapter 12
) and visited officially twice (1-5). And if you recall Black Heart’s visit, he came as a guest twice (8-52), arrived unannounced once (chapter 66
), but he never trespassed the lord’s propriety. That’s why I come to the deduction: The Joker could definitely enter the mansion without the lord’s knowledge and Kim would have to open himself the door. Since Kim is sweeping the snow alone, I interpreted that he has no power over the servants. Note that time has passed on and since the painter’s return, the domestics had an easy life. There was no party and no trouble. Both protagonists led a peaceful and quiet life. Hence for the servants, it looks like “paradise” now. The lord seems to be always in a good mood. Now, you comprehend why I think that cornered and with no pawn left, both villains have to dirty their own hands. So my idea is that Black Heart will try to abduct the painter during the night again…
(episode 64) When the butler sees the painter being treated like a sex toy, the valet doesn’t interfere at all. The manhwaphiles can even observe how Kim is so paralyzed before speaking.
Then he acts, as if nothing was happening in front of him. He bows in front of his lord, not out of respect but out of fear.
Then he gives an excuse for his interruption before taking to his heels, leaving the artist behind to his misery. Striking is that this attitude didn’t occur just once, but twice… as it is revealed in the next episode that Kim witnessed a similar scene. He heard how Yoon Seungho got assaulted, but he did nothing. He literally abandoned him too. 
He is repressing his guilty conscience. He had even forgotten it, until he was confronted with a similar situation. However, his reaction was the same. This indicates that cowardice has become a major part of Kim’s personality. No, there’s no mistake. Fear is a synonym for cowardice, for it means that a person has not been able to overcome his fear. But what is a coward actually? How does someone become one? This pushed me to make some research.
and he didn’t mind the valet watching them. In other words, Yoon Seungho was not threatening Kim’s life. Now, someone might argue that these points above were just developed by me and we never saw any “cognitive dissonance” from the butler, which I can immediately refute. Byeonduck made the readers see what “cognitive dissonance” is:
: Why should I feel guilty, if it doesn’t concern me? It is not my problem, why should I have helped the painter?
: Why should I feel guilty, because the sex session proved clearly that the lord wouldn’t hurt the painter? If I had intervened, this could have had terrible consequences. 
And imagine, the painter protected a criminal, as Deok-Jae had assaulted him before, whereas Baek Na-Kyum was always respectful towards Kim. He always calls him “sir”, and even takes his words to heart. 
This might sound anodyne, but the psychiatrist truly outlined the importance of this development stage. This explicates why Yoon Seungho would behave like a spoiled child in chapter 30: 
and observe how it is strongly connected to his fear and abandonment issues. However, the moment he made a real decision and showed strong will by allowing the painter to choose his own fate, he becomes brave. It means that he is overcoming his huge fear. His strong will and big heart are the reasons why Yoon Seungho could transform into a phoenix. 
and even coward 
(chapter 33) in the past. He ran away, too afraid of facing the consequences of his misdeed or of getting too much into trouble with his peers. His role model was himself like that. As you can see, the rebirth of the phoenix means that Yoon Seungho is now learning to become brave and he will become a real and strong fighter, like it was perceptible during the first season. His conversation with the scholar in chapter 6 gave us a glimpse of the lord’s real values. 
Here, he was mocking the teacher. The former doesn’t care for social norms and treats commoners as humans in truth. He doesn’t think that peasants should remain peasants and peoples’ fate is already determined. 
He knew from her behavior, she wouldn’t leave Baek Na-Kyum in that mansion due to the way she attempted to reach the lord’s bedchamber.
, meaning that he wasn’t a part of the Yoon household right from the start. He was raised elsewhere. The author from the following website (
The irony is that the moment the domestic finally accepts the painter as his master’s lover (“let’s keep it this way”) implying that he will stop with his tricks, Heena noona barges in the mansion and creates a scandal, which he can only considers as a threat. Therefore the valet changes his mind. But more importantly, this scene is important for another reason. 
and the head-maid describes him as a charlatan. 
