Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. 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 I am also using doctor Frost as reference again. https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371
It would be great if you could make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33 That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining manhwas. Besides, I need to cover up the expenses for this blog.
Many manhwalovers were heartbroken, when they witness how the painter ran after Yoon Seungho in order to remain by his side. 
(chapter 105) Imagine that despite his rush, he was clear-minded enough to take the yellow scarf, a present that the noble had just bought him before. 😢 The item had more value than the mituri (shoes). Thus he was running in socks. His gesture displayed how much the lord means to the painter. He cherishes everything the lord does for him. At the same time, it indicates his heartache. He was so desperate and scared, for he felt that he was about to get abandoned one more time. 
(chapter 105) According to my follower @katamins, in the Korean version, this is what Baek Na-Kyum yells:
“My lord, let’s go together…you left me behind…let’s go toge-..“
One might argue that the meaning is the same, yet in the Korean version, the artist is emphasizing the “we” by employing the expressions “us” (let’s = let us) and “together”. He considers the lord as his family. Moreover, by repeating the same sentence, 
(chapter 105) it works like a spell or a prayer. The artist is clinching onto this phrase hoping that the noble is remembering his promise. The irony is that the low-born was smiling like a fool, (chapter 105) 
(chapter 105) masking his anxieties and huge pain… out of fear that Yoon Seungho would still reject him. He acted, as if nothing had happened: he had not hurt his hand, and the lord had done nothing wrong. The smile became the symbol of his agony which reminds us of Yoon Seungho’s. 
(chapter 83)
1. Smiling like a fool
As you can sense, this scene was a reflection from episode 85. 
(chapter 85) This means that Baek Na-Kyum was put in the same situation than his lover who wished to keep the artist by his side, but feared to open up to him out of self-hatred and guilt. The painter could get burdened or horrified by his revelations. Hence the painter’s reaction at the end mirrors the yangban’s in the study. Both were or are pleading the partner to stay by their side,. 
(chapter 85) 
(chapter 105) Nevertheless, their behavior diverges so much. The aristocrat couldn’t raise his voice or become violent by using his hand, because he could scare the artist and as such break his previous promise. Finally, by destroying the music box, he had already witnessed that he had pushed his lover further away. 
(chapter 85) At the same time, since he had been taught that no noble should lower himself in front of commoners, it is normal that he couldn’t beg Baek Na-Kyum on his knees. To sum up, the noble had to restrain himself extremely, his face and words were the only way to show his emotions and despair. And the artist sensed it, though the lord was not weeping. The proof is that when the father appeared, the artist changed his mind. He was no longer willing to leave, in fact he chose to look for his lover. 
(chapter 87) This shows that through communication, the lord had been able to affect the painter‘s mind and heart. On the other hand, we shouldn’t underestimate the lord’s flashback and Na-Kyum’s conversation with the butler which played a huge part in the artist‘s decision to vow loyalty to Yoon Seungho despite the secret.
And this is the same with the painter. The first visible difference is that the artist leashed out his anger mixed with agony, thus he started punching his partner. 
(chapter 105) Then I noticed that contrary to his lover, the artist asked the reasons for his decision. 
(chapter 105) Why did he change his mind? Is he responsible for this? As you can see, the painter came to voice his guilt and the remains of his deeply rooted self-hatred. 
(chapter 105) He must have committed a wrongdoing, he is responsible for the situation. He feels like a burden, for the lord had to take care of him each night. 
(chapter 104) They are no longer sharing the same bed, the lord is sitting by his side comforting him, when the young man has a nightmare. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible that the artist was working in the backyard. 
(chapter 104) He wished to help, that way he wouldn’t be seen as a spoiled child. He has to justify his presence in the mansion. Who is he exactly that he is sleeping in the lord’s bed? I am suspecting that there is a rumor circulating within the propriety, a new version of this scene: 
(chapter 38) which I will explain more in details below. Thus the artist is making sure to cause no trouble to Yoon Seungho and the staff, especially the maids. Hence he folds the cover and clean the bedroom. 
(chapter 104) Then he washes clothes. He makes sure that he is no burden to anyone. Yet, my impression is that the staff is taking advantage of the artist’s goodness. That’s how they fuel his guilt and shame.
2. Ignorance and secrets
The irony is that the main lead was keeping the artist in the dark about his crime for this exact reason: GUILT. He didn’t desire him to feel responsible. 
(chapter 104) This intention was again verbalized in the gibang. 
(chapter 105) In the Korean version, this is what Heena says:
Heena: “So Nakyum doesn’t know a thing? Thank god he didn’t see nor hear a thing about that awful matter”
The painter is left in the dark about the massacre in the shaman’s shrine. The kisaeng and the noble are both following the principle from Kim: Ignorance is a blessing. They imagine that by choosing secrecy, they are able to protect the artist. But the silence and secrecy are the exact reasons why Baek Na-Kyum feels like a burden! He was not allowed to talk about the circumstances of his misery. 
(chapter 104) He was told not to question what he had heard… he should simply consider everything like a nightmare. However, this method is actually wrong.
“Keeping secrets limits responsiveness by preventing people from acting naturally and sharing freely. […] People who have studied the psychology of secrecy explain that secrets create “motivational conflict,” where the goal to avoid the social costs of the information being revealed conflicts with the goal to connect with others and maintain intimacy by sharing the information. Because keeping secrets can undermine social relationships, secrecy can lead to isolation and feelings of loneliness in extreme cases. Holding secrets also takes energy. It’s tiring, and sometimes impossible, to keep a secret. The exercise of will and vigilance in being careful with what one says uses emotional and cognitive resources and can leave a residue of negative feelings, like guilt.” Quoted from https://medium.com/s/story/how-does-keeping-secrets-harm-us-91978aefed77
Under this new perspective, it explains why Kim aged so much within 10 months!! 
(chapter 07) 
(chapter 104) Not only he knows about the lord’s traumatic past, but it is the same for the painter. In addition, we have another explanation for Yoon Seungho’s insomnia and dissociative state. 
(chapter 57) Not only the latter was turned into the scapegoat for the downfall of the Yoons, but also he was not allowed to reveal the incident, the so-called treason. Why? It is because if he had spoken, the truth would have come to the surface. He was simply a victim. And now, the schemers and accomplices are repeating the same MO. Who suggested to Yoon Seungho to say this to his lover? 
(chapter 104) Naturally, Kim, because he is now the only one in the mansion who knows his past. Besides, why do you think that the lord’s past is coming to the surface as a nightmare? It is because he was incited to repress everything. But since the painter is going through the same experiences, this is not surprising that the noble’s memory is triggered and the past emerges again.
Thus when I saw this image (chapter 105), I couldn’t restrain myself thinking of the lord and his past martyrdom. Keep in your mind that the artist share the same destiny with his lover. This means that a similar scene must have occurred in his youth: 
(chapter 27) Put yourself in the young man’s shoes. You suddenly witness how the whole family is moving houses and leaving you behind! This must have been terrible for Yoon Seungho. One might argue that Kim stayed by his side, so he was not alone. But it is false for 2 reasons. The white bearded servant had been working in the mansion
(chapter 27), when the other domestics left the propriety. This was his memory. Besides, like the servant confessed to Jung In-Hun, a huge part of the staff got replaced. This means that the lord was suddenly surrounded by people he didn’t know. Because my theory is that the young man was treated as a male kisaeng, this signifies that the new staff could never view the main lead as a noble. Besides, despite the betrayal, the elder master and Yoon Seungwon were his real family. Finally, Yoon Seungho had no saying in this, and I can imagine that the reason for this decision was not explained immediately. This must have been a huge blow for him as well. He must have felt lost and homeless. The result was that from that moment on, he became more dependent on the butler. And we have to question ourselves what the butler did with this huge responsibility, when the elder master moved to the second house.
3. Ignorance and rumors
The lord and Heena assume that the painter has been able to repress this terrible night, and he knows nothing about the lord’s crime. But the moment whispers reach the painter’s ears, he can only feel terrible. (chapter 104) He is treated like a noble, while his lover is acting like a servant. Besides, is it true that the painter knows nothing? Let’s not forget that in the trailer, the manhwalovers discover the existence of a rumor circulating. But who is spreading the rumor and where?
Since this phrase appears in connection with the staff (maids and servants) in the courtyard, I come to the conclusion that the authors of this gossip are in the domain. “Fellows” indicate that they are speaking among themselves. But I have two more clues proving that the traitors are the domestics. First, observe how they call the protagonist: Young Master Yoon. 
So far, people in town only calls the protagonist lord Yoon 
(chapter 45) 
(chapter 45) or lord Yoon Seungho 
(chapter 39) or my lord. 
(chapter 76) Only the staff addresses him as “young master”. 
(chapter 103) 
(chapter 103), and this since season 3. This coincides with the meddling of the Yoons. The servants treat him, as if he was not an adult, no real lord. But they are wrong, because he is wearing the topknot with the gat. Hence he is a lord. Finally, only people close to the couple could know about the painter’s tragedy. 
, because in the village and town, there exists another gossip: 
(chapter 104) Thus I conclude that the gossip from the trailer is spread among the staff on purpose. They wished Baek Na-Kyum to hear it so that he will feel responsible, especially after hearing this. 
He is responsible for the lord’s lunacy. Under this new perspective, it explains why the painter is leaving the bed and working. He wishes to prove the words wrong. On the other hand, I think that Yoon Seungho also heard a grapevine in the domain, but a different one: 
(trailer). “He has many enemies”. How did I come to this idea? It is because he is addressed as Yoon Seungho! By underlining the painter as his weakness, the author of this rumor wishes to separate the couple. If he were to place the painter elsewhere, not only the latter would no longer be targeted, but also the lord would have no longer any weakness. Since there is always a reflection within the same chapter, I conclude that a second grapevine was spread in episode 104. This happened, while the lord was away. Thus the painter smiled like a “fool”, when he saw the lord: 
(chapter 104) As you can imagine, for me the maids were the perpetrators, a new version of episode 79
(here, the woman implied that the artist was responsible for Yoon Seungho’s insomnia, thus the painter has a drop of sweat on his face, a sign for shame) and chapter 98 
. To conclude, I don’t believe that the artist is ignorant. Besides, it is possible that he saw the trace of blood on his lover’s face, then remember what the servants told their master in the courtyard: 
(chapter 103) Finally, the staff has every reason to get rid of the artist, for he is the witness of their wrongdoings. They definitely played a major role in the “prank”. They didn’t learn their lesson.
