This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
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In my last analysis, I had already implied that the painter’s second abduction would take place during this night. And now, it is time to elaborate why I made this deduction. I will list all my arguments for this theory.
1. The bride’s abduction: between joke and tragedy
First, the manhwaphiles will certainly recall that the marriage between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum started as a joke. 
(chapter 78) And in Germany, there is this tradition that the best man and his friends steals the bride.
“Traditionally a bride is kidnapped by the groomsmen at some point during the reception who then drags her from bar to bar until the groom finds them. Once the groom has managed to locate his bride he is then expected to pay the cheeky kidnappers bill, as well as a round of drinks for everyone in the bar.” quoted from https://weddedwonderland.com/7-german-wedding-traditions-you-didnt-know-about/
As you can observe, this tradition is actually a joke between the couple and their friends. The parallel between the marriage between the two protagonists and the German tradition is prank. Therefore I couldn’t help myself associating the marriage as a joke to Black Heart who is also a Joker, but the negative version. Hence contrary to the German custom, he will make a bad joke which can only end badly.
On the other hand, the “bride kidnapping” can be a harsh reality too. In Kyrgyzstan, women can get kidnapped and forced to marry their kidnapper. The men doing this claim that this is part of their traditions. https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2013/09/new-law-in-kyrgyzstan-toughens-penalties-for-bride-kidnapping/ However, for the victims, this kind of marriage can only end as a tragedy. Either the bride has to accept her new situation and husband or she decides to commit suicide. [for more information: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56675201]
In other words, the “bride’s abduction” can be a serious matter too, and not just a joke. Moreover, since the noble and the painter took their “marriage” seriously, this signifies that the painter’s kidnapping won’t be perceived as a joke, but as a real crime. Thereby at the end of the long night and day, people will be punished for their silence and complicity.
2. The fruit and the new Fall of man
I have to admit that I had already developed this prediction after reading chapter 79. Why? Because this story is constructed like a kaleidoscope and as such, scenes from the past will resurface, yet there will be small changes. In addition, the author is combining different chapters together. Hence when I saw this panel
(chapter 79), I connected it to the scene in the woods. 
(chapter 23) As you already know, I interpreted this scene as a new version of Fall of man. Both protagonists tasted the “forbidden” fruit and discovered the reality: the painter had lost his virginity and had not remained “faithful” to his admired sir, whereas for the main lead, their first sexual encounter was just an illusion. After eating the apple, the rape occurred. And since the red persimmons are often compared to apples, thus I couldn’t shake the feeling that this fruit in chapter 79 was a bad omen, especially when the butler brought it. Besides, this fruit is also offered during a marriage. However, since neither the artist nor the noble got to eat the red persimmon, I believe that this fruit is more associated to “expulsion from Eden” than to sexuality.
So far, the artist had lived in a bubble, all his needs were provided. The lord was so generous, he would keep caressing him and confiding to him without asking anything in return. Moreover, he would talk about their future together. To sum up, for Baek Na-Kyum, his stay by Yoon Seungho’s side could only be judged as a paradise. The lord would fulfill all of his wishes… He had a home and a family. 
(chapter 80) Then the aristocrat called him Kyumah exactly like in his wet dream, while smiling so happily. This was too beautiful to be true, hence the low-born started worrying about their future as well. 
(chapter 78) The manhwaphiles can sense that the painter was slowly transforming, he was maturing. He wanted to become responsible for Yoon Seungho too. He needed to pay attention to his fortune and position. In other words, the artist felt that their time spent together was like a paradise and they should go back to reality. That’s the reason why I came to the idea of the expulsion of the Garden of Eden.
Moreover, what caught my attention is the following panel: 
Why would Byeonduck create such an image, as it doesn’t contribute to the evolution of story at all? In addition, it was placed next to the music box. In my eyes, this picture played a bigger role than it appeared to be. Since I had already perceived some parallels between chapter 79 and 36-37, I couldn’t help myself connecting the red persimmons to the drug the butler gave to the painter through the head-maid.
(chapter 36) Furthermore, we had this picture 
which resembled a lot to this one from chapter 47: 
The manhwalovers will certainly recall that in that episode, Deok-Jae had played a prank too. He had put some stones in the rice! The gesture was the same than giving some drug like in the first season. The only difference is that in chapter 36, the valet could mask it as a prescription from the doctor.
Consequently, I made some research about persimmons. Was it possible for putting some drug in the red persimmon without tasting it? Since we had opium in the second season, I imagined that the perpetrator would add opium to the red persimmon so that the painter and the lord would get drugged together. As you can observe, this simple image (chapter 79) triggered so many thoughts. Then I read that opium tastes bitter and dried persimmon can also be astringent. And guess what:
“The astringent variety before dried is heart shaped while the non-astringent variety is shaped more like a tomato.” quoted from https://armanifood.com/product/dried-persimmon/ I could use other websites as proof for this. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/persimmon-nutrition-benefits
And look at the picture: The fruit has a heart shaped form displaying that it is astringent! Hence I felt that Byeonduck could have been misleading her readers on purpose, letting them think that the persimmon tastes sweet due to Yoon Seungho’s words. 
(chapter 79) However, my fear didn’t come true. I was wrong in that aspect that neither the artist nor the main lead ate the red persimmons. In other words, they didn’t get drugged.
On the other hand, note the persistence of the servant who was pressuring his master to take his supper.
(chapter 80) Moreover, the manhwaworms should mark the butler’s words: 
(chapter 47) Here, the valet implied that the lord could get drugged too. Therefore I am not throwing this theory of the drug out of the window, in fact my impression got reinforced after remembering that in season 1, we saw this: 
(chapter 17). What if the male servants decided to eat the supper prepared for the couple? The head-maids stopped doing this, but it is different for the male servants who keep disregarding their lord and the artist. So what if the supper is left behind… exactly like the expensive wine in chapter 19? And imagine this: they fall asleep to the maids’ surprise. But I have to admit that this is just a thought. However, I was more convinced with my theory of the drug after discovering the following pattern.
3. Pattern
While I was comparing season 1 and 2, I discovered the following motive. Note that after episode 21, the noble kept his distance from the painter. 
(chapter 23) He waited for the painting hoping to see their “wedding night”. Hence we could say that we had abstinence and separation. Then after the sex marathon (chapter 32), the lord left the painter behind out of remorse. 
(chapter 34) Even after his return, he accepted that the painter wouldn’t stay in his bed or have sex with him. Note that he only masturbated the artist and refused any real sexual encounter, until the latter begged him in episode 41.
