Please support the authors by reading the Manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa: Jinx. But be aware that the Manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed manhwas. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, and the previous essay about Jinx “Dire Youth Mystery Unraveling“
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.
1. Why Anguish?
Feel like dropping Jinx? Perhaps you’ve reached chapter 50, and the weight of the narrative feels too heavy to bear. Yet, despite the urge to abandon ship, you shouldn’t. Why? One might say, that’s how life is: harsh, painful and unfair. On the other side, others might argue about this perception, as people can experience happiness too. Besides, anyone knows the idiom “to look on the bright side”. Nonetheless, people can only enjoy life to its fullest, when they experience sadness and agony either.
The popularization and misinterpretation of Positive Psychology has led us to praise positive emotions and try to escape negative feelings at all costs. However, in our emotional universe everything is important and has a reason for being. As Carl Jung wrote: “The word happiness would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” A study conducted at Colorado State University, for example, revealed that experiencing feelings that we wouldn’t exactly classify as positive actually promotes psychological well-being. […]
These results indicate that we are often not affected as much by the situation and the primary emotion it triggers as by our response to it (the secondary emotion). It’s like feeling stressed for being stressed or feeling depressed about being sad. If we believe that we should not experience negative emotions, we will reject, ignore or repress them, which will end up reinforcing them since we will not understand the message they are trying to convey to us, so the discomfort they generate will continue latent within us. […]
Sadness, like the rest of the emotions, brings with it a message, so we must try to understand it. Recognizing our emotions and accepting pain as part of the human condition is essential to achieve the balance essential to growth. Sadness is a natural self-regulation mechanism, something we are born with and that we do not consciously choose. We don’t wake up thinking: “Today is a great day to be sad!” It is a perfectly adaptive response to something that has happened to us, usually a loss, something we wanted to have, or a situation that hurt us emotionally. Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/it-is-good-to-be-sad-benefits-occasional-sadness/
This article explains why sadness and heartache are necessary in life. And this rule also applies in the world of Jinx, especially since the Webtoonist is promoting Positive Psychology. Chapter 50 was so painful for both Joo Jaekyung 
(chapter 50) and Kim Dan. While the former was tormented by his challenger directly 
(chapter 50) and indirectly, the other had to witness how the members from Team Black turned their back on him in the locker room. 
(chapter 50) Interesting is that on X, hamster Dan received more affection and attention than the champion. Though I have always pointed out the doctor’s flaws, in episode 50, I couldn’t help myself being upset and heartbroken for Doc Dan too, until I had a revelation. Many readers were disappointed or mad, when they saw him in this panel. 
(chapter 50) They could put themselves in his shoes: he was left behind. On the other hand, the reaction from Joo Jaekyung was totally understandable. 
(chapter 50) He acted on instinct. Moreover, he had a match, therefore they had no time to discuss or investigate the matter. 
(chapter 50) And everyone knows this saying: Time is money. Yes, the hyungs didn’t decide to postpone the fight, because they would have to pay huge fees, and this could have affected the Emperor’s reputation. It exposes that the fight as such the show was more important than the well-being of their star. As a conclusion, money played a huge role in their decision. On the other side, the annulation would have brought more trouble to Kim Dan, as it would have caught the attention from journalists and fans, though it can still happen later. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why they left the locker room and didn’t argue with Kim Dan. They were under pressure. Nevertheless, the readers had a different reaction, for they knew the truth: Doc Dan was the victim of a new scheme. Therefore they judged the whole situation as unfair. Some were mad at the manager for yelling at the physical therapist. 
(chapter 50) Yet, we shouldn’t allow our emotions cloud our judgement, for this image displays the doctor’s metamorphosis. Notice that he talked back. Though his sentence is still not complete, the thickness of the writing and the point of exclamation are indicating that he was not whispering. He was speaking loudly and clearly. He was talking back firmly. Moreover, he was not avoiding his counterpart’s gaze contrary to the argument in the penthouse. 
(chapter 45) In other words, the scene in chapter 50 exposes the doctor’s growing strength and resilience. That’s the second reason why anguish is necessary in Jinx. Through their suffering, the characters can change, and Jinx-philes have the opportunity to witness their growing maturity. At the same time, the author is able to underline the other figures’ flaws thanks to torment. Between the essay “My hero (full version)” and chapter 22, my perception of Park Namwook changed totally. While in the beginning, I judged him as a hero, I came to consider him as a naïve and blind man. Chapter 50 proved my interpretation correct. In episode 50, his superficiality and hypocrisy became so obvious that he was resented by Dan’s stans. On the other hand, his behavior didn’t surprise me at all. The irony is that his behavior is actually improving too 😮, though the manager is still far from being a hero. Episode 50 represents an evidence. To sum up, Mingwa is using anguish for three reasons:
- The characters should accept sadness, agony and anger in order to be able to enjoy life and discover happiness.
(chapter 44) Now, the doctor is no longer associating sex with prostitution and corruption, but with love. - Through painful events, the characters are encouraged to face their fears and overcome their trauma. Anguish helps them to metamorphose.
- Finally, terrible incidents serve as a tool to expose the characters’ true personality and as such their flaws.
Interesting is that I had selected the title “Effective Anguish” even before the release from episode 50! My follower and friend @Milliformemes can vouch for it. How come? It is because I discovered two patterns.
2. Pain and wounds
2. 1. The painful awakening of the dragon
First, I noticed that the champion’s wounds are coming to the surface. In the beginning, the injury on his shoulder could only be detected thanks to Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 
(chapter 27) But only Dr. Lee and Kim Dan got to see the results
(chapter 27), not Park Namwook. He just overviewed the medical file quickly. But for that, the manager needs to be capable of understanding medical terms. Thus I doubt, he could visualize the seriousness of the situation. 
(chapter 27) Then, after the match in the States, the manager asked his “boy” how his shoulder was. 
(chapter 40) Here, he chose to rely on the celebrity’s words, 
(chapter 40) while the manager had witnessed how Dominic Hill had targeted his shoulder. He should have realized that his star’s shoulder had been damaged. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t overlook that the athlete’s statement was corroborated by the medical checkup from MFC. That’s how he got fooled. Hence there was no treatment. However, doc Dan could detect the champion’s lie not only through observations
(chapter 41) but also through touching.
(chapter 41) As you can see, the wound was slowly coming to the surface. Thus I consider the incident in episode 43 as a metaphor for the shoulder injury. 
(chapter 43) It was exposing the damage in his body. Consequently, when the champion’s foot got wounded by the pepper spray, 
(chapter 49), I realized what was happening. Mingwa is forcing the Emperor to admit his suffering. Hence his wounds are becoming more and more visible.
| Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 49 | Chapter 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |
First, he let transpire his pain more through his grimaces. Secondly, his moans are getting louder and louder. The point of exclamation and the facial expressions are indicating the increasing pain. But why? Don’t forget that in the past, the champion used to reject any assistance from a physical therapist,. 
(chapter 5) for he was simply relying on the prostitutes due to his jinx. Thus I consider this argument in the penthouse as a huge step for the athlete: 
(chapter 45) He can not win, if he is not receiving the help from a PT. That’s the reason why he didn’t mention the jinx at all. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the athlete is suffering more and more. The goddess of Jinx is cornering the athlete: the latter has to admit that he doesn’t just need the assistance of any PT 
(chapter 45), but the help from the angel Dan.
Finally, during the fight with Baek Junmin, the athlete’s foot is bleeding. 
(chapter 50) So far, he just had a cut above his eye, nothing serious. 
(Chapter 40) However, the wound on the foot is different, for his skin is damaged. The recovery will take longer. It is relevant, because Park Namwook can no longer feign ignorance about his star’s wounds. He is less susceptible to manipulations.
On the other side, through the injuries, the champion’s mental health gets boosted. He can sense his own strength and appreciate all the punches he could give to his opponent despite his injuries. 
(chapter 50) That’s the reason why he turned into a dragon at the end of the chapter. [For more read the essay “Color Clash: Decoding MMA Posters] The blue is exposing that he is not controlled by his emotions (rage, anger or fears), he is totally rational. As the suffering pushed him to become the better version of himself, his victory can only appear even sweeter than before. In other words, the easier his victories were, the more he came to doubt his talent. 
(chapter 5) And now, you comprehend why he got so nervous and angry, when he imagined that Kim Dan had blocked him. 
(chapter 5) This shows that his belief in his jinx had been reinforced after his first night with Kim Dan.
On the other hand, Kim Dan could be held responsible for his injuries, similar to this scene. 
(chapter 31) He could take the fall for everything. The main lead is put in such a position so that he has no other choice: he needs to clear his name! 
(chapter 1) He shouldn’t accept his fate like in the past, but fight for his rights and reputation. In other words, the painful incident serves another purpose: Kim Dan is incited to develop a fighter’s spirit. That’s the reason why the situation is quite similar to the past.
On the other hand, we should question why the champion felt a pain in his ankle during that morning. 
(chapter 50) From my perspective, this is the result of the overexerting. 
(Chapter 50) Even the coach is noticing that the athlete is overtraining himself. Remember that the athlete refused to listen to his PT. 
(chapter 42) In addition, he would return home late, a sign that he would train even more than before. 
(chapter 48) Finally, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that after his match in the States, he never visited the hospital due to the law suit. 
(chapter 41) According to me, the MFC medical checkup was not reflecting the verity. Hence he never got a real check-up and MFC could definitely say that the athlete was definitely fine. 
(chapter 41) This shows that the more the champion refuses to his PT’s advice, the more injuries he will substain. That’s how it dawned on me why Joo Jaekyung is now getting more and more wounded during the fights. It forces him to take a rest! However, in the past, he had a reason not to listen: he got barely injured. He needed to treat his body roughly in order to prove his effort and strength. This observation reinforces my conviction that there is a second group manipulating the champion’s matches: MFC itself. For me, Heo Manwook and Choi Gilseok are rather puppets. How so? It is because someone knew about the champion’s sexual habits, hence he was supposed to take an aphrodisiac in the States. But neither the loan shark nor the director from King Of MMA are aware of this. To conclude, the champion’s anguish is necessary to expose the deceptions and the schemers as well.
2. 2. The pleasant Park Namwook, Tolstoy and pain
What caught my attention is that in the locker room, the manager didn’t make the decision for the fight. (chapter 50) How? Through a question, he let the coach Jeong Yosep give the answer. Through their words and actions, Jeong Yosep and Joo Jaekyung called shots, and Park Namwook just followed. The darkness around his forehead and the drop of sweat indicate his torment. But he can not voice his suffering, for it is nothing compared to the star’s. Hence if something were to happen to the celebrity, I can already predict that the manager will put the blame on others. Mingwa already left many clues about his lack of responsibility. First, the manager 
(chapter 27) refused to force the champion to take a day-off by saying that the protagonist would never listen anyway. With such a statement, he pushed Kim Dan to make the decision and announce it to his VIP client. Moreover, the manager didn’t stop his “boy” from exposing his injured shoulder to the public. 
(chapter 41) However, by doing so, he was exposing his vulnerability to his opponents, though I am still suspecting that MFC leaked information too. So far, the headlines are not indicating which shoulder is wounded. Yet, the moderator knew which one: 
(chapter 50) So why was the manager so shocked with such an attack? 
(chapter 50) It was clear that during such a match, the challenger would use the opponent’s weakness. What did he expect in the end? The panel exposes his stupidity and his immaturity. He should have anticipated such a move. These observations lead me to the following conclusion: the champion needs to realize that his hyung will never recognize his suffering, as long as Joo Jaekyung is in denial. Until now, he hasn’t been protecting Joo Jaekyung’s interests, rather his own comfort. His MO was to put the whole responsibility on the athlete. But it was his duty as his manager not to accept the new challenge. 
(chapter 41) Observe that he is just asking questions once again, when he voices his doubts. He is not making a statement. However, the manager is changing. While in the past, the manager was not treating the celebrity like real family, though he was called hyung, I detected a switch, when Park Namwook sent messages from his family for his birthday. 
(Chapter 45) In other words, his loyalty towards the star is improving. 
(chapter 46)
On the other hand, the nature of their relationship is still rather like a boss or employee. Thus he is his advisor or superior. It depends on the situation. I noticed the ambiguity of Park Namwook’s position. First, he introduces himself as the star’s manager 
(Chapter 9) and coach for Team Black, but he acts like the director of Team Black.
(Chapter 49) This explains why he claimed that Team Black was his gym, 
(chapter 22) yet the reality is that this power comes from the champion, as the latter is the real owner of Team Black. Therefore the captain warned the two hyungs. 
(Chapter 46) Thus I deduce that the role between the star and his hyung must be redefined because of Kim Dan’s presence. But wait… the heading is referring to the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. So what is his connection to the manager from Team Black?
The reason is that I found an interesting article about Tolstoy entitled: “How to live with purpose: Leo Tolstoy’s 5 secrets after his existential crisis”. The Russian writer noticed the existence of 4 different types of people: Ignorance, Epicureanism, Strength and Energy and Weakness. The moment I read his descriptions, I couldn’t help myself connecting these types to characters from Jinx: Park Namwook, Halmoni, Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan. Interesting is that Tolstoy suffered immensely before he was able to give a meaning to his life.
1. Understand that reason has limits (…)
2. Search within yourself (…)
3. Find spirituality (…)
4. Learn to accept (…)
5. Embrace simplicity (…) Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/how-to-live-with-purpose-according-to-leo-tolstoj/
The latter advice reminded me of the champion’s philosophy. He definitely preferred the breakfasts 
(chapter 41) to the golden keychain. 
(Chapter 45) As you can see, the famous writer is connected to Positive Psychology, for he was also promoting meditation and experiences. This fits our story, as both main characters are on their way to give a meaning to their life and as such to find happiness. But let’s return our attention to the manager Park Namwook as a representative of “ignorance”.