This projection is implied with the following quote: ” he will support you and love you surprisingly in the same combinations as you “. However, this will never reflect his true emotions and thoughts, as a coward’s attitude is to avoid emotions. “Not feeling means not suffering”. That’s why Kim gives his master the following advice: Don’t take it to heart. 
Under this new approach, you understand why Yoon Seungho had a relapse. He was encouraged not to feel anything and as such not to face his fear… He never confronted the painter. 
Let’s not forget that he lets Deok-Jae take the fall for the painter’s escape
. By using the personal pronoun “we”, the jealous servant wanted the butler to become responsible as well, but Kim remained silent and even kept his distance from Yoon Seungho. That’s why I come to the deduction that Kim was really content with his life, until the painter showed up. First, he was the real master of the courtyard, but he never had to take any responsibility, as Yoon Seungho as a master would take the whole blame: he was a sodomite, a violent and bad master etc… On the other hand, Kim could dress outside as a noble
, as he represented the lord. But if there was any trouble, then his master was the one responsible officially. Besides, if Yoon Seungho was changing, the butler would make sure that Jihwa would control his master. As you can see, he never had to assume any responsibility. And this leads me to the following observation, the lord started becoming brave thanks to his affection for the painter much earlier. He truly desired to become responsible for him. 
He had no idea that “responsibility” was the trigger for Baek Na-Kyum to stay there. This word implied that the low-born was not perceived as a burden. In other words, cowardice is strongly related to responsibility. That’s the reason why the valet needs scapegoats (the amateur spy, Jihwa, Deok-Jae…) and lets others take the blame. He sees responsibility as a burden. Moreover, there is another reason why cowardice is linked to accountability. Scientists discovered bystander effect (in French it is called as “effet spectateur”). What is it exactly? One might think that the more people are witnessing a person in danger, the more highly the victim will be saved on time. But no… the truth is the more people are present, the less they will intervene. This is related to diffusion of liability. All the witnesses think that someone else will come and intervene. Therefore they all remain passive. This explicates why a woman could be raped in front of many people. No one felt responsible, as they waited for the intervention from the other beholders. And now, you might wonder why I am bringing this up. It is to show that courage won’t appear, if you are surrounded by people. Real courage occurs, when you have the impression that you are on your own. Let’s not forget that Kim has the support from his staff. He is even able to motivate and manipulate people with his words, hence he has definitely the power to use the staff in order to protect himself. And he actually did it. Deok-Jae was the one who suffered the most, while the butler had a bruised eye. That’s why I can’t accept Kim’s fear for his life as a justification for his cowardice. Besides, chapter 56 clearly reveals the butler’s role: 
His desire to feel loved was the reason why he could overcome his traumas. He never gave up on love, which explicates why Yoon Seungho will be able to shine as a phoenix later. On the other hand, the valet only saw love as superfluous, as it could cause trouble. Note that the butler prefers being alone which coincides with his mentality. 
First, observe that the lord is lying on his bed, although we all know that he had developed a phobia of his bed. In the past, when he was having sex with the artist. He would either sit 
(chapter 42) or lie above the painter
(chapter 45) 
But like I had demonstrated in a previous essay, it was more a false excuse, because lord Na-Kyum had been able to hug him on the bed.
(chapter 14)
(chapter 45) 
(chapter 73). However, it changes the moment the painter encourages him to help him. Note that for the first time, his shoulders are touching the bed
and from this perspective it even looks like his head is resting on the bed. This becomes more obvious, when you compare this scene with the episode 14. Note that right after the penetration, Yoon Seungho changed his position immediately. 
However, with the commoner, Yoon Seungho still remains lying on the bed, he just raises his head in order to look at his lover. This truly exposes that the lord’s discomfort and fear is slowly vanishing. 
Since he doesn’t even straighten up immediately, it exposes that the lord is finally relaxing. His deeply rooted fear has totally vanished. This was already perceptible, when I analyzed the appearance of the bed. But in my opinion, there’s another progression in chapter 73. Note, that the painter is not lying next to him, contrary to chapter 38 
or 65 
. This illustrates that thanks to the last sexual encounter, the noble has again lowered his guard. The artist’s pleasure made him feel secure. Another huge difference is that for the first time, the main lead’s face looks carefree and calm. 