(chapter 41) This means that we had a second phase of separation (32-34). With his return, the lord restrained himself. So it was abstinence. This scenario, distance and abstinence, was repeated after episode 49: 
(chapter 51) While for outsiders, it looked like the artist had lost the master’s favors, the main lead’s gesture was expressing the opposite, concern and love. However, this strong connection between distance and and chastity got disrupted. After episode 58, we only had separation 
leading the protagonist to have another sex marathon. After realizing his mistake, he made love to the artist… but note that after episode 73, the noble is chaste again. 
(chapter 74) From episode 74 till 80, we only have abstinence, thought the kisses, hugs and masturbation 
(chapter 80) seem to indicate that we will have a new love session. As you can imagine, because we only have abstinence from 74 to 80, I came to the following deduction: separation should happen right after!
But there’s more to it. By comparing the two first “escapes”, you will notice that the discovery of Baek Na-Kyum’s vanishing is noticed much earlier:
- chapter 29:
Around breakfast, so during the morning. - Chapter 59:
at dawn, very early in the morning
This signifies that the lord will realize his disappearance during the night so that the culprits will be put under pressure.
In addition, I would like the readers to keep in mind that during the first season, the painter was drugged twice (19 and 36), then he had to eat some spoiled rice (chapter 47) and was forced to breathe opium and drink booze in chapter 54.
From that moment, the artist never got poisoned via food again, because the head-maid would take care of Baek Na-Kyum’s meals personally. After the incident with Deok-Jae, there’s no doubt that she must have felt responsible, and chose to ensure that nothing bad would happen. Hence only the lord could “drug” him in episode 54. However, note that in chapter 79, Kim was the one bringing the red persimmons. Observe how persistent he was to bring him something to eat, though the artist rejected the offer. 
(chapter 79) Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho refused the butler’s tea and medicine again. 
(chapter 77) Hence my actual theory is that the butler had planned to drug the two protagonists, well aware that they would share their meals. However, since the “poisoning attempts” were less working, if you compare the first and second season, I deduce that the valet’s third attempt was doomed to failure.
But there’s another reason why I am thinking like that. What caught my attention is the second pattern. Notice that during the first and second “desertion” nothing happened, like Kim had expected. He always had to change his plans quickly, adapt himself to the new situation and develop a new trick.
During the night of the rape, Kim envisioned that if the teacher witnessed the sexual encounter between the infamous hell-raiser and the low-born, the scholar would get appalled. 
(chapter 18) He thought, the admired sir wouldn’t like to be associated to such a person and would leave the mansion with the painter. That’s why he approached his master in the courtyard. 
(chapter 25) He was curious about Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 25) Had he been killed or had he already escaped? Let’s not forget that he saw Yoon Seungho taking a horse. Then after meeting in the hallway, Kim had the impression to see a ghost
(chapter 26), his master resembled a lot to his father. Hence he knew what would happen. He would get enraged and jealous of the scholar. Consequently, he saved Jung In-Hun by sending a servant to his chamber forcing him to leave his bedroom. He needed to ensure that the staff would still believe, they didn’t need to take their master seriously, he was too weak-hearted. After that night, Kim made sure that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the mansion without getting stopped. He thought, if the artist told Jung In-Hun that their life was in danger, the scholar would believe him. As you can see, the long awaited desertion didn’t occur right away, only much later in the night. And it is the same for the second abduction. It should have happened during the night of episode 53, yet Deok-Jae failed with his task. Later, the noble was incited to leave the mansion due to Jihwa’s fake letter, therefore the kidnapping could only take place two days later. To sum up, timing was essential. Moreover, this time, Kim played a bigger role, as he let the painter leave the mansion without Yoon Seungho’s authorization. As the readers can notice, the “desertion” was delayed again and Kim’s involvement was more visible. Furthermore, Kim anticipated that he would find a dead body in the next morning, but this was not the case. The artist was also brought back to the mansion, exactly like in the first season. Hence my expectation is that during this night, Kim had already planned the abduction with the drug, but he had to change his plans.
First, he was not sure if both main leads would eat the red persimmons. He needed to know if they were asleep. Hence he sent the guardian as a scapegoat to the bedchamber. Naturally, he had promised him that he could take the music box as a reward for his favor. Therefore he gave the greedy domestic the following advice: 
(chapter 80) He shouldn’t tell Yoon Seungho that someone was looking for the painter. He knew that if the couple was not asleep, then the lord would get upset and threatened the domestic so that the latter would reveal the presence of the guest. Kim saw a huge opportunity with the arrival of Father Yoon’ s messenger. He could separate the couple. Yoon Seungho thought, his lover would be safe in his bedroom. But he made a huge mistake, he didn’t expect this trick from this conniving creature: Lie by omission! (chapter 80) The butler expected that his master would rush to the study, thinking that it was the kisaeng. But since he has been spying his lord for quite some time through the balcony/door, he knew that the painter would hear the lord’s words. Remember this scene: 
(chapter 37) the artist could hear the brother’s voice!! Hence the artist should have heard that someone was looking for him. And now, imagine the following:
Baek Na-Kyum is well aware of his lover’s possessiveness and violence. He even witnessed how his sister and his partner would hate each other. In chapter 69, he even had to meddle and stop his sister from menacing the host. 
(chapter 69) However, back then he thought, he was protecting his sister, whereas in truth it was the opposite. 
(chapter 69) That’s the reason why I believe that during the conversation between the messenger and Yoon Seungho, Kim will approach the painter again and tell him that his sister wants to see him. Hence she is waiting in front of the mansion or in the courtyard. The butler will fake care and generosity, the new version of this 
(chapter 67). Therefore, the artist will leave the bedchamber in a rush, he wants to protect her from Yoon Seungho’s wrath. Let’s not forget that before the first desertion, the artist protected the scholar: 
(chapter 26) As you can see, there’s a pattern here. The low-born is always using his body to defend his loved one… but each time, he was “betrayed”. The scholar backstabbed him three times, thus the kisaeng will do the same. So he will leave the bedchamber without any shoe rushing to the main gate. What he doesn’t know is that Heena noona is there to take him away. She will kidnap her own brother thinking that she is saving him.
4. Heena’s blindness and crime
And now, you are wondering why I am suspecting the sister. First, I would like to point out that the artist fled the mansion through the backdoor in the first season. 
(chapter 4) The first time, he was stopped by Yoon Seungho himself, hence he succeeded in chapter 29. Moreover, note that in the second season, he didn’t desert the property through the backdoor, but the main door!! Yet he returned to the noble’s side, when he realized that he had no place where to go. 