1. Ignorance. In this group, the writer placed people who chose not to know and not to understand, those who embraced what could be called “motivated ignorance.” They were those who preferred to close their eyes to the basic questions of existence and settled comfortably in ignorance. Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/how-to-live-with-purpose-according-to-leo-tolstoj/
This description corresponds to Park Namwook’s mentality, as the latter is always seeking the easiest way out. He is always avoiding discomfort. Hence not only he closed an eye to the doctor’s wounds in episode 11
(chapter 11), but also he never tried to correct the star’s false conclusion. 
(Chapter 11) He just got angry giving the impression that he was siding with Kim Dan. But the reality is that he did nothing for the poor doctor at all. He remained passive and silent. His “ignorance” explains as well why he is not questioning events and his athlete’s success. 
(chapter 43) Through the two examples, Manhwaphiles can sense that his “ignorance” is a mixture of willingness to close an eye and real naivety. Under this new approach, it dawned on me why the manager used to beat his star so brutally. 
(Chapter 7) 
(Chapter 31) It is his way how to deal with uncomfortable situations. He stands for social norms and conformity. It is not surprising that the manager proposed to use Kim Dan as compensation for Heesung’s fake injury. 
(chapter 32) Furthermore, he forced Joo Jaekyung to take the blame without investigating the matter. (chapter 31) That way, he avoided to get into trouble. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why he is gentle and polite, when he is not under stress. 
(chapter 43) The latter triggers his anxiety and nervousness. Thus when there is a problem, his MO is either to threaten, (chapter 22), to scold
(chapter 36) or to let others make decisions. I would even add, he often delegates things to others: the manager from the Entertainment company (chapter 27), the MFC manager, the lawyer, the advisors, coach Jeong Yosep
(chapter 46), Kim Dan [f. ex. He should accept the bad mood from his VIP client] 
(chapter 36) However, he is not trying to solve the problem himself. Yet, he can not keep such an attitude in the long run, for his passivity and blindness are the reasons why the main couple can be targeted so easily. Park Namwook is failing to protect his champion and his team. However, I detected a positive change despite the heartache in episode 50. He stopped using violence after episode 31. He learned that he needed to treat the champion’s body more kindly, hence we have this confession: 
(chapter 43) Furthermore, compare his behavior towards the celebrity and the doctor:
(chapter 46) and (chapter 50) Mingwa didn’t use any red in the last picture, a sign that the manager’s anger was controlled. So he is trusting the physical therapist. Consequently, his words at the bar were not empty. (chapter 43) Nevertheless, I am expecting Park Namwook’s effective anguish at some point. He needs to be confronted with his biggest fears and pain. And who will act as his mirror of truth?
While Park Namwook stands for ignorance, the champion embodies fire!
3. Strength and energy. They are people who “burn” life. These are exceptionally strong and resilient people who, although they perfectly understand the problems of human existence, prefer to live quickly, burning through stages and opting for drastic solutions without reflecting too much on the consequences since they are convinced that it is better to put life into the years that add years to life. Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/how-to-live-with-purpose-according-to-leo-tolstoj/
This description reflects the fighter’s mentality. Therefore, it is normal that he is suffering. Under this new light, readers can grasp the severity of the star’s situation. Kim Dan is there to save him from self-destruction. I would even say, the hamster’s love represents his safety belt and salvation. As for Kim Dan, the latter is destined to suffer, as he has always considered himself as powerless. And until he realized his grandmother’s mortality, he acted, as if she was his goddess. Hence he was willing to sacrifice himself for her sake. 
(chapter 16)
4. Weakness. “It consists in seeing the truth of the situation and yet clinging to life,” Tolstoy wrote. These types of people wait for a kind of divine rescue to occur or for an escape route to open up before them as if by magic. Although they do not find meaning in life and do not feel satisfied, they continue forward on autopilot. In fact, that was the position with which the writer himself identified. Tolstoy felt lost and powerless. Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/how-to-live-with-purpose-according-to-leo-tolstoj/
And now, you know why the doctor had not projected himself into the future. He was simply surviving. Though the champion had paid off his debts, Kim Dan had not dropped his life principles: money was important, and it should be spent as quickly as possible, as if there was no tomorrow. Why? It is because he had internalized that his earnings would immediately get wired to a different bank account. That’s why he needed to be confronted his biggest fears: the loss of his job as PT. The incident would not only ruin his career, but also turn the efforts of his grandmother into meaninglessness! Don’t forget that she supported him to become a PT! He was her pride and reward! 
(chapter 47) And what was the halmoni’s wish? He should give his all to Joo Jaekyung, 
(chapter 41) and he should assist him during his matches! 
(chapter 41) Therefore I believe that in the locker room, Kim Dan must have recalled her words. She became his source of strength once again. That’s why we have parallels between these three scenes: 
(chapter 21: he was criticized by Kim Miseon, he feared to lose his halmoni) 
(chapter 47) and finally 
(chapter 50) That’s the reason why Kim Dan could become a star. Contrary to Joo Jaekyung, we didn’t assist to the birth of the yeouiju. It is no coincidence that birth is connected to pain and happiness. Mothers forget the suffering of the delivery, as their child can procure them a lot of joy and happiness.
3. The Overman Kim Dan
Striking is that Psychology and Literature are not the only fields advocating negative emotions and suffering. I have to confess that while reading Painter Of The Night, I noticed parallels between Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy and the Manhwa. And since Mingwa’s writing is very similar to Byeonduck’s, I am not surprised that the readers are exposed to heartache and misery. Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher from the 19th Century, developed complex ideas about pain and suffering, as well as the concept of the “Übermensch”, or “Overman.”
- Pain and Suffering: Nietzsche believed that pain and suffering were inherent aspects of human existence. Nonetheless, he did not view them solely as negative experiences to be avoided. Instead, he argued that ache and hardship could serve as sources of growth, strength, and self-discovery. Nietzsche famously stated, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” suggesting that overcoming adversity can lead to personal development and resilience.
- Transcend Conventional Morality: Nietzsche critiqued conventional morality and values, arguing that they often inhibit individual freedom and self-expression. He described it as herd mentality. “Madness is rare in individuals – but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule.” This quote highlights Nietzsche’s critique of herd mentality, suggesting that individuals are less prone to madness or irrational behavior when acting alone, but when they become part of a collective group, they are more likely to adopt the behaviors and beliefs of the group, even if they are irrational or detrimental. To find one’s real self, he suggested transcending societal norms and conditioning, questioning traditional beliefs, and forging one’s own path based on personal values and principles. As he provocatively declared, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.”
- Strive for Self-Overcoming and Übermensch (Overman): The concept of the Übermensch is central to Nietzsche’s philosophy. The Übermensch represents an idealized individual who transcends conventional morality and societal norms. Nietzsche saw the Übermensch as someone who creates their own values, embraces life’s challenges with courage and creativity, and strives for self-mastery and self-realization. The Übermensch is free from the constraints of traditional morality and embraces the full spectrum of human experience, including joy, suffering, and struggle. In relation to pain, Nietzsche believed that the Übermensch would not shy away from pain and suffering but would instead confront them head-on as part of the process of self-overcoming. By embracing pain and integrating it into their existence, the Übermensch achieves a higher state of being and transcends the limitations of ordinary human existence. Nietzsche wrote, “I teach you the overman. Man is something that shall be overcome.”
- Embrace Individuality: Nietzsche celebrated the uniqueness and individuality of each person, urging individuals to embrace their authentic selves without conformity or compromise. By embracing one’s individuality and embracing one’s unique strengths, weaknesses, and experiences, individuals can cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and authenticity. Nietzsche emphasized, “Become who you are.“
- Create Meaning and Values: According to Nietzsche, individuals have the power to create their own meaning and values in a world devoid of inherent meaning. By engaging in creative expression, pursuing passions and interests, and embracing life’s challenges with courage and resilience, individuals can discover and affirm their real selves. Nietzsche famously proclaimed, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
In essence, Nietzsche’s philosophy offers a provocative perspective on finding one’s real self in the face of suffering, pain, and adversity. This reminds us of the famous sparring in episode 26.
(Chapter 26) By embracing misfortune, transcending conventional morality, striving for self-overcoming, embracing individuality, and creating meaning and values, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-actualization, ultimately becoming the architects of their own lives. At the heart of Nietzsche’s vision lies the concept of the Übermensch, or Overman, who embodies the pinnacle of human potential and serves as a beacon of courage, creativity, and self-mastery. Through the pursuit of the Übermensch ideal, individuals can transcend their limitations, confront their fears, and forge their own destinies, thereby finding their true selves in the process.
If you watched the video, then you know why doc Dan 
(chapter 5) or Heesung drank alcohol 
(chapter 35). Both were trying to numb their pain, though they shouldn’t have according to the German philosopher. The soju stopped them from becoming the better version of themselves. I am suspecting that doc Dan copied this poor habit from his grandmother, who drank in secret. Don’t forget that in all the memories, the halmoni is smiling (chapter 47), though she must have struggled a lot. Her smile is a sign that she tried not to burden her grandson. However, her toxic positivity had the opposite effect.
And now, you are wondering how chapter 50 is linked to Overman and Kim Dan. From my perspective, when we look at this scene, ‘ (chapter 50) we shouldn’t see it as a betrayal, rather as an opportunity for Kim Dan. He is not following the herd, because he needs to reflect on the incident. (chapter 50) The latter forced the doctor to question his identity and his desires. What does he want to be in life? Let’s not forget that he selected PT because of his grandmother. 
(chapter 47) In other words, he had selected this job, as he was following traditions and expectations. Only in episode 47, he realized that she was his real motivation. Yet, he discovered shortly after that she is about to die. Thus he needs to find a new motivation for his job, or better said, he needs to question himself about his profession. Does he truly want to be a physical therapist? Since the beginning of the story, doc Dan has never identified himself as a physical therapist. Thus he accepted to be judged as a whore 
(chapter 16) or as a tool for the jinx, therefore he mopped the floor
(chapter 36), acting like an errand boy. Then he doubted Heesung’s words and admiration 
(chapter 31) 
(chapter 31). Furthermore, he took a side gig in order to buy the champion’s present and finally, he rejected Choi Gilseok’s praise and offer. 
(chapter 48) He was always diminishing himself as a doctor. Therefore in the locker room, he was confronted with his biggest fear: is he really a physical therapist? 
(chapter 50) He injured his patient. The spray is there to let him see that he has power in his hands. He should trust himself and his magical hands. Don’t forget that this request was made by Joo Jaekyung. (Chapter 49) He never asked him for his expertise and advice. He practiced self-medication in the end. Thus his karma was to be betrayed by the drug, since he keeps mistrusting people. In other words, because of the switch, Kim Dan is encouraged to become brave, to see his job as a great chance: his power is in his hands and nothing else. Heesung described it as magical touch. Doc Dan is talented and he is the champion’s private physical therapist 
(chapter 50) And from my point of view, the locker room became the doctor’s new temple. There, he must have recalled his grandmother’s wishes. She would like to see him on TV. For me, the light over his head symbolizes Enlightenment. He has become the champion’s yeouiju. Thus I deduce that Kim Dan is on the verge of proving his worth to Team Black. I am anticipating, he will approach the ring, and even treat him during a break, something he denied to his halmoni. (chapter 41) This signifies that he has to become strong and determined, for he has to impose himself in front of the other hyungs. By intervening, he would not only prove his innocence, but also earn his right to be viewed as a hyung! So far, the doctor was always excluded from the meetings, though the manager and advisors should have asked for his opinion. Don’t forget that till episode 42, he relied on the recommendations from other physicians and therapists. If this theory comes true, Joo Jaekyung would show to the public that he is trusting him. This would stand in contrast to this image. (chapter 50). Let’s not forget that MFC doctors can not intervene during a match, but only before or after. Like in the video above, I am expecting that Kim Dan will distinguish himself from the others! PArk Namwook only appeared in the spotlight after his boy’s victories. 
(chapter 5) 
(chapter 40) I am expecting a surprise in the next episode. Kim Dan will no longer stand in the shadow, he will no longer follow the “herd”. But there is another reason why I am hoping for such an intervention. It is because neither Baek Junmin nor Choi Gilseok are not expecting the intervention of the physical therapist during the fight, for it never happened before. Besides, the demon could see that their trick had worked. 
(chapter 50) It is relevant, because through such an intervention, hamster Dan would teach the champion an important lesson. He is not alone in the ring, the doctor is watching his physical condition and helping him. 
For me, chapter 50 announces a new start! Interesting is that the number 50 is associated with the planet Mercury which stands for poison but also medicine! And now, you comprehend why I consider the painful chapter as treatment sessions. The two protagonists are forced to redefine themselves. Joo Jaekyung might be injured, but he no longer sees himself jinxed! (chapter 50) And keep in mind that the poster was portraying the two fighters looking at hamster Dan (as Dan means red and sweet in Korean). 
(chapter 48) So the moment you perceive this moment )chapter 50) as something positive, Kim Dan is on the verge of turning over a new leaf, similar to the one in episode 19, 
(chapter 19), this signifies that Potato was acting like a true friend in the locker room. (chapter 50) He had truly grasped what Kim Dan was going through, and he was giving him a good advice. He was not abandoning his hyung, he was taking care of Kim Dan in his own way. His words were actually showing genuine care and true interest. To conclude, anguish is there to turn Kim Dan into a hero! But so far, he was standing in the shadow! 
(chapter 37) 
(chapter 40) 
(chapter 42) In the first part of Jinx, the doctor was the star’s companion of the night, but since the incident with the birthday present, he stopped being the night partner. Now, he is about to become the famous private physical therapist acknowledged by the public and media. In other words, his destiny contrasts to Baek Junmin’s, a shooting star, it will last longer. Why? It is because the main lead is Saturn! He brings fortune and karma to the evildoers. This interpretation corresponds to Übermensch from Nietzsche, which is sometimes translated as “Superman”. Under this new light, you comprehend why I added the protagonist’s pink angel wings. It was an allusion to his transformation, he is destined to become an “Overman” or Superman. 