. In other words, Baek Na-Kyum is already dependent on Yoon Seungho. Only him can provoke pleasure in him. In my opinion, the lord’s fear vanishes, because he feels needed. And remember that the lord stood up in order to force the commoner to hug him, so that the commoner would rely on him. As you can detect, reliance plays a huge role in the lord’s liberation. The bed is no longer feared, it has become a place that his lover likes and the latter needs his assistance to feel excitement. That’s why the noble is so relaxed. He knows due to the painter’s words and action that he is now accepted. He even saw and heard his painter’s moans revealing his pleasure. 
Yoon Seungho never judges the artist’s action or attitude. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum’s embarrassment concerning his orgasms slowly vanishes as well. First, in chapter 71 he either covered his mouth 
or even ignored a question out of shame. 
Then in the next episode, he hid an orgasm from his lover. 
However, in chapter 73, the manhwaphiles can view how the painter can voice his pleasure for the first time: 
Striking is that the moment the artist can express his thoughts and emotions, Yoon Seungho allows him to determine the space.
In other words, he incites Baek Na-Kyum to become proactive. Hence the peak is reached, when the artist confesses that he can’t get an orgasm without his lover’s help. 
Then in chapter 50, he caressed the painter’s cheek 
and kissed him tenderly. 
However, the artist never got the chance to sense his love in a different way. The lord always expressed his love through sex, even in the bathroom, he was very sensual… while in the bedroom, his kisses and caresses showed care and pure tenderness. And it happened to Yoon Seungho as well. 
, the painter was turning his back on his lover revealing a gap between them. In this position, it gave the impression that Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting Yoon Seungho. That’s why the moment the lord expresses his affection differently, it will not only move the artist, it will change their relationship. Striking is that in that sexual position, they were indeed facing each other and the noble was gazing at his lover. 
(chapter 73) Here, the relevant word is “enter”, an equivalent for invade. 
(chapter 73) Mess is a synonym for chaos and wreck. 
(chapter 73) Strangely, the word “bow” has two significations: a ribbon or a weapon. 
(chapter 73) In the fifth image, Yoon Seungho actually means seduction, yet he utilized the idiom “provocation”. Finally, we have Yoon Seungho’s favorite expression “fret”. During this night, he keeps mentioning it in connection to the painter: 
(chapter 41) Baek Na-Kyum is his prey, and the lord is trying to catch his heart through sex. However, Yoon Seungho’s attitude is not consciously done, he is not aware that he is speaking like a hunter. More astonishing is that the painter’s vocabulary mirrors his lover’s: 
(chapter 73) the target is wounded (“it hurts”) and tied up. Even Yoon Seungho’s words are referring to a wound, as if the animal was bleeding to death 
(chapter 73) , as it keeps leaking 
(chapter 73) But the lord is known as an impatient man, which seems to be confirmed here. However, in reality it took him many months to be gazed and even accepted. Now that Yoon Seungho is seeing how affected the artist is with his words, caresses and kisses, he is so happy that he calls his lover 
(chapter 73) revealing that they have no longer a lord-servant relationship. This exposes how much the main lead wishes to be intimate with the artist. Therefore, he can’t simply wait contradicting himself. 
(chapter 73) His actions prove that he is definitely in a hurry.
where I had already pointed out that the noble was deluding himself by calling the artist an easy conquest. Back then, this comment made me so laugh, because chapter 42 clearly outlined that it wasn’t even easy due to the lord’s grimace during the intercourse. 
(chapter 42) And observe that this chapter confirms my interpretation. First, the noble has a similar facial expression 
(chapter 73) showing that he was serious with his saying: Your wish is my command. In addition, he wanted to demonstrate that he hadn’t forgotten his promise: not to scare him. 
(chapter 73) The noble and Baek Na-Kyum’s desires stand in opposition to the artist’s weakened physical condition. The latter can’t physically keep up, hence he faints at the end.