(chapter 46) Nevertheless, for Yoon Seungho is staying in the painter’s study while conversing with the messenger, this means that he is closer to the gate from the backyard than from the main door. Consequently, the painter needs to be sent in the opposite direction. Moreover, the readers shouldn’t forget the main lead’s words: 
(chapter 69) The painter, in his hurry, will not pay attention to Yoon Seungho’s words and will step outside the door. In that moment, he will be dragged away by his own sister.
As you can see, I haven’t changed my theory at all (see The purge – “a theory”). Heena will become Min’s hand and justify her actions, because she “received” a letter from her brother. Since we have forged letters in each season, I have always been expecting this again. And remember that each letter helped Yoon Seungho to discern the truth directly or indirectly. He recognized his brother’s indifference and selfishness, just like Jihwa’s. Even if she tells him that he can now follow her, and the latter rejects her offer, she won’t accept his resistance thinking that he just had a change of heart. In my opinion, all her reproaches addressed to Yoon Seungho will come to bite her back: 
(chapter 65) Where was she, when the painter got dragged many months ago? But there exist many reasons why I believe that the kisaeng will enter the mansion. Note that in the second season, no one stopped her from entering the propriety followed by her guards. 
(chapter 65) She could find out where her brother was living. 
(chapter 65) We have to envision the following situation: 
(chapter 43) The staff witnessed her walking, but they didn’t care at all. Consequently she could approach the lord’s bedchamber so easily. Hence I am expecting a new version of chapter 65. However, the roles will be switched: 
Heena will drag her brother away. And the servant eyeing the music box will take it. But why would the kisaeng act in such a reckless way?
She was already fearless in episode 65, and she noticed that no one stopped her. Furthermore, she could observe that the household’s security was totally lacking. 
(chapter 69) Furthermore, Min will certainly tell her this: 
She can just swoop in tonight and do the deed/ rescue her brother. She saw it with her own eyes. But what neither Heena nor Min know is that this is the third “desertion”!! And only Kim is aware of this. For the latter was never caught as an accomplice, he still thinks that he can succeed again. Keep in mind that concerning the main lead’s suffering past, the valet never got caught either, therefore he has every reason to expect the same outcome. But what he fails to realize are the small changes and little details.
5. The discovery of Kim’s treachery
First, he is not expecting the lord’s return from the painter’s study so soon, a new version of this:
(chapter 68) Remember that he used to get a flashback by the mere mention of his father. In the first season, he could overcome it thanks to the painter’s presence. 
(chapter 38) Moreover, since the lord acted, as if he was respectful towards his own father, Kim believes that the conversation will take longer.
Secondly, the disappearance of the music box will be the clue for Yoon Seungho to recognize the true nature of the crime. The butler made a huge mistake in that matter. He believed that the painter only remained in the mansion out of greed. That’s how he explained his refusal to follow his sister. But here he overlooked two important clues:
- chapter 29:
- Chapter 61:
The painter never “accepted” the gifts from the lord. He always left them behind, though in the second case, it was stagged. But now, Kim knows that the painter treasures the music box
(chapter 79), hence this item needs to disappear, giving the impression that the artist took it with him. What he doesn’t know is the following: 
(chapter 78) The painter used the pronoun “we” and worried about Yoon Seungho’s situation.
But more importantly, Kim is not anticipating that he will be betrayed. Strangely is that Deok-Jae remained quite “loyal” to Kim despite his abandonment and betrayal.
(chapter 29) The manhwalovers will detect that the domestic used the personal pronoun “we”. He was speaking for the staff and as such for Kim. He actually hoped that the butler would come forward and take responsibility for the first desertion. But the valet remained silent and let Deok-Jae take the fall. However, note that the servant didn’t reveal Kim’s complicity. He could have dragged him down, but no… he hid the truth, for he feared that he would suffer much more than the butler, for the latter was supposed to be the favored servant.
And remember what happened before the couple got separated. The new domestic told his lord this: “I was told not to”!! (chapter 80) By speaking in such a way, he unveiled that he was acting on someone else’s orders! There was someone in the shadow commanding his own staff. That’s why Yoon Seungho will come to question the domestic again. Who told him not to say? There’s no ambiguity that he will point out the butler, for he is quite new in the mansion.
Finally, since the painter left the bedroom in a hurry, he won’t put any shoe, for there are none there. Since the lord brought his lover to his bedroom without any shoe, he will realize that he couldn’t have left on his own without shoes.
Naturally, I am expecting an intervention from the head-maid. Let’s not forget that she perceived the intrusion of Heena as a problem. That’s the reason why she ran to Kim in episode 65. 
She had no idea how she should deal with her. But now, she is well aware that her master doesn’t want her in the mansion. Besides, we saw her wandering in the courtyard once: 
(chapter 32) So it is very possible that she becomes a witness and testify about the incident, similar to chapter 11: 
(chapter 11). However, we have to imagine that Yoon Seungho won’t discover the crime right away, because he needs to reply to his father.
6. Happy slap
Due to Kim’s trick, he faced the messenger of his father without any fear. He had been manipulated to think that he would meet the kisaeng. Since he oozed strength and charisma, he could sense that he had nothing to fear from his father. The messenger’s words let him see reality:
Father Yoon was totally powerless. In the painter’s study, Yoon Seungho could free himself from his father’s shadow for good. This is important, because this means that he will recall his youth, similar to the painter: 
(chapter 71) He will recognize that his chest didn’t tighten nor he felt frightened nor his heart pounded at the thought of the eldest master! That’s why Byeonduck released this panel in my opinion: 
The main lead will recall the physical abuse from his father… It can only be the father due to the color of the hanbok, khaki, which is father Yoon’s favorite color. Nonetheless, this time, the memory of the slap won’t affect him any longer: 
(chapter 55) And now, you are wondering why the author wrote “happy slap”. How could that be a happy slap? First, it is related to the protagonist’s emancipation, like I have just explained.
Secondly, I believe that this is also connected to the painter’s abduction. While developing my theory about the kidnapping, I discovered why Yoon Seungho was such a bad lord in his mansion, why he allowed his staff to do whatever they wanted! The manhwalovers shouldn’t forget that the lord truly hated his father, hence deep down, he didn’t want to behave like his father. Since the latter was abusive and cruel, he acted the exact opposite. He didn’t want to look like his father at all. He had experienced how to be treated like a low-born… therefore he didn’t want anyone to experience such a fate. And Kim encouraged such a fear… If he was lenient and benevolent, then he would look different from his father. In other words, he encouraged his master to stay quiet, because he could be perceived as a cruel master, like his own father. 