But let’s return our attention to the comparison between 85 and 105. Both are also a reflection of episode 29, the scholar’s betrayal. The latter brought back the painter for his own selfish interests. 
(chapter 29) This time, the one smiling like a fool 
(chapter 29) was Jung In-Hun who acted, as if he knew nothing and had seen nothing. 
(chapter 29) However, I have already pointed out that he was present, when the rape took place, for he knew where Yoon Seungho would meet the artist: the pavilion. And what have all these episodes in common? The first thought would be to say: abandonment and betrayal. The painter in front of the gibang felt “betrayed” and abandoned, but what shocked the lord so much was when the artist started blaming himself: (chapter 105) He never expected this from his lover, as he desired to get the exact opposite. As you can see, the prayer “let’s go home” didn’t work, but the self-blaming had a much stronger effect. On the other hand, what made the lord change his mind was the reminder from the painter: their mutual love confession. 
(chapter 105) We have to imagine that the painter wanted to say that he regretted to have opened his heart to the protagonist. Thus he said this: 
(chapter 105) “I had known, I would have never confessed” Nonetheless, he never finished his phrase, for in reality, he had no regret!! He was sure that he had made the right decision. It is because he had pondered a long time about this. He had observed his lover. That’s the reason why he mentioned their mutual love confession and as such their promise to stay together. And this brings me to the next observation. All these scenes have another common denominator: BAD DECISIONS!! The lord had made the wrong decision to entrust the painter to the kisaengs. Thus he came to regret this. He had made his lover cry, and even wounded him, though he desired to do the opposite. Therefore it is not surprising that he apologized to his lover. 
(chapter 105) This shows that the painter is showing him what true love and loyalty are. Moreover, he is teaching to make good decisions.
But what is a good decision?
4. Good decision versus bad decision
I have to admit that the trigger for this essay was the new chapter from my beloved manhwa “Doctor Frost”. After reading the psychologist’s statement 
(chapter 246), I realized why Yoon Seungho suffered so much. Self-made decision implies a conscious choice. It is made deliberately and thoughtfully, considers and includes all relevant factors, is consistent with the individual’s philosophy and values. As you can see, it implies knowledge. This definition exposes that making a choice for the sake of another person without his consent or knowledge can never be a good decision. One might argue about this, because children are too young to make decisions. In Doctor Frost, this man 
(Doctor Frost 246) decided to support a terror attack, and justified this by saying that this was for his daughter’s sake. But like the counterpart pointed out, he questioned his decision. Was it truly his choice, or was he simply following the leader’s suggestion? As you can see, the daughter was used as an excuse, it was never for her sake. This shows that children are the exception, besides they are often raised by two parents. Thus they are making deliberations together. But like the author revealed in Twitter, Yoon Seungho’s mother hated her husband so much that she neglected her eldest son. The patriarch made decisions on his own, but observe that it was always for the Yoons’ sake. This means that the father never took his son’s well-being into consideration, he never asked him about his opinion. He imposed his will, but he listened to others, like we could see in different occasions. 
(chapter 57) He fed his son with the drug prescribed by the physician, though the latter stated that he had no idea about the illness. Then he listened to father Lee’s complains and reproaches. He never questioned the intentions behind his actions and words. 
(chapter 82) Here, the red-haired bearded man was encouraging the elder master Yoon to return to the mansion and claim his rights. Finally, the young master admitted this to the messenger: 
(chapter 80) If someone stroke his ego, he would follow their advice and never doubt their words.
Under this perspective, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungho became the bird of misfortune. He became the scapegoat, for neither Kim nor Yoon Chang-Hyeon accepted to take their responsibility. They had made this decision for Yoon Seungho’s sake!! 
(chapter 77) Since it backfired, then the protagonist was responsible for everything. And this is what Kim has always been preaching in season 1, 2 and 3: it was the best for Yoon Seungho, or Baek Na-Kyum etc. Nonetheless, since he let others make the decision, he was able to escape “responsibility”, thus the elder master Yoon was blamed for everything. 
(chapter 86)
The butler’s interventions are based like this: It was for the painter’s sake, or for the lord’s sake, or for the elder master’s sake… One might argue that the valet questioned the lord’s decision to send the painter back to the gibang. 
(chapter 104) But he simply employed reverse psychology.
“Reverse psychology is a manipulation technique that involves getting people to do something by prompting them to do the opposite. Reverse psychology can take various forms, such as forbidding the target behavior, questioning the person’s ability to perform the target behavior, and encouraging the opposite of the target behavior.” Quoted from https://effectiviology.com/reverse-psychology/
And this is what father Lee was doing too, when he visited Yoon Chang-Hyeon. Besides, we shouldn’t forget the power of the grapevines in the mansion. To conclude, making decisions for the sake of others can never be a good decision!! Therefore it becomes understandable why the painter’s request in the study was a bad choice in the end. 
(Chapter 85) Yoon Seungho was coerced to open up. If he did not, he wouldn’t be forgiven. Naturally, the painter meant it well, yet the main lead was pressured to reveal his „bad action“. The main lead feared his negative judgement and rejection. We could say that the artist had made this request for the lord’s sake, however this was not a conscious and long deliberated decision. And now, you comprehend why the main leads suffered both so much!! Yoon Seungho’s mother neglected her eldest son, but she kept her distance from her husband. They never talked to each other, and as such never made decisions together. And it was the same for the painter. The kisaeng Heena was the one who made the decision without the noonas’ consent and her brother‘s opinion.
5. Heena‘s bad decisions
Secondly, making decisions because you were manipulated, can not be considered a self-made decision. And what did Heena do? She made decisions for Baek Na-Kyum, but she never asked for her brother’s opinion or her colleagues. She made her decision based on her impressions and belief! 
(chapter46) Even in season 4, she has not changed her mind-set entirely. 
(chapter 105) She is still viewing the painter’s decision as a bad choice. But she is simply wrong, for the painter listened to her advice and after deliberations, he chose to open his heart. His confession was not made in the heat of the moment. 
(chapter 62) The lord’s vision 
(chapter 62) became a reality (chapter 105), though he never expected to be like that: a gaze full of pain and anxiety. To conclude, this night in the barn embodies “bad decisions”. Everything the lord did was under the influence of his unconscious. His abandonment issues clouded his judgement. Yet, despite everything, the noble made one good decision during that fateful night: he chose to never let the artist go!! 
(chapter 63) Because the painter has always been betrayed and abandoned himself too, such words could only move the artist. There was someone willing to be by his side and to give him a home. Therefore it is no coincidence that the artist brought up these words from that night. (chapter 105) They left a deep impression on Baek Na-Kyum.
But let’s return our attention to the head-kisaeng. (chapter 105) Note that she employed the expression “believe”. This is no coincidence, for it displays her narrow-mindedness. Finally, note that in episode 97, her conversation with her brother was truly a bad choice. She lied to Baek Na-Kyum, she was extremely stressed, scared and angry. 
(chapter 97) And why did she act like that? She justified that it was for the painter’s sake, and she knew more than her brother. The reality was that it was for her own sake. She was definitely cornered, for she feared repercussions. Moreover, she pushed her brother to follow her advice. And now look at what the noona said in front of Yoon Seungho:
Heena: “So Nakyum doesn’t know a thing? Thank god he didn’t see nor hear a thing about that awful matter”
She is glad that her brother didn’t witness her conversation with Min 
(chapter 99) and her “fake death”, but as you already know, I think, he heard her during that night. Note that the painter didn’t meet his noona Heena during that day. Since Heena and the staff played tricks so that Baek Na-Kyum ended up going to the scholar’s house, it is not surprising why the staff is putting the whole blame on the painter. However, who is responsible for this? Naturally, the staff, Kim and Heena. The latter made bad choices blinded by her arrogance and prejudices. Thus I deduce that Yoon Seungho learned a good lesson in front of the gibang. He should never make a decision without consulting his partner. 
(chapter 105) From my point of view, both need to learn to make decisions TOGETHER!! But in order to do so, the two main leads need to listen to each other and communicate. And this is what truly happened in episode 105. The young noble discovered the painter’s low self-esteem and his guilt. That’s the reason why I believe that Yoon Seungho will decide to talk about the scholar. The lord suspects the learned sir, for he thinks that he is still alive. 
(chapter 105) This signifies that the noble will decide not to follow the noona’s advice: 
(chapter 105) But by learning about the learned sir’s past, the protagonist will realize that he only knew a side about Jung In-Hun.
On the other hand, since the head-kisaeng agreed 
(chapter 105) with the noona’s statement, the painter looks happy with Yoon Seungho despite the tears, it looks like the noona is slowly coming to terms with her brother’s relationship. But I have to admit that I believe that her “decision” is just short-lived. First, in season 2, the noona had accepted to let her brother stay at the Yoons’ 
(chapter 69) But then she had changed her mind after hearing the menace from the servant. However, I have three other reasons to expect a change of heart from the head-kisaeng. First, Heena is the younger reflection of the butler. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the valet had almost come to terms with the painter’s presence
(chapter 65), but the ruckus caused by the kisaeng had provoked a change of heart in the valet. Then, the lord had made the following condition to the kisaeng: 
(chapter 105) The lord is keeping his lover by his side, as long as nothing happens to him. So if he gets into trouble… she could achieve her goal, the painter is returned to her. But the most important clue is for me the bowl! 
(chapter 105) While many jumped to the conclusion that this was the medicine sent by the physician, I had a totally different impression. For me, this bowl was used to write a letter!! First, the color is different from the normal “medicine”. 
(chapter 23) Most of them look dark brown and not black. 
(chapter 36)
(chapter 77) Besides, it never leaves traces on the edge. 
(chapter 36) The points on the border are the traces left by the brush. She wrote a letter. And I have another evidence for this: 
(chapter 36) The painter used white bowls while painting. On the other hand, the lord wrote a letter during that time. As you can see, in episode 36, we have the combination of painting, seduction (touching) and medicine… exactly like in episode 105. The artist tried to paint a lucky charm, a tiger, but he didn’t finish it. He got interrupted… which is very similar than in chapter 36. So the letter should represent another common denominator.