(chapter 73) Yet, I doubt that this will be noticed by the aristocrat. He is definitely too shocked by the incident. His lover fainted. In my eyes, there is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho will panic again. He has three reasons for that:
(chapter 32) He felt so remorseful and was so worried that he ran away, too scared to face the painter and assume his responsibilities. However, he made sure that a physician was fetched. This terrible experience explicates why the lord panicked in chapter 50. He envisioned for one moment that he had overdone it again. 
The noble had such huge pangs of conscience that he couldn’t forget the painter’s poor condition. Hence he desired to verify if he had recovered in the bathroom.
(chapter 72) He was worried, but the painter reassured him. In truth, the heavy breathing was caused by a climax, which the artist tried to hide from his lover. Therefore, there’s no doubt that after this chapter, the noble will question his behavior again. As a hunter, he overestimated the strength of his “prey”. Moreover he will realize that Baek Na-Kyum’s words contributed to this incident. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho was following the artist’s request. 
(chapter 73) This time, the painter’s exhaustion occurred due to both protagonists. That’s why Yoon Seungho will realize that he has to become more responsible and can’t just give the whole responsibility to Baek Na-Kyum. He should have paid more attention to the artist’s health and physical condition. And Kim took advantage of the situation. Thus from that night on, the lord kept his distance from his lover. From my point of view, the valet used these expressions against the main lead. He had been targeting the artist, turning him into a prey, hence the painter could not refused. Kim’s MO has always been to mix cause and consequences. Besides, since he heard such words, he could only have a negative impression. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the valet is a pessimistic person due to “fortunetelling”. [For more read the essay “Fortunetelling”] As you can see, due to this incident the main lead learned another important lesson: consent. Therefore the lord said this later 
(chapter 79) In the second case, he made sure that both were on the same page. He had felt coerced. Through this fainting, the main lead became more careful and responsible for both of them. The problem is that he was still influenced by his past experience: sex is like a battle… which was now transformed into a hunt. 
. (chapter 15) Secondly, Yoon Seungho repeats similar expressions: 
(chapter 14) And this is how I made the connection with this love session, as I was paying attention to the words. 
(chapter 14) It didn’t happen, because he was selfless… no, this was the consequence of Jihwa’s attitude who did nothing to “seduce” his friend. He refused to kiss him
(chapter 14), but like he explained, his visit was because he was giving in to Yoon Seungho’s ways. But we have to question ourselves: who wanted whom here? The second lead did visit his friend, as he was seeking his company for sex. He could have refused, as his friend never forced him, but he did not. Moreover, the lord made it clear that Jihwa was just coming for sex and nothing more, yet the childhood friend never denied it. 
, he never allowed him to see his weak side. In addition, Jihwa’s words were full of criticisms.
This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho was behaving in a similar way. He was reflecting the second lead’s behavior. In my eyes, Jihwa treated his friend like a real sex toy who was there to pleasure him, hence the fellatio is done to prepare the penetration. That’s why there’s no real exchange, the lord is very passive as well during the blowjob. He feels nothing at all 
(chapter 15) However, Jihwa never truly invested his energy and effort to woo his childhood friend’s heart. This is no longer surprising why the second lead felt so lonely, even during their intimate time. Yet the irony was that the head-kisaeng was treated like a tool for Jihwa’s pleasure, and the latter never realized that. 
(chapter 72) Baek Na-Kyum’s words and reactions are the reason why the lord is so affected. But unlike in chapter 14, the painter asks for his lover’s help showing that making love implies the involvement of two persons and not just one. Like I had written in a previous analysis, the lord is discovering that giving pleasure to his lover is also receiving. Hence he blushes and becomes more passionate.
, I realized that we would witness the lord’s spiritual death followed by his rebirth. However, I have to confess that I had no idea when it would occur. The only clue I had was that it was related to the low-born’s abduction and planned assassination. Striking is that Jihwa’s nightmare was actually announcing the lord’s spiritual death: 
(chapter 50). But if you pay attention, you’ll observe that in this terrible vision, there were two dead people: the painter and master Yoon. That’s why both characters had empty gaze. 