(chapter 68) This explicates why he made this comparison in episode 68. He knew that Yoon Seungho hated this reflection: 
(chapter 68)
But because of the painter, the wealthy noble is slowly taking over his role as lord and master!! This means that he accepts his new position and assumes his responsibility as a lord. He has power, thus he can mistreat or kill people. In the first season, the use of violence was triggered by emotions, hence he didn’t act rationally. It was not a real choice, a conscious and rational decision. 
(chapter 30) People perceived him here as a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.
However, in episode 80, we can sense a huge transformation. The main lead is confident, he gives orders 
(chapter 80) and doesn’t seem scared at all. His opponent views that the young lord Yoon shouldn’t be taken lightly. 
(chapter 80) Thus I believe that once Yoon Seungho discovers the artist’s disappearance, he will use his authority as a lord to question his staff. He won’t slap the servants randomly like in episode 30, he will first target the “creepy domestic” circulating around his bedroom. Hence it is possible that the readers witness how he slaps the new version of Deok-Jae!! Hence it is possible that we see another panel, where Yoon Seungho is slapping the domestic in order to get some answer: Besides, the lord has every reason to act like that. His brutality is justified, because he needs to rescue his loved one… Hence this could be seen as a “happy slap”, for the lord senses that “violence” and authority can not always be a bad thing, when it is to find the truth. The lord will learn to distinguish between violence and authority too. So far, he confused brutality with power. Hence he used no control and authority on his staff and later only employed force in order to achieve his goal. Slowly, he is discovering power as such. This incident will be like an eye-opener for him. He needs to use his authority to guaranty his lover’s safety. However, in a hurry, he will have to slap the domestic himself. He needs to find Baek Na-Kyum. Due to this observation, I conclude that he will ask for the authorities’ support this time. He won’t rely on his staff any longer. That’s how Father Lee will experience Yoon Seungho’s true power. Consequently, I feel that the guards could barge in his mansion: 
(chapter 67) The main lead’s threat will turn into a reality.
As a conclusion, with this incident, he has to prove to Baek Na-Kyum that he is strong and trustworthy, he can rely on him for the future. Therefore, we would have two characters acting the same way. They would use violence and power in order to save the painter, though only one would be in the wrong: Heena, the so-called selfless and loving noona.
But there’s another reason why I believe that we will see a memory from Yoon Seungho and how it affects the present. Since the start of the third season, I recognized a new pattern: each episode would be strongly intertwined together, and each episode would reflect the previous one. Hence this means that in chapter 81, we will find elements from episode 77. Secondly, within the same episode, we would find the same elements: 
versus 
Hence since there’s a slap from the past, therefore expect one in the present, but the role will be switched. Yoon Seungho won’t be the target of abuse.
And now, I have presented my theory… what do you think about it?
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The young boy was caught doing something immoral, though like I elaborated it in my previous analysis, there‘s no doubt, the main lead was drugged, and Jihwa had been somehow manipulated. While some might see two teenagers fooling around, I have a different perspective. Then I came to realize why the perception from the manhwaphiles diverges so much. It is, because the readers are actually projecting their own thoughts and expectations. Hence this is normal that certain readers are still expecting something innocent and pure. Yet, since I believe, Yoon Seungho was never a sodomite from the start, but was turned into one, for me the smile and gaze from Yoon Seungho in that scene seemed so fake and artificial, especially if you compare it to this one: 
(chapter 57) versus 
(chapter 77) In the first one he oozes innocence and affection, in the other he’s in ecstasy, roofied. However, we have to envision that this smile could have just been a projection of the butler, which means that this represents a distorted memory. Like I explained in my previous essay, the noble has the same gaze than the painter under the influence of opium and alcohol. 
(chapter 44), just like he only reported the conversation between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum many weeks later.
(chapter 50) That’s why I come to the conclusion that he never ran immediately to father Yoon in order to report the incident. The butler just needed to inform him later. While in the past, I used to think that he had used rumors again as an excuse, I have now a different perception. For me, it was someone else badmouthing the main lead, well aware that father Yoon feared gossips the most, 
(chapter 50) an older version of this image. This explicates why Yoon Seungho had regained consciousness and could fight back against the servants, when he got dragged to the shed. 
(chapter 77) Besides, observe that the main lead was sequestrated in the storage room on two occasions at least.
(chapter 77) However, since it happened twice, I am deducing that this was not the case for the second time. But if you pay attention to Yoon Seungho‘s bedroom, you will notice that he was living in the actual painter‘s study. 
(chapter 77) And this means that the intelligent noble was in a privileged situation. Remember Jihwa’s words: 
(chapter 05) With this remark, the noble expressed a certain annoyance, for he would live next to Yoon Seungho. This truly shows that the painter’s room was a sign of Yoon Seungho‘s favoritism towards the low-born. So if the main lead had such a good reputation and was even favored by the eldest master, this signifies that he could only attract people‘s gaze. Thus some persons definitely envied or resented him, like Yoon Seung-Won and father Lee. And it occurred to me that the younger master had every reason to feel jealous of his elder brother. He might have had the impression that his father had no eyes for him. In other words, he could only benefit from such an incident. If his brother lost his father‘s favor, then he imagined that he would get noticed by his father. As you can imagine, I believe that someone must have poisoned Yoon Seung-Won‘s mind. From my point of view, only a grown-up could have access to the drug. I can‘t shake the butler‘s philosophy from my mind: „Ignorance is a blessing“! The person behind the plot knew about the children‘s weaknesses (innocence, longing for love and recognition, desire) and decided to use them to his advantage.
And here we have a proof that Yoon Seungho acted differently in the past. His mind was elsewhere due to the drug, but he didn’t stop his friend. Observe the similarity between the gestures: 
(chapter 5) 
Here, the artist was imitating the red-haired aristocrat’s actions in the past. The only difference is that he was the passive one!! Striking is that both chapters have something in common: one is always seducing the other, and the latter isn’t accepting the advances. In addition, the masturbation was not disclosed to anyone, yet someone notified Jihwa about the painter’s late return. 
, but he’s avoiding the lord’s chamber. At no moment, he reports Jihwa’s trespassing, his master only discovers the assault, for he hears the commotion. The artist wouldn’t have been slapped, if the staff had immediately announced Jihwa’s visit. Striking is the aristocrat’s confession: 
(chapter 17) Other common points with chapter 77: “seduction”, the violence of the noble, his rage because he feels that the painter is lying and had lost his virginity with Yoon Seungho. Besides, I would like to point out that the lord only discovered Jihwa’s assault through the gossip. He came too late, hence he couldn’t stop Jihwa from insulting and slapping the low-born. 
that he needed alcohol, an indication that in the past he must have struggled as well. We have to imagine that back then, he feared that his father Lee would hear about this incident, but father Yoon never let transpire the incident to the outside world. From my point of view, father Lee must have denied his son’s actions, but the aristocrat with dragon’s eyes was no fool. And remember that I used the same chapter to outline that Kim communicated the information to his master in delay. Note that in this episode, time was essential. Both figures were struggling. While the one hoped, the murder would be done soon to put an end to his suffering, the other had the impression that he was running out of time. He couldn’t change the artist’s heart and mind, too wounded. 