This means that Heena made the decision to write a letter before meeting Yoon Seungho and witnessing their interaction in front of the gibang. Finally, let’s not forget that the kisaeng was always brought up in connection with letters:
- Chapter 68:
- Chapter 69:
- Chapter 91:
- Chapter 97:
Naturally, I can not guarantee 100% this theory… besides, I can not tell the content and the recipient of this message. And if this theory is correct, the head-kisaeng did something which will have repercussions about her „decision“: let the painter live with Yoon Seungho. This means that she will be forced to question her past decision. Was it made deliberately and thoughtfully, did she consider and include all relevant factors, or did she act based on her instincts? In my eyes, Heena has always made such decisions. Every choice was based on hunch, but more precisely influenced by her prejudices and fears. Thus she is projecting her MO
(chapter 105) onto Yoon Seungho. Will she come to regret her action or not? One thing is sure, the painter accepted the sincere apology from his lover. How could he not forgive him after calling „Nakyumah“ and embracing him! (Chapter 105) 
(chapter 105) Both left the gibang together, while the artist was removing his tears. And this leads me to the final observation.
By forcing the painter to remain silent about the last incident, the schemers and accomplices are not realizing that their actions will bring light to Yoon Seungho‘s suffering and its origins. In other words, by burying one truth, they are digging another grave… the secrets from the first past!! 
(Chapter 76) By making the same decisions, it is not surprising that the same deed can never succeed. It was not a real self-made decision. They simply followed a pattern.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
(chapter1) Or was she simply the noona? 
(chapter 70) At some point, I came to realize that Heena had acted as the surrogate mother, but she had never clearly stated that she was the painter’s mother. In other words, his adoption was never official, which explicates why the main lead only considered her as his older sister. This is important, because her ambiguous status can not only generate problems, but also expose her betrayal towards Baek Na-Kyum. Note that in chapter 97, the noona treated Baek Na-Kyum as her “child” who wouldn’t listen to her 
(Chapter 97), while later she implied that they were both equal, for she employed the personal pronoun “us”. 
(chapter 97) On the other hand, she used her seniority as status, when she called him a fool 
(Chapter 97). He lacked experiences, hence he was too naïve, and as such he would trust the protagonist too easily. As you can see, Heena herself had an ambiguous relationship with her brother. Nonetheless, thanks to chapter 93, I got finally a definitive answer about Heena’s true identity. She is indeed the head-kisaeng in the gibang. I realized that the protagonists were invited to stay in Heena’s personal room. 
(Chapter 93) That’s the reason why the seat of the host was empty and why Yoon Seungho didn’t go there. He would have violated social norms, if he had taken her seat.. Moreover, by doing so, he would have revealed that he knew where the woman was. This could have raised questions.
(Chapter 93) This means that the figures were not sitting in the room shown in the last panel. On the other hand, their voices in the hallway exposed their location. The noonas and Heena were not far away from that door hidden by the veil. That’s how I got aware where Heena’s room was situated. In the last picture, the readers are turning their back from Heena’s study, which is right after the corner. Thus I could recognize the design of the building: ][ In the center, there is this huge hallway with the purple veils, but at its end, on each both sides, there exists a corridor perpendicular to the one with the purple curtains. What the beholder imagined as a door at the end of the hallway, 
(Chapter 68) was in truth a huge window. How do I know this? First, in this scene, the scholar was hiding a huge white vase with red flowers. Hence I deduced that Jung In-Hun couldn’t have walked through that “gate”, it was just a window. Therefore I assumed that he had to walk past the flowers, either turn to the right or the left. Secondly, observe that next to the lantern on the left, there is a small white panel. This means that the view from chapter 93 was more or less taken from the right corner. Moreover, in the next chapter, Heena is not facing this “window”, when she is in the same building. 
(Chapter 69) This time, the white vase with the flowers is standing in front of a wall. That’s how I deduced that Heena had to turn to the left in order to go to the hallway. 
(chapter 69) On the other hand, another element caught my notice. In this picture, 
(chapter 93) which is not present in episode 69. 
(chapter 93) Since I came to the conclusion that Heena’s private room was on the right side after the corner, I deduce that the kisaeng was not on her way to her room. Moreover, since the kisaeng was walking in the same direction than the scholar, I can only conclude that Heena was actually approaching the entrance of the building. I believe that she had turned around, but the author didn’t reveal this. One might argue that it is possible that in chapter 68, the learned sir could have gone with the painter to Heena’s bedroom. However, back then the latter was not the head-kisaeng. We know this due to the presence of a kisaeng standing right behind Yoon Chang-Hyeon during the sexual lesson. 
(chapter 86) She was the superior. Moreover, we saw the teacher walking through the countryside during the night. 
(chapter 70) That’s how I realized that Byeonduck had deceived the readers once again. She was playing with reflections. That’s the reason why I deduced that Heena was not talking loudly by accident in front of Black Heart. 
(chapter 69) It was done on purpose!! She wished that Min would take care of her brother. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the noona has a drop of sweat on her cheek. She is faking ignorance, she is acting, as if she was very protective of her brother. She uses illusion to manipulate people. In reality, she was acting here. One might argue that I am overthinking again. This is not possible, for Heena didn’t know Min at all. Hence she couldn’t manipulate him. The latter had heard of her for the first time in Yoon Seungho’s mansion. 
(chapter 66) But let me ask you this. How could Heena have never met Min, when she was the head-kisaeng? Secondly, just because the servant had never heard of the noona, this doesn’t mean that it was the case for Black Heart. The domestic assumed Black Heart’s ignorance, just like the readers. Moreover, recently I had detected that Heena had been standing in front of a mansion belonging to a noble. 
(chapter 67) diverge. Moreover, Min has been seen in the kisaeng house in so many chapters 
, (chapter 19) 
(chapter 59). Here, I would like to point out that in episode 59, Lee Jihwa had visited the kisaeng house on different occasions, for his hair was slowly growing. 
(chapter 59) Moreover, note that his visits took place during the day and not during the night. Why? It was for privacy and so far, during the day, the manhwaphiles never saw any kisaeng in the gibang. 
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 94) Lee Jihwa was not supposed to meet kisaengs. As you can see, Min had strong connections with the gibang, just like Lee Jihwa. Hence Black Heart should have known Heena, for she was the head-kisaeng. But I would like to bring up a more conclusive proof for this interpretation. 
(chapter 19) This image was showing us that Yoon Seungho was visiting the gibang. However, pay attention to the pattern of the doors in the last picture and the next: 
(chapter 19) The motive diverges, it looks like the one from the hallway with the purple veils. This means that the party was not taking place in the room shown in the former picture. What caught my notice is the presence of the white vase with the red flowers in front of the building. It was present in each scene taking place in the gibang. 
(chapter 93) For me, the red flowers symbolize Heena noona. This explicates why during the painter’s dream, the flowers were not present. 
(chapter 87), as Heena was not included in his vision. And this image 
(chapter 44) Due to the similarities, I believe that in chapter 19, Byeonduck was actually exposing the ghost head-kisaeng. Exactly like the father, she was hiding. Why? It is because she is involved in Yoon Seungho’s suffering. And now, imagine her reaction, when she hears that Black Heart has organized a feast for the main lead’s honor. The woman could only avoid the main character. And now, you have the explication why Heena as the head-kisaeng was not present during that festivity. It was deliberate. 
(chapter 19) Striking is that the kisaeng had a similar hair dress than Heena, This is no coincidence. She was acting as the head-kisaeng. The manhwalovers will certainly remember that only two kisaengs had no braided bun or braids: this one 
and Heena. Look at all the others: 
(chapter 51) 
(chapter 93) 
(chapter 93) 
(chapter 95) The extravagant hair dress was exposing the kisaeng’s status. And now, you comprehend why the other noona explained the disappearance of Heena during that night. 
(chapter 19) But how could she sense that the noble was in a good mood? The latter was silent and not even smiling. 
(chapter 19) How could she claim this? In reality she was actually spying on him. Heena had no idea why the lord would come to the gibang, especially after suffering there so much. The kisaeng’s task was to dig up information. This visitation must have bothered the head-kisaeng. 
(chapter 69) She was even turning her back to him. But actually, she could have detected his presence, exactly like I had recognized him: through his laugh!! 
(chapter 99) He was wearing a veiled hat, yet in chapter 69, this was not the case. 
(chapter 88) 
(chapter 99) He was implying that they knew each other for a long time! The irony is that the manhwaphiles had the impression that their relationship was recent, and his cynical tone contributed to it. Secondly, he called her Heena, a sign that they were close to each other. Note that Lee Jihwa never mentioned her name. 
(chapter 99) His words even insinuate that Black Heart had just given the following order. The red-haired master should just fetch a kisaeng and in my opinion, Heena was waiting for Lee Jihwa’s arrival to leave the gibang. According to his words, he had no idea about the kisaeng’s identity. But is it true? I have my doubts now, and this for two reasons. Why would he ask about her identity, when he already knows that she is a kisaeng? The drop of sweat on his face is an indication that he is lying. But the problem is to determine if the deception is only referring to “I heard not a word” and to all the questions. Let’s not forget that he knew about Min’s initial intention. The moment Lee Jihwa arrived in the gibang, she just followed him. That way, they would avoid to attract attention, and with her new hair dress 
(chapter 93), the gibang had lost its “leader”. This explains why this noona as her right-hand had to explain the absence of the owner. 
(chapter 86) The latter had been eyeing the throne in the family mansion, but he failed to take over the mansion. This was the negative reflection of Heena. Whereas the kisaeng had a powerful position in the gibang, it was the opposite for the patriarch. He was no longer recognized as the head of the Yoons. Yet, both have something in common. Both lost their position for good, for Heena and Yoon Chang-Hyeon couldn’t take or keep the seat. We could say that both got defeated by Yoon Seungho. In chapter 93, the main lead acted as a respectful and calm master, whereas in the bedchamber he showed no respect to his own father. He talked back and even made fun of him. 
(chapter 87) This picture stands in opposition to this one: 
(chapter 93) To conclude, the surrogate mother and the patriarch made a similar experience in season 3. Both got deceived by manipulations and in both cases, letters played a huge role. 
(chapter 94), definitely thinking that he was doing the right thing. He thought that he could never get into trouble. But this is just a deception in my opinion. As for the former head-kisaeng, she has to run away, for she did something wrong! In the past and in the present! She definitely plotted, and she is aware that her actions will have terrible repercussions. 
(chapter 99) No one would be looking for her. The problem is that the witnesses of her curtains all vanished. Lee Jihwa ran away, Black Heart got killed with his friends, and the only survivor, lord Jang, was confronted with real corpses in the shaman’s house. 