This means that in truth the manhwalovers would assist to two “spiritual deaths”, Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho’s. But wait… Only the aristocrat was wearing a hanbok with phoenixes, not the painter. But I am certain that the painterofthenight lovers will recall the robe the lord covered the commoner with in chapter 45: 
Baek Na-Kyum was linked to cranes. Therefore, this signified that the painter’s death would be different. Note that the artist’s head is bleeding just like his body indicating that there’ll be a real transformation. My explanation is that he is supposed to come back to life as a crane. This beautiful bird means good fortune, happiness and longevity. I am quite sure that my readers remember the analysis about the animals embodying the two protagonists. Back then, I had explained that the lamb represented Baek Na-Kyum perfectly: innocence and purity, but this animal is also associated to sacrifice and selflessness, because in Christianity, the lamb represents Christ as both suffering and triumphant. And now, you understand why Byeonduck made the painter suffer so much. Moreover, the artist is also associated to the butterfly 
and the latter is also a symbol for rebirth. My interpretation is that Baek Na-Kyum will transform into a crane, hence there’s blood on his head and body. He will get a new identity. Furthermore, I had elaborated that all nobles were represented by birds: Jihwa imagined himself as crane
(chapter 66) This was the new version of Jihwa’s nightmare. It looks like the lord is mourning the deceased. The black hanbok with a white collar resembles a lot to the clothes Koreans are wearing at a funeral: black with white stripes. Besides, if I add this panel
. He waited, until he saw the artist opening his eyes for a brief instant.
In that moment, the aristocrat recognized that the artist was coming back to life. That’s why he called his name. As you can see, the lord only left his side after making sure that his life was no longer in danger. That’s why the lord has no eye in this scene. 
He felt his presence, hence he was confused if what he saw in his vision was a dream or reality. In my eyes, this “dream” is important, as for the first time, his dream is less linked to desires and the future. It is strongly intertwined with the present. On the other hand, these terrible experiences made both main leads realize the importance of their lover in their life. While fearing for his death, 
Baek Na-Kyum remembered Yoon Seungho’s smile which made him scream for his help. The same occurred to the powerful noble, when he imagined that the painter would die. He thought, he would never be able to see the painter’s smile. There’s no doubt that first the aristocrat blamed himself, until Min revealed Jihwa’s crime. However, for Yoon Seungho, it was enough. Not only he hadn’t believed in his lover’s words, but also he had mistreated him. That’s why in the artist’s study, the lord died spiritually. Due to the gestures, the manhwaworms can feel the lord’s regret and heartache. 
, although he had done nothing wrong at all. His apology was sincere, and the main character had misjudged it. There’s no ambiguity that while sitting next to Baek Na-Kyum, the noble realized the painter’s true personality. Hence this is not surprising that Yoon Seungho shows such a respect towards Baek Na-Kyum later. In my opinion, when the master arrived in his mansion, he wanted to send away the kisaeng for two reasons. He had seen how weak the painter was and feared that the kisaeng would drag her brother away. We shouldn’t forget how the kisaeng managed her way to reach Yoon Seungho’s bedroom, therefore in his mind, she would act the same way. Moreover, if the painter were to disappear, the noble would never be able to redeem himself. In my eyes, he wanted to make it up to him. However, once he stood in front of the study, he recognized that he couldn’t do like nothing had happened. 
He heard the artist’s confession which was linked to fear and a certain reluctance to face the lord and his own feelings. Moreover, he realized that he had to respect the painter’s wish, he let Baek Na-Kyum take his destiny in hand. In other words, the dream of the painter presented the lord’s future action and decision. 
His words might sound confident, yet if the beholders examine more closely these, they will note the presence of a question, exposing the aristocrat’s certain hesitation. The noble is definitely lacking self-confidence due to his recent “death”. But I have to admit that for me, the real rebirth happens in the bathroom. Why?