And this brings me to my next observation. The doctor’s pain is exposing his recovery! Weird, right?
4. Healing
But discomfort and pain are strongly intertwined with healing. What? Another video! Yes, watch this while thinking of Kim Dan and Joo Jaekyung.
I have to admit that I will use mostly Kim Dan as an illustration in order to prove his recovery, as the essay is already getting very long.
1. You allow yourself to feel your emotions. In chapter 47, the doctor accepted his halmoni’s imminent death 
(chapter 47) and his agony. He was no longer under the influence of toxic positivity. While he cried, he admitted his flaws making him realize that he had never been abandoned by his grandmother. 
(chapter 47) That’s how he overcame his abandonment issues.
2. You’re getting better at expressing and maintaining boundaries. I could use the following panels as illustrations that Kim Dan is getting better at setting boundaries. 
(chapter 27) For the first time, he rejected a suggestion from his lover and even slapped his hand. 
(chapter 37) He wanted the party to continue. It shows that he was having a good time with Oh Daehyun and Potato. He has no problem to stop kissing his soulmate, when the latter shows his discomfort. 
(chapter 44)
3. You accept that you’ve been through difficult experiences 
. (chapter 36)
4. You’re less reactive and more responsive. Before the incident took place, he made sure that everything was fine. He was meticulous and proactive. 
(chapter 49) He didn’t wait for an order from PArk Namwook or the champion.
5. You realize that healing is not linear. Therefore it is normal that the relationship between the two protagonists is progressing or regressing. 
(chapter 50) They are trying to find themselves, therefore they must constantly adapt to each other. While the image gives the impression that the trust between them is vanishing, it is in reality an illusion. People should pay attention to the color of the speech bubble. It is white, there is no point of explanation. It reveals that the champion is not raising his voice. He is rather calm. In reality, the champion was not truly mad at Kim Dan. He was restraining himself. Jinx-philes should compare this image to the following two panels: 
(chapter 34) (chapter 45) As you can see, Joo Jaekyung is not glaring at the poor doctor. He didn’t yell at his lover too, and he never took the spray away from his lover and threw it like the golden medal! 
(chapter 45) And now, you comprehend why I stated earlier that he acted rather instinctively. For me, he still trusts the physical therapist.
6. You begin to step out of your comfort zone. Despite the rejection, he didn’t run away. He still went to the arena. (chapter 50)
7. You easily accept disappointments and take them in stride. Though he was scared and hurt, he answered to Namwook. He never apologized for the incident. 
(chapter 50) He is no longer blaming himself. He refused to admit his wrongdoing. He didn’t commit any mistake.
8. You have more inner peace. (chapter 44)
9. You welcome help and support. In this scene, he accepted the assistance of Potato. (chapter 49) After watching the video, I realized what Kim Dan’s next step should be: asking for help! In the beginning of Jinx, he was always relying on himself. He rejected any help. 
(chapter 18) When the champion paid off his debts, he saw it as meddling. Interesting is that he came to accept the champion’s support, but he never asked for Joo Jaekyung’s help directly. In addition, Jinx-philes should notice that in the interrogation room, he thought just about the champion and not himself. 
(chapter 40) It never came to his mind that he should ask for assistance. Finally, observe that after he got drugged in the States, he let the champion deal with the problem. 
(chapter 41) He accepted the statement from his boss. Nevertheless, doc Dan was the real victim. He should have become more involved in the matter. Besides, he was a witness. And this brings me to my next thought: if Kim Dan gets into trouble, he should remember Heesung’s words: he should give him a call! 
(chapter 35) For me, the incident is there to teach Kim Dan that he can ask for help! This would show him that he is no longer alone. He wouldn’t appear weak at all. That’s how he would end up to gain his first friends. Let’s not forget that Heesung’s relationship with the doctor is no longer tainted by money or by lust or greed. In fact, thanks to him, he found his soulmate. What unites Kim Dan and Heesung is the heart and the desire to help. Heesung stands for brotherhood, so he could be the one outlining the problems to Team Black. Finally since Potato likes Doc Dan very much, there is no doubt that Heesung and Potato will work together to assist the main lead. This image still exposed doc Dan’s loneliness. He needs to have a true friend. And Heesung would be the perfect person, for he is cunning and quite perceptive about people’s true nature. In fact, he already possesses certain features that Nietzsche admires. He is disregarding social norms 
(chapter 33). He is not hiding his sexual orientation, he is greedy, but in a good way. Hence he tried to win the doctor’s heart. He never gave up, till he was properly rejected by the doctor. 
(Chapter 35) Interesting is that after his confession, he still chose to come clean with the doctor. He revealed the truth to Kim Dan, though he could have lost the protagonist’s respect. He admitted his lie and manipulation, 
(Chapter 35), but Kim Dan’s reaction was not to scold his future friend. In fact, he appreciated his honesty. In front of Kim Dan, he could show his true self. He was not entirely a good guy, but he didn’t get rejected. But so far, the actor is not present in the arena. Therefore Potato could be the first person Kim Dan asks for help. He shares some similarities with his soulmate. He doesn’t fear people’s gaze, hence he raised his voice under the tent. 
(chapter 35) he doesn’t represent the herd mentality, for he never thinks and acts like others. 
(chapter 31) While the fighters all liked the actor, he judged him in a different light. Then he was not present during the champion’s birthday. Therefore he possesses all the qualities to become a hero. He could cause a scandal, 
(chapter 49) similarly to his idol and hero in the States. He noticed the issue right away: the security didn’t do his job properly. To sum up, Potato would follow his foot steps and that’s how he would get noticed by MFC!
But there exists another evidence that the cute hamster is healing. For the first time, he asked WHY! 
(chapter 50) The word is displaying that the doctor is not accepting the incident simply like that. It is showing that the doctor is slowly losing his naivety. Before the incident with the spray took place, he still trusted the words from people. 
(chapter 49) Naturally, he can not get rid of his naivety totally, for keeping a certain purity is necessary in life too. On the other hand, it becomes clear that his naivety is the result from his education. The halmoni is herself quite too trusting. Hence she ended up being harassed by loan sharks. On the other hand, the incident was like an eye-opener for the physical therapist. He should stop judging people based on their words (chapter 43) but on their actions.
- 1. Recognize When People Are Manipulating you.
- 2. Learn to Say No. Politely but firmly
- 3. Don’t Be an Open book.
- 4. Trust Your instincts.
- 5. Don’t Assume Everyone Has Good intentions.
- 6. Pay Attention to People’s Actions, Not Just Their Words.
- 7. Guard Your Time and Don’t Be a People-pleaser.
(Chapter 32) - 8. Don’t Loan Money or Co-Sign Loans for People You Barely know.
- 9. Don’t Believe Everything You’re told.
- 10. Look for Actions, Not Just words.
- 11. Question Everything
- Conclusion Quoted from https://www.believeinmind.com/mindset/how-to-stop-being-naive/
The vanishing of his naivety is caused by his constant suffering. Because he got deceived twice 
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 1) by bosses, it becomes comprehensible why he didn’t fall into the trap a third time. 
(Chapter 48) He is pushed to question impressions and people’s motivations. As a conclusion, anguish is a tool to push people to become wiser and happier. And this leads me to my final part.
5. Painful pattern und fortunetelling
I discovered another pattern, which is strongly intertwined with suffering and purpose. For the first match, Joo JAekyung, his coach and his manager left to Busan without him. However, due to a pain, Kim Dan had to join them. Thus he came running. 
(chapter 14) But back then, Kim Dan didn’t mind staying in Seoul. 
(chapter 13) Furthermore, after having sex in the locker room, Kim Dan was left behind. 
(chapter 15) And notice that this pattern was the same in the States. For the second match, Team Black left without him, hence Kim Dan arrived late. 
(chapter 40) Therefore he was running once again. However, back then, no readers felt angry at the team, though it could also be perceived as a betrayal and abandonment! Kim Dan was not perceived as necessary, neither for Joo Jaekyung nor for Park Namwook. Hence the bedroom could be judged as the place of the betrayal: “
(chapter 40) That’s how I realized why the Webtoonist never showed the athlete’s caring gesture. He moved him in the middle of the bed! It is because the celebrity was still not treating his soulmate as a physical therapist. The second reason for the absence of anger is that Kim Dan had been drugged and as such was not fit. In addition, he needed to rest after having sex for the whole night. And now, you comprehend why the doctor could get dragged away by the MFC security guards, and no one from Team Black intervened. 
(chapter 40) It was to outline their previous disregard and betrayal! Thanks to Potato, Joo Jaekyung got informed, hence he could rescue the physical therapist. 
(chapter 40) But he never revealed the hamster’s role in the team! This explains why Kim Dan was used by Choi Gilseok. He needs to expose his role in Team Black to the world. He is the champion’s private PT!
| Chapter 13-14-15 | Chapter 40/41 | Chapter 49-50 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Match: Randy Booker | 2. Match with Dominic Hill | 3. Match with Baek Junmin |
| They left without him | They left without him | They left without him |
| He arrived late to the arena. He had to run. | He arrived late to the arena. Hence he had to run , but no one was expecting him except Potato.  | He arrived late in the arena. Contrary to the two previous fights, the match has already started, when the doctor reaches the stadium. Thus he didn’t see the shoulder injury. But this time, he is not running. Once again, only Potato is expecting him: “Take your time, doc Dan”. |
| He was left behind in the locker room. | He was left in the bedroom behind.  | He was left behind in the locker room |
He has no uniform of Team Black, hence Joo JAekyung gave him his own jacket. But the latter was taken away later  He has just his blue uniform. | He has now his own jacket which he is carrying with the blue uniform. | He has the jacket and uniform |
He was interrogated by a MFC security guard  | He is interrogated by MFC security guys and they are framing.  | |
There was a checkup from MFC doctors , for both characters. (chapter 41) | Joo Jaekyung went to the MFC medical center  Hence he could get into trouble! The MFC could report the incident to the authorities! |
Since I detected similarities between the three matches, I can’t help myself thinking that Kim Dan will be interrogated again. He could end up dragged away after the match. But this time, the champion can not save him, as he is himself badly injured. Therefore expect another anguish in the next episode! Since my theory is that MFC doctors are corrupted, there’s a high chance that the doctors will frame Kim Dan. And now, you comprehend why Kim Dan needs more than ever a friend who can help him! Potato is the witness of the doctor’s innocence 
(chapter 49) in both cases! He was present, when Kim Dan drank the drugged beverage. 
(chapter 38) To conclude, it was not in Kim Dan’s interest to run away or hide! This would have been judged as a sign of his culpability and complicity. He needs to face the problems so that he can shape his destiny with his own hands and not remain the playball of dark forces! Yes, this chapter announces a huge change at Team Black, the start of a real friendship between two puppies. 😉
I hope, this long essay gave you the strength to keep reading this terrific Manhwa! Let’s us become a better version of ourselves and embrace the pain, as it means that we are not indifferent and even changing.
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-Twitter-Tumblr 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.
(chapter 109) He discovers that Baek Na-Kyum has already prepared himself, as he is longing for him. 
(chapter 109) He never expected such a reaction. The reason why the evolution of Painter Of The Night is flowing at a snail’s pace is that season 4 is now focusing more on the past. First, Byeonduck needs to divulge the lord’s suffering and its causes. And this can only happen, if memories are brought up. Hence in episode 109, the painter’s memories stood in the center. Why? It is because he is trying to understand why his loved one is now avoiding him. Thus he is remembering what happened just before. The readers are actually put in the same situation than the artist. On the one hand, the focus on recollection is a method to unveil how the young master was turned into a “sodomite and pariah”, for the painter is going through the same experience than his partner. In episode 109, he is isolated from his “lover” and as such from his family, for he has now maids by his side. The latter are supposed to be his new “family”. On the other hand it helps the manhwaphiles to anticipate the future main events,. as the progression is in slow motion. This means, the Webtoonist left all the elements in the previous seasons in order to decode the past, the present and the future. That way, the manhwalovers are capable to unveil the mystery. Besides, the author has to answer all the questions the beholders had while reading the previous seasons, like this one: 
(chapter 27) What book was the scholar looking for? Up to now, we have no clue, though I had developed the following theory: Jung In-Hun was a Christian and had a bible. 
(chapter 109) How did this happen? One might reply that the book fell from the shelf, when the painter kissed his lover. 
(chapter 109) This interpretation can be easily refuted, for the noble stood next to the shelf and not in front of it. Besides, the counter stands on the noble’s left, while the ledger was on his right. However, one detail caught my notice, the beholder can not see Yoon Seungho’s hands!! That’s how I realized that the book came from the protagonist! He had carried it hidden in his right sleeve. This explicates why the book stands on the right side. 
(chapter 109) Besides, contrary to the previous panel, now the lord’s hand is visible! This is no coincidence. But if he was hiding the copy from Baek Na-Kyum, I deduce that it is related to the painter. But there is another person associated to manuscripts in this story, Jung In-Hun!! But what have the low-born and the scholar in common then? The erotic publications! 
(chapter 34) Note that in the background, there’s a book open on the desk, and it has the exact opposite position than in episode 109! And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho rejected the painter’s company next to his table. He didn’t want him to see the publication, for he feared that the painter would be reminded of Jung In-Hun. In the lord’s mind, the young artist still treasures his former teacher. He heard his confession on the bridge next to the pavilion. 
(chapter 94) However, Yoon Seungho is suspecting that the learned sir was behind the trick in the shaman’s house due to the glasses Min had in his hand before dying. 
(chapter 102) Hence he doesn’t want to break the main lead’s heart and mind. In other words, the main lead is determined to hide the past from Baek Na-Kyum so that the latter’s memory and agony won’t be triggered. The book could definitely remind the low-born of all the events which led to the massacre in the shaman’s shrine. Besides, I feel that the noble must feel guilty as well. If only he hadn’t admired the erotic publications which led to Baek Na-Kyum’s stay in his mansion. Consequently, I think that the noble is also in agony because of the work.