(chapter 102) That’s why I come to the deduction that her murder will be questioned. Why? There is no blood contrary to the bloodbath in the shaman’s house and there is no corpse!! Since Black Heart used different corpses in order to deceive Heena and the couple, there is no ambiguity that the head-kisaeng’s curtains will be doubted. Striking is that Heena staged her death out of cowardice and selfishness, while Yoon Seungho made the opposite decision. He was resolute to commit suicide in order to follow his lover in his death. During that night, Heena and Yoon Seungho lost their “home”, but at the end, he found his true home: the painters embrace. 
(chapter 102) He gave up on everything (fortune, house and life), hence he will be rewarded for all his sacrifices. Under this new light, I am more than ever convinced that Heena has not reached the bottom. Her karma is to be punished for her deceptions and acting! 
(chapter 96) 
(chapter 96), though he is a noble. Besides, I am suspecting her of suffering from genophobia (fear of sex and intimacy) Their behavior exposes closeness and a certain trust. But how is this possible? It is because she knows that Min is a sodomite, and he is not looking for sexual favors. That’s the reason why she trusted Black Heart in my opinion. Moreover, he is smiling like Jung In-Hun. Therefore it is not surprising that she was speaking like the Joker in chapter 97. Here, the man had actually projected his own thoughts onto Yoon Seungho, and due to her own belief, Heena was more than willing to believe Black Heart. 
(chapter 52) It is because Black Heart knew Heena! I even believe that he had already met the scholar. Note that the man with the black hanbok was repeating the rumors about the learned sir. And the other questioned the main lead’s action exposing that he had never heard about this grapevine before. Hence I am deducing that the one spreading this rumor could only be MIN!! That’s the reason why he just said this
(chapter 52) That means that the noble knew the teacher in the end. Therefore it is no coincidence that Min was aware where the learned sir lived!! 
(chapter 83) And now, if you connect the two scenes 
(chapter 52). Why? It is because there was an incident in the gibang!! 
(chapter 01) And who had covered up the incident? Heena, for she was the head-kisaeng! She had lied to her brother by blaming the biggest victim, Yoon Seungho, who was the man with the braid! This image is a real memory of Baek Na-Kyum from that night, yet from far away, the painter couldn’t see the face of the sodomite! This is another secret Heena has been hiding from her brother! 
(chapter 94) 
(chapter 97) 
(chapter 97) 
(chapter 101), and even Kim hid his face under a hanbok. 
(chapter 92) That’s the reason why I believe that in season 4, the visage will play a major role! The couple will recognize people due to the face!! In my eyes, the former head-kisaeng knows the identities of all the persons involved in Yoon Seungho’s suffering. 
(chapter 97) her brother is detecting her deception. 
The latter had given the poetry referring to exit to the painter as a farewell gift. Why was the lord thinking of Jung In-Hun in that moment? It is because he had read the letters from Heena and as such her accusation against him. He had killed the learned sir, hence in the lord’s mind, it was only a matter of time until Baek Na-Kyum would bring up the subject and decide to leave him. The letters are not destroyed, for he asked this to the painter: 
(chapter 94) Yoon Seungho had two reasons to expect such an outcome. First, it was related to Yoon Seungho’s offer to Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 44) Secondly, Baek Na-Kyum had already showed to the main lead that he could leave him at any moment. 
(chapter 85) Finally, what mattered to the artist the most was the lord’s love and trust. 
(chapter 85) He believed in his affection while thinking that Yoon Seungho would keep his promises. But if there was a slight doubt about him, in Yoon Seungho’s mind, the painter would choose his noona over him, like he had experienced it in the study. To sum up, in the gibang, the lord was fearing the artist’s departure. Moreover, when the painter confessed his love to the noble, he was also leaving the scholar’s side. His path was no longer following the teacher’s. Thus when he said this 
(chapter 94), he was actually biding farewell to Jung In-Hun. He was moving on. Finally, if you include these panels from chapter 94, 
(chapter 99) In these two scenes, the painter got so hurt that he was bleeding. In addition, the painter’s hair was free. In front of Jung In-Hun’s house, the perpetrators had removed his headgear, while in the gibang, the white head-band was on the ground. To conclude, the painter’s short hair was visible. Don’t forget that the short hair was indicating that the artist was an orphan. So by removing the headgear for noblewomen, Min and the black guards made sure to expose that the victim was just a low-born without any family. But let’s return to our comparison. Min was wearing a similar hanbok than the noble in the gibang. Furthermore, the black guard resembles a lot to the aristocrat with the hunting outfit in the kisaeng house house. The painter’s white headband is now serving as a cover for masking the black guards’ identity. As you can see, due to these similarities, I came to the conclusion that this scene 
(chapter 68). She let her brother hear the laughs from the younger masters. It looks like she is consoling her brother, yet she is not, for she is not embracing him. She is grabbing him by the shirt which reminded me of this gesture: 
(chapter 97) Hence I deduce that this scene in the gibang (chapter 97) is a reflection of the incident in the painter’s youth. 
(chapter 65). Thus she gave more the impression of being righteous and truly concerned. 
(chapter 44) However, there exists a difference between the painter and the lord’s association for beards in my opinion. The latter suffered due to old men wearing a long moustache beard with whiskers. 
(chapter 82)
(chapter 83) 
(chapter 37) 
But there exists another style of moustache beard. 
Striking is that Kim is also wearing such a moustache beard. 
(chapter 87) However, so far in the story, this type of moustache beard was only present among commoners and not nobles!! 
(chapter 45) 
(chapter 45) 
(chapter 64)
(chapter 78) Hence I started suspecting if these two persons were truly nobles in the end. 
(chapter 99) so that he had been mistaken for a young master. 
(chapter 91). Therefore I came to the conclusion that the painter has repressed the link between the moustache beard and nobles. Since the noona kept saying nobles, what made Baek Na-Kyum shudder in the past were nobles. But the connection between the beard and nobility is existent in the painter’s subconscious. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum would show such a respect to valet Kim, he would call him sir and listen to him. 
(chapter 52) However, the more time passed on, the more the butler kept pointing out that he was just a servant, so that this moustache beard is losing its meaning, the symbol for power and nobility. At the same time, the painter met more and more people with beards, like for example the tailor
(chapter 74), the physician 
(chapter 74), Bongyong 
(chapter 78) and finally Yoon Chang-Hyeon 
(chapter 87). However, note that when the patriarch left, the main character only paid attention to his gaze and not his beard. 
(chapter 87) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum is not mentioning the beard concerning nobility, while Yoon Seungho never made the connection between the old bearded men and Kim, though the latter has now a moustache beard! To conclude, I don’t think that this physical assault 
(chapter 99). That’s the reason why I came to the following theory. These persons wounded the painter on purpose and in my eyes, it was suggested by Heena. 
(chapter 13), the maid (though not intended) 
, Nameless,
(chapter 60), Kim 
(chapter 66) [As you already know, for me Kim was the one who tried to kill the painter during the abduction], Bongyong 
(chapter 78), the calligrapher with his insults 
(chapter 91), the maids with their reproaches 
(chapter 91) 
(chapter 98) and the black guards from Min. 
(chapter 97), two commoners who neglected him totally. By the way, the one with the green shirt and white jacket vanished later. He was not seen in the mansion. Anyway, the two domestics wouldn’t even follow the lord’s orders properly, for they never stayed by the painter’s side. And since it is a reflection from chapter 94, I deduce that the two “nobles” acted the opposite. They played their role perfectly to the point that the painter was terribly wounded and he never doubted their identities. They were just nobles! And that’s the point. That way, no person was truly blamed for the incident.
(chapter 46) This was the “positive” reflection of this scene: 
(chapter 46) Moreover, I am now doubting that Baek Na-Kyum and Heena were seen in front of the gibang. 
(chapter 69) 
(chapter 93) He had suddenly vanished without voicing such a desire before. And note that in chapter 97, she was already acting on Min’s orders, a sign that in the past, it was different. She had done it on her own accord. In the annex, the kisaeng was definitely scared, hence she was trembling. 
(chapter 64) This would explain why she never looked for her brother afterwards. This shows that unconsciously, the painter had judged her betrayal and abandonment correctly, but he had been deceived by her argumentation and attitude. In other words, he was in denial.
(chapter 87) So in this scene,
(chapter 68), Baek Na-Kyum had the impression that she was telling the truth. It looked like she was a victim of violence, while in reality, Yoon Seungho was the real victim. He got dragged and tied up! Today, I just discovered another evidence for this interpretation! 
(chapter 68) The blue skirt is revealing her presence. She is next to the door and observe that there is a table to her right!! Exactly like in chapter 94! 
(chapter 95) But there exist two other evidences why Heena is associated to the kitchen. Remember the painter’s thoughts in the inn: 
(chapter 75) They let see that he was thinking of Heena, though he spoke of his noonas. However, the presence of religion was introduced with food. 
(chapter 75) This truly exposes that Heena preferred working in the kitchen. That way, she could avoid sex with the clients. Another interesting aspect is that when she was sitting at the table with nobles, she was not talking to her neighbors. 
. (chapter 93) She was not even serving the noble next to her. 
(chapter 93) Once again, she was passive and immobile. Since she was doing nothing, she could hear her brother’s name and turn her head. 
(chapter 46) This was reflecting his past relationship with Heena. And now, you comprehend why Heena never paid attention to the painter’s education. She had not the time and the motivation to do so. She was busy in the kitchen during the evening and night, yet keep in mind that the painter was her excuse to keep her distance from the nobles in the beginning. This explicates why Yoon Seungho crashed the table in the gibang: 
(chapter 99) This was Heena’s karma. She could no longer use the table as an excuse to betray and abandon a young boy. Moreover, we could see this gesture as a compensation for the past incident. 
. (chapter 47). That’s the reason why I am connecting the kisaeng to the food. And I had already demonstrated that there exists a link between the gibang and the lord’s kitchen. 
(chapter 60) And now, we know for sure that the chicken blood was used to stage the crime scene in the scholar’s house. 
(chapter 101) For me, Nameless was behind this prank. It sounded so harmless, but the reality is totally different. Consequently, Heena can become the prime suspect in the scholar’s disappearance. Remember that according to me, Yoon Seung-Won went to the gibang after leaving his brother’s mansion and discovered that he had been deceived. For me, there is no ambiguity that Yoon Seung-Won and lord Song are behind the learned sir’s murder, for both had a huge interest for his vanishing. But in my eyes, Heena is the link between the nobles, lord Song and No-Name, because the kisaeng house is frequented by all kind of people. I have already mentioned that the learned sir must have gone to the kisaeng house after meeting the fake servant. 