, but he was still looking fine. More importantly, he still trusted his butler. Father Yoon requested some medicine, for he believed that his son was not right in his mind. 
The physician presented the box full of drug which Kim has been giving to his master since his youth. 
the delayed disclosure about the crime, the servants not doing their job and gossiping, the passivity of the butler. 
and the delayed arrival of father Lee putting the blame on Yoon Seungho. 
(chapter 19) That’s why Jihwa was blushing the whole time. His dream seemed to have come true!! But unfortunately, they got interrupted. But he didn’t realize that this “dream” was just an illusion, and he had been played. Because he had opened the friend’s shirt, he noticed his virginity. That’s why he had an eye for that. 
(chapter 5) He had gained this experience with his friend. Since I see some parallels between chapter 77 and the first Wedding Night, which stands for illusion and dream, it becomes even more evident that Yoon Seungho had been drugged and both young boys got played. During all these years of separation, the second lead kept his virginity intact for his friend. Once the main lead got betrayed and abandoned, Jihwa saw finally that his dream could come true. Since Yoon Seungho’s gaze had haunted him for so long, he hoped to obtain the same gaze, as in his mind it was the symbol of love and affection. Besides, he had another reason for approaching his friend. Since he had caused his downfall, deep down he imagined that if they became a real couple, then he could do as if the time of their separation had never happened. They would live, as if nothing had happened. 
(chapter 52) because he had been trained as a kisaeng. And these observations made me recognize another important aspect: Jihwa, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum, has never discovered that sex could be a form of violence. From my point of view, the chapter 77 shows us that sexual assaults can take many different forms. Using a KO-drug is definitely a crime, but due to Jihwa’s lack of experience, he couldn’t recognize the true nature of the situation. 
(chapter 100) Black Heart taught Lee Jihwa an important lesson, the importance of consent. Someone can be forced to sex, which the second lead never truly grasped. He had to pay a huge price for the stolen kiss and his betrayal 10 years later. Interesting is that Lee Jihwa ran away, because he rejected to be responsible for the painter’s death, a synonym for Yoon Seungho’s curtains. 
(chapter 100) This is what I had also written in the first version. 
(chapter 57), but he could never identify the issue. And now, you comprehend why father Lee was red, totally embarrassed
(chapter 67), for he was well aware of the truth. We have many possibilities here. Either someone leaked the info to the father secretly, or the son must have confided to him about the incident. Remember that in chapter 68, the painter confided to her his deepest fears and struggles. Let’s not forget that the son had hired an amateur spy in order to be updated about the events occurring in Yoon Seungho’s mansion. Consequently, I am inclined that the incident must have reached father Lee’s ears, and in order to maintain his respectability, he preferred covering up the commotion by blaming the elder son Yoon.
(chapter 77), but despite his harsh and cruel words, the young protagonist chose to continue trusting him and his words. Let’s not forget that Kim claimed that his father would fix his “problems”. 
Observe the slight movement of the iris. First, the iris is directed at Kim, then it moves in the opposite direction. 
By looking away, he clearly unveils his inner thoughts and emotions: he has been betrayed and abandoned by his butler. He resents him, yet until that moment he was still willing to trust despite the multiple betrayals. He is disillusioned. 
(chapter 82) This statement proves that he had done it before! Furthermore, the red-haired master is connected to the straw mat beating. 
(chapter 12) This explicates why Lee Jihwa resented the brother and the father, for in his eyes they were responsible for his childhood friend’s suffering. And since the father had done it once, then he had no problem to order a second flogging or straw mat beating, just like the king Yeonjo who punished the Crown Prince Sado so brutally. So because the eldest master next to Seung-Won is dressed differently in chapter 77: 
(chapter 77) I could only come to the conclusion that these two panels are not referring to the same incident. 
(chapter 65) Here, he had been brought back to the past. Remember the past mirrors the present. In my eyes, the rape of the main lead occurred at the same time than the painter’s. It took place in fall. So when did Baek Na-Kyum get sick?
(chapter 33)
(chapter 33) Note that Yoon Seungho called for a doctor, he even carried himself to the study and waited there, until the doctor had given his prescription. 
(chapter 65) I am quite sure that the butler’s passivity was justified that it was done for the main lead’s sake. However, once it was over, the butler was forced to see the consequences of his bad choice. But the valet refused to become responsible and gaslighted the young master again. If he had not kissed Lee Jihwa, if he had put his prick in the hole etc… The main character had still acted like a dog and a cat, and this time he reported it to his master directly so that the latter came to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho was still useful for him. Or the eldest master knew about it anyway. But the main lead never got to discover that Kim had heard him outside the room, but had remained silent and passive. 
(chapter 33) Back then, he not only followed his master’s requests, but also he did nothing at all. He stayed immobile and shocked. 
(chapter 77) I believe that when the valet looked at the young boy’s gaze and perceived his own true reflection (a disgusting and fake domestic), the man was surprised. He never imagined that he would be judged differently: 
(chapter 68). Father Yoon imagined that if he had sex with a kisaeng house, he would be cured. However, something happened in the gibang. The young boy refused which forced the nobles to intervene. Yoon Seungho got dragged and tied up by the black guards. Naturally, father Yoon could only jump to the conclusion that with such a rejection, Yoon Seungho was admitting his homosexuality. This could only reinforce the prejudices the father had about his son. The irony is that with such an attempt, father Yoon exposed that he was a man obsessed with sex. He never understood that sex is strongly intertwined with love and warmth. Thus I deduce that father Yoon never associated sex to affection. For him, it was either a synonym for power, submission or duty as the noble has to make sure that he has sons to continue the legacy. With this new insight, I come to the conclusion that the man was totally fooled by his surroundings and most importantly by the rapist. Everyone lied out of selfishness and cowardice, and let the young boy take the whole burden. Hence the father truly believed in his son’s homosexuality and out of resent and contempt, when he saw an opportunity to use his son for his own career, he was trained as a kisaeng. In my eyes, this idea was definitely suggested by the pedophile, though I doubt that he was directly involved in the incident in the kisaeng house. And the man dreamed of bringing greatness to the Yoons with his “connections”. However, this was just a pyrrhic victory, as both Yoons lost more than they gained, for the rapist hadn’t kept his promise. 