, exposing a certain shyness. Moreover, his gestures are so gentle and precise
, because his armor melted away. Since water is associated to purification, it means that the bath represents the lord’s rebirth as a phoenix. But because the bird comes back from its own ashes, the animal returns in the form of a baby. That’s why the lord is so innocent and pure from chapter 70 on. First, he plays a prank in the tub.
Then in the bedchamber, he decides to switch roles…
, he looks and acts definitely like a playful child. This explicates why words can move him so deeply. 
At the same time, as a new born, this is not surprising that Yoon Seungho lacks maturity. Hence the painter has become the ultimate authority. 
Let’s not forget that Baek Na-Kyum transformed into a crane, which I associate to tranquility and wisdom. Just like his lover, he transformed into a crane in the tub. Water cleaned his heart and mind for good. This is not surprising that the artist is more mature than his lover. He had a different rebirth, as he reflected on his emotions and thoughts before the baptism. Thanks to Yoon Seungho’s teaching about critical thinking, the artist was able to free his heart and mind from the learned sir, and the baptism marked the final step. 
The phoenix made it clear that out of respect for father Lee, he wouldn’t do more than create a scandal
, yet this signifies that if there’s another incident, he won’t be respectful again. In my opinion, it already announces the purge. 
The lord is kneeling in front of his deity, the crane, making amends due to his “sins”. That’s why I am more than ever convinced that Yoon Seungho will create either a painting or a poem for his “god” at some point exposing his love and admiration. He is already treasuring the artist’s tongue and hand, therefore I am expecting him to recognize the artist’s true intelligence. Remember that in the past, he used to call him a fool
(“why”) and he never stopped it. This was particularly perceptible in chapter 70, when the artist remembered his past and realized that he had overcome his trauma caused by Jung In-Hun. Now, he is even applying this lesson concerning others 
He wants to know his lover’s motivation. Therefore, I come to the deduction that Baek Na-Kyum has matured so much that he will now be able to question the scholar’s words and actions. He won’t be able to be manipulated like in the past.
The crane proved him how brave, mature, strong and loyal he is…. while he was so blinded by his own fears and self-hatred. In his eyes, he is truly superior to him. Simultaneously, it is also understandable why the phoenix has problems to control himself in front of his god. 
After examining the rebirth of the phoenix and the crane, my interpretation that Jung In-Hun will become the painter’s rival seems to become more and more certain. However, thanks to the phoenix’s support, lord Na-Kyum will be able to defeat his “learned sir”. Concerning Yoon Seungho, the latter will also have to fight against his own father, and he will definitely defeat and surpass him, since he is a phoenix. This is not surprising that the protagonists fell in love with each other, as their souls are very similar: both are associated to good fortune, which could only make the fathers jealous. 
Just after facing Yoon Seungho in his bedroom with an almost kiss
, he rushes to his study. Once arrived there, he wonders why his heart is racing so much and why he feels something in his stomach: 
(chapter 35). What caught my attention is that we have a similar scene in chapter 72: the painter is also questioning the origin of his physical reaction: 
. However, there’s a huge contrast between these two situations. First, the painter employs a different expression. It feels more real and precise than “butterflies”. From my perspective, it reflects the artist’s loss of innocence, or better said, his gained maturity. Moreover, due to his sexual experiences, he has a better understanding of his own body. Secondly, the fear has totally vanished, exposing that Yoon Seungho has truly achieved his goal. Finally, the other difference is that this time he is facing the lord himself. 
Back then, he only pondered about it after leaving the lord’s bedchamber. He was sitting behind the door. And if you recall the whole scene, you’ll notice that the artist’s heart started pounding, the moment the lord entered the bedroom. Moreover, the aristocrat removed his clothes so that the artist could see his back and later his chest. Consequently, I come to the deduction that the artist was so moved by the lord’s presence that his body was reacting immediately. This shows that both protagonists are affecting each other. One gets a huge erection, and the other feels butterflies inside. But more importantly, for the first time, the artist’s conscious was sensing his own body and the sexual attraction towards Yoon Seungho. Another parallel between these two scenes is the presence of the almost kiss: 
(chapter 72). In chapter 34, he must have observed how the painter reacted, he was definitely blushing, because he repeats these gestures during their wedding night. Strangely is that when the lord approaches his mouth in chapter 72, the readers don’t witness any “butterflies”, as we can’t hear the painter’s thoughts. However, there’s no doubt that Baek Na-Kyum is excited due to the presence of his reddening and the sweat, very similar to chapter 34. Yet, I believe that the commoner doesn’t realize it yet, because all his energy is concentrated on his mouth. He has to whisper Seungho-Ya. 