(chapter 38) This encounter took place during the day, however he returned during the night. So he must have spent some time elsewhere. Because of the connection between Heena and the kitchen, I think, she will have to take the fall for No-Name’s crimes. Under this new light, I comprehend why Byeonduck declared that she had no longer planned Mumyeong and Lee Jihwa. Both were already receiving their punishment, when they fled. But since I detected a connection between Heena and No-Name, I am quite sure that she is also responsible for the downfall of No-Name. And don’t forget that during the incident in the bedchamber, we had a party!! 
(chapter 83) Then I had already demonstrated that the kisaeng had already visited the mansion, for she knew where the painter’s room was. 
(chapter 65) So she could have worked in the kitchen… helping the other maids. To conclude, the kisaeng had committed the following wrongdoings. She had manipulated her brother with a mixture of belief and prejudices to cover up her own fears and wrongdoings. While in chapter 94, she stopped the painter from leaving the room unconsciously, it was no longer the case with Yoon Seungho, as she was standing in front of the door. 
(chapter 68) For her, sex had become a synonym for torture and death. Her wrong choices reinforced her fears about sex in my eyes. Every time, she decided not to face the truth, she preferred being blind. Thus the goddess chose to punish her by letting her deceived by impressions. 
(chapter 66) Here, she couldn’t help her brother, though the “sequestration” was nothing compared to what Yoon Seungho had experienced at such a young age. She had deceived her brother in the past, and now she was put in the same position. She was the fool one. In addition, she was forced to be confronted with reality, because she needed to admit her wrongdoings. Since she was behind this assault 
. (chapter 96) She even got sequestered herself. 
(chapter 99), this means that her punishment will be that she will never see her colleagues again. Since she faked her death
.(chapter 102) She is a Christian, hence she could be accused of sacrilege too. In my eyes, Heena will never be able to bid farewell to her brother again. His words in the mansion will become a reality. 
(chapter 69) As you can see, I am detecting a progression in her wrongdoings. She is getting more and more involved, though there is no ambiguity that she was deceived herself in season 3. But this doesn’t excuse her crimes, for she refused to listen to her brother and called him an idiot. At no moment, she pondered on the situation. Her decisions were strongly influenced by her emotions (fear, anger and hatred). That’s the reason why I am convinced that if she is not dead (my theory), her attitude towards her brother will worsen to the point that she will call her brother a bird of misfortune! 
(chapter 68) Remember her metaphor concerning the gibang, it was viewed as a nest. She was already comparing her brother to a bird. 
(chapter 01)
(chapter 97) Fake concern versus anger and resent 
(chapter 11) Secondly, I had associated the main lead to the eagle which is the symbol for the kings and emperors in Europe. He was seen here flying 
(chapter 30), and his fingers reminded me of the eagle’s claws. 
(chapter 18) And this perception got even reinforced, when I saw this panel: 
(chapter 52) In this scene, he was sitting like a king surrounded by his “court”. The hanbok had such a design that I couldn’t help myself associating it to Joseon’s monarchy. 
, I had another revelation. On the one hand, it actually confirmed that Yoon Seungho was somehow destined to become a king, yet he is not represented by the eagle or the phoenix, but by the dragon. Hence the moment I saw this image, one idiom came to my mind: Dragon king!
(chapter 100), though this deity is always accompanied with a dragon and in this picture, the readers couldn’t see one. However, it is possible that the author didn’t desire to reveal too much. 
(chapter 21) Why? It is because the lord was happy. These were the tears of happiness, which Yoon Seungho couldn’t express contrary to the painter. And this is no coincidence that in chapter 58, it started snowing, when the couple was making love: 
(chapter 58) And we had the same weather, when Yoon Seungho saved his lover. 
(chapter 102) The weather was expressing the main lead’s emotions: tears of happiness or sadness. We could say that the lord has the “power” to move the sky. 
(chapter 46) and we have so many jars next to the pond: 
(chapter 94) [For more read the essay “The secret behind the library”]
(chapter 91) This is no coincidence. To conclude, all these elements (rain, jar, well, soul of a deceased), connected to the dragon king, are present in Painter Of The Night. Thus I came to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho is like Dragon king. This reinforces my conviction that the main lead is not only connected to shamanism, but also embodies royalty. So he might not be the king of Joseon, but he is powerful in his own way, though he is not aware of this. And note that the moment he wished to commit suicide by drowning in the pond, he was brought back to life. 
(chapter 85) This means that in the Yoons’ mansion, people didn’t venerate this god. And since the aristocrat made such a statement to the elder Yoon Chang-Hyeon, 
(chapter 86), I have the impression that in season 4, we will assist to a real ritual to ward off evil and back luck, leading the tormenting souls to the afterlife peacefully. 
(chapter 100) and this altar 
(chapter 100) were exposing the presence of a ritual. However, my problem was that I couldn’t determine exactly the nature of the ritual. But by making the connection between the dragon and good fortune, I had now more clues. I have to admit that I can not be 100% sure for this, but this is what I found: 
(chapter 4) 
(chapter 6) 
(chapter 82) 
(chapter 83) and the deer 
(chapter 22). Then the lord compared Baek Na-Kyum’s eyes to a rabbit. 
(chapter 78) Since both resemble each other, I deduce that the main lead has the same eyes, the rabbit’s. Like mentioned above, he utilized his fingers similar to claws: 
(chapter 54) One might argue that this signification is totally impossible, for the lord doesn’t have the body of a snake. This point can be refuted very easily. What is the major characteristic of a snake is molting. A regularly recurrent event during the activity period of all snakes is the shedding of the skin. This coincides with the lord’s change of clothes. The latter reflected his downfall and rising. Furthermore, this animal is linked to death and rebirth. My avid readers are already aware that I had detected different scenes, where we could witness the lord’s spiritual death and rebirth, like for example in the shed: 
(chapter 62) When he discovered his misjudgment the next morning, he felt like dead. He no longer saw himself as a lord, but came to view the painter as his new lord : 
(chapter 66) As a conclusion, Yoon Seungho shares so many similarities with the dragon that I came to view him as one. This explicates why even after getting married, he will never wear a beard! 
(chapter 45)
(chapter 55) and as such his heart and mind. 
The painter is sitting inside a room, while Jung In-Hun is standing outside. Nonetheless, the position of the characters are very similar. This indicates that the author’s new alternative story is actually inspired by the main story!! This can only reinforce my perception that Yoon Seungho in the main story is associated to royalty. However, since it is a reflection, I deduce that this image 
He criticized the painter by stating that this was “filthy”. 
In this scene, the characters are caught by surprise, but it becomes obvious that there is no disgust or expulsion. In fact, the fall of man took place before, for Baek Na-Kyum was sent to Joseon. In this encounter, I detect attraction and curiosity. Hence I come to the conclusion that in the original story, when this scene took place, 
(chapter 50) 
(chapter 52) This means that the mysterious lord Song was actually claiming the main lead as his wife in the last scene. Min and his friends were sent there in order to entertain the protagonist, but they failed. This explicates why the next day, Black Heart was seen with a hanbok of lower quality. 
(chapter 56) It was, as if Min had been compensated for his bruised face by the mysterious lord Song. However, for the pedophile, Black Heart was just a concubine, and not his main wife! Hence the hanbok had not such a detailed and expensive design. This would explain the villain’s jealousy. And now, if you look back at the hanboks from the main lead, you will recognize his ascent. First, he is wearing green, which is similar to Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s color. At the same time, his hat resembled a lot to Kim’s. 
(chapter 1) Then later, he is mostly wearing blue which is actually the color of the Crown prince. 
(chapter 11) Yet, his robes initially have no design. Slowly, the lord is wearing colors and designs that are actually reserved for a king: blue, red, black and purple. This constant change of hanboks symbolizes the “snake molting” and as such his transformation and rising. This is not astonishing that on the night of the bloodbath, he had such a hanbok: 
(chapter 102) Here, he was no longer acting like a noble, but as a ruler. Don’t forget that according to me, the mysterious lord Song had proclaimed the main lead as his unofficial Queen by giving him hanboks with phoenixes. However, naturally, this was never mentioned to Yoon Seungho directly. Why? It is because Kim usually selects his clothes. However, this rise was not natural, as the lord had no real saying in this matter. The real metamorphosis took place in the shaman’s house, when the lord was sent back to the past and as such the darkness. 
(chapter 102) The moment he left the “cave”, he went to the mountain and surrounded by the wind and water, he changed into a dragon. This expulsion corresponds to the final release, the lord’s mind is finally freed from the darkness, while I believe that this scene 
(chapter 44) It is because the main lead was thinking that the painter would actually run away. Thus the door was left opened, and he was wearing warm clothes. Yoon Seungho never imagined that Baek Na-Kyum would remain by his side. Yet, during the previous night, the lord had consoled his lover by embracing him. 
(chapter 71) But this can be refuted easily. First, don’t forget that during this love session, the lord was acting like a servant pleasing his new lord. So this had nothing to do with Yoon Seungho’s feelings like sadness or happiness. He was determined to keep the painter by his side, and ignoring his own feelings. He never expected the artist to reciprocate his feelings. Secondly, Yoon Seungho’s nocturne vision is not just a nightmare, but also a DREAM! Yes, you are reading this correctly. Only recently, I discovered that all the artist’s visions are a combination of 3 elements: memory, nightmare and dream! I will give you three examples as illustration, for I am slowly running out of time. 
This vision is a combination of these three elements: memory, nightmare and dream. This had happened during the First Wedding Night (memory)
(chapter 21), then we have a similar situation in chapter 49: , 
, but the painter was rejecting this future. Hence he considered it as a nightmare. 
; nightmare 
the lord becomes a ghost and confronts the painter with his biggest fears (admitting his attraction, passion for erotic paintings and homosexuality) and dream
(The painter’s true desire was that the lord would kiss him, he was deeply longing for his lips, yet he was still in denial in this vision. 
, for the painter was remembering the corpse in the courtyard, a dream, as he wished the return of his loved one 
. He hoped that the lord would take care of him personally. Naturally, the “spirit” is the nightmare 
. 
(chapter 74) This had already happened, but the lord had not grasped the significance. 