(chapter 86) But it was in detriment of the Yoons’ power! The father lost everything, yet the younger master didn’t suffer much from it first, until he reached adulthood. Now, the father was putting his whole hope on him, and that’s how Yoon Seung-Won realized the existence of such a burden. That’s the reason why he contacted his brother again. He hoped to get an office through his brother’s connections and power. Remember that Baek Na-Kyum’s real torment started with the arrival of the learned sir to the mansion. Hence the moment “lord Song” came to the propriety, he started scheming to achieve his goal: he was bewitched by the young protagonist, he needed to taste him. However, from my point of view, the pedophile had sent the butler for this exact purpose. He must have definitely known how Kim would behave in there. I have already exposed that for me, the butler represents the poisoned gift from chapter 19. 
(chapter 19)
(chapter 94) He hoped to appear as a good lord, while his son had mistreated his own messenger. 
(chapter 22) The protagonist starts viewing himself as the main character from the fairytale Snow White. Hence he comes to the conclusion that since he is Snow White, then there must be a hunter and a witch, the famous stepmother of Snow White. 
(chapter 22). That’s why he believes that Do Seong-Rok is the huntsman, while Jeon Hee Seong is the witch, because the former didn’t kill him. The former prostitute had planned to get rid of the young man, as he represented a source of danger for her. That’s why she ordered the killing to her lover. Soon after the release, an user asked Evy who was the Prince in this story. The author replied by denying his existence in this story. 
(chapter 24) Thanks to The Pawn’s Revenge, I came to recognize that even Painter Of The Night has so many common denominators with this fairytale. 
(chapter 1) or 
a god. Then the characters are often associated to animals: dog, mutt, 
snake, horse, pig, elephant, chicken 
(chapter 2). Furthermore, the figures in this story are perceived as living pawns of Janggi. 
(chapter 12) Finally , I compared Jeon See Heong to a mermaid 
(chapter 6) bewitching her prey. On the other hand, the figures have a precise identity. The time and the place are quite defined. As for Painter Of The Night, it looks like the same. We know the birthdays of Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum and there’s no magic or supernatural elements. Yet, we sometimes see the presence of magic and a lustful spell. 
Imagine, in this scene we have the impression that the painter’s spirit summoned the Ghost Seungho to approach him. Striking is that this repressed desired got fulfilled. While he had his eyes closed, the lord approached him. 
Another positive aspect is that the time and space are not defined. It’s just Joseon period, but that’s it. The mention of Hanyang can not be seen as transgression, because remember that there exists the fairytale Town Musicians of Bremen. The town has no name. Byeonduck said that her manhwa was not a historical story, but she found her inspiration in History. Besides, the trials of the two protagonists are more in the center, while Lee Je-Oh and Do Seong-Rok have already struggled, before the story starts. Consequently, Painter Of The Night resembles a lot more to a fairytale than The Pawn’s revenge, though the sentence “once upon a time” is missing.
Contrary to the fairytale, they embody not innocence, generosity, selflessness and chastity, but the opposite: sex, hypocrisy, corruption, selfishness, ruthlessness and immorality. They are not owners of mines, but they possess brothels which reminded me of chicken farms 
. They don’t live surrounded by nature and among animals, but in the city. The animals are the humans, they are treated like chickens. In other words, they stand in opposition to the dwarves of the fairytales: corruption, urbanization, poverty and misery. They don’t work themselves, but let others work for them like slaves. Yet they act, as if they were normal citizens abiding laws. This explicates why Ma Jong-Seok hides his affection from Snow White. He can’t be labelled as homosexual. The dwarfs, associated to different vices, symbolize the negative aspects of free market economy and the problems, when the government is not strong enough or too corrupt to stop such an evolution. I could even say, we have here the negative reflection of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves from Walt Disney. Motherhood is no longer sacred, the kids are exposed to any kind of abuse.
Snow White is now held captive in the mansion of the dwarves! He is exposed to exploitation, the perverted version of Grimes’ version. In the fairytale, the young girl was supposed to take care of the house in exchange of protection, here we have the opposite: Enslavement. The male prostitute has no choice. But what they didn’t realize is that the witch would betray them. Hence I consider the apple 
She seduced him with her experience and insight. She could read him like an open book. She knew that he was so pure and innocent, hence she compared him to a lamb. Her resemblance to the evil mother explains why she is seen with the apple. 
She just communicates through a cellphone. Besides, even Do Seong-Rok felt uncomfortable after killing two people. Hence I perceive Jeon Hee Seong as less bloodthirsty than she appears to be. She could be more of a coward. 
In this scene, the manhwaphiles can sense her witchcraft. 
Secondly, he was as pure as Snow White. But since he was neglected and had abandonment issues, he longed for maternal warmth and love. In the Korean version, we see his father promising to come back, an indication that he had no mother. Hence I judge, Do Seong-Rok’s relationship with the witch was a form of an oedipal complex. She served as a surrogate mother, that’s how much he longed for a mother and family. The manhwaphiles will realize the common denominators: neglect and abandonment perceptible in the beginning of the fairytale. Secondly, note that Do Seong-Rok had changed the color of his hair, when he met her again. That’s why I deduce that the card she gave him should be perceived as the apple from the fairytale. 
(chapter 16) With her appearance, her words and this card, she casted a spell on him. 
(chapter 16) This was his desire to resemble her, to get closer to her. Since he was a man, the witch didn’t see him as a rival. This explicates why she didn’t feel jealous at all. But for me, there’s no ambiguity that she filled the void left by the missing mother. Hence, since he was having sex with a surrogate mother, this can not be considered as the real discovery of sex. I conclude that when he met Lee Je-Oh, he discovered real sexuality. That’s the reason why he can no longer have any erection with the Queen. If we judge The Pawn’s revenge as a fairytale, then it teaches, homosexuality is a normality. He didn’t know about this, until he saw the male prostitute having sex with the pimp and felt aroused. 
because the huntsman had disobeyed her order. The man could see a glimpse of her true personality. Due to his past experience, he had learned his lesson. In addition, she is underestimating the power of love. Thus she had planned to betray and abandon her lover, but she doesn’t anticipate the killer’s betrayal. Exactly like the stepmother, she is not reflecting on her own actions. She didn’t pay too much attention to her words over the phone and the consequences. The absence of critical thinking will be another reason why she is doomed to fail: too obsessed to reach the top. She has the impression, she is almost there, the presence of the ring offered by Ahn is the proof of her success. And now, you can see why I saw so many parallels with the fairytale. 