However, there exist two reasons why I came to this deduction. I detected similarities with the first encounter between Yoon Seungho and his nemesis in the scholar’s home and the painter’s kisses. 
(chapter 6) Both were standing in front of the cupboard, while the learned sir suddenly took away the copy and closed it to put it back on the cupboard. This made the protagonist smirk. Due to the characters’ reaction, 
(chapter 6), I had assumed that the protagonist was making fun of Jung In-Hun. He had played a prank on the host, especially after asking about his occupation. I have always wondered about the content of the volume. Therefore I had developed the idea that this could be the bible. However, it was clear that the book was not for children which is visible due to the writing. 
(chapter 6) In fact, the learned sir should have the manual Thousand Character Classic (Chinese: 千字文; pinyin: Qiānzì Wén), also known as the Thousand Character Text.
(chapter 6) In reality, he wasn’t teaching them reading and writing at all. But Yoon Seungho had feigned ignorance with this discovery. With his indifference and praises, the false teacher had the impression that he was supporting his attitude. This scene is relevant, because the learned sir had lied to the protagonist about the painter’s education. 
(chapter 6) This means that the book represents the evidence of learned sir’s betrayal and abandonment. He is responsible for his illiteracy. To conclude, this scene contains the following elements: a prank, a lie, a confession which was triggered by a book that Yoon Seungho had picked up by chance. But wait… it could be the book from the scholar’s home! 
(chapter 06) But this image can be used to refute this theory. How so? It is because this book has a title, hence there is a white rectangle!! However, take a closer look at the copy on the floor. 
(chapter 50) Finally, I would like the readers to keep in mind that they could only see the content of the books 
(chapter 1), but they never got the chance to see the cover. 
(chapter 6) He proposed him to sit and have a cup of tea to divert his attention from the books on the cupboard. Besides, I would like to outline the huge contrast between these two scenes. The scholar needed the assistance of the prestigious family Yoon, while the protagonist replied this to his loved one: 
(chapter 109) Needed versus not necessary! 
(chapter 6) He was here very vague (“bizarre and vulgar”), he spoke of a scolding, but never of rejection and abandonment!! This is important, because Yoon Seungho also experienced something similar in the shed: 
(chapter 77) Back then, the butler’s words must have wounded him terribly, he must have felt dirty either. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why I came to this conclusion that the book is related to the learned sir and to the erotic publication. But this doesn’t end here. In my eyes, episode 109 clearly outlined the importance of the library in the protagonists’ life. This is the place where both main leads got betrayed and abandoned. 
(chapter 40) When the scholar wounded the artist with his words, he implied that the artist was responsible for his lack of education. With the idiom “I thought, you could be educated”, he gave the impression that he had put some effort, but due to the artist’s disposition, he had failed. We had another scene where the learned sir was blaming Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 70) He would fall asleep instead of studying. And who knows about the learned sir’s hypocrisy? Yoon Seungho!! That’s the reason why the goddess Byeonduck let them meet in the library. It is to heal their wounds. In this room, Yoon Seungho’s suffering started and later, the painter got betrayed by his former teacher, someone whom he viewed as his “family and mentor”. 
When Yoon Seungho got kissed by the painter 
(chapter 109), he got surprised, and he had the same gaze and facial expression than the one during the First wedding night 
, in the gibang 
and in the study 
(chapter 42), though here the artist kissed his companion twice! 
(chapter 49) And what had these scenes in common? Paintings and the artist’s confession. And now, you comprehend how I made the connection between the book and painting. 
(chapter 19) This scene could only break the artist’s heart, because he was reminded of the learned sir’s reaction: his rejection. The latter got angry and jealous that the low-born would be treated as someone special. Furthermore, Jung In-Hun had only got the noble’s sponsorship thanks to Baek Na-Kyum and not thanks to his own talent! In verity, the learned sir had been the tool to submit Baek Na-Kyum. Shortly after the exposition, the protagonist went to the study. There he got confused for Jung In-Hun, hence he received a wonderful confession 
(chapter 19) before getting kissed and embraced! 
(chapter 42) Yet, the artist was unable to explain the situation, for he had internalized Jung In-Hun’s criticism. 
(chapter 42) So we could say that the yangban tried to get a confession from the painter, but he failed. Hence they had just sex. The artist’s heartbreak was the reason why he never got to confess the truth! And what had happened in the study after the painter kissed the main lead? The lord saw the inauguration illustration and got jealous of Jung In-Hun 
(chapter 48), and the painting had exposed the main lead’s uneasiness and pain. The drawing was not refined, barely finished. 
(chapter 47) The behavior from the painter and the new painting had not only wounded the main lead, but also pushed the lord to discover why the artist was behaving this way. After the rough sex session, the artist had made a confession: he was dropping the rules he had been raised. 
(chapter 49) He was admitting his sexual orientation and his own pleasure, but he still kept his distance from Yoon Seungho. Why? It is because he was reminded of the learned sir’s fake embrace and betrayal. 
(chapter 49) 
(chapter 94) which incited the artist to recall his childhood. That’s how he came to unveil his past and confess his love to the noble! 
(chapter 94) And what do have all these kissing scenes in common? 
(chapter 19), the parties after the separation 
(chapter 51), his visit in the gibang and his tricks 
(chapter 96). In episode 109, the painter confused Yoon Seungho’s shadow with Black Heart’s. In his nightmare, he was brought back to the shaman’s house and the lord’s smile was similar to Min’s.
(chapter 109) 
(chapter 99) Besides, let’s not forget that during that terrible night, Black Heart never touched the artist himself, as if he didn’t want to touch a trinket sullied by another man”. On Twitter, the author revealed that Min would help Yoon Seungho. Through this comparison, the beholder can confirm this. Thanks to Black Heart, the couple got closer in the end. 
(chapter 19), the spying on the painter – though here it appears like a good thing – 
(chapter 41), the stones in the rice 
(chapter 47) and the words from the maid who repeated the noona’s principle 
(chapter 109). Here, the maid was triggering the painter’s memory and as such fears. That’s the reason why the readers can see the laugh of someone outside the building 
(chapter 109). She was acting, as if Baek Na-Kyum was not present, but in reality she knew that he could listen to her. How do I know this? The evidence are the sweets on the windowsill. 
(chapter 109) They never encouraged the tormented boy to eat the sweets!! Besides, this episode confirmed my interpretation about the complicity of the maids. As their role is to comfort Baek Na-Kyum, the readers should question themselves about their absence. 
(chapter 108) Why is the room dark? Where are the maids during that night, as they are supposed to sleep next to the painter? 
(chapter 109) The absence of the light is truly noticeable, an indicator that they are not in the bedchamber. Moreover, I had detected that the brown bed cover symbolizes the meddling of Kim. [For more read the essay 
(chapter 87) Sincerity versus fake concern; own choice versus manipulation, happiness versus sadness. Under this perspective, you comprehend why I view the maids as traitors. But since season 1, the women were never punished. Hence they felt free to badmouth Yoon Seungho or Baek Na-Kyum. So while he was preparing himself, where were the ladies-in-waiting? I doubt, the painter would give them orders. The painter was left alone on purpose. Finally, the manhwalovers should question why there is a bottle of oil in the bedchamber. So far, Yoon Seungho utilized it once 
(chapter 20) and it was during the first Wedding Night. And oil comes from the kitchen, the lord had fetched it from that room!! Naturally, there is an exception, and it is the kiss in the gibang. Yet, here the kisaengs had just replaced the maids. In other words, they had played a role in the confession. And this explains why the noona’s words are superposed with the maids. 
(chapter 109) That’s the reason why I am convinced that the book is strongly connected to the learned sir. In my eyes, it can only be the erotic publication of sodomy!! Why? It is because it represents the painter’s biggest wound. It explains his low self-esteem. Consequently, I am expecting the appearance of this panel: 
(tweet) The teacher told him “It’s dirty”, and wounded him the most with his gaze full of hatred, the symbol of rejection! Note that in episode 109, the painter always focused on the mouth and not the gaze, 
(chapter 109) 
(chapter 109) 
(chapter 25) Moreover, during that night, we have the same elements: a painting, a confession, sex, a book that the scholar was looking for. From my point of view, in chapter 34, Baek Na-Kyum only recalled the beating from Jung In-Hun. 
(chapter 34) But like I wrote above, this place is also where Yoon Seungho got betrayed and in my opinion, the schemers are planning to use this place to ruin the protagonist!!
(chapter 106) 
(chapter 106) And if Yoon Seungho gets caught having sex with the painter and he has an erotic publication of sodomy, he can be framed for the murder of lord Shin and the other nobles. He will be guilty by association. Thus I deduce that the schemers needed the father to report him to the authorities. 
(chapter 107) That way, he can prove that his son is a depraved lunatic and regain the control of the mansion. 
(chapter 86) And if they are not caught having sex, the schemers are hoping for an argument between the two main leads because of the separation. This was planned to incite Baek Na-Kyum to resent his lover, to accuse him of „abandonment and betrayal“, a new version of this scene. 
(Chapter 105) As you can see, the staff had encouraged the lord to keep his distance from his companion on purpose, to create a misunderstanding… they used the painter’s anxieties. Why? That way, the artist would be more inclined to betray his lover, if the latter was in difficulty. He could put the blame on him. In my opinion, the book was planted there on purpose. Remember how the artist denied that he was the author of the erotic publications. 
(Chapter 1) Besides, there is no doubt that the father refuses to take any responsibility in his son’s suffering. And now, you comprehend why this copy was put on the lord’s desk. He was supposed to be the owner of the erotic book and even the author! I am suspecting that he was accused of the „same crime“ in the past. Then this observation raises the following question. Which erotic publication is it? The original 
(chapter 1) or the copy
(chapter 1) This would stand in opposition to the scholar’s rejection (dirty), as the artist was just the helping hand. Besides, there is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho blames himself due to the erotic book. If he had not brought the painter to his mansion, none of this would have happened. But the painter’s confession would make him realize that his misery started long before he met Yoon Seungho. And how did the puppetmaster come up with such an idea? From my point of view, this plan was inspired by the learned sir. 
(chapter 27) Notice that he has a drop of sweat on his face, a sign that the book is really important and could be even dangerous. He was diminishing the value. In the past, I had already pointed out that the learned sir had planned to backstab the main lead and denunciate him to the authorities (my first theory was the bible or the the absence of jesa in the mansion). But the erotic publications of sodomy would fit the profile.
(chapter 37) Back then, he imagined that the man hidden under the green hanbok was the learned sir, but he was mistaken. Both father and son believes to have seen the relative’s sodomy. Besides, the brother mentioned letters and these usually are written on a desk and as such in the library. Yes, this night should trigger the lord’s memory… his brother’s betrayal and abandonment. 
I am still waiting for this picture. Yoon Seungwon had definitely tattled on his brother out of jealousy in the past. Don’t forget this flashbulb. 
(chapter 55) Finally, Heena could serve as a witness, for she did hear their conversation in the annex and saw their intercourse: 
(chapter 96) She would tell the truth… yet it wouldn’t serve her, because she reported it too late. She could be perceived as pathological liar. Besides, she was not supposed to be in the kisaeng house. Moreover, note that all the erotic paintings the painter created vanished. There is no evidence that the artist is the author of the erotic publications of sodomy, as his notebook contains images of nature. 
(chapter 84) Finally, the childhood paintings could be used as an evidence. But what about the book in the library? Both could decide to burn it…
the burned letter
the shrine
(chapter 109) Note that there is no rejection from the lord, just surprise and shock. Besides, in the kisaeng house, the artist’s confession had led the main lead to confess as well. 
(chapter 96) Striking is that he had hidden his gaze from the artist first. As if love was a sin…Hence I am expecting a confession from Yoon Seungho in that very room too, something he has never done before! Why? It is because he was not the owner of his own past. Kim acted, as if he possessed his memories. Finally, the moment the painter divulges this incident to his companion, 
(tweet), the latter can only come to the conclusion that the scholar would have no problem to hurt Baek Na-Kyum and even get revenge on the artist, for he received the favors from the protagonist. Yoon Seungho would no longer feel obliged to respect Heena’s wish, for her words wouldn’t reflect reality. 
(chapter 105) And it was Yoon Seungho’s luck, when the book fell from his sleeve! 
(chapter 27) The goddess Byeonduck is on their side. But the problem is that the readers have the impression that both are followed by misfortune due to their misery. The reality is that they are both victims of manipulations and tricks. That’s their tragedy. But by repeating that the two figures are “birds of misfortune”, the accomplices are trying to deny their own involvement and as such responsibility. The maids are the perfect example. They blame Baek Na-Kyum for his own illness. He eats like a bird and he would hide his illness. 
(chapter 108) To sum up, he was responsible for his own suffering, for he was in denial and the maids could do nothing to help. But the lord can see the truth, when he touches his lover’s butt. 
(chapter 109) He lost weight in such a short time. And their presence by Baek Na-Kyum’s side was supposed to help him. They were responsible for his well-being, but the women never realized it.
(chapter 106) How could he abandon his lover like that? For some readers, he acted like a fool. Nevertheless, his reaction was normal, because the man with the purple hanbok represents the cause for Yoon Seungho’s martyrdom. This means that the ghost with the purple hanbok symbolizes danger for the protagonist. And if he gets targeted, his lover will suffer too. Striking is that during the same day and night, there is another person wearing a purple hanbok: Yoon Seungho! 
(chapter 107) Therefore it is no coincidence that in chapter 107, he was portrayed as a source of danger for the elder master Yoon and the mysterious “lord Song”. 