(chapter 53) Besides, he had not opened the door himself. Even when he went to the scholar Lee and opened the door with the his foot, the lord still felt trapped. 
(chapter 96) This shows that the lord’s wish to get released had not been fulfilled so far. In my eyes, it is connected to the torture Yoon Seungho suffered and as such to the purge organized by the authorities. That’s the reason why I deduce that the lord will break a door in season 4, and this won’t be by accident and it will be witnessed by many people contrary to chapter 53, 67 and 96! The broken door will reflect the lord’s rise and power, and no one will be able to stop this. In my eyes, this wish is connected to the door in the servants’ quarter. That’s how his imprisonment started.
(chapter 74) The “dragon” wished to see Kim and his father, and confront them! And this did take place in season 3. Yoon Seungho confronted the butler with his attitude and betrayal
(chapter 77), but this argument was just short-lived. He still viewed the valet as a hard-working and trustworthy person. He had just made bad decisions. Then in the bedchamber, the lord could blame the father for his suffering: 
(chapter 86) As you can see, the lord’s wishes were granted, but the nocturne vision was so difficult to grasp that neither the readers nor the main lead could interpret the message correctly immediately. Besides, the nightmare was mostly silent. But this doesn’t end here. 
(chapter 74) In this image, he is floating in the air… a sign that his status is changing. At the same time, this shows that he is escaping from the hands. They are trying to drag the main lead down. Thus I come to the conclusion that the vision was announcing the lord’s transformation (into a dragon) and as such his “rise”. Note that in this image, he is still a teenager, but in the following panel the protagonist has already become an adult. 
(chapter 74) Simultaneously, the vision also displays the lord’s expulsion from “hell”, the sex orgies 
(chapter 74) Simultaneously, the dream showed that the lord wished to see this painting again, though deep down, he blames this image for his suffering. As you can see, the vision was revealing the tormented disposition of the lord. He was switching from nightmare to dream and the reverse… a mixture of anxieties and desires. 
(chapter 74) This signifies that he was approached by someone from behind, he had not noticed that the “door” had been opened. Thus he never expected his apparition. For me, this perception demonstrates that the painting is not the real cause for Yoon Seungho’s suffering. Since he had turned around, I came to recognize that this scene stands in opposition to the situation in the painter’s nightmare: 
(chapter 86) In reality, he was a dragon, who could bring luck and fortune to the person who would cherish him. This is no coincidence that the pedophile sent hanboks with the crane
(chapter 34), 
(chapter 30), but much more brutal and violent! 
(Chapter 83) But what was the vision telling to the main character? The problem with visions is that their message is never clear. It is up to the fortune-teller. The beholder can interpret the hallucination differently. Here, one might say that the blood let Yoon Seungho see that one servant, in our case Kim, was working against him with 2 nobles: Min and Jihwa. It was already predicting Min’s death, for the blood pond was touching the noble on the right, while the other nobleman with the hat is not connected to the blood. The red-haired master only lost his topknot a second time. This is no coincidence. The vision showed that Black Heart would die by the hand of 2 people, Yoon Seungho the child and Yoon Seungho the adult. Thus Byeonduck created such a panel: 
(Chapter 102) The lord was in a dissociative state. In his rage, the main lead was brought back to his own past, when he was a victim of gangrape. 
(Chapter 101) Remember his confession in the bedchamber: 
(chapter 55) Simultaneously, this vision 
(Chapter 100) But if so, this means that the domestic will die, after his master abandoned him and ran away. Remember that the blood spurt is linked to the person without a hat. 
(chapter 86) And if I consider that this vision is referring to Kim, then it already announces his doom. Another possibility of interpretation is to say that the boar embodies the king, which Yoon Seungho defeats by removing from his side Lee Jihwa and Min, both were used as tools to control and tame the main lead so that he would remain by the pedophile’s side. This means that the moment he executed Black Heart and cut off the friend’s topknot, he was finally able to escape from the ruler’s claws. And if the noblemen are referring to the elders, the message doesn’t change. The moment the main lead killed Min, he wounded the king so that the elders are affected, one more than the other. And Kim didn’t stop his young master, for the butler thought that with his suicide, he could finally free himself from his task of taking care of Yoon Seungho. With his suicide, Kim would be able to live in peace. He would no longer be tormented by the main lead’s suffering. In his mind, his suicide was the natural outcome of such a long suffering. As you can see, this hallucination can be interpreted so differently. And the more information we will get in season 4, the more precise the interpretation of this vision can become.
(Chapter 83) I have always said that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum are shamans, but they have no idea about their true identity. This means, none of them considers himself as a fortune-teller, though both have this gift. They have no one telling them about their skills, they can predict the future and even repel evil spirits.
(Chapter 92). Keep in mind that since the lord wrote a poem in season 3, this means that he must have done it in the past too, but this twice. In season 1, he wrote one, when he switched the paper, yet it must have occurred before, for we had two circles, which corresponds to two full moons. My friend Luzyla brought my attention that in the whole story, Byeonduck only drew one full moon, and this in chapter 1. This announced the beginning of a new circle!! The third one and observe that the moon was far away, very high up in the sky, while the night sky was very dark. 
(Chapter 1) There was no moon light which I consider as a reference to the painter‘s absence in Yoon Seungho‘s life. Under this perspective, the manhwaphiles understand why in episode 102, Byeonduck drew such a moon. 
(chapter 102). Their trust and love had been tested, thus I am assuming that season 4 will be the beginning of the 4th circle, where the protagonist will face the main culprit for his suffering: the mysterious lord Song, the king.
(chapter 56), and it became a reality. 
(Chapter 91) But the artist never accepted these visions, for he was rejecting sodomy and later he was in denial about his affection for the main lead. Yet this is no longer possible. The artist has already confessed and is determined to remain by the noble’s side, no matter what. 
(chapter 74) Here again, we have an allusion to the bloodbath in the shaman‘s house, for the position of the hands reminds us of Black Heart’s reaction before the main lead stabbed him. 
(chapter 50) and Baek Na-Kyum‘s nightmares in the bedchamber. 
(chapter 98) How could he be with the man who killed his family (for example Heena)? 
(chapter 45) Yes, in chapter 45!! How did I come to this conclusion? The first clue is the black frame. 
(chapter 45) Byeonduck always uses it in order to indicate that we are dealing with a memory or a dream. Secondly, in this scene we are supposed to see Baek Na-Kyum with his lover, both kissing tenderly, yet in the same chapter, the author let us see the reality of their interaction. 
(chapter 45) The painter was more acting like a robot, he was not able to procure pleasure to Yoon Seungho. He was not talented. As you can see, the introduction allowed us to see the dream of a fortune-teller concerning Yoon Seungho and the painter. But wait… 
(chapter 45) Who is who here? In this image, the artist is lying on the bed, he is recognizable by his slender and smooth leg and his thin foot. The lord is on the top, the beholder can identify him with his bigger and rounder butt. However, in the second picture, their position is switched. 
(chapter 45) But don’t forget that we are here dealing with a premonitory dream. In my opinion, the lock of hair is implying that Baek Na-Kyum will be wearing a topknot in the future, similar to this situation: 
(chapter 87) This means that the person saw in this dream that Baek Na-Kyum would become the lord’s partner, and he would even be dressed like a noble (a topknot and white pants). Don’t forget that in season 2, he was still wearing grey pants and not white. 
(chapter 79) This is the same position, but from a different perspective. 
(chapter 45), a rumor started that Yoon Seungho had a fiancée. Thus Kim chose to spread rumors in the village to kill the grapevines about the existence of Yoon Seungho‘s fiancée with another gossip. He used Jihwa and the incidents in the past… One might argue that it is not possible, because it looks like the rumor about the existence of Yoon Seungho’s sodomy existed before than the presence of a fiancée. 
(chapter 45) The owner of the stand is sitting and he has a white scarf, but in the next panel, the person is standing, and has a red scarf. 
(chapter 45) Moreover, the headcover on one player is much slightly darker. This is another indication that there could be a time jump between these two panels. But one might argue that the rumors about Yoon Seungho’s homosexuality were existing before the grapevines about the fiancée. 
(chapter 45) In order to ensure that no one would take this rumor seriously, Kim made sure to spread the rumors about Lee Jihwa and Yoon Seungho’s sexuality. 
(chapter 40) His joke with the red dot was not even noticed by the woman and seller of the mirror!! Both were totally indifferent. Though he had made a joke, his action had caused no wave. Besides, we should question why the man would say that even dogs would know about his homosexuality. This implies the intensity of the grapevines. It displays that someone was deliberately leaking this information to the outside. Furthermore, one witness is saying that Yoon Seungho‘s affairs used to stir up the village… when did it happen? 
(chapter 45) Moreover, which affairs was he referring to? He has no idea about the masturbation in the tailor’s shop and the red dot on the painter’s face. As for Lee Jihwa’s humiliation, it was definitely not leaked to the outside as well. Besides, remember the comment from the red-haired master’s servant. 
(chapter 41) Striking is that 
(chapter 52) The lord had kept his distance from the artist for one week, though I believe that he still came to see him
(chapter 51),
(chapter 51) for the painter’s scarf was put on the way Yoon Seungho did in the courtyard in chapter 69. 
(chapter 69) And now, you comprehend why Kim criticized the painter in the courtyard. The lord would come to see him ensuring that he was well covered. The butler had every reason to view this dream 
(chapter 45) Now, I have the proof for this interpretation. The guardian was on his way back to the gate, so why did the valet ask him to bring the items to the painter’s study? Actually, Kim could have done it himself, it is not so that his master was waiting for him or had been requesting his presence. 
(chapter 45) Now, you are probably thinking that this essay has reached an end. But no… Why?
(chapter 87) What if the butler had been saying the truth? He had no idea what was going on inside the room of the kisaeng house. But as an outsider, he observed this. Nobles were going to and from lord Yoon’s chambers. The readers had the impression that the young master was getting raped in the bedchamber. Yet, like I had pointed out, this is definitely not true, for the teenager was dressed. 
(chapter 87) We could detect the presence of a stock, this means that in the bedchamber, he was physically abused. And the butler could have jumped to the wrong conclusion, exactly like in this scene. 
(chapter 77) He had seen the kiss between the two boys, but because of Yoon Seungho’s smile, he had assumed that Yoon Seungho was consenting. 