The latter’s actions resemble to the ones from Snow White. Yet, unlike the hunter, the red-haired man has not a weak heart, but a good heart. He is not a coward or a hypocrite. He can feel pity, and doesn’t fear to dirty his hands. On the other hand, he has nightmares
, as his unconscious is telling him that he made the wrong choice. And in this scene, we have the presence of conscious and unconscious. He shouldn’t have listened to his lover’s suggestions, but he is still in denial. That’s the reason why he keeps starring 
and looking at the letter with a fake confession. Hence I believe that contrary to the hunter, he feels some remorse, as he senses that he has been tricked. In my opinion, by sleeping with her, Do Seong-Rok got tainted by her darkness. This explicates why when he strangled Ma Jeong-Sok, he had an erection. 
And remember that in the Grimms’ version, we had the presence of a lace in connection to Snow White. And this reinforces my interpretation that the killer is actually more a combination of both characters: the huntsman and Snow White. He has become the “perverted version” due to the Queen’s influence, he is her step-son. Striking is that Lee Je-Oh is giving him another interpretation of his wrongdoings: he liberated him from his prison and misery. 
Exactly like Do Seong-Rok and Snow White, he has dark hair, a white skin and red cheeks. Moreover, similar to the Grimms’ version, the main lead has been neglected and abandoned by his father. 
, questioning his relationship with the witch. 
But notice that he has a similar attitude with other characters. He confronts Choi Yeong-Gil with his hypocrisy and negative attitude. 
Just before the pimp is killed, he confronts him with his true personality and sins. He is responsible for the misery and death of many people. 
Once cornered, the “dwarf” is forced to confess his affection to Lee Je-Oh. Both dwarves had something in common: hypocrisy. Hence you can comprehend why I come to the conclusion, Lee Je-Oh is the mirror of truth. He embodies honesty and loyalty, just like the protagonist, he longed for a home and family. 
Right after having sex with him, he considers Do Seong-Rok as his boyfriend. He compliments him and caresses him
, giving him the warmth and affection the killer had been longing. 
But Lee Je-Oh would see it as delayed justice. 
From my point of view, it is related to the huge political scandals South Korea had to face like for example with the president Park Geun-hye, and the economical boom with the development of new districts which doesn’t lead to a diminution of poverty. Then, there was the Sewol ferry incident, where many students died, while the captain and the crew abandoned them. This terrible event caused a huge mistrust in the authorities and the adults’ hypocrisy and selfishness. As the manhwaphiles can detect, I view this story as a mirror of our modern society: the failure of parents as role model, the disintegration of families… Simultaneously, it teaches the same lessons: recognize hypocrisy, selfishness and the importance of reflection. Lee Je-Oh could become the killer’s ally, the moment he recognized his own mistake. He imagined his intelligence made him superior, he underestimated the huntsman’s strong will. He might have felt pity, but he was not a fool, rather a dangerous man because of his strength. He mistook his innocence for stupidity. That’s why Snow White is superior to the witch. 
(chapter 61) Observe that he has realized that Baek Na-Kyum’s disappearance doesn’t change the situation. Yoon Seungho will never come to return his affection. The abduction and even the murder are totally pointless. Yet, while confessing to his “priest”, he doesn’t acknowledge the wrongdoing perpetrated against the artist, for all his thoughts are revolving around his love for Yoon Seungho. He doesn’t see the pain afflicted to Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 61) For the first time, he is admitting his sins. He has always hurt his friend (the letter, the ruined painting, the topknot incident
, chapter 59), that’s why the main lead could never reciprocate the feelings. And now, you understand why the young master Lee said this: 
(chapter 59) Since Yoon Seungho would always overlook his wrongdoings, the latter never felt the urge to reflect on his actions. Why should he feel regret or even remorse, for their relationship never changed? But with the painter everything changed. The noble would no longer close an eye to Jihwa’s sins. 
(chapter 59) Lee Jihwa used the name of lord Song on purpose, he knew definitely that this would scare and wound Yoon Seungho. I am even thinking that he imagined Yoon Seungho would behave like in the past, refusing to leave his mansion. Since I interpreted that the lord had a flashback in episode 1, I deduce Jihwa had planned with a letter to cause a flashback in Seungho, just like he had done in the past: the topknot incident. We had two clues for this signification. 
Secondly, the childhood friend had discovered the main lead’s weakness 
(chapter 59). In this panel, Yoon Seungho has a flashback. Thus, Jihwa used this to his advantage, when he was displeased with the protagonist. Nevertheless, I suspect that Lee Jihwa was not truly responsible for the topknot incident, for he had been incited by Min’s words. Yet, instead of regretting his actions, the second lead preferred putting the whole blame on the victim, which often happens with perpetrators and accomplices. He didn’t want to be confronted with his terrible reflection. So back then the young lord Lee didn’t reflect on his actions, rejected his responsibility, for he didn’t want to feel guilty. Let’s not forget that the painter is just a low-born, the second lead didn’t see him as a human.
(chapter 76) Min had used his past to bind him to the second scheme. That’s his “punishment” for using the past as a way to tame his childhood friend. This truly shows Jihwa’s lack of intelligence. He never takes time to ponder over events and behaviors. He takes words and behavior as face-values. This is totally normal, for neither Yoon Seungho nor father Lee encouraged him to nurture his mind. Sure, the main lead was too hurt to take this burden. Besides, this is not his role, for he is not his guardian. 
(chapter 61) 
(chapter 66) With these words, he expressed a certain remorse linked to pity, yet it was limited, for he viewed the nobles as the culprits. He never included himself in the reproach, he even showed himself in a good light (“I’ll let you go”). According to him, he was benevolent and generous. But he contradicted himself, as he threatened his prey. 
(chapter 66) Moreover, there’s no ambiguity, the painter didn’t pay attention to this confession. The Joker wanted his victim to remember his threat, thus Na-Kyum could only forget the helping hand’s “good heart”. This explicates why the painter got so frightened that he even got a nightmare, he kept remembering the mask of the Joker. 
(chapter 61) As a reminder: Baek Na-Kyum never saw Nameless’ face. This image is related to Jihwa at the tavern. 
(chapter 59) His pity for the noble Jihwa was stronger than for Baek Na-Kyum’s, hence he didn’t see the negative side of his last actions. In his mind, he had truly showed his good heart! But the painter let him see in chapter 76 the real impact of his so-called “good heart”. 
(chapter 76) The latter could realize that his action had affected Baek Na-Kyum. He definitely sensed that the artist had a panic attack and he couldn’t act, as if nothing had happened. This explicates why he kept looking at his previous target. 
(chapter 76) He could see with his own eyes that both main characters had an affection for each other. Consequently, I deduce that he made the opposite decision from Jihwa. The low-born recognized his sin and guilt. This is the other reason why first he rejects Min’s suggestion 
and even gets infuriated 
(chapter 76), when he gets threatened by Min. He won’t act, as if nothing happened. In fact, now he has every reason to get involved again, though he is refusing the participation. He is well aware that he could get framed. Min already warned him. 
(chapter 76) That’s why exactly like in the beginning of the second season, he will remain passive by monitoring the nobles’ moves. He will definitely use other channels to get updated. And one more time, I am confirming my prediction that Nameless will play a key-role in Min’s defeat. He will definitely help the two protagonists and even Jihwa indirectly by confronting him with his true image. 
Remember that in chapter 68, he announced to his sister that he wouldn’t follow her. This could only upset his noona, hence she said this: 
(chapter 65) She implied that her brother would come to regret his choice, as he had not realized that he was pressured and it was a rushed decision. She instigated fear in her brother letting him know that such a “love” is just a trivial and temporary emotion. Since the lord had changed, exactly like his noona had predicted, the painter was starting regretting his choice, for he was getting more and more swayed by the noble’s good and kind behavior, while the other had a different evolution: he would love him less and lose his interest for him. The painter was interpreting the inexistence of love sessions as a sign of disinterest from Yoon Seungho, for the latter had always expressed his love through sex. The artist feared a change of heart from his lover. Hence the former felt awful, while in reality he was responsible for his own misery. 
This was a new version of this situation: 
(chapter 34) The problem is that in episode 69, Yoon Seungho never let his companion know. He didn’t even show it by opening the door for him. 
(chapter 68) He is now in this situation, because he didn’t come back to the kisaeng house and he didn’t write to her. When the artist dismisses her reproach, he was just following her request, she diverts his attention by saying: 
(chapter 68) With these words, she implies that that this is not the time for regret. They have more urgent matters. Because she worries so much for him, they should quickly leave the mansion. And note, at no moment she expresses regret, when she sent him away from the kisaeng house. The absence of regret and remorse from Heena is palpable in this panel too: 
Here, she makes an allusion that if anything, Jung In-Hun is accountable for that situation, for he was supposed to look after him. As a conclusion, the head-kisaeng has never regretted her decision. She even had not the impression that she had done something wrong towards her son. Let’s not forget that she never contacted him herself during their separation and this for a long time (more than 15 months). This means, she doesn’t view herself as a sinner. Her remorseless and regretless attitude really exposes her selfishness, for she is blind to the wounds she afflicted to Baek Na-Kyum: abandonment issues. 
(chapter 74), on the other hand he judged the change as something bad: futile and superficial. So in the tavern, the artist was wishing that he had listened to his noona 
. But fortunately, his random encounter with Nameless made him realize that such thoughts were totally pointless. (For more, read the essay “Sins”) Because the lord had changed, he saved and comforted Baek Na-Kyum. He had acted the exact opposite to his attitude during and after the abduction. He rushed to his side, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum had hoped 
(chapter 60) With this incident, the painter experienced that the noble’s feelings had not changed at all, and he was indeed reliable and trustworthy. That’s why he closed his eyes at the end. 
His intuition had not misled him. This signifies that from that moment on, the painter will stick to his initial choice. He won’t leave Yoon Seungho’s side. At the same time, this incident with Nameless destroyed the little power Heena still had over her son. Now, the son is living his life as an grown-up without his mother’s interference. 
(chapter 75) He was missing painting. Deep down he wished, he hadn’t vowed to stop painting, because he was so sad and hurt. Though he felt so miserable, he saw it as an obligation, for it was his punishment. Because of him, Jung In-Hun had failed to secure a position. 
(chapter 75) This means, Baek Na-Kyum felt remorseful. He had the impression, he had done something wrong. It was, as if he had sinned, therefore losing his passion was the price he had to pay for his sin. 
(chapter 75) This explicates why for each bad action Jung In-Hun did towards him before, the latter would still overlook the betrayal and abandonment. He accepted all of this deep down, as he felt culpable. Thus the manhwaphiles can comprehend why Jung In-Hun is still so sure about his power over the painter, 
(chapter 44) and even left him without biding goodbye, though he had hurt him so deeply before. He knows the artist’s weaknesses: his adoration for him and his so-called sin. Thus the teacher appears as remorseless. He has no regret either. He never suffered from huge pangs of conscience, when he beat him or abandoned him.
(chapter 6) His attitude resembles a lot to Heena’s. 
(chapter 75). He tried to free his lover from his guilty conscience. But I doubt that these words were enough for liberate the painter from his remorse. Therefore I am suspecting that in the next season, Yoon Seungho will be forced to reveal the true reason why the scholar failed to secure a high position and expose his lie to Baek Na-Kyum. 
For this story is going in circle, we have to anticipate that the protagonist will repeat this action. However, this time he could ask for the learned sir’s dirty secrets. Another possibility is that he mentions the Christian religion, for I am suspecting the scholar of using this religion to get free support from low-borns. And this attempt of separating the learned sir from the painter would definitely serve Kim’s interests, as the latter had already tried to ruin the relationship between the artist and the teacher during the first season. The butler’s initial goal was that the main lead doesn’t meddle in politics and official positions. He had to lie low in order not to attract the attention from the king. 
(chapter 68) It was not just, because he wanted to hide his true emotions and thoughts from his mother, he was still bound by his “sin”. Besides, he has other “sins” to cover up: Heena is still unaware of his illiteracy. Remember how the painter felt embarrassed. Once Baek Na-Kyum is freed from his guilty conscience, no one can stand in the way of the lovers. 
(chapter 1) We know that she neglected him, as she was too young to assume her responsibility as a mother. So maybe she regretted adopting him, hence she wanted to share her burden with others (kisaengs and the scholar). She must have resented him at some point for painting such images, as she despises sex. But then I realized one important aspect in the following panel. Heena could only see the lewd pictures, not the boy’s passion for painting. She never realized that if she had encouraged him to paint something else, he would have picked up a different topic: painting nature and landscapes. 
(chapter 75) Then he even created an inauguration painting with Jung In-Hun, revealing that he was inspired by his admiration and love proving that sex is not his obsession. He is just misunderstood by Heena noona. Consequently, I believe that later he will regret to have painted such an image
(chapter 44), as it doesn’t reflect reality. That’s why I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho could become the painter’s teacher, and not just his muse. As a painter himself, he will incite his companion to select other topics. Let’s not forget that the noble invited his “guest” to a hunt. 
We should envisage that Yoon Seungho makes a similar request: they go outdoors so that the painter can paint a landscape. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 