(chapter 107) According to “lord Song”, him and Yoon Chang-Hyeon were forced to renounce their position because of Yoon Seungho. In this image, the villain implies that the main lead is a blackmailer. 
(chapter 107) In other words, in episode 107, the manhwalovers are witnessing a fight between 2 men wearing a purple hanbok!! In this story, purple is the symbol for violence and peril. This explicates why Byeonduck employed this color, when Yoon Seungho was portrayed as a ruthless lord: 
(chapter 10) Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why the artist was wearing a purple hanbok after the bloodbath. 
(chapter 102) He was the reason for the “purge”. From my perspective, the artist is cleaning the “place”, hence he is the target of the villains and antagonists. At the same time, this color represents Joseon’s royalty, hence it is no coincidence that the king was mentioned in this very episode. 
(chapter 107) Therefore my theory that Baek Na-Kyum is related to the ruler gets reinforced. However, in episode 107, only the main lead and the new villain were seen with the purple hanbok, therefore in this essay, I will examine not only the new character “lord Song”, but also Yoon Seungho!
(chapter 107) They had the impression that he was abandoning the artist one more time. And that’s how the painter felt the situation either! That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum was upset. 
(chapter 107) It was, as if the main lead was acting like the patriarch Yoon. This perception got reinforced, because the lord had a poker face and didn’t talk to his lover. 
(chapter 107) Yoon Seungho didn’t side with the old bearded man in front of the painter. He thanked the man and sent away him with respect. 
(chapter 107) So he gave the impression that he was listening to the painter. However, the reality was that at the end, he still listened to the doctor thinking that it was for the painter’s best interest. Since Baek Na-Kyum was traumatized from the sexual assault, the main lead thought that he was hiding his illness or he was in denial. What caught my attention is that Yoon Seungho followed the doctor leaving the artist in the bedchamber alone. On the one hand, this could be perceived as a prison, yet I judge his gesture as the opposite. It is to protect Baek Na-Kyum! In Yoon Seungho’s mind, behind the closed door, his lover won’t see or hear what is happening in the courtyard. He will be protected from cruel reality. 
(chapter 107) He showed no real empathy for Baek Na-Kyum. It was, as if he was showing Schadenfreude. But this doesn’t end here. Kim brought a different doctor. It is not the same physician who assisted Baek Na-Kyum a month ago!! 
(chapter 107) First, the clothes diverge. The belt is blue, his sleeves are covered with some white protections. 
(chapter 107) 
(chapter 103) Finally, the white hanbok is much longer, and his pants are blue, while the other had white trousers. In my essay 
(chapter 107) How could he say that his health had deteriorated since a month ago? This is how the artist looked like a month ago: 
(chapter 103) 
(chapter 103) He was under the influence of the aphrodisiac, and he could have died of an overdose. 
(chapter 103) His face and his body were covered with bruises. How could the doctor say that his condition had worsened? This means that he had not seen the patient a month ago. To sum up, the doctor was impersonating his fellow. Note that he claimed to have prescribed the drug himself. 
(chapter 106) However, this image displays the betrayal from the physician, for I believe that this represents his view The latter had seen the artist in the restroom, but he had not intervened!! Besides, just because the artist had disgorged once, this doesn’t signify that he had done it all the time for one month. This is how the artist looked like, while he was walking through the street: 
(chapter 104) He looked healthy and happy. The reason for his nervousness was the lord’s actions during that day. Moreover, the painter’s hand had been scratched… yet you see no bandage around his hand.
(Chapter 107) As you can see, the doctor was exaggerating, as he was generalizing the regurgitation! 
(chapter 107) Yoon Seungho was slowly realizing that his butler has not been telling the truth. He was gritting his teeth exposing his discomfort! This gesture indicates that someone has to endure something unpleasant, has to control himself and persevere. However, he was telling the opposite to his master: he had nothing to worry!! He should do nothing and simply lie low. The authorities had no suspicion about him. That’s the reason why the main lead desired to talk to the valet
(chapter 107), and he got angry, for his servant was talking back and not answering him properly. 
(chapter 107) We could say that the latter was not obeying his lord. Striking is that the domestic was also lying, for he feigned ignorance first, before giving a more precise answer. 
(chapter 107) It looks like valet Kim and the physician got away with their tricks, for neither the doctor nor the the butler got admonished in the bedchamber. But what caught my attention is that after hearing the words from his lover, he replied that way: 
(chapter 107) This expression (“I see”) is important, because it could be the indication that the noble could discern the truth with his mind’s eye, like this 
(chapter 107) or the opposite, though I am still optimistic. We will see in the next chapter. 
(chapter 106), but we shouldn’t overlook that later the painter had yelled in order to voice his opinion which had caught his companion by surprise. 
(chapter 57) The father was convinced that his son had been ill for a long time. And from the mysterious “lord Song”, the manhwalovers discovered that the main lead was fed with an aphrodisiac: 
(chapter 107) 
(chapter 57) Therefore the doctor’s statement in episode 57 appears in a different light: he knew what he was prescribing! He knew what Yoon Chang-Hyeon desired thanks to the idiom “the wayward yang energies”. It was to provoke an erection. I would like to expose that the physician deceived the painter, 
(chapter 57) for at the end, the physician admitted that he had given the “solution” to the father. The father had received the medicine!! [For more read the essay “
(chapter 106) He was supposed to get a drink from the physician. So the lord could remember the artist’s words and perceive the doctor as a traitor and liar. He could jump to the conclusion that the man had given his lover a drug. Under this new light, it dawned on me that the artist could have been telling the truth to his lover there: 
(chapter 106) That way, the “doctor” would not be suspected of a crime. Besides, according to me, the couple was actually sitting in the courtyard where the medicine store was!! 
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 65) Furthermore, in season 1, the artist had been forced to drink an aphrodisiac. So far, the main lead has never threatened or suspected a doctor. As you can see, there is a strong connection between the doctor and death! To sum up, we are witnessing the start of the storm… and when the painter was recovering, this represented the calm before the storm!! 
(chapter 107) It is related to the rumors he heard in the street. 
(chapter 106) The woman announced that the sacred tree had burned to the ground!! That’s the reason why it was gone… However, her words were just lies, for the tree is still standing there. 
(chapter 107) But note that she connected the incident to misfortune! In other words, she was denying the intervention of humans!! However, the lord had visited the place of his crime before. 
(chapter 104) This is what he had been told: the intervention of ghosts or spirits!! On the other hand, the unknown speaker had never mentioned the tree! Only the house had burned down. Nonetheless, even this statement was a lie, for the house was still standing too. 
(chapter 106) Since the schemers are mixing a lie with the truth, the lord heard that lord Shin had been killed during that night! However, when the lord had assassinated Black Heart and his friends, the young noble had never met lord Shin! Hence the gossips in town made the lord recognize that something huge is about to happen: a manhunt, and he could get into trouble. Besides, the grapevines are revealing the existence of witnesses and the main lead is aware that the noona is an important « witness ». But the problem is that by mixing each time a lie with a fact, the schemers are not realizing that the truth is coming to the surface, as minus and minus make plus. 
(chapter 50) Here, the butler had tattled on the painter so that the noble would distance himself from his sex partner. And in episode 104, we have a similar situation: through suggestions, the main lead was encouraged to send back the painter to the kisaeng house. Secondly, why would the lord think of the butler, when he saw the sacred tree? 
(chapter 88) During that night, he discovered warmth, loyalty and tenderness! In the darkness, the lord could detect the presence of the light: the painter! During that night, they vowed fidelity to each other. And in the garden next to the shrine, Yoon Seungho made the opposite experience: it was dawning on him that people from his own family, Kim and Yoon Chang-Hyeon, 
(chapter 88) are lying to him and even betraying him, especially if his life is threatened. Let’s not forget that this time, the lord did commit a crime and he is aware of this. In the bedchamber, the lord had criticized his own father, nonetheless he still thought that his father had just made a bad decision.
(Chapter 86) His words implied that the elder master Yoon had never intended to wound him. It was just because of his stupid believes: 
(Chapter 82) Preserving the continuity of the lineage and ensuring that the Yoons remain powerful and wealthy. However, in front of the tree, the lord is slowly recognizing that his father is about to ruin him for his own sake. 
(chapter 107), and abandon his own son. This 
(chapter 62) the main lead chose not to punish his lover
(chapter 63), he even swore that he would never let him go. 
(chapter 63) As the manhwalovers can detect, the main lead was always able not to get swallowed by the darkness, thanks to the artist, he could still see the light. However, his father is making the opposite decision, unaware that he is “doomed” to fail! Karma is already waiting for him. And because the patriarch is now living in the darkness, he can not recognize the manipulations, as he is forced to use others to guide him. 
(chapter 107) the branch on the ground is the evidence that someone set fire to the shaman’s shrine and the tree! Secondly, the black guard deceived the patriarch: 
(chapter 107) Lord Shin was murdered afterwards and not before Black Heart and his friend!! The word “later” is relevant, for it implies that the young yangban was killed close to the place where the nobles Min and his friends were sentenced. But his body is lying elsewhere! 
(chapter 103) This signifies that Yoon Chang-Hyeon is innocent! He never murdered Lord Shin in the woods, for he relied on the assistance of the helping hands. He never visited himself the scene of the crime. 
(chapter 103) At the same time, we can exclude that the black guard was the one killing the young scholar, for his pants are rather brown than grey. 
These two men are different, for their mask is white and not black. Besides, their clothes are black and not brown. Finally, the belt diverges as well: a huge purple strip with a different color in the middle, while the other guard is only wearing a simple ribbon. Thus I am inclined to think that the black guard is not only manipulating Yoon Chang-Hyeon, but he is also in truth working for someone else. Moreover, why would the man cover his face in the room, if he is truly working for the patriarch? 
(chapter 86) And this observation leads me to the following question: when was lord Yoon informed about the protagonist’s crime and lord Shin’s death? 
(chapter 102) From my point of view, it is related to Lee Jihwa. My theory is that the elder Lee can frame the main lead for assassinating his son, because during that night, Black Heart was dressed like Lee Jihwa. They needed the corpses to be decomposed so that father Lee could claim that Yoon Seungho had killed his son!! And the hanbok would serve to identify the corpse. In addition, he would use the incident with the sword as an evidence for his lunacy. 
(Chapter 67) It is important that the red-haired master is not perceived as traitor, rather as a victim. Moreover, since some time passed on, people have already forgotten the friend’s confession in the inn. However, the elder master Lee will never report Yoon Seungho to the authorities, it has to come from the father himself. That way, his involvement will never be detected. From my point of view, the schemers are trying to turn father and son against each other so that the Yoons get destructed. One might reject my theory about the implication of father Lee, but let me ask you this… What are “Lord Song” 
(chapter 107) and Lee Jihwa’s colors?
(chapter 12) Purple and yellow, right? Observe that the lord is wearing the same colors during that night: a purple hanbok with a yellow scarf! 
(chapter 67) Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why I am suspecting that this guard 
(chapter 107) Furthermore, he could be recognized with the purple hanbok. 
(chapter 107) However, if you compare the form of the beard and the nose, the manhwaphiles can quickly recognize that Lee Jihwa saw someone else in the past, although the hanbok seems to have the same pattern than in episode 83. 
(chapter 83) Besides, another divergence is that the faceless lord Song has a rebellious strand in the neck which is not the same with “lord Song” from episode 107. As you can see, I deduce that we are dealing with two different “lord Song”. But this doesn’t end here. Secondly, according to father Lee, the man lost his home! 
(chapter 82) So how can he be wearing a purple hanbok, if he lost his position and home? This color is reserved for important people. In addition, when he entered the kisaeng house, the artist’s noona called him differently: 
(chapter 107) She called him “lord Haseon” and not “lord Song”! Interesting is that neither the Korean nor the Spanish version utilizes such a name! I don’t think that the translator took the liberty to create a fictional name. Hence I am deducing that the author is trying to leave different clues in each version!! Naturally, Haseon could be his first name, yet there is no ambiguity that this man has a bad reputation among the kisaeng house. He was called “lecher” and in the Spanish version, he was described as sexual maniac. 
(chapter 107) Hence I doubt that the noona would feel so close to such a man and address him with his “first name”. On the other hand, the kisaeng has a drop of sweat on her face, which is a sign for a lie and deception.
(Chapter 107) This signifies that « lord Haseon » is true, while « out of the blue » is the lie.
(chapter 86) We also have three men in this scene… For me, it becomes clear that the man facing Yoon Chang-Hyeon has been impersonating the real “lord Song”, and the stupid patriarch has never recognized the “prank”. Now, I am even questioning if Yoon Chang-Hyeon is even able to identify lord Song correctly!! I mean, due to the name and the color of the hanbok… he could be thinking that he is meeting lord Song again. Imagine that they have not seen each other for 10 years!! 
(chapter 107) Besides, Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s vision of the world is based on the words from lord Song and others. Who informed him about the whereabouts of « lord Song » in the gibang? The man had not come to the kisaeng house for a long time. Because of this information, the patriarch is led to think that he is meeting « lord Song ». His perception of the world and his eldest son is embossed by lord Song. Thus he repeats the same expression from his counterpart: “lowly beast”. 
(Chapter 107) 
(chapter 107) Finally, like outlined above, the main lead imagined that he was meeting the same doctor, while in truth it was not the case. So « old friend » could be deceiving:. 
(Chapter 107) He could be one of the three men! The real « lord Song » who brought pain to Yoon Seungho is someone else. Let’s not forget that Kim fears the man, 
(chapter 56) and his statement implies that Yoon Seungho is usually not allowed to ignore the man’s request: 
(Chapter 56). « At this time » stands in opposition to « always » which means that he can reject the invitation only because he is sick. To conclude, for me, this is not the lord Song Yoon Seungho hates and fears! 
(Chapter 107) Moreover, he didn’t visit the kisaeng house for a long time,
(Chapter 107) Hence they judge him as a pervert. And since the head-kisaeng received him at the gate, this signifies that this man has been in contact with the kisaeng house and in particular with the kisaeng leading him to the room.