(chapter 77) However, like mentioned before, the protagonist was under the influence of a drug. So in his eyes, it was, as if the young boy had been the one kissing Lee Jihwa. Because of this scene, he assumed that the two boys were fooling around. He jumped to the wrong conclusion that Yoon Seungho was a sodomite, something Kim truly abhors. So my idea was that the butler could have made the same mistake concerning the bedchamber: he made an assumption, and he jumped to the wrong conclusion that Yoon Chang-Hyeon was treating his son as a prostitute for his own greed and ambition. Because of these two expressions “assumptions” and “wrong conclusion”, I started researching for this. And this is what I found: 
(chapter 17) This is an expression that he would often use. We could witness this cognitive distortion (should statement) in front of the shed. 
(chapter 77) This explains too why Yoon Seungho is called a black sheep, a bird of misfortune. 
(chapter 68) But here, like I pointed out before, he was excluding himself from this incident. Let’s not forget that he had been the one dragging him to the shed. 
(chapter 57) He had been ill, since he was very young. But the physician mentioned the good notoriety about Yoon Seungho: he was intelligent. Striking is that Kim has never mentioned this. Either he is not aware of this, because he only met the protagonist after hearing the negative comment from the father, or as a person suffering from cognitive distortion, he is only remembering the negative aspects. I had already exposed that this was not related to sodomy, for sexuality was not relevant, when he was just a child. From my point of view, Yoon Chang-Hyeon saw in his son’s questioning and critical thinking a problem. He was not respecting the elders, and Kim is definitely a reinforcer of social norms. From my point of view, the drug administrated was not to treat him for sodomy, but in order to obtain his obedience. We were all assuming that the visit to the doctor must have occurred after the stolen kiss, but it could be the opposite. Why? It is because the physician revealed the valet’s second visit which occurred after the incident in the kisaeng house. 
(chapter 57) And now, imagine this. What if the purpose of the drug was to make Yoon Seungho submissive? Thus the young boy was smiling, and doesn’t remember the stolen kiss. Striking is that cognitive distortion has an impact on memory, it can create distorted memories. And this would confirm my previous assumption that here, the butler was mixing two memories together. 
(chapter 65) Since the butler has always been expecting the worst unconsciously, I am suspecting that he is the one who offered Yoon Seungho to the king! That way, he imagined that his master would be protected, unaware that he had never been forced to have sex before. There’s no ambiguity that his cognitive distortions led to Yoon Seungho’s suffering. Hence the father and the king will be quite surprised when they discover the verity. Kim badmouthed the main lead calling him a bird of misfortune, though lord Song views him differently, as he keeps sending him hanboks with cranes and phoenix, asymbol for good fortune. 
(chapter 87) He was talking about himself here. For the valet, there’s only one solution: “Out of sight, out of mind!” Hence he hoped that the father would take away Yoon Seungho from the mansion. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 180) As you can observe, fear and hatred are the main components for unleashing agitation and violence. But this can only work if the medias are amplifying these emotions. Yes, I am talking again about propaganda. And today in the newest episode, the commissar used the fire as a metaphor to describe the evolution of terror. 
(Doctor Frost, episode 183) This means that you can stop the fire from spreading, if you observe the fire path. In other words, if you pay attention to the evolution of the hate crimes, you can slowly put an end to the climate of terror. Important is to find its origin. Then she added this. The fire becomes the most effective in the winter forest. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) Here the manhwaphiles should see the forest as a symbol for society and humans. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) This signifies that the people will get easily influenced by their fear and rage, if there exists a cold climate. A society without compassion and affection. And with only one spark, the forest can get destroyed. This signifies, the absence of love and understanding play a huge role in creating an environment full of hatred and violence. This is not surprising that because of the Coronavirus, intolerance and violence are on the rising, since people are getting more and more isolated and scared. And now, here is the next question: What symbolizes the winter forest in Painter Of The Night and more precisely in episode 93? 
(chapter 93) On the other hand, many readers were greatly disappointed by Yoon Seungho’s behavior. He had prevented Heena from meeting her brother, and the painter was left in the dark. But the lord had also sentenced her to seclusion. 
(chapter 93) In their eyes, he was indeed a hoodlum or a bastard. According to the blogger 
(chapter 93), while the noonas and the artist are sitting in a comfortable room. Hatred versus love… even the colors in the picture reflect the true emotions of the characters. Now, it is time to elaborate my interpretation. 
(chapter 93) Her question reminded him of Yoon Seungho, therefore the artist looked for him, and got surprised, because he didn’t see his husband by his side. 
(chapter 93) This scene is important for two reasons. First, the behavior of the kisaeng clearly showed that she had been left in the dark as well. She was not lying, as there was no drop of sweat on her face. While she had no idea where her brother had been this entire time, Heena knew this the entire time!! 😬 But she kept silent and as such, she hindered her sisters to meet the painter as well. But this doesn’t end here. 
(chapter 76) Back then, Nameless had been confronted with reality: the protagonists were just two men in love and their affection was deep and genuine. So imagine what it meant for the lord, when he saw this scene in the shadow: 
(chapter 93) There’s no doubt that he was seeking for their approval. To conclude, he remained in the background in order to judge the kisaengs correctly. Would they behave like Heena or not? In fact, Yoon Seungho had made a jump of faith. He had trusted the painter’s heart. However, he couldn’t let Heena ruin this happy reunion. Therefore she got excluded. She could have made a ruckus. 
(chapter 93) In her eyes, he was a handsome man. Another fell under his spell as well: 
(chapter 93) This is important, because this shows that the kisaengs are not thinking like Heena at all. They don’t resent him, because he is a noble. 
(chapter 65) I would even add that they couldn’t recognize him, and I am now assuming that they had not heard about Yoon Seungho yet. They couldn’t put a name on him, he was just a fancy companion. 
(chapter 93) In the first version, I had blamed Heena, yet I have to admit that I made a mistake, because I had paid too much attention to this image. 
(Chapter 93) Here, they whispered quite loudly and actually blamed the noona for her negative description. But this declaration contradicts the previous one. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 175) It created the illusion that Heena had been badmouthing Yoon Seungho and desired to obtain the support from her eonnies. But who had called him a rake and a pervert? The noona herself! 
(Chapter 93) However, they were just repeating what they had been told. Hence it didn’t work. Why? First, it is, because the painter appeared alone. They could see with their own eyes how well he was doing. 
(Chapter 93) Naturally Min!! How do I come to this conclusion? Simply by recollecting his words in the tavern: 
(chapter 93) He was actually portraying himself as an immoral person lacking in sexual restraint. He would not know fidelity. But the moment the kisaengs got caught, the lord proved their words wrong. He remained calm and treated them well despite the insult. 
(Chapter 93) He made no fuss and accepted their apology. The most striking is that he ended up apologizing to the noonas. 
(Chapter 95) The manhwaphiles should recall the following rule: a scene will be reflected in the next episode. There is no doubt that the valet was the one who ruined the Yoons in the end by causing mistrust and jealousy. He destroyed the family. Therefore Kim sent the ruined painting to the father, and even refused to give the letters from the brother. He made sure to create misunderstandings, silence and tensions between the Yoons, portraying each of them like a monster or a selfish and common brute. This is not surprising that for the father, the son is a monster: 
(chapter 86) Kim was successful, for he could change their personality entirely. He used social norms, people’s superstitions, fears and flaws to his advantage. Why? It is because he had to hide his own wrongdoings and betrayals. That’s the reason why the lord’s mansion could be considered as a winter forest as well. But since Heena resents powerful nobles, her negative emotions and her bias made her the perfect tool for the next scheme. But Min and Kim failed. Why? It is because they had two different approaches: The valet preferred using the scholar‘s death for the smear campaign, whereas Black Heart wished to destroy the affection and trust between our beloved couple. Moreover, since the noonas had stopped Heena from approaching her brother with their warm welcome, the kisaengs‘ attempts to ruin the relationship between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum were rather half-hearted. The noonas were lacking determination and stubbornness. 
(chapter 92) The lord saw that the painter was looking elsewhere and his gaze was full of longing. Secondly, he had promised his lover to fulfil all his wishes. 
(Chapter 91) He didn’t want to break his promise. I am wondering if this idea was not suggested by the butler, because the meeting in the inn was no coincidence. The noble Min made sure to trigger the painter’s memory with the presence of the kisaeng and the blue-lavender hanbok. As you can see, Yoon Seungho didn’t have much choice in the end, 
(chapter 92) However, at some point I began doubting this, for for the green shade is a little different. Moreover, I was reminded of this panel: 
(Chapter 59) On the other hand, Min appeared later as the doppelgaenger of Lee Jihwa. 
(Chapter 66) The Joker could serve as a witness, and Black Heart couldn‘t lie at all, as he needed to keep his trust. Besides, it is possible that he must have noticed the disappearance of the Spring poem. Don’t forget that it had vanished in the inn, and Min was the last one seen with it. 
(Chapter 92). Their sudden meeting could be the reason why he disappeared. 
(chapter 93) Now, they know that the young painter lived with the scholar. How come? Baek Na-Kyum didn’t tell them, because the noona asked him this question. This means that she wanted a confirmation. And now, we have to question ourselves this: who told them about the painter’s past? One possibility is that it was Yoon Seungho, but I doubt it, for the noona didn’t recognize him outside. From my point of view, the noona had left her brother’s side. There was a time jump, because the kisaeng was now wearing a different skirt, khaki!! This means that now, she was acting on the order of someone. Like mentioned above, it could be Min via the other kisaeng. But there exists another eventuality: the Yoons! Don’t forget that khaki is the color of Yoon Chang-Hyeon. 
(Chapter 44) 
(chapter 57) Besides, just a few episodes ago, he had mentioned the scholar and the civil service examinations, and the story is following this rule: the next chapters will reflect the previous ones. Moreover, in season 2 and 3, the father was seen in the kisaeng house. Finally, in front of the learned sir‘s home, the manhwaworms could identify the guards from the patriarch. 
(chapter 93) What could the noonas say to this answer? They couldn‘t call the main lead a liar! And note how he introduced himself: 
(Chapter 69) But like I had explained, this menace was voiced by Kim, which was only validated by Yoon Seungho afterwards. And naturally, this threat had been revealed to the schemers: Min and the patriarch. They all imagined that the main lead would punish Heena for her accusations. Kim had experienced this scene in the courtyard 
(chapter 68) He had taken these words as face-value. But he never recognized that the main lead would never use violence against Baek Na-Kyum‘s family, and this was already perceptible in chapter 68. He never barged in the study, when the noona called him a bird of misfortune. 