First, the manhwaphiles can observe the absence of the lord’s face and penis. Then when the lord came closer, 
Baek Na-Kyum could only see the master’s face. Then the painter was able to view the lord’s phallus, 
, the chest and the face were hidden by the low-born’s body. It was, as if Yoon Seungho had been cut in parts, and Baek Na-Kyum was exposed to them. In other words, Yoon Seungho showed him parts of his body and not his whole body. The artist should accept them. However, like the noble pointed out, the artist was physically reacting to him: 
But since the artist was looking at the noble through the mirror, he never got to face the lord’s body in his entity. And imagine that back then, the artist was already aroused by the master’s parts. This signifies that the butterflies in chapter 72 are much stronger. 
that just the thought and sensation of the penetration was strong enough to have him climaxed. Note that the artist’s exclamation (“oh”) is a signal that he is already feeling an immense pleasure that he can’t control, as he said the same word during his first anal orgasm 
As a conclusion, the moment Baek Na-Kyum saw the lord’s body with his erected phallus, his sexual desires had reached a new peak. 
This divergence is comprehensible, as the lord had to find a stratagem to be accepted by the artist. The use of the mirror was a calculated move, which he had already announced the night before. Moreover, he had been hurt and enraged by the commoner’s escape, hence he couldn’t show the same affection. Finally, he had no idea about his own emotions.
, the commoner was either not looking at him or sitting in a such a position that he couldn’t see the lord in his entirety. 
Then during their love session at the physician’s, the lord was so closed to the painter that the latter was not capable to look at his lover. Moreover, he was still avoiding the aristocrat’s gaze and face. 
, then later Baek Na-Kyum was no longer facing the noble: 
(chapter 64). Moreover, when he was able to look at the lord, he was hoping for a kiss, a sign of tenderness, which was refused. Moreover, his mind and body were still influenced by fear. 
, hence the lover couldn’t view the whole body and the erected phallus. He could only sense the erection through his foot. 
Just the view and the thought of the noble’s body aroused him so much that he had to remove himself from his trance, the moment he sensed an orgasm coming. This outlines how strong his sexual desires were. But now, it is different, because he is now excited by the lord’s gaze full of warmth and love. 
And imagine what this signifies for the painter. He is able to make someone smile… to make someone happy, which he didn’t see in chapter 49. We shouldn’t forget that the painter had always felt excluded and had abandonment issues. In other words, he saw himself as a burden, but this can only change, if his life gets a new meaning. His presence, orgasms and smiles can make Yoon Seungho smile and happy, this can only give strength and joy to Baek Na-Kyum. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho is a reflection of the painter, just like the latter is a mirror for the lord. 
(Chapter 71) As you can envision, I am now examining each picture very carefully, hence when I saw this image, I couldn’t help myself associating it to the painter’s abduction. First, the painterofthenight-lovers will certainly remember the scene of the lord’s panic, when he left the room and saw the footprints on the ground misleading him to think that the painter had run away. 