(chapter 37) The fake servant NEVER mentioned the retirement of lord Song. As you already know, for me, No-Name is the real lord Song who took the blame for everything, for he let people use his “name”. The most terrible thing is that “lord Song” puts the blame on Yoon Chang-Hyeon, when he explains his failure about the sexual education. 
(Chapter 33) Secondly, how does the lord know about the master’s illness, when his fever was only discovered after the straw mat beating?
(Chapter 77) Besides, no physician had been fetched back then. Finally, how can lord Song remember the lord’s condition so well after 10 years? It is because he is using the diagnosis on the painter from the previous doctor: 
(chapter 103) Here, the man with the purple hanbok was utilizing the painter’s illness to hide his own crime. Under the pretense to help « Yoon Seungho » to become a man, the man abused him not only physically, but also sexually. There is no doubt that this reconversion was fake! 
(chapter 107) However, the trick doesn’t work, exactly like No-Name’s prediction: 
(chapter 76) But there is another reason why Yoon Chang-Hyeon doesn’t get fooled a second time. 
(Chapter 77) Thus I come to the following deduction: Yoon Seungho was sentenced to the straw mat beating, because after 2 nights, he had not been able to « have an erection ». They mixed a truth with a lie: 
(chapter 52) And what had Black Heart thought during that night? He had wished to taste the artist, while before he had desired his death. This is not random at all. There is a strong connection between death and sex which is also present in the conversation between lord Song and his « old friend ». The former reproached the elder master Yoon to have protected his son for too long. 
(Chapter 78) 
(chapter 107) Hence I am now assuming that this night is a reflection from chapter 67 and 69!! Min’s plan! 
(chapter 69) He had gone to the kisaeng house with the hope that the artist would return with his noona, and back then he had impersonated Lee Jihwa for the first time. 
(chapter 69) As the manhwalovers can detect, the sudden return of lord Haseon is intentional. So who is he targeting here? 
(chapter 86) 
(chapter 86) He was the keeper of his secret!! This explicates why the fake lord Song mentions « lad » and not the main lead. He gaslighted his counterpart, and created a false reality, while for me, it is clear that the real source of threat is Baek Na-Kyum. And who wanted him to be removed from the main lead’s side? Father Lee! 
(Chapter 82) In fact, both schemers have one goal in common: the couple is the victim and witness of their « crimes ». 
of season 4 for this essay, though my focus is the past, and more precisely Yoon Seungho’s suffering. It is because the darkness surrounding the protagonist not only refers to his tragic youth, but also it reflects the situation of the manhwalovers. The latter are still in the dark concerning his torment. His terrible secrets have not been totally unveiled. So far, the author allowed the readers to see glimpses of his past, like f. ex. the gangrape or the suicide of his mother. But these were just small pieces of the puzzle, thus it is still impossible to have a complete picture of his martyrdom. There are many reasons for this. The main victim never testified about his suffering, he refused to open up to Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 84) Then many witnesses vanished 
(chapter 86) or the ones alive preferred telling lies in order to hide their own wrongdoings or are simply in denial about their own culpability. Finally, the victim, the perpetrators and accomplices had no idea about the whole truth. They only know or knew certain facts, because many of them were deceived as well. What exactly happened to Yoon Seungho? How could this take place, though he belonged to one of the most powerful noble families? Now, you are probably expecting that I will give you answers to all these questions, and recreate the past. But I have to admit that it is not possible, for I don’t know the whole chronology. Consequently, I added “shadowy” in the title. To conclude, my real intention is more to offer new pieces from the riddle than create a whole new “story”. The main source for this new insight is the painter’s fate which is a reflection from the noble’s past and torment. This means that Byeonduck left traces in season 1, 2 and 3! That’s how I discovered that he had been abandoned and betrayed by everyone, kidnapped, treated as a male kisaeng, robbed, abused, raped and even gangraped at least twice, tortured and finally drugged! But like mentioned above, it is difficult to give the proper order and the persons truly involved in the crimes. On the other hand, what I can guarantee is that Yoon Seungho’s nightmare is linked to conspiracies. I came to this conclusion, because if you compare all the seasons, you will detect the presence of plots. There exists at least 3 main plots in each season, though there definitely exist more. The conspiracies are all connected to incidents. 
(chapter 9), so that the latter visited Lee Jihwa to arouse his jealousy. It was to push him to commit a crime so that Baek Na-Kyum would be removed from the main lead’s side. As you can see, there were 3 people involved, though the readers only saw the result. 
(chapter 12) They had the impression that the red-haired master had acted on his own. However, he had been manipulated, incited to commit a crime. But my point is not to diminish his wrongdoing, rather to expose the involvement of the schemers. Hence at the end of season 1, the author unveiled their true role and as such their identities. 
(chapter 43) However, observe that when Lee Jihwa went to the pavilion, the noble with the mole had other guests. 2 nobles left the place, as they refused to participate in a murder. 
(chapter 43) Funny is that they are now witnesses of Min’s crime. This can have repercussions in season 4. Black Heart had been the one who had suggested the assassination to Lee Jihwa. And the aristocrats were still there, when he had made this proposition. 
(chapter 91) and the servants 
(chapter 97). Thus I deduce that in the past, the same must have happened. Many people were involved in the downfall of Yoon Seungho and his family. But who was the real target in the end? It is difficult to say with 100% certainty. 
(chapter 8) Thus in season 2, he came to this resolution: 
(chapter 56) He had planned to rape him before having him eliminated. This shows his inner conflict. From my point of view, the painter’s death is connected to the incident in the gibang. 
(chapter 1) Baek Na-Kyum was a witness of Min’s wrongdoing, just like the painter was a witness and victim of his crimes in the shrine. (chapter 99) One thing is sure: Min was full of greed and jealousy. He was determined to harm and ruin Yoon Seungho. Hence I come to the deduction that the real target of the conspiracy in the past was Yoon Chang-Hyeon. And his son was used against him. 
(chapter 16) This doesn’t look like a crime. However, it is one! It was done on purpose, to separate the couple. Someone had intervened in order to interrupt this session, and as such someone had been spying on them. Deok-Jae only revealed his spying activity from chapter 16 in season 2: 
(chapter 53) Yet, the one opening the door had been Kim. This gesture can be considered as trespassing and invasion of privacy, the new version of this scene. 
(chapter 16) But instead of revealing the truth, the butler sided with Lee Jihwa, and allowed him to trespass the propriety again. In my eyes, the butler thought 
(chapter 17) that Yoon Seungho would come to perceive the painter as a man consumed by lust. He imagined that he would caught them fooling around. As you can see, this ruckus was also a plot, though it doesn’t look like one. Why would the maids gossip in the courtyard? 
(chapter 18) From my point of view, the valet expected that the lord would fear people’s gaze and a scandal. Thus he would send away the painter to protect his “reputation”, but the opposite happened. Under this perspective, the manhwalovers can grasp why it is difficult to calculate accurately the number of plots and accomplices. Besides, some were naïve pawns, others not. And since I examined the first season more closely, it is necessary to analyze the vanishing of Jung In-Hun. His disappearance is strongly intertwined with Yoon Seungho’s secret. How so? The learned sir was determined to find the lord’s vulnerability and as such secret. 
(chapter 29) Thus many concluded that he had participated in the prank, faking his death. On the other hand, the manhwalovers believed to have seen Heena’s death! 
(chapter 99) However, observe that we never saw her corpse. She was still alive in this panel. I had already pointed out that her murder was actually faked. Her mouth was not covered, hence she could have screamed, but she remained silent (blank speech bubble). Secondly, she never moved her legs… contrary to Yoon Seungho’s behavior in the gibang. 
(chapter 68) That’s the reason why I came to the conclusion that 
(chapter 37) who is the king in my eyes. [For more read the essay “
(chapter 86) However, in reality, he was relying on the king’s help and intervention. And this confession to the “fake shaman” represents the learned sir’s karma. He had asked the painter to act like a spy 
(chapter 24), not realizing that he could be spied himself! He didn’t grasp that he exposed his weakness to the commoner: the civil service examination. Thus the man had constantly drops of sweat
on his face and interrogated Jung In-Hun. 
(chapter 29) The girl was there to create a certain closeness. He was acting like Kim, asking why! But the stupid and arrogant learned sir thought that because the man was a commoner, he was ignorant and could be manipulated like the painter! 
(chapter 29) He thought that the low-born would buy his lie here… but in my eyes, it was the opposite. He had already perceived the learned sir’s true nature. But he acted, as if he was agreeing. In other words, the scholar fell into his own trap. He envisioned that the man was “powerless”, but he overlooked his connections. The manhwalovers can see the contradiction, for he had approached the man due to his connections! .As you can see, I am more than ever convinced that the scholar has long been murdered. He was betrayed, exactly like he had planned to abandon Yoon Seungho! The pedophile must have heard from the servant about Jung’s plan, as he had confided it to the worker!! 
(chapter 37) But this doesn’t end here. 
(chapter 37) Yoon Chang-Hyeon was portrayed as a traitor! The “fake servant” implied with his statement that there was a conspiracy, and the patriarch was involved. But in exchange to save his own skin, he had tattled on the others! He was trying to insinuate that if Jung In-Hun interacted more with the Yoons, his reputation could get tainted. He could get suspected of “treason” too, or he could get betrayed too. While the man met the learned sir during the day, the brother went to the villa in a hurry during the night. 
(chapter 36) Hence he chose a different approach: filial duty. And the brother’s observation could only corroborate the pedophile’s perception. The scholar was Yoon Seungho’s lover, but he was also a backstabber. But let’s return our attention to the “mysterious lord Song”‘s statement: Yoon Chang-Hyeon is a denunciator, not a man of honor. 
(Chapter 67) Lee Jihwa had not only been denunciated, but he had been confronted by his friend! And the traitor was right by his side. As you can see, chapter 67 was a reflection from episode 37!! These two episodes have another common denominator: the betrayer had made the following suggestion. 
(chapter 67) In exchange for his “survival”, he should help Black Heart and allow him to act on his behalf. This was the new plan. That’s how he started impersonating Lee Jihwa. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that in the past, the impersonation must have happened, but it took place in the beginning. Secondly, I am assuming that a traitor must have suggested to Yoon Chang-Hyeon to leave the mansion and abandon his son behind! 
(chapter 27) And who is it? For me, it is Kim acting on the pedophile’s behalf. Striking is that in episode 27, the learned sir escaped death thanks to the intervention of the old bearded domestic and Baek Na-Kyum. Thus it came to my mind that the pedophile could even claim that he had eliminated the learned sir, because Yoon Seungho had attempted himself to kill him in the past. He had acted on his behalf. And what do have all these chapters have in common? SPYING and tattling! In episode 27, the servant unveiled a part of the past, 
(chapter 27) Someone had tattled on the Yoons in the past, but the patriarch was turned into the traitor himself which the young main lead came to believe. Thus Yoon Seungho could say this to his father: 
(chapter 82) Note that the aristocrat mentioned “punishment” in this context. So maybe, he denunciated the patriarch so that the whole family would get punished. Father Lee was definitely played in this scene, hence I believe that someone had already anticipated his reactions. He would seek revenge. But this doesn’t end here. I had connected “rash departure” to “treason and spying”. And now, observe what Yoon Seungho said to his butler 
(chapter 50) He had sent Jung In-Hun away in order to get rid of him! However, because of the expression “I thought”, I am quite certain that this idea had been suggested to him by the valet! I would like to underline that in this episode, the valet was acting as a tattler! 
(chapter 50) But in order to hide his own crime, he portrayed it as a rumor (It may not be accurate”). This truly underlines the butler’s MO. He used information and turned it as gossips to hide his spying activities. The shadow… Simultaneously, he turned gossips into a verity!! This is no coincidence that in season 3, the same method was employed. Yoon Seungho was supposed to have murdered the scholar and Deok-Jae! My avid readers can sense the leitmotiv in all these episodes. RUMORS are turned into a reality, and as such a CRIME! Even here… 
(chapter 94) This means that he acted as a traitor, tattling on his own relative. Finally, observe that once confronted with brutal reality, the father did run away. 
(chapter 87) The white bearded man’s words became a reality. However, since the fake servant, the mysterious lord Song, judges the elder master Yoon as a troublemaker and hypocrite, there is no ambiguity that the elder master Yoon will get into trouble. Since he did it in the past, he can only get suspected in the present. 
(chapter 86) But the worst would be that the painter is blamed for his assassination. He did it out of resent! But this would expose the true thoughts of the schemers, the pedophile and Kim. That’s how they act, when they feel offended and bothered. 
(chapter 44) He had given the ruined painting to his father, putting the blame on his brother, well aware that the latter would get angry. He was observing his father’s reaction. 
(chapter 44) Yet, there is a difference to the past. Here, he had been fooled! He truly believed that this was his brother’s doing, whereas in truth the butler had been the one who had fooled him. 
(chapter 38) And this is important, because when the letter was given to the brother, Jung In-Hun witnessed the wrongdoing from the butler!! 
(chapter 38) And now, you know why the learned sir had to die!! He had caught the valet in the act. He had betrayed Yoon Seungho, though he didn’t realize it. The learned sir tried to discover the content of the letter, and as such was prying on his sponsor’s weakness.
(chapter 38) Hence I come to the conclusion that KIM played a huge role in the learned sir’s death as well. I would even say that he was the one who pushed the others to have the scholar and the painter killed. Both knew about the butler’s tricks without realizing his significance. 
(chapter 37) Hence I deduce that as the story progressed, the role of the butler started changing. Now, I see him as a the main plotter, while all the others are now his pawns. We could say that the valet has gradually followed the pedophile’s path. However, there is no ambiguity that it was not the same in the past! 