(Chapter 68) He respected their privacy, the opposite of the butler. 
(Chapter 85) This explicates why the kisaengs blamed Heena for the rumors. 
(Chapter 93) This gesture (blowing the candle) outlines that he was indeed trying to stop the fire, a symbol for hatred and fear, from spreading. 
(Chapter 93) This time, the noona had no longer the hat, but she was wearing the orange skirt again. The only explanation is that she had left the room. Since the kisaengs had no drop of sweat on their face, their admiration and surprise were genuine. But now take a look at this 
(chapter 93) We have the return of the hat! Moreover, another detail caught my attention: the paper is blank! Where are the calligraphes? One might argue that it was too difficult for the author to draw them, but I can only refute this point by using this scene. 
(Chapter 36) Here, the handwriting was even smaller compare to this calligraphy: 
(chapter 65) First, the noona couldn‘t see her brother‘s painting, until Kim showed her the picture with Jung In-Hun which he had kept! 
(Chapter 65) Kim was embarrassed in that scene, like the drop of sweat indicates it.This was the negative version of chapter 93. Don’t forget that Heena had been manipulated by Kim, when she visited the lord’s mansion. The latter had shown her the painting from the painter and then he must have told about the flashback in the bedchamber and the second marathon session in the shed. 
(chapter 4) and he had never returned it. He had replaced it with another sijo, according to me with the original sijo. 
(Chapter 7) It doesn‘t matter, if the scholar had deceived the painter. The latter viewed the paper as a treasure, a memory from his learned sir. 
(Chapter 93) The father was mocked for his dream!! He was portraying the elder master as a poor and weak noble! He was even compared to the learned sir. We have two proofs for this signification: 
(chapter 86) This was the father‘s karma. He had insulted his own son, made him feel little and even jealous 
(chapter 86) Remember that karma will always retaliate shortly, and the punishment will be even worse. The irony is that the lord was actually repeating the butler‘s words! 
(Chapter 93) This symbolizes that she was not acting here. The drop of sweat on their face showed their embarrassment. They could not deny his statement, for the learned sir was indeed poor and with no connection. They anticipated that the lord would boost about his talent, but no he was showing humbleness. On the other hand, he outlined his wealth and power, which the noonas couldn’t contradict. His words were indeed reflecting a certain reality. Another important detail is their reply to the lord‘s statement: the points of suspension which I connect to the butler. Since chapter 77, the latter had switched loyalty and was now serving the elder master Yoon.
(chapter 69), and back then the lord had showed leniency. However, Heena didn’t want to acknowledge his benevolence. Thus she sent letters to her brother, in which she called Yoon Seungho many names: a rake, a hoodlum, a bastard and finally a murderer… 
(chapter 93) One might bring up the freedom of speech, but there’s a reason why in Germany total freedom of expression is not allowed. During the Republic of Weimar, parties were authorized to announce their hatred for democracy and republic. The result was that right-extremist parties as such the NSDAP led by Hitler became more and more powerful. This is no coincidence that this republic vanished. The NSDAP could spread fear and hate against democrats, Jews and other minorities. Hate speech encourages hate crimes. Yes, this is the consequence of the butler’s philosophy: “don’t take it to heart”. This saying symbolizes indifference and as such passivity and silence which contributes to create the perfect climate for hatred and fear. 
(chapter 91) They didn‘t go to the calligrapher right away. One week had passed, since the elder master Yoon had visited the mansion. This signifies that Heena is forced to face the consequences of her past actions. 
(episode 9) The real culprit had sent him letters each day for years… The content of the correspondence was always the same: 
(episode 9) That’s how he got brainwashed and convinced that he had indeed committed a crime. In jail, he was isolated and due to the suffered injustice, the prisoner definitely suffered from an emotional and mental breakdown, explaining why he was receptive to manipulations. That’s why you see the mouth and the letter together. So imagine that Baek Na-Kyum had read all the letters and all of them were saying the same thing over and over again. Since the painter is someone with a low self-esteem, he would have started doubting his own judgement. This is gaslighting. Naturally, Kim never intended him to read them. The whole purpose was to create a quarrel in the couple. I am quite certain that Heena never asked about her brother’s well-being. She was already convinced that the lord was a rake and a bastard. Her letters were full of contempt and hatred, something Yoon Seungho could sense in the correspondence. 
(Chapter 69) And who was there during that night? Black Heart. This is important, because in the first episode, the noona had badmouthed the main lead, but she was well aware of the truth.
(chapter 175) Because of this comparison, I couldn’t help myself thinking of the water vapor as the grapevines in Painter Of The Night. They’re everywhere and no one can stop them. And now, you comprehend how the noble’s reputation got ruined. 
(chapter 175) That’s how hatred and contempt were spread. And Lee Jihwa listened to them, this is no coincidence why his mind and heart got poisoned. As long as he remained by Kim and Min’s side, his heart and mind would always be clouded. This means that Yoon Seungho was able to stop a fire, before it ruined the winter forest. People were upset, for he had such a cold gaze, when he remembered his interaction with Heena. 
(chapter 93) But he was just mirroring the schemers‘ thoughts and gaze. He had to remain cold. So what does Heena’s isolation mean? Yoon Seungho has no idea, but he is clearing her mind from the brainwashing. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) There exists two methods. First, 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) And we could clearly detect this in the confrontation between Heena and Yoon Seungho: 
(chapter 93: In the Korean version: Your little brother will be with me now) For Heena, the painter should live with the scholar. This was her faith: 
(chapter 46), though I am quite sure that it was in truth her biggest wish. She was in love with the learned sir herself. By looking him in the eyes, she could detect the lord’s determination and frankness. This was his choice. The problem is with deprogramming is 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) That’s the reason why nowadays, psychologists prefer the other method 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 183) And now, you comprehend what happened. The deprogramming didn‘t work out, for Heena was approached by the schemers again. They used another noona to deceive the sibling, for they could no longer use the women close to Baek Na-Kyum. Thus Heena was still under the influence of the haters. 
(Chapter 98) Since she resents nobles, I deduce that the so-called witness was a commoner. In my eyes, it can only be Kim who justified his silence by saying that he could do nothing. He was the only one who knew, because the other had been already killed. 
(chapter 93). Hence their punishment for their deceptions couldn‘t be so harsh. 
(Chapter 99) was quite strong. In this scene, they had sided with the kisaeng again, hiding the fact that they had seen leaving Heena with Lee Jihwa. They knew that the kisaeng was running away from the gibang, for she was not dressed up. 
(chapter 80) Heena could have pushed away his hand, her movements were not restrained 
(chapter 93) Secondly, he introduced his partner to his family properly. 
(chapter 93) It is here necessary to contrast this introduction with this one: 
(chapter 93) Naturally, he had many reasons to do so. First, he wished to keep his promise. Secondly, he had sensed the painter’s sadness. 
(Chapter 93) But Yoon Seungho never imagined that he was himself the cause for this heartache. The painter could detect the lord’s agony and low self-esteem. He knew how hurtful it is to be called names like rake or bastard or hoodlum. And the lord’s selflessness got rewarded: his biggest wish came true during that night. There was someone who loved him despite his flaws and wrongdoings. We could say that their stay was to confirm his marriage with the painter to the noonas. At the same time, season 3 exposed the slow transformation of Yoon Seungho. Little by little, he was showing an interest to his own past and no longer accepting the justification that he was just a bird of misfortune. Don’t forget the master’s previous statement: 
(chapter 86) He was already pondering on the question why the family name was sullied. This shows that Yoon Seungho is slowly uncovering the truth, and he is now using Kim’s MO: deliver the information in delay, feign ignorance and act, listening to conversations behind the doors. This is no coincidence that he is recovering his memories as well. This is important, because he is less manipulable and as such no longer weak to brainwashing. 
(chapter 88) When the lord got embraced, the painter whispered this to his ear: 
(chapter 91) This represented Baek Na-Kyum’s first mini-love confession. His action was supported by his words. Therefore the lord could realize the honesty and genuineness of the painter. He could be embraced and as such accepted, he was no monster. Yes, it was the opposite of the love session in the physician’s office. Back then, the painter had remained silent. 
(chapter 62) And this made me realize the signification of whispers in the manhwa. They stand in opposition to the hate speech and brainwashing!! This is no coincidence that the noonas whispered, when they noticed that Yoon Seungho was totally different from the description which Heena was supposed to have spread. 
(chapter 18) The whisper contrasts so much to the rumors, anonymity versus personal. Thus I conclude that the whisper represents a weapon against the brainwashing and terror. This is not something that a spy can hear from the window or the door! Hence you have Yoon Seungho whispering this to Lee Jihwa 
(chapter 18) or Yoon Seungho saying this to Heena: 
(chapter 92) reflects the nature of their relationship: Love and closeness. Even outside and in front of the calligrapher, the lord felt the need to know his lover’s thoughts, the positive version of this rumor: 
(doctor Frost, chapter 83), you should just replace the name Juhwan Park by Heena. She was just manipulated by the butler and Min’s trick. They used her strong belief and prejudices. However, I had the feeling that Heena could come to her senses, because she remained silent and her gaze was different. 
(chapter 83) Besides, what caught my attention is that she never replied to Yoon Seungho. She never fought back like in episode 65: 
Why was she so passive? It is because the exclusion from the reunion represented the biggest punishment for Heena. She has always seen herself as a knight in shining armor. Imagine all the noonas could see the little brother and enjoy his company, while she couldn’t. I was hoping that she would start regretting her actions. As you can see, I really viewed Heena more as a victim, blinded by her faith and her own suffering than as a big perpetrator. There’s no doubt that she rejects sex because of a traumatic experience. Yet, due to her blindness and selfishness, she was an accomplice to her brother‘s suffering in the past, and unfortunately, she made the same decision. 
(chapter 87) 
(chapter 99) No scandal in the past and in chapter 93, but now it can no longer be contained!! 
(Chapter 99) On the other hand, the resent for Heena didn‘t turn Yoon Seungho into a fool or a person full of prejudices! He still trusted the noonas, as he believed in his lover‘s heart and his genuine confession! The fire couldn‘t spread in the gibang! The lord showed mercy towards the kisaengs and the domestic Seok-Dae! Hence no one will ever come to believe that Yoon Seungho is a murderer. In their eyes, he makes nothing but hot air!! 😉 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 