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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The final words in the essay called “A thousand thoughts swept through my mind till sunrise” were the following:
“I believe to see here another clue for my prediction that the next chapters will contain elements from chapter 26 (the bath), 36 (the head-maid and the fellatio), 46 (the maid talking to Baek Na-Kyum), 56 (the wet dream and the bathroom) and 66 (the dream). Striking is that all the episodes I mentioned are ending with a 6!! The most incredible is that the symbolic meaning of six are harmony, balance, sincerity, love, and truth.”
Therefore imagine my surprise, when I read the chapter 70. My prediction turned out to be quite accurate, for elements from the chapters ending with a 6 were indeed present. Yet the only difference is that I didn’t include the episode 16. This signifies that my conclusion remains unchanged: the interaction between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum in the bathroom stands under the sign of truth, harmony, honesty and love. No wonder that all the readers were very satisfied with the new chapter.
What caught my attention is that the episodes 16, 36, 46, 56 and 66 have one common denominator, which I didn’t recognize first: pranks. In episode 16, we witness how the lord is playing with the headband.
He is not only playful, but also flirtatious. Note how he puts the headband on the main lead giving him a seductive allure. 
At the same time, he acts like an innocent teenager who keeps asking questions: 
Yet, the topic is actually about sex, which contrasts so much to purity and innocence. It was, as if Yoon Seungho was behaving like a teenager discovering sexuality for the first time.
While talking, he can’t even help himself smiling. Striking is that his joke and words are used to woo the painter. He keeps getting closer and closer to Baek Na-Kyum, so that his head approaches the painter’s, before his hand starts touching his leg.
As you can detect, the scene in episode 16 is a combination of seduction and frivolity. He is so happy to be by the painter’s side, hence he is talkative. He desires to have a real conversation with the painter. On the other hand, since the topic of the conversation is revolving around sexuality, it explains why Yoon Seungho is tempting the painter. And we have a similar situation in chapter 70. Therefore there exist so many similarities between these two episodes, which I will now list:
- the almost kiss
(chapter 16) versus 
(chapter 70) - A prank: (chapter 16)
(chapter 70) - The master’s smile: (chapter 16)
(chapter 70) - Two rejections: The silence from Baek Na-Kyum who never answers to the questions from Yoon Seungho, until he is cornered
and 
(chapter 16) versus 
the removal from his hand and
(chapter 70) - The painter’s angry reaction: (chapter 16)
- The lord’s pouting face:
(chapter 16) versus (chapter 70) - The painter’s head down:
(chapter 16)
(chapter 70)
The problem is that in chapter 16, the low-born couldn’t value the joke and perceive the lord’s playful personality, as the former was busy fighting against his arousal. He wasn’t immune at all to the lord’s seduction. That’s why we also have a pouty face from the painter in episode 16. 
And here, we can detect the first huge difference between these two episodes. Because the artist is no longer denying his homosexuality, and as such he has finally dropped the scholar’s doctrines, he is able to perceive the aristocrat’s true personality. He is indeed moved, 
when he sees Yoon Seungho smiling after playing his prank. He blushes so much that he feels the need to hide his face, hence he lowers his head, while in chapter 16, he had his head down because of shame. He desired to cover his pleasure out of guilt. He was definitely struggling internally. In chapter 70, the artist is more scared of his own feelings for Yoon Seungho.
The other divergence is Baek Na-Kyum’s attitude. This time, he is no longer silent. He talks back
, when he hears the main lead calling his sister a wench. He requests respect from the lord. He is confident in his words and behavior. He even gives further explications. 
Moreover, he is no longer using fake excuses, unlike in the past. He rejects the lord’s suggestion (taking a bath together) clearly and directly without displaying any disrespect. When the lord keeps pressuring him, his justification sounds reasonable.
This explicates why for the second time the manhwaphiles are witnessing a real and honest conversation between the two protagonists. The first time it happened, it was in the bathroom as well, 
(chapter 26). Yet back then both were driven by negative emotions (anger and sadness) due to their wounds. However, this time it is different. They are both calm and very careful. The two are determined to treat each other with respect. 
(Chapter 70) In other words, the bathroom is the place where the main leads can be honest to themselves, hence they are genuine to their counterpart. This is no coincidence that the painter was indeed touched, when he reminisced the lord cleaning him.
(chapter 59) In this place, there is no rule or social class separating them, they are equal. In the washroom, there’s only purity symbolized by water. I would conclude that they are truly naked physically and mentally. That’s why they can only be honest to themselves and in front of each other.
Another huge contrast between chapter 16 and 70 is the lord’s eloquence. While he mastered the conversation in chapter 16, he reveals his inability to speak properly in episode 70. How do we explain this contradiction? The answer is quite simple. Let’s not forget that in the previous episode, the noble was talking about sex. For he was living like a “man consumed by lust”, his vocabulary was quite rich in that area due to his experiences. However, since he has never had a real partner he could converse with, his true eloquence suffered a lot due to neglect. At the same time, it reveals that his social skills have been overlooked for so long too. This explicates why he has no idea how to convey his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, the manhwaphiles should recall that the noble had avoided to feel anything and analyze any emotion for so long, hence he still has troubles to voice these. That’s why he keeps calling the kisaeng “that wench” not realizing that he is insulting the low-born’s relative. Nevertheless, in this scene, the noble has no intention to offend anyone, that’s why he is caught by surprise
, when the painter retorts that he should mention her differently. His facial expression oozes naivety and shock. He didn’t pay attention to the idiom (“wench”), as all his thoughts were revolving about the painter’s happiness. He just desired to know if he had succeeded: 
(chapter 63: this is the master’s biggest wish) Astonishing is that the painter is not outraged by the lord’s words, as he has already sensed the lord’s true attention: the artist’s happiness. Carefully, Baek Na-Kyum corrects his master and starts describing his relationship with Heena. Consequently, the lord considers it as a good sign. Their bond has not been too damaged. Despite his mistake, the low-born is interacting with him. That’s why he takes the painter’s hand. He has the impression that the artist is opening up, hence he starts conveying his own thoughts too. The problem is that when he says this 
, he makes a huge mistake again. However, his words cause the painter to remember how the lord treated him in that room 
(chapter 66). The artist has no idea that Yoon Seungho is referring to the flashback. 