(chapter 37) An idiom that Yoon Seungho constantly utilized: chapter 16, chapter 21
, chapter 50, chapter 71 
(chapter 71). This means that he couldn’t understand, for he has a different way of thinking. This outlines his narrow-mindedness and his tendency to plan everything. He doesn’t like surprises. 
(chapter 22) Nevertheless, the main lead could have never been involved in commerce, for he lived as a prisoner for many years. And this is what was said about the ruler: 
(chapter 76) He is not so wealthy. How come? Yoon Seungho’s fortune must have a different origin. 
(chapter 102) Min had never predicted that the young master would run to his friend and denunciate him to Yoon Seungho. However, since Black Heart had employed the assistance of servants
(chapter 101) , the kisaengs 
(chapter 95) 
(chapter 98), No-Name, the doctor with the drugs and butler Kim, this signifies that behind the name Lee Jihwa stand many people! As you can see, the name “lord Song” doesn’t refer to one person, but many… My theory is that No-Name is the true owner of the title, but that’s how he ended up losing his home and his name! That’s the reason why I believe that in this image 
(chapter 71) 
chapter 87) and 
episode 92. The schemers in the past had definitely played with illusions and tricks. Thus I am expecting that it is now the pedophile’s turn to get fooled.
(chapter 36) Here, the painter was forced to take an aphrodisiac under the pretense of his health. This action was repeated in season 2 
(chapter 54) and 3. 
(chapter 100) The nobles made him smoke opium or drink the aphrodisiac. The purpose of such drugs is to obtain the painter’s submission and control his mind and reactions. Striking is that each time, the perpetrators were “punished”. Kim was insulted and his plan didn’t work out. 
(chapter 37) As for the young lords, they were evicted like commoners and later the others were even killed. As you can see, each time the poison was employed, there was a retaliation. 
(chapter 47) 
(chapter 47) If the painter had not eaten with the lord, the latter would have never noticed the incident. However, he believed the maids’ words. 
(chapter 47) Hence he never investigated the matter. But this prank represented a serious issue. This could have been judged as an attempt against the owner of the mansion. 
(chapter 47) And now look at this panel: 
(chapter 83) Yoon Seungho had refused to take the drug! The bowl reminded me of the one from chapter 47! Finally, the butler had tried to give his master the drug in season 3 
(chapter 77), but the latter had again rejected it and this twice.
(chapter 77) Kim calls the drug “medicinal tea”, truly an euphemism. It is also possible that the real target of the poisoning was Yoon Seungho, but since he was protected by the gods, someone ended up taking the “drug”. Because he was wearing a purple hanbok, the investigator mistook his identity, a royal member. Hence the Yoons were suspected of treason. Don’t forget that during this party, there was a kisaeng by their side. 
(chapter 44) This was a blessing in disguise. The moment the main lead faces the king, Yoon Seungho will be able perceive the truth. The king was behind his torment, and the butler had been his helping hand all along, the professional spy planted in his family. However, I don’t think that the monarch will admit his crimes and apologize for his wrongdoings. He will need a scapegoat, and this can only be the butler, the only one who knows the truth! 
(chapter 102) The painter had confessed too late, for the schemers were already pulling the strings in the shadow. To conclude, the main leads’ self-deceptions were connected to love and time. The importance of self-manipulation leads me to the next observation. All the antagonists and villains were liars, because they were also deceiving themselves. They refused to admit their own fears and flaws, therefore they chose to commit a wrongdoing and manipulate others in order to hide their true thoughts. This means that not only the crime was covered up with a deception, but also the manipulation was hidden by another lie. This means that the list of their sins increased. Therefore it is not surprising that the gods chose to confront the liars with the verity, as they kept refusing to admit their sins. Now, it is time to focus on the antagonists and villains’ manipulations and the scenes where they were facing the mirror of truth. However, the readers are probably wondering where the mirror of truth is. The answer is simple. The mirrors of truth are not only the two main figures, but also Kim and Min, though they are their negative reflections. Remember that in Snow White, the item led the evil Queen to her doom, for the latter refused to accept reality. At the same time, the mirror of truth was not entirely honest either, for it never explained the definition of “Beauty”. In other words, it lied by “omission”. I realized that I can not examine all the antagonists and villains in one text, as I am so detail-oriented. Consequently, I selected Lee Jihwa and Yoon Chang-Hyeon first, for both characters’ lies are strongly intertwined. 
(chapter 77) However, since he had been caught by the valet, he was facing the butler’s visage. And what did he see in his facial expressions? Shock and horror!! That’s how Lee Jihwa realized the gravity of his sin and chose to blame his friend. Thus I imagine that he must have blushed again and this time out of shame and embarrassment. It is very possible that in that moment, he must have copied the valet’s facial expressions before leaving Yoon Seungho behind and lying to the butler. Why do I think so? It is because the butler had made such an expression in front of the barn, when he had been caught. 
(chapter 64) And what did the main lead say? 
(chapter 64) Since the painter seems to have forgotten it, I deduce that it was the reverse for Lee Jihwa which explains why he felt so guilty in the end. As for the butler, when he had barged in the study, he had committed a wrongdoing himself. He should have asked for the main lead’s permission, but he did not. Consequently, he decided to believe in Lee Jihwa’s deception. One hand washes the other. He was covering up the guest’s sin, while the latter was doing the same thing for the domestic, though I doubt that Lee Jihwa truly realized it. Simultaneously, Kim had the perfect justification to hide the violation of social norms. He had caught the main lead red-handed, hence no one would question his own action. As you already know, I associate the butler to Pilatus, therefore he is connected to the bucket. 
(chapter 13) However, in my eyes, this doesn’t represent the biggest confrontation with the mirror of truth. For me, it is the altercation in episode 17, for it took place in the same place than the aristocrat’s crime. When the red-haired master looked at the picture, he was suspecting that the painter had seduced his friend due to the insinuations by the staff. And his fear reached the peak, when he saw the painter’s reaction: 
(chapter 17) As you can see, in this episode, the gods were recreating the same situation: a servant had witnessed how the two men “were fooling around”
(chapter 16), though this was definitely not the case!! And this is exactly like in the past, Yoon Seungho was totally pure and innocent. And what was Lee Jihwa’s reaction? A slap! 
(chapter 17) This is what Yoon Seungho had experienced in the past. Yoon Chang-Hyeon had definitely abused him. 
(chapter 17) These words were exposing the verity about the past. Lee Jihwa was admitting in front of the painter that his friend would never act like that, and as such he had not attempted to woo him in the past. Striking is that in front of the painter, the red-haired master was misinterpreting the incident. Why? It is because he was influenced by his past experiences. Since he had lied twice, he jumped to the wrong conclusion that it was the same in the present. And back then, he had even achieved to fool Kim. Therefore he couldn’t allow himself to be fooled like the butler. That’s the reason why he couldn’t imagine that someone was innocent. 
(chapter 17) He was a liar in the past, so it must be the same for the painter. Yet, this was the negative reflection from the past. Thus his karma was to get caught by his childhood friend. Striking is that this time, he was put in his friend’s place. He was turning his back to the door. Moreover, due to his anger, he didn’t hear Yoon Seungho’s steps and the opening of the door! 
(chapter 17) But the childhood friend refused to face reality in that moment, and as such to admit his guilt and responsibility. Why? It is because he had committed another crime in the past. This is related to the bedchamber incident. 
(chapter 83) However, here he had been caught by his father, hence I believe that this confrontation represents mainly the elders’ punishment. As for Lee Jihwa, despite the humiliation and abandonment in chapter 18, he refused to give up on his friend. 
(chapter 18) One might say that he was motivated by love, yet I think that it is related to his denial about his sexual orientation. And this coincides with his lack of honesty. He had not confessed his own sins and lies yet. Therefore 
(chapter 36) he presented himself as a pitiful creature, as he was sharing the protagonist’s suffering due to his knowledge. However, this was not empathy, just sympathy. The person only feeling sympathy will always put a distance between himself and the counterpart. There‘s a “I“ and “you“, but no „we“. The person might come to pity the other, yet he won‘t intervene and help. He will just understand and that‘s it.
(chapter 36) This panel is the evidence for this interpretation. Lee Jihwa never used the personal pronoun “we”, even during the abduction. 
(chapter 59) [For more information about sympathy read the essay “Sympathy for the devil”] Hence the gods let him meet the mirror of truth a second time: 
(chapter 43) Based on this panel, Lee Jihwa had more or less barged in the study, but his presence was detected too late! One detail caught my attention in this picture, the presence of the light reflected on the door. Hence I assume that the main lead detected the presence of a witness because of the light!! 
(chapter 43) Let’s not forget that the room was dark, when they were having sex. 
(chapter 42) He was still looking at his lover’s face, when he perceived the change of the light. Hence he turned his head in direction of the light reflected on the door. My friend Luzaly brought my attention to this detail. The couple was turning their back to the door before. 
(chapter 42) The form of the light reflected on the door doesn’t come from behind the gate 
(chapter 97) And now, you comprehend why I came to the deduction that Lee Jihwa had witnessed the love session not from this door, 
(chapter 41) However, in the next episode, Byeonduck showed us a slight change. 
(chapter 42) The door was now close. This means that the butler had intervened at some point. This was the negative reflection from episode 20. 
(chapter 20) This time, the main lead had not requested for more privacy, for he had not detected the presence of his right-hand. And this leads me to the following conclusion. Since this is not the door 
(chapter 43) I am even suspecting that he didn’t view this scene at all, because logically, the light should be coming from the other side!! But on the other side, there is no door!! 
(chapter 49) But there is the window…. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho never investigated the matter with the “door”. It had never been opened in the first place. But how could Lee Jihwa imagine such a scene? 
(chapter 57) However, here it is necessary to remind the readers of my previous character’s examination. I had described Lee Jihwa as trapped in a dark room, because he had lost his auditory and visual sense due to his guilt!! This was the price to pay for his sins. He had imagined to see the friend’s smile and he had lied to the butler. And since in episode 17, his visual senses were triggered (the painting, the painter’s facial expressions), I deduce that in chapter 42/43, this time Lee Jihwa was confronted with the mirror of truth through words. Through the window, he could hear the moaning of the couple, hence he couldn’t see the painter’s sadness. Moreover, this is what the painter said: 
(chapter 42). It sounded like he was indeed seducing the main lead. As for the embrace, he couldn’t hear it, but someone had heard the longing from the painter. 
(chapter 43) The gods were punishing Lee Jihwa for his lie: his friend’s smile!! But I have more evidences for this theory. First, it is important to pay attention to Min’s words, when he manipulated Lee Jihwa. First, he portrayed the painter in a pejorative light with the idiom “indecent life”. 
(chapter 43) Moreover, the noble employed the personal pronoun “we”, which is not typical for the selfish and hypocrite villain. This means that he was repeating Kim’s words. Then he added how the couple would have sex in the barn 
(chapter 43) (“vulgar roll in the hay”), but this was not true. However, this is what had happened in the past with Lee Jihwa. The latter would have sex with his childhood friend in the storage room. This explicates why Lee Jihwa came to believe in Black Heart’s words and manipulations. With such a description, he was reminded of his own past!! Therefore it is not surprising that Lee Jihwa had such a vision. 
(chapter 43) Moreover, since this night was a reflection of the first Wedding night, this means that the author left a clue there. And now, look at this… 
(chapter 21) The windows!! As you can see, the door is not the only place to spy or interrupt intimacy. Secondly, we should have reflections of the spying through the window in season 2. 
(
Chapter 49) In this episode, the light in the study had suddenly vanished, and this is what we had before: 
(Chapter 70) I had already suspected back then, that someone was listening to their conversation, and with this new discovery, Lee Jihwa hearing the love session from the window, this interpretation gets reinforced. Furthermore, in chapter 96, the main lead had explained the opening of the door with this: 
(chapter 96). This signifies that in the past, the lord had explained the sudden opening of a window and the vanishing of the candle light with the wind during the night of chapter 49.
(chapter 36) The reality is that he couldn’t cut ties with his friend. He had lied in the past, therefore he got manipulated in the present. And since he was confronted with his auditory and visual senses in season 1, he was put in a similar situation in season 2. However, there was a slight change, now the red-haired master was confronted with a real crime: murder!! 
The darkness of the room and the silence from Yoon Seungho and the painter were referring to the master’s loss of senses and his guilt. Deep down, the young master knew that the assassination was not right. And note that the aristocrat had this nightmare in his own bedroom confirming that the room is the symbol for the subconscious. Finally, in season 3, Lee Jihwa got confronted with another uncomfortable truth: his friend’s sexual abuse. Lee Jihwa had acted, as if this stolen kiss was nothing. However, due to his silence, he let his friend get raped. And he knew about this, but he chose to close an eye to this. First, Lee Jihwa refused to share his friend with the painter 
(chapter 5) Therefore it is no coincidence that in the shaman’s house, he was put in the same position than Yoon Seungho. He couldn’t select his partner
(chapter 100), he had to rape Baek Na-Kyum. This is no coincidence that the Joker was standing in front of the door. He was pushing the young man to face his repressed memories and lies. That’s the reason why exactly like in the pavilion (chapter 43), Black Heart coerced the antagonist. He used words to manipulate the second lead, but there is a huge difference. The shaman’s house was representing the young noble’s unconscious and as such his true personality, while it was not the case in the pavilion. The room in chapter 43 was more embodying the Joker’s unconscious. Why? It is because Lee Jihwa was speaking the truth in that scene. 
(chapter 43) He reproached Black Heart to have deceived him. On the other hand, the scene in the shaman’s house corroborates my interpretation that Lee Jihwa had not seen the embrace from chapter 42, for Black Heart was voicing the butler’s thoughts and emotions. 