(Chapter 59) What caught my attention is that the space between the footsteps on the wood 
(Chapter 59) This image caught my attention for two reasons. Thanks to the analysis “The five candles”, I realized the true meaning of the pictures with landscapes. They expose the actual situation, therefore the beholder should study them under the following elements: moon or sun, air, water, earth and fire. So in this picture, you can detect the absence of the moon symbolizing the lord’s illness. He is too weak to look after his lover. Striking is that the earth element is predominant here, as the tree branches standing next to the buildings are almost touching the sky. So since the snow is falling, it indicates the presence of water and note that water is almost everywhere: in the sky, on the trees, on the ground and on the rooftops. The only element missing is fire. Yet if the manhwalovers examine the image more closely, they will detect the presence of a light hanging on the side of the restroom. However, the candle surrounded by glass is not lit. To sum up my observations, this panel exposes the predominance of water and earth and the presence of a lamp with glass. In other words, this image symbolizes butler Kim, the new version of chapter 58 
. First, let’s not forget that Kim is often seen carrying a bucket of water 
(chapter 56). Secondly, he is also linked to the lantern with a glass 
(chapter 20) 
(chapter 36) But more importantly is that in the image from chapter 59, there is no light, 
(chapter 59) But since the artist was silent right away, as the Joker knocked him out immediately, the physician could have jumped to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum met an acquaintance. So when the vanishing of the painter was discovered, the doctor assumed that the artist had followed the person he met during that night. Honestly, I can’t blame the doctor for his “passivity”, if my assumption is correct. Due to the lord’s agitated state of mind, the doctor could only realize it afterwards. With this new discovery, it becomes more comprehensible why the physician hesitated the next morning. He didn’t know what he should do. 
(chapter 65) Back then, I had assumed that out of cowardice, he had not intervened due to Kim’s harsh words. Nonetheless, I came to a different interpretation. After recognizing how Byeonduck is tricking the readers, she gives the impression of a continuity, I believe that during that night, the butler visited two different physicians. According to my theory, there exist 3 different doctors. For more, please read the analysis “The mysterious doctor“. How did this idea come up? Simply by paying attention to the BEARD!! 
(Chapter 57) Note that the beard of this physician is covering the cheek and is straight. 
(Chapter 63) But now compare it to the physician’s beard in episode 65: 
(Chapter 65) and from my point of view, he used pity to discover what the physician knew. Remember how he had used compassion the night before (chapter 57). Besides, if you contrast both statements, you will detect a contradiction. “This could be a matter of life or death“ implies that it was about saving someone, while in the second image, it is about killing someone: the other doctor! In my eyes, the valet must have begged the physician 
(chapter 57) to remain silent. If he revealed that he had discovered the presence of someone, then the other could get into trouble. In my opinion, the butler must have suggested that Baek Na-Kyum had tried to escape, because the lord had been abusing him. Don‘t forget that he had been treating the artist for his wrist. Then he must have seen the lord panicking too. 
(Chapter 60) But now, the manhwaphiles are probably wondering why he went to the other physician then. It was related to the lord’s behavior in the shed. He was acting like a sex-maniac. 
(Chapter 57) 
(chapter 61) 
(chapter 62)
(Chapter 71) Consequently, he was not investigating the real circumstances of the abduction. But he has another reason for neglecting this aspect: he knows the culprit’s identity, unaware that unveiling the mastermind’s identity is far from enough. Real justice is to uncover truth. However, at the end of season 2, the wealthy noble was more like a teenager in love. That’s the reason why he was making a huge mistake.
(chapter 85) He was already content if the artist would look at him, the moment you recall his first confession: 
Moreover, the painter talks to him, has even accepted his advances. That’s why he is no longer paying attention to the circumstances that led him to think that the painter had run away on his own feet. As for Kim, he was running out of time, because at any moment, Baek Na-Kyum could mention his visit to the restroom or meeting the Jester. Consequently, the former had to use any trick to remove the artist. Hence he encouraged the kisaeng Heena to take away her brother. 
(Chapter 67)
(chapter 100) Here, they revealed that the main lead had gone down on his knees, the moment he had seen the traces of fresh blood. Then note that in the shaman’s house, the lord had left a bloody foot print
(chapter 102), yet in the snow it was no longer visible. 
(Chapter 102) Someone had erased the traces by putting mattresses on the soil. However, while the lord was walking through the mountain, he was definitely leaving a bloody trail behind 
(chapter 102), a sign that someone had been helping him. And this can only be KIM!! And the last chapter from season 3 seems to confirm my initial investigation: The butler had erased the traces from the abduction. He knew about the kidnapping and helped Lee Jihwa and the Joker. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 