(chapter 66) Nonetheless, due to his mistake, Baek Na-Kyum retrieves his hand. The reality is that Yoon Seungho was attempting to show his concern and his remorse. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong diction, thereby his thoughts were not expressed properly. Moreover, I would like the readers to keep in mind that the lord has never apologized before. First, as a noble, he was never asked to apologize to a commoner. Secondly, it is related to his own trauma. The main lead associates the apology
to fakeness and hypocrisy due to the butler, who keeps repeating these words
(chapter 25) 
(chapter 65). Besides, the painter also apologized once, and back then, he was not really sincere too.
(Chapter 11) This explicates that he misjudged the painter’s apology in chapter 62. Moreover, exactly like in episode 11, the painter had selected silence over giving a proper explanation. As you can see, silence was another reason why the couple had such huge issues in the past. It generated doubts and increased insecurities. However, in chapter 70, silence is barely present. 
(Chapter 70) Both are communicating verbally in all sincerity. In other words, this panel represents the first step for the lord to apologize. Nonetheless he has to learn how to convey his regret perfectly. Hence this is understandable that we can’t expect him to voice this apology yet. As a conclusion, his poor social skills and lack of articulation mirror Yoon Seungho’s true personality.
The powerful noble detects the change in the painter’s behavior, the latter acts exactly like in the beginning (chapter 5, 8, 11, 16). He speaks his own mind now without being disrespectful. This encourage the lord to step up the game. Even if he made a mistake, the artist forgave him. Yet there’s no doubt that the lord must have felt a little insecure before confessing his true thoughts. Therefore Yoon Seungho takes the painter’s hand and touches the fingers very tenderly. 
In my opinion, the skinship serves as support. The master is not just wooing the low-born, but also he desires to voice his emotions. He would like to expose his concern and affection, yet like I exposed above, he fails due to the wrong selection.
What caught my attention is that unlike in chapter 16, the noble tries to determine the reason for the artist’s rejection. 
(Chapter 70) Imagine, before he never showed any interest why the commoner refused to paint for him. 
(chapter 1) This exposes the huge transformation of Yoon Seungho. Now, he would like to be judged differently. He has already realized that he will never achieve his goal (being loved), if he is still full of insecurities and self-hatred. Nonetheless, his selfishness is still present in the bathroom, because he can’t bear being pushed away again. This interpretation is exposed with the number of white candles.
Note that on the lord’s side, there are just 2, while on the painter’s side the beholder can count three. The number 3 symbolizes harmony, completion and wisdom. This observation leads me to the deduction, the aristocrat’s transformation is not completed yet. This explains why he plays a trick by dragging him into the tub. The prank is the perfect solution in order to pursue his dream without becoming forceful or frightening. Moreover, note that he refuses to act like a master by giving him an order. From my point of view, the noble’s tone has changed. Not only his gaze but also his gestures have already softened.
Moreover, both keep looking at each other during this conversation, whereas in the episode 16 there was no eye contact. Only the lord was looking at the painter, (chapter 16) while the commoner’s gaze was fixated on the drawing as an excuse, until he was forced to look at him.
As a conclusion, for the first time both protagonists are following the 10 golden rules of communication:
- Be warm and attentive
- Show you are listening
- Check understanding
- Be slow to pass judgement
- Use silence appropriately
- Convey messages in a clear and effective manner
- Use clear and unambiguous language
- Use non-verbal methods of communication
- Use repetition
The caress serves as a mean to confess his love towards the artist. - Check understanding
quoted from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201207/the-10-golden-rules-communication
From my perspective, the prank played a huge role in truly breaking the ice between the main characters. Because he didn’t succeed to reveal his own thoughts and emotions properly, he had to find a new approach. That’s why he suggested the bath. In his mind, if the artist recognized that they were just two naked bodies, the distance between them would vanish. This means, that the moment the painter decided to stay at the mansion, the lord’s second dream 
(“to share what’s on their mind”) got revived. He was once again full of hope, that’s why he felt the need to touch the painter. He wanted to share his feelings and thoughts. Unfortunately, the low-born rejected the offer, which is also comprehensible. We have to imagine that with this proposition, he could just intimidate the commoner. If the latter had to undress himself, in Baek Na-Kyum’s eyes, there was a high chance that the noble would have asked for a physical intimacy… and we shouldn’t forget that he had just experienced a rough sex marathon the night before. Therefore he couldn’t accept the suggestion. On the other hand, the lord couldn’t stand a rejection either. That’s why he had a pouting face. And just like a child, he decides to play a prank. The painter might yell at Yoon Seungho, however there is no real resent. Besides, contrary to the past, he doesn’t say no, he just scolds the noble. That’s why his feelings switch quite quickly. Through the joke, the seriousness has literally vanished. At the same time, the readers are finally able to witness the noble’s genuine laugh: 
I believe that for the first time, the low-born is able to detect a new side from the aristocrat. Imagine that the artist could not only make the noble laugh, but also smile. That’s why the painter can no longer reject the lord, as his fear is slowly disintegrating. Note that he doesn’t reject the kiss from the aristocrat. What I love in this panel is that the lord’s eyes are closed, illustrating his leap of faith. He chose to trust the artist blindly. Simultaneously, the manhwaphiles can detect a certain shyness in Yoon Seungho. His ear is red exposing the slow rebirth of the protagonist.