(chapter 100) This shows that during the night of chapter 42/43, the valet had intervened. Thus Min was acting, as if he was a victim in the recent past. He had been deceived by Lee Jihwa’s lies by omission or commission. This is what had happened in the past. Besides, I realized that when the man confessed the incident in the bedchamber
(chapter 83), Min couldn’t see the whole story. He had to rely on the second lead’s words. Just because we could observe the whole scene, this doesn’t mean that this was the case for the character. It is very likely that Lee Jihwa left details out, especially as he portrayed himself as a victim. Due to the narration, Min could have been misled. He could have envisioned that the childhood friend was living in the study and had dragged his friend to the bedchamber. Hence you comprehend why I consider it as another evidence that Lee Jihwa didn’t view the love session in the study from chapter 42 with his own eyes. He had to rely on his ears and naturally Kim played a role before Black Heart’s intervention. The servant hoped that Lee Jihwa would decide to do something…. in other words, he had been gradually manipulated by Kim and Min to hire an assassin. That way, he could be blamed for the murder of the scholar. He would become guilty by association. And the one pulling the strings behind the scene can only be the mysterious lord Song, for he can no longer interfere directly, though I am certain that he was not aware of the butler’s own meddling. Why? It is because in the past, Kim had never become proactive like that. Moreover, I think that even in the past, the man was not omniscient and omnipotent either. He over-estimated his own abilities, and didn’t recognize that he had been fooled himself either. 
(chapter 100) This is no coincidence, for the sexual abuse is the reason why Yoon Seungho’s heart and soul got destroyed. This had the same effect than killing someone, especially if the person is so innocent and pure. Because he recognized the truth, he had the courage to abandon and betray Black Heart. That’s how he could redeem himself in the end. 
(chapter 100) At the same time, this is not surprising that Lee Jihwa met his friend and admitted his wrongdoing. For the first time, he didn’t remain silent and chose to intervene!! I also believe that during that night, he apologized to the protagonist before vanishing. In other words, Lee Jihwa had to face 4 different mirrors of truth, until he was able to admit the verity. He was responsible for Yoon Seungho’s suffering. He had lied, therefore he got deceived, until he had no other choice to confess his guilt and sins. 
(chapter 77) He would do anything to cure Yoon Seungho implying that he wouldn’t mind spending money for the main lead’s treatment. However, the truth was that he refused to send for the physician, when the young boy was sick after the straw mat beating. 
(chapter 77) That’s how I realized that the elder master was connected to this patio in front of the building. Thus Byeonduck showed us him in this place in the gibang 
(chapter 87) Finally, there exists the flashbulb from Yoon Seungho’s memory: 
(chapter 57) It was, as if the elder master had nothing to hide, for the domestic and the butler could hear him. However, the latter got deceived. There is no ambiguity that the valet and the young master trusted him. On the other hand, the valet was the one who introduced him to the physician, like we could see here. 
(chapter 57) But what does it mean? First, it shows that Yoon Chang-Hyeon was never seen in the bedchamber!! In other words, his power was fake. This interpretation gets validated, when I use the confrontation between Heena and Yoon Seungho. 
(chapter 65) In that very same place, the protagonist had been insulted and could do nothing, for neither Kim nor his staff intervened. And this perception reinforces my perception that the patriarch has always been delusional and arrogant, over-estimating his own power. Moreover, the lord was not honest either. 
(chapter 65) This shows that the patio is connected to violence, hypocrisy, deceptions and offenses. 
(chapter 7) Then in the study, Yoon Seungho confessed that his father had been dismissed from his post which contradicts the previous statement. 
(chapter 80) But how did Yoon Chang-Hyeon obtain his office then? Then the expression “follow in his footsteps” caught my attention. That’s how I realized that the elder master never passed the civil service examination!! In truth, he failed terribly. How can I be so sure about this? First, the civil service examination consists of different tests. Secondly the idiom from Yoon Seungho indicates an gradual rise in the grandfather’s career which is not reflected in the lord’s confession to the messenger. Finally, in front of the mirror of truth, the father voiced the following wish: 
(chapter 86) This means that he was using his own sons for his own career, though he claims that he is doing for the Yoons’ notoriety. In other words, the patriarch’s position was obtained through sexual favors. But since the king was the sponsor, there is no ambiguity that at some point, the elder master must have started dreaming even bigger, similar to the scholar: 
(chapter 18) Hence I have the impression that he must have acted, as if he was the king’s relative. Hence he asked to be called by a certain title. This could only infuriate the mysterious lord Song, for the latter was hiding his sodomy and debauchery behind closed doors. No one was supposed to make a connection between him and the Yoons. However, I don’t think that the elder master Yoon had planned everything from the start. He had definitely been misguided, for in season 1 and 3, we could see that he was believing blindly what people would say to him. He never doubted his son’s words, when the latter said that Yoon Seungho had given him such a paper. 
(chapter 53) But Yoon Chang-Hyeon refused to admit it, it went so far that he was denying his relationship with Yoon Seungho. He was just an animal. 
(chapter 83) The reason why I am connecting it to episode 53 is because of The Joker’s smile which reminded me of lord Song’s evil smirk. 
(chapter 87) He was paying the price for his lies about the cure. Furthermore, the manhwaphiles will realize that he is no longer seen in the patio. 
(chapter 86) But when he arrived in the study, this is what he saw. This picture revealed his greed and ambition 
(chapter 86), but he would never admit it. This is no coincidence that the open door is reflected with the shadow. He claimed to contribute to the lineage of the Yoons, but like mentioned above, he was only thinking about himself. This scene shows that he was eyeing for the throne, and this must have happened in the past too. That’s the reason why I believe that he did sell his son to a pedophile for his own greed and ambition, but he never admitted it. He used the family and traditions to hide his ruthlessness and selfishness. When the father was on the verge of leaving the study, he expressed his regret that he shouldn’t have saved his son. 
(chapter 87) This was another self-deception. Without the main lead, the latter would have lost everything. Note that he is living comfortably in the house in Hanyang. So if the young master were to disappear, I doubt that the mysterious lord Song will allow the father to take over the mansion. His regret implied that he shouldn’t have sent for a doctor. This is important, because this signifies that he will be punished the same way, it will be even worse. No one will be by his side to protect him and to save him… no one will request for the physician’s assistance. Similar to the broken promise in the patio: 
(chapter 77) Moreover, the father acted, as if he was decent and righteous 
(chapter 87), while Yoon Seungho was compared to a monster! 
(chapter 86) The outcome of his lie can only be that he will be perceived by people as a monster, as an immoral father who had no conscience at all. How do I come to this conclusion? First, the painter could see right through the father’s gaze. 
(chapter 87) He was a cruel and resentful father. Moreover, the lord’s words always become a reality. Hence the father can only be condemned as the licentious and depraved degenerate. 
(chapter 87) This shows that deep down, the man was not truly against sodomy and prostitution. The father resented the son, for he could only achieve “glory” through debauchery and sodomy. I believe that the elder master Yoon was thinking like this: “no matter what” the Yoons’ power and notoriety must increase. In the bedchamber, the man exposed his true personality, while in the patio he was just the fake image of a powerful, decent and righteous man. This explicates why it took the teenager so long to realize the father’s betrayal. 
(chapter 82) He was just an empty shell, his knowledge, experiences and possessions were just an illusion.
(chapter 89) The lord’s back is covered with marks. Yet, he was not brown-nosing here at all, for he was rejecting the lord’s advances. And now, it is time to take a closer look to season 1. 
(chapter 23) Baek Na-Kyum was seen holding an apple, here it looked like he was indeed polishing the fruit before eating it. Striking is that during that scene, valet Kim was interrogating him. He was acting, as if he was interested in him. It was, as if he was buttering up to Baek Na-Kyum. The purpose was to gain the artist’s trust so that at the end, he would listen to his advices.
(chapter 23) However, the reality was that the valet was actually digging for information, spying on the main lead, so that he could create a new incident. As you can see, there were two apple-polishers in that scene, the painter and the butler. This was the reflection within the same episode. While Baek Na-Kyum was literally polishing the apple, the other was just cajoling Baek Na-Kyum in a figurative way. Yet, the former was not truly sweet-talking to the artist. He gave the impression that he was totally honest. And now, it is important to recall what happened to the painter in the next chapter. Jung In-Hun was kissing the painter’s hands.
(chapter 24). He was flattering the painter with the hope that Baek Na-Kyum would spy on his account. But the scholar couldn’t succeed with his request. Why? It is because he only kissed the artist’s hands. He never licked his boot or his ass. We could even say that he did scratch his back, but in the wrong way: 
(chapter 24) In other words, he could never lower himself in front of the low-born. This was too much, explaining why the scholar failed with his request. 
(chapter 27) In exchange for saving Jung In-Hun’s life, Baek Na-Kyum was forced to do a fellatio. We could say that the artist was sucking up to the owner of the mansion. But the fellatio is not just an exchange of favors. It is also associated to forgiveness. At the tailor’s shop, the painter had blushed because of Yoon Seungho, The latter had embarrassed him. Thus the lord made the following suggestion:
(Chapter 39) This was his way to apologize, though here he was teasing his lover. These were the principles he had been taught, therefore it is not surprising that he applied them for the painter. And now, you comprehend why in episode 71, Yoon Seungho sucked the painter’s phallus in the bathroom, he was also currying the artist’s favors. His goal was not to be pushed away, to be accepted.
(chapter 71) He had wronged the painter so many times, that the blow-job was not enough. Thus he licked his ass in the bedchamber. He was hoping to seek his forgiveness. 
(chapter 71) It was, as if he was lowering his head, the kowtower. In this episode, the lord was on his knees in front of the painter, and this twice. One in the bathroom 
(chapter 71) and the other time in the bedchamber. 
(chapter 71) However, his nose didn’t get brown, as the painter is a pure and innocent person. 😉 That’s how I realized why Baek Na-Kyum was sent to the bathroom. His role was to divert Yoon Seungho’s attention from Kim so that the master would forget to ask for the butler’s punishment. In other words, the valet used the low-born to seek his master’s favors. This shows that Yoon Seungho had been taught that the blow-job and the ass-kissing are the means to obtain forgiveness. 
(chapter 73) He was licking the painter’s foot so that he could keep thrusting. Don’t forget that during the whole night, he behaved like a servant… the one who was “sucking up to Baek Na-Kyum”. 
(chapter 72) On the other hand, the latter scratched the lord’s back for the first time during that night. 
(chapter 72) This was the reflection within the same episode, yet the “back-scratcher” was not doing it for his personal gain at all. We couldn’t say that he was currying favor or buttering up Yoon Seungho. He believed that he was just a servant and nothing more. From the outsider’s perspective, he was treated indeed like a favored servant, though in truth Yoon Seungho viewed him more like his new master and lord.
(chapter 45) In this scene, the lord was acting like a teacher, and the painter was supposed to do a blow-job in exchange for a favor. But since the painter was heartbroken, he was doing it absent-mindedly. Thus the roles got switched. After the noble licked the painter’s ass, 
and masturbated him anal, the painter was able to confess his pleasure: 
(chapter 45) This shows that the lord was slowly “currying favors” to Baek Na-Kyum. And this is no coincidence that Kim brought the ink and brushes to the mansion. 
(chapter 45) Once again, he was acting, as if he was buttering up to Baek Na-Kyum and indirectly to the host. But the reality was that everything was done for Kim’s interest…. On the other hand, we could say that Yoon Seungho was not really different from his surrogate father, for in that scene, Yoon Seungho was more thinking about himself than the painter’s. Yet, there is a slight nuance, the lord was sensing that the painter was not himself. He was talking to him, so licking the painter’s ass was not just done in order to obtain the painter’s support. His true goal was to be noticed and looked by the painter. He desired to have a true exchange of thoughts. Interesting is that by licking briefly the painter’s ass, he indeed succeeded, Baek Na-Kyum started thinking about him afterwards. The irony is that Yoon Seungho was just applying what he had been taught. That’s how I discovered the other reason why the main lead is not suspecting the butler of treason. Contrary to Yoon Chang-Hyeon or the pedophile, Kim was never seen asking Yoon Seungho for sexual favors: no fellatio or no ass-kissing. But this is just a deception, for we could clearly see that the butler is connected to the sex parties: 
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 52) He was the one who separated the couple. Because of his intervention, the painter deserted the mansion and got sick afterwards. Then in chapter 50, he revealed the argument between Baek Na-Kyum and Jung In-Hun. Striking is that in that scene, he was standing on the lord’s left side!! 
(chapter 50) In fact, he should have “buttered up” his master and not pitied the painter. And now, you comprehend why the main lead misinterpreted Kim’s behavior. In his mind, the valet was actually “apple-polishing” to the painter. He had somehow “witnessed” it in the woods. But he had misjudged the situation, in reality he had caught Kim spying. 
(chapter 23) Unfortunately, the lord was not perceptive at all.
(chapter 80) He enjoyed seeing the painter’s facial expressions and reaction. He looked so shy and pure. 
(chapter 80) However, during that night, three people were trying to bootlick someone figuratively speaking: the new version of Deok-Jae, Kim and the messenger. Let’s not forget that before the arrival of the messenger, the painter made the following request to the butler: 
(chapter 79) One might say that he was currying favor to the butler, when he asked the butler about the music box. But what did Kim do? He brought the item to the bedchamber. 
(chapter 79) But this is not what the painter had actually requested, since the butler said this “I thought”. He had taken the initiative on his own. In my opinion, the painter had just asked that the music box should be brought back to the study. However, Kim brought the expensive present to the bedchamber for one reason. He expected the arrival of the messenger. We could say that he was “ass-kissing” the painter in order to obtain his trust. Kim definitely imagined that Yoon Seungho was sleeping. As you can see, this scene was the reflection of Yoon Seungho’s action in chapter 80. 
(chapter 80) While Kim had asked the painter’s to clean his face himself, the lord was cleaning the painter’s ass himself. Or we could say that he was polishing the painter’s apples, for he has an apple-shaped buttock. 😂 This clearly indicates that Kim has never washed Yoon Seungho himself. In other