Another contradiction between the chapters 16 and 70 is that the seduction is not focused on sex, but on love. This signifies that the “corruption” from episode 16 has disappeared. We are truly witnessing a scene exuding pure affection and warmth. He is here courting the painter, hence there’s no real sexual desire in the tub. The skinship is full of sensuality and tenderness: a caress, a kiss and the beginning of an embrace. The master’s second wish is gradually coming true. The lord is putting his guard down for real in chapter 70. That’s why he is completely naked: he has no green robe and no headgear as well. He has finally become a real human. He is no longer a ghost or vengeful spirit, only an innocent teenager discovering real love for the first time, whereas in chapter 16, he was behaving as if sexuality was quite new.
But since my topic is “prank”, I would like to point out that the main lead played another prank in chapter 36 exposing his cheerful personality. Nevertheless, back then, there was only silence
, because the butler had warned the artist not to irritate the main lead. According to him, he was in a bad mood, which was untrue. 
(Chapter 36) The noble had regained hope due to the painter’s genuine reactions (his shyness, blushing and his mention about the painting). And this truly exposes the valet’s evilness in the end. He made sure that both wouldn’t get close in reality by hindering a real conversation. For that, he utilized sex. That’s why he let the painter drink an aphrodisiac. He knew that the moment, the lord would notice the erection, the main lead would be attempted to have sex. For me, there’s no doubt that Kim made sure that the lord’s deepest wish wouldn’t come true: an exchange of thoughts, a real intimacy. This explicates why the prank played by the noble failed in this scene. 
(Chapter 36) With this joke, he wanted to initiate a conversation, but unfortunately he saw the erection. Yet, the valet’s trick didn’t work completely either. Note that during that night, there was no sexual intercourse, just a fellatio. We shouldn’t forget that during that day, the painter was still feverish which the noble had noticed. So envision what would have happened, if the lord had engaged a second sex marathon. Therefore, I believe that in chapter 70, the valet is hoping that the noble will behave like the previous night
, so that the painter’s health condition deteriorates more, or the artist gets scared and changes his mind to leave the mansion.
However, let’s return our attention to the joke played by the main lead. The “prank” helped him not only to shorten the gap between them, but to externalize his thoughts more accurately. Note that right after laughing and smiling, he is able to express himself more properly. 
After playing the joke, he is truly more relaxed, yet there is a certain timidity as well, for he tries to hide his laughing face and smile. Initially, he has his head down and later he even puts his hand in front of his mouth. I have to admit that his smile followed by this gesture affected me the same way than the painter. He is definitely seductive and charming here. And now you comprehend why the artist reacts the opposite from chapter 16. He doesn’t say no or runs away. He remains immobile listening carefully to the lord’s words and sensing his caress on his chin and lips. The words accompanied with nonverbal communication are finally reaching the low-born’s heart and mind. He finally realizes the truth in the lord’s confession. This leads me to the conclusion that Kim’s plan is not going to work again. There won’t be any sex during the next night, but a new physical intimacy: 
(chapter 38) 
(chapter 50): caresses, embrace and kisses, the symbol of harmony, love and sincerity.
After comparing both episodes, the readers realize the importance of the joke made by the main lead. However, in my introduction, I had explained that all the chapters ending with a 6 contained pranks. We shouldn’t forget that some people are justifying their misdeed by downplaying it. Remember that in chapter 47, Deok-Jae defended himself 
(chapter 47) by saying that he had just made a prank. But now, you will wonder where there was a prank in chapter 46, 56 and 66.
- chapter 46:
(Chapter 46) Deok-Jae destroyed the painter’s snowmen. There is no doubt that he would have replied the same, if he had to answer for his behavior. - chapter 56: Jihwa faked a letter in lord Song’s name.
(Chapter 56) He knew that this would hurt the noble, yet note that he felt no remorse and blamed his childhood friend. However, like I pointed out, he was impersonating a person. If asked, the childhood friend would have used a similar excuse. That’s why Yoon Seungho answers in a quite similar way: he calls him “lord song”. However, he pushes him. - chapter 66: When Jihwa revealed the abduction
(chapter 66) , he implied with his words that Jihwa played just a prank, since the painter returned alive. Yoon Seungho shouldn’t just get angry, because it was just a joke. As you can observe, all the misdeeds are reduced to a joke. It was, as though they had done nothing wrong. However, the intention is definitely different: the perpetrators intended to hurt the protagonists. And this is not surprising that the chapter 36 contains both pranks: Kim drugged the painter against his will, while the joke from the noble was harmless. And in my opinion, the episode 70 contains both pranks as well. Kim was the one who sent the painter to the aristocrat. Why do I believe this? The reason is quite simple: the servant leading the painter to the bathroom is portrayed with no eye 
(chapter 70) and is carrying a lamp similar to Kim’s 
(chapter 36). And remember that this chapter is a new version of chapter 36. In that episode, the valet was the one who brought the artist to the lord’s chamber. Moreover, the way the door is shut clearly exposes a certain violence. 
(Chapter 70) Besides, the domestic is also urging the painter to join the bathroom. From my point of view, the domestic wants to make sure that the artist arrives, before the lord leaves the bathroom. Moreover, the lord’s expression in beginning is not quite welcoming
. So I am more inclined to think that Yoon Seungho didn’t plan it that way. And remember my explanation after the first sex marathon. The butler had placed the painter in the lord’s bed 
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 34) in order to incite the latter to have sex with the commoner. Imagine, he had just regained consciousness, therefore this trick could have cost the artist’s life. And we shouldn’t forget, the butler witnessed the second sex marathon. He even viewed the flashback from the painter. Therefore in my opinion, the butler is hoping with his “prank” that the lord will act like the previous night. Furthermore, I would like to point out the presence of domestics in chapter 16 and 36. We have Deok-Jae who spied on the couple and manipulated the butler to open the door
[theory confirmed by the author herself]. Then during that evening (chapter 36-37), Kim tried to stop Yoon Seungwon from entering the room.
(Chapter 37) Hence this means, he was paying attention to what was happening in the bedchamber. What caught my attention are the following panels: Why did the author show the window or door?
Since there’s no coincidence, this indicates that a servant is spying on them, listening to their conversation. Why? It is because the next prank is already planned: 
(chapter 69) Since Kim got caught disobeying his master, he needs to lie low. On the other hand, he needs to be updated. That’s why he is now using other servants as his spies. There’s no ambiguity that the servants, manipulated by the butler, must resent the low-born. He caused them another trouble. But the reality is that these tricks are no jokes but crimes. That’s why I feel that after the second abduction, there will be a purge among the staff. The ones who followed the butler’s instructions will definitely suffer. 
(Chapter 69) 
And this outlines that Yoon Seungho has a different personality from them. He is never diminishing his wrongdoings, and his pranks are real ones. The problem is that he can’t remain as an innocent child, since he told the painter, he would become responsible for him. As an adult and lord, he should be able to protect his loved one and anticipate his enemies’ moves. At the same time, each “prank” organized by the butler, Min and Jihwa always backfired on them and brought the protagonists even closer to each other. That’s why this is not surprising that all the pranks are connected to the number “6”, because this number signifies harmony, love and sincerity. The villains helped the relationship between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum to improve.
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(chapter 68) to the situation in chapter 53, where the vicious domestic Deok-Jae got beaten for hurting Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 53) This made me realize that chapter 68 was a new version of chapter 53 and 54. Therefore I would like to compare these two scenes for two reasons. First, the contrast will help us to judge better the protagonists’ actions. 
(chapter 53)
(chapter 68) versus Yoon Seungho)
(chapter 54) 
(chapter 53) versus 
(chapter 68)
(chapter 53) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t recognize the lord’s love in the end. The violence had blinded him, exactly like Heena noona had been blinded by her own prejudices. She was lumping the teenager Yoon Seungho under the same comb than the nobles. However, I would like to point out that her testimony represented a distorted memory. Why? It is because that way, she was justifying her inaction. Here, the person threatened and abused was not the noona, but the child Seungho recognizable with his hanbok. Under this approach, the manhwaphiles can grasp why she is not mentioning the helping hand in that scene, the black guard. 
(chapter 99) We don’t just see nobles frequenting the kisaeng house, but also commoners! Heena’s statement gives the impression that only nobles are going there. This exposes Heena’s biased perception. To sum up, the kisaeng and the painter were blinded, though the latter had been influenced by the noona’s doctrines. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was in denial in the end and saw the lord’s love as a lie. Furthermore, this signifies that the artist experienced the opposite from what Heena noona is describing to Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 68). In truth, the artist mistook love for fear. Note that in each confession, the low-born expresses a certain fear, while in truth his heart is already racing for Yoon Seungho out of desire and affection. In chapter 41, he explains that his heart is pounding due to fear
and in chapter 49, he chose to reject the lord’s hug as a genuine embrace and decided to just admit his physical attraction. 
Since the lord had always been brutal, Baek Na-Kyum could never truly distinguish the cause for his heart pounding. And with this observation, it becomes obvious that the low-born was never in love with his teacher romantically, as he had never felt any heart racing for him. From my point of view, Heena noona was the one who mistook affection for fear. That’s the reason why she never saw the noble’s hypocrisy and cowardice. According to my latest theory, she is suffering from sex phobia [For more read the essay “Arrogant, filthy and lying nobles 🏯”]. But I am also suspecting that pride could have played a role as well. 
(chapter 53) He protected Deok-Jae from the noble’s violence (condition 1: Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need)), risked his own life (condition 3) and never receive any reward or gratefulness, in fact he never expected anything from the vicious man and the main lead. (condition 2: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain). He even embraced the noble and his hug was totally genuine which the main lead sensed. 
(chapter 53) And with this new approach, I believe that when Min mocked the lord by calling Baek Na-Kyum a low-born 
(chapter 54), the main lead punched Black Heart, because he was actually protecting the painter’s name and honor. He no longer felt embarrassed to love such a person, Baek Na-Kyum was a true hero in his eyes. And now you understand why Yoon Seungho felt truly rejected, when Baek Na-Kyum called the lord’s love a lie. Sure, he asked for an explanation before
(chapter 54), yet since the lord was acting under the influence of his heart, he couldn’t voice his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, before reaching the study, he had been denying his feelings too. 
(chapter 53) The painter’s question was pushing the lord to admit his affection. However, because he had been in denial, the painter mirrored his attitude. 
(chapter 68) When did the noble say that he adores Baek Na-Kyum? And remember that we have a flashback of that night from Yoon Seungho’s perspective: 
And this panel 
(chapter 62) made me realize that this could be the moment the lord chose to declare that he adores the painter. In this picture, the manhwaphiles have the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is whispering something to the lord, yet there’s no speech bulb and not even a moan. And since the painter is a reflection of the aristocrat, then this signifies that Yoon Seungho could have been whispering these words “I adore you”, especially after getting fully embraced by the low-born. Moreover, he experienced the heart pounding of Baek Na-Kyum 
(chapter 62) so that he felt compelled to reveal his adoration. However, despite the confession, Baek Na-Kyum was still in denial. And now, you can better grasp why Yoon Seungho was enraged afterwards and felt betrayed. He had confessed properly this time, and the commoner abandoned him for real, or better said, that’s what he envisioned. We have another evidence that Yoon Seungho declared not only his defeat, but his deep affection: 
(chapter 62) As you can observe, Yoon Seungho is also connecting love to fear, but in a different way. He was always afraid of admitting his love out of fear to be abandoned. And when he did it, the artist left him behind in his eyes. His nightmare came true, until he discovered that he had misjudged the whole situation. This repetition of misunderstanding proves me that chapter 68 is a reflection of the scene in the study from episode 53-54.
(chapter 68) First, he uses the scholar as his legitimation for his stay at the mansion. 
(chapter 68) Then when Heena noona pressures more the painter, the latter gives other justifications, like f. ex. the lord treats him well 
(chapter 68). Surprising is that he is actually mentioning others to legitimate his stay: the scholar, the master of the mansion 
(chapter 68) and “everyone” 
(chapter 68). But Heena noona can’t accept these excuses and forces him to confess his affection. However, even when he admits his feelings, he gives the impression that he is doing it against his will. 
(chapter 68) and observe that he is using the truth for his allegations. Yet, in my opinion, he is doing the same thing than Kim in the end. He is trying to put the whole responsibility on the lonely aristocrat. But what is the truth? Yoon Seungho might have dragged and mistreated the painter, but he also protected him and treated him with care, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum mentioned it first (“the lord is very good to me”). However, if the manhwaphiles look carefully at the artist’s second justification
(chapter 62) 
(chapter 61)
(chapter 63) 
(chapter 57), therefore Kim desired to push him to make the opposite decision. Since his father kept him captive, then Yoon Seungho should renounce on Baek Na-Kyum, because he doesn’t want to be like his own father. Kim knows Yoon Seungho’s good heart and wishes to utilize it to his own benefit. 
(chapter 68), but also to push Yoon Seungho to accept the painter’s departure. This explicates why Yoon Seungho didn’t enter the study and waited for the kisaeng’s departure. 
(chapter 69) Don’t forget that in episode 68, we have Yoon Seungho getting dragged against his will. 
(chapter 102) So was he acting like a hero here? 
(chapter 102) Black Heart had already stated this before: 
(chapter 102) Yoon Seungho had already stabbed lord Jang, therefore he could be punished for this action, even if he spared the aristocrats. In reality, there was only one solution for Yoon Seungho now: to kill them all. Why? Like mentioned above, Min would have backstabbed him. Moreover once arrested, the main lead wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would have ended in Min’s hands. Nonetheless, the lord was not acting rationally during this night. He was guided by his emotions exactly like in chapter 53/54. The only difference is that he was acting like a cold-blooded killer. The rage and pain were only palpable in his gaze. 
(chapter 102) The irony is that the Joker had reproached this to the main figure in chapter 53: 
(chapter 53) He had been a killjoy, for he had showed mercy! As you can see, Black Heart’s words came back to bite him. 
(chapter 102) He didn’t stop, because Min asked him to. The gods were showing to Min the cruel reality: violence is not a game! And the painter’s soul and heart got spared during that night. Since he was unconscious, he never saw the bloodbath. The goddess showed mercy to the pure artist. He was rewarded for his bravery and good heart. He had remained loyal to his lover. He never believed in the manipulations of the schemers or gave in to the perpetrators. He resisted till the end to the point that he risked his own life too. Just like his lover, he was a hero. 
(chapter 102) And this brings me to the following observation: Heena described the nobles as violent and arrogant liars, but she occulted the reasons why a lord would employ violence and deceptions. Yoon Seungho didn’t become ruthless, because he likes brutality. He was forced to, and it is the same with the lie! There is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will have to lie concerning the bloodbath. It will be a new version of this scene: 
(chapter 11) He lied in order to protect the learned sir! He took even responsibility for the crime. Both have to lie in order to protect each other. 
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 60) He was hoping for his arrival. He was already considering him as his lord and knight in shining armor. And at the end of season 3, the painter hoped the same! 
(chapter 99) Yoon Seungho was his hero and protector. It is because the painter had perceived the noble’s true personality. He was humble, generous, but more importantly, he was a man of honor. He would keep his promises! 
(chapter 11)
(chapter 53) The gaze, the mirror of his soul, reveals his shock and agony. The hand hurt the loved one, although it was meant to defend him. At the same time, by putting the painter in the center of the drawing, the author enhances the painter’s bravery.
(chapter 23) Note that here the lord is taking away the apple from the painter. He’s eating his frugal meal. Furthermore he stands above him and his gestures clearly indicate that he has been following and observing the artist before eating his fruit. Here, he appears as selfish and self-centered. He takes without asking. This stands so much in opposition to the shared meal in chapter 47. 
(chapter 47) This time, the roles are switched, the aristocrat is willing to renounce to his own meal. Besides, he is also giving up on his own seat to Baek Na-Kyum. In other words, the latter is now the one standing above the aristocrat because it was as if he had become the master, since he is sitting on the lord’s seat. Even the noble reminds him to remain seated so that he can keep eating. This contrast emphasizes so much the powerful protagonist’s huge transformation. He is selfless, benevolent and really caring. 
(chapter 47) Now, there is a direct contact between them. One might argue that this is related to their sex sessions, which is true. However, let’s not forget that the unconscious is voicing itself through the hands, hence despite the experienced intimacy, his unconscious is still unsatisfied. Therefore in chapter 47, the hand feels the need to touch his mouth. Sure, someone might say that he wants to ensure that the painter is not hurt. However, he could have used his eyes and just look at the mouth. That’s the reason why I feel that the gesture was revealing something else. The hand is expecting something from the mouth! Deep down, the lord is wishing to hear something from the painter but nothing has happened so far. At the same time, observe that the lord is smoking right after. It was as if this gesture (caressing the low-born’s mouth) had bothered him so much that his mind decided to control the hand again. Consequently he starts smoking. He needs to act as if he was indifferent. This explains why right after his mouth is revealing the thoughts of the mind: 
. The smoke is helping him to calm down and control his emotions, yet the mouth can no longer mask the influence of the unconscious because of the choice of words. As you can detect, the use of the smoke is no longer effective. Notice that “hurt, “embrace” belong to the vocabulary field of emotions. So the mouth is not truly rationale. As a conclusion, the mouth is revealing little by little the truth. Furthermore, the hand displays a certain longing: the lord’s unconscious is expecting to hear something from the painter’s mouth. What is it exactly? 
(chapter 11)
(chapter 12)
(chapter 26)
(chapter 31)
(episode 48)
his mind didn’t allow his mouth to become emotional and confess his love to the painter. 
But the painter’s mouth is telling the brutal truth. The lord has never confessed to him hence it is a lie that Yoon Seungho loves him. At some point, the Queen gets defeated by Snow White, however I am not expecting the same ending here. The lord will be forced to confess. He has to be reveal his true emotions if he wants to hear a love confession from the artist. We shouldn’t forget that the artist works as a mirror. The moment Yoon Seungho declares his affection to the painter, the latter will reciprocate his feelings because he will mirror his emotions. 
(chapter 25) and in that bathroom. Each time, he spoke, his sincerity hurt the lord. With his words, the artist confronted Yoon Seungho with reality. The lord could no longer lie to the painter and to himself: the love confession was addressed to someone else and he knew that. I could even say that the slap in chapter 11 was a violent reaction because with the ruined paintings and with his words (refusal of working for him), he had rejected Yoon Seungho which the unconscious could not accept. Hence the constant rejection was always very painful for the lord, the painter’s mouth kept wounding his heart, the unconscious, since the conscious was denying the existence of any feeling. Baek Na-Kyum’s mouth is the mirror of the truth. The lord’s conscious has to accept the crude honesty: he is in love with Baek Na-Kyum. As long as he continues denying it, his unconscious and heart will always be wounded by the painter’s mouth. That’s why he needs to stop denying this. Simultaneously, this explains why the artist’s mouth has a calming effect in chapter 53 
. For the first time, the painter’s mouth is showing concern and care. There is no rejection, the artist’s voice and words let transpire feelings which the unconscious has been longing for a very long time. That’s why in that moment, the lord can’t help touching the painter’s cheek and white head-band. The unconscious has finally received something it had been longing: acceptance and warmth. But this is just a brief victory as the moment is ruined by Min’s appearance. However, through this examination, it became obvious that Yoon Seungho needed to confess first. And this observation was proven correct. Yoon Seungho admitted his attachment to the painter in chapter 55. 
(Chapter 52) In my opinion, he must be mocking the other noble. He feels that his fellow is just too stupid and naive. Yet Min is actually overlooking an important aspect. There is an explanation why the other aristocrats are calling the protagonist a lunatic. Yoon Seungho is indeed revolutionary as he rejects social hierarchy and as such criticizes nobility with its privileges. During the 18th Century, libertines were fighting for liberty and equity and this is not surprising that the French revolution began 1789. Remember what I told about libertines, sex was just one aspect in their life, they advocate reforms and changes in the tripartite society, in the rigid social hierarchy. That’s what Black Heart is overlooking, whereas the nobles sensed this aspect but were not able to define it. 
His retreat was not a defeat, he was just ignoring their opinion. Yoon Seungho just saw them as nobodies hence he had no reason to fight back for his reputation, since he never valued his notoriety. What Min perceived as a first victory was nothing in Yoon Seungho’s eyes.
(Chapter 33) Here, he was challenging the lord for the first time. Furthermore like I had already underlined before, the lord created this image of hell-raiser as a shield. Thanks to his bad notoriety, he could deceive people and protect himself. Ecstasy was never his goal unlike Min, since Yoon Seungho desired to divert people’s attention. And based on my theory he never took pleasure in sodomy, he rather forced himself to live up to his bad reputation. 
(Chapter 52) No noble imagined that the main lead had an interest in government posts. Admittedly, only the readers know the reason why he is sponsoring Jung In-Hun. It happened because of the painter. However, I detect another manipulation here because of the following picture: 
[chapter 11] The noble has always been honest in front of the painter hence his words outline how powerful the main lead is in reality. He already has connections in the government but he never made it public therefore aristocrats thought, he was indulging himself in lust. While he went to sex orgies, he did pay attention to what was happening at the capital, yet he never showed up there due to his trauma. I would even add that he even influenced the government, but always unofficially and indirectly so that people would never make any connection to him. His power seems to be quite important since he proclaims that he can ruin the teacher’s career. This can be also the explication why he even adjoins that he will never get caught with Jung In-Hun’s murder. 
(Chapter 11) He can use his connections in the worst case to cover his misdeed. Nonetheless, I sense that he is also referring to his reputation as a man consumed by lust. As a conclusion, Min has no idea how powerful the noble he is challenging truly is. His judgement is based on the nobles’ reports and hearsay. That’s why Black Heart believes Yoon Seungho is easy to understand, since the rumor is quite simple. To summarize, Min is just another arrogant and stupid fool, overestimating his own abilities and underestimating his opponent. Like one of my readers wrote, Black Heart confuses cunningness with intelligence. Yoon Seungho is not only ruthless but also very smart.
(chapter 52) But this doesn’t stop here. He even confesses Jihwa’s involvement.
(Chapter 52) How can I not judge him stupid? I guess, opium has already confused his mind and reduced his vigilance. He is indeed careless and thoughtless. Besides, in the picture above, I noticed another important detail. He started insulting Jihwa as sodomite. This word “sodomite” reflects his opinion about sodomy as such. He is no homosexual per se, he just uses sodomy to submit the other masters. He is indeed similar to Yoon Seungho in that aspect. Both perceive sex as war, however the powerful noble did it out of resent towards nobility, whereas the other wanted to establish himself as the new ruler among the local aristocracy. Black Heart desired to prove his superiority over the other lords. the main lead had a different goal, it was to tarnish and ruin the image of the nobility. One might argue that the outcome is the same… which is correct, yet due to this, Min jumped to the false conclusion. Min assumed that Yoon Seungho had the same intention. 
(Chapter 52) The painter gets upset with the kiss but instead of letting his emotions take control of his thoughts, he ponders about the cause of these negative feelings. Why is he upset? 
(Chapter 52) Notice the appearance of Yoon Seungho’s hand. It is directly put under the noble’s chin. This gesture is not anodine. His intention appears clear to me. He is aiming at his chin in order to mold his mouth. But he can’t make it too obvious, hence he disguises it after that with a kiss. The kiss is to shut Min’s mouth.
Observe the lord’s hand is still grabbing the chin and his mouth is literally devouring Black Heart’s mouth. It was as if he was covering up Min’s mouth. He made sure that he would stop talking. Note Min’s expression. He never expected such a gesture, he thought that the lord wouldn’t retaliate like that, he would retreat. On the other hand, the main lead is not happy, he is actually furious. 
(chapter 46) What a difference! Min dared to challenge his host and this time, Yoon Seungho didn’t remain passive or retreat. He accepted the defy. This is what I take away from this scene. 
(Chapter 52) 
(chapter 43) but this signification is reinforced with this chapter. To summarize, Min treats everyone as pawns, including nobles. This outlines his arrogance. He considers himself as a puppet master, a great mastermind hence he is superior to everyone, including Yoon Seungho.
(Chapter 43) Therefore I believe Min defends the values perpetuated among the aristocracy: titles give lords the right to consider themselves superior to commoners and to treat the latter as bugs. Min is the representative of this mentality, for him low-born have no value and no right. They can be killed or be mistreated, this is the normality for him. And this mentality is faulty as Min is neglecting an important factor: commoners. They represent the majority and play a greater role in the masters’ life. The result is that he made a huge mistake because of this source of info. He just relied on his fellows, however I have always said that Yoon Seungho used rumors and has always acted in front of other nobles. In other words, Min has a false image about the main lead and there is no doubt about it.
(chapter 8) Furthermore, after having sex one time, he remained by the painter’s side observing his expressions and reactions. He understood what the painter meant to the protagonist.
(Chapter 9) However, his judgement is only partially correct as his perception is also influenced by the reports he received through his connections, like I wrote above. After the two challenges, Min could no longer approach the main lead hence he had to rely on other sources.
(Chapter 41) Min never took it seriously. He only saw it as an empty menace. The problem is that Min’s perception is mostly influenced by the rumors existing about Yoon Seungho. I doubt, he is aware that the main lead has shadow guards. I even suspect that he never heard Yoon Seungho’s thread made in front of the painter.
Therefore the seme was forced to take the man with him and pressured him until the painter gave in. He had to admit that painting was his way to survive. Notice that Yoon Seungho cornered him to concede this. 
(chapter 7) Notice that in order to force the painter to violate the scholar’s rules, the noble had to use stratagems that didn’t require a lot of strength in the beginning: some little menace and the blackmail. Yet, the manhwaphiles can detect that the thread keeps growing as well. The aristocrat already has to use his power (influence and money) in order to corner the painter (chapter 7) which shouldn’t be neglected. It did represent a lot: a roof and free food for the low noble. 
I am quite sure that the innocent protagonist hadn’t done it before due to the scholar’s preaching. So the chapter 9 marked another progression. Baek Na-Kyum disrespected the rule 3 for the first time on his own. He can’t admit to feel attracted to another man, to be recognized as a sodomite. That’s why the masturbation represented a compromise. Since he was alone, nobody would know about it. As you can detect, little by little Seungho is removing all the rules set by the low aristocrat. But the higher the rules are, the more Yoon Seungho needs to use force. 
(rule 2) Surprising is that due to his interaction with the main lead, Baek Na-Kyum had somehow started thinking on his own, using his own critical thinking therefore he reprimanded the rich master for his cruel behavior towards the servant who got killed. In that moment, Jung In-Hun had to put him back to his place. He admonished the painter harshly for his criticism. As a low-born, he was not allowed to make such comment. 
(chapter 10) From my point of view, the chapter 10 not only reveals the huge influence Jung In-Hun has on the painter, but also illustrates the growing influence of Seungho on the artist. The master’s words and actions did shake the rule 6. But it wasn’t enough to remove this wall hence Baek Na-Kyum accepted the low noble’s reproach and remained silence. 
(chapter 11) Compared to the past where he just pushed the low-born away, his gestures in the chapter 11 displays the increasing use of Seungho’s force. But the master felt remorse hence later the painter was only scratched by the master. Nonetheless, let’s not forget that Seungho had already set his eyes on the painter. He wanted to taste the artist. As a first conclusion, the lord had only removed the rule 1 and 2. At the end of the chapter 15, the noble is facing another hindrance, the rule 3: his denial of his homosexuality. Therefore the masturbation in the chapter 16 marks the first step in order to destroy the rule 3. Notice that the noble was annoyed, when the artist gave the false excuse that he was tired in order to avoid the noble. So he somehow “attacked” Baek Na-Kyum by hugging him and grabbed his penis. 
(chapter 16) Let’s not forget that he didn’t ask for the commoner’s permission. That’s why the painter cried in that scene. The latter knew that he was violating the rule 3, yet the seme saw that Baek Na-Kyum was aroused and felt pleasure. 
(chapter 19), he was already on his guard waiting for a signal which appeared in the form of the stolen bottle. He seized the opportunity to meddle between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum. He needed to squash in between these two men. 
(chapter 21) In fact, he was attempting to deceive himself and the noble. During their night, Baek Na-Kyum was well aware that this could only remain a dream because if he admitted it as a reality, then this would signify that he was conceding his own sexual orientation and even his attraction to Yoon Seungho which he felt very early on (chapter 2, 6, 8-9, 13-16). Therefore I come to the conclusion that the artist somehow knew what happened during that night but chose to act as if the noble was Jung In-Hun. Later he repressed his memories and even ignored them so that he would act as if he was still following the teacher’s doctrines.
(chapter 21). 
(chapter 21) Yoon Seungho heard a love confession, got hugged and kissed tenderly and there was someone crying out of happiness because of him. For the first time, he saw that tears could be related to happiness and he could affect someone positively. That’s why he reacted by kissing the painter’s eye and tears. 
(chapter 21) Although he knew that it was just an illusion because Baek Na-Kyum had confessed to someone else, he hoped deep down that the painter would love him, if he remembered their night today. He tried to trigger his memory through different tricks (like here with the book) 
but he failed (chapter 23). Yet he showed a certain patience as he didn’t pressure the artist to paint their night immediately, he gave him time. He imagined that once Baek Na-Kyum remembered their night and painted it, it will become a reality, a proof that this was not an illusion. But because of the coercive persuasion, Baek Na-Kyum tried to repress his memory. He had to if he wanted to keep following the scholar’s rules. The painter chose to ignore the images he had since it meant that he hadn’t kept his vow. All this time, Yoon Seungho has no idea about the true nature of the relationship between Jung In-Hun and the low-born. First, he believes to see it as a crush, then he witnesses the depth of the painter’s feelings. This is important because from that moment, the main motivation for the lord will be love and no longer his libido. This will be his goal which will give him the necessary strength to remove the other rules: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
(chapter 25) The rape represented the ultimate use of violence which kept increasing from the start. But the noble failed as he was not able to remove the rule 4, 5 and 6. Yet he did achieve something which I’ve realized only now. For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum was admitting that he loved a man and he could no longer the excuse that he was under the influence of the alcohol. So at the pavilion, the artist violated the law 3 (being a homosexual) as he confessed his love for Jung In-Hun. 
Therefore the sex sessions with the seme were a sort of prostitution. They approached him for their own interests, however the main lead was aware of that and chose to humiliate them with his sex sessions. That’s why he abhors prostitution and was happy to have found someone so pure. Now, you realize the importance of the hearsay. The nobles are the ones spreading these rumors about Yoon Seungho. He is uncultured because he does commerce and deals with commoners. They need to spray this gossip in order to keep their dignity and remain honorable. They use grapevine in order to tarnish the main lead’s reputation as they can’t accept that they have to lower themselves in order to get what they need from the protagonist. 
As you can detect, the hearsay is among the young nobles and the red-haired lord is trying to use this as a weapon to weaken the rich master. This doesn’t surprise us that the seme refuses to submit to this kind of pressure and even replies that he will make sure that this rumor will become true. 
This would ridicule more the young nobles. Right from the start, the rumors are a weapon of the nobles targeting the protagonist. Consequently, the manhwaphiles grasp better why in the second season Yoon Seungho is also using gossip among commoners to get support, to change his reputation. He is a transformed man. At the same time, it outlines how powerful and influential Yoon Seungho is. He is not seeking for an official post because of his traumatic past, yet he learnt due to his bad experience that he needed money to protect himself and through his fortune, he could create his own network without getting too close to the government. This also explains why he hates nobility and even feels closer to merchants and commoners. This arrogance among the nobility towards Yoon Seungho doesn’t surprise me at all. In France before French Revolution, the bourgeoisie was also despised by the aristocracy, although the high bourgeoisie was even richer than some old families among the nobility. 
When he says “our”, he is actually speaking about himself and not his other relatives. 
(chapter 40)
chapter 1
(chapter 6), as he has been manipulated by the teacher Jung In-Hun that homosexuality is something filthy and immoral.
(chapter 34)
(chapter 26) even if Ian was sexually abused quite often as he spent many years at the Bardis before getting “rescued” by Mr. Raymond.
and the former is even willing to eat his lunch with him.
(chapter 11) Despite the difference, they both have to please their sponsor with their work. If there is disobedience, then there is also punishment: 
(chapter 13) The low-born was about to get the straw mat beating, until the lord changed his mind. However, just like Ian, the young man had been slapped and even pushed by his “sponsor” before. Ian’s suffering lasts much longer because he arrived at the house as a child and he was already a young man, when he was able to leave this hell created by Bardi. 
(chapter 41) He was jealous and annoyed, when he saw the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration so that he failed to see the talent and dedication in this different type of drawing. So there is a certain selfishness in the seme here but I am expecting that this will change. He could have noticed that the low-born’s talent is not just defined by sex and sodomy but his insecurities made him blind in that moment. Yet, this painting has been given to the loyal valet Kim so that it can get destroyed. But I feel that Kim might give it to his master or keep it. I have the feeling that this painting will play a bigger role in Baek Na-Kyum’s career later. 
(chapter 41)
(chapter 44) The drawing was detailed and totally different from the erotic pictures. So I am expecting that Yoon Seungho turns into a real sponsor and becomes more and more like Mr. Raymond. However, the latter will have to choose at some point between power or love. By taking care of Ian so well, he wanted him to open up but at the end, Raymond fell in love with the genius too. While one artist could incite arousal with his creations, the other could calm the resentful merchant. Strictly speaking, their art had a huge impact on the life of the two semes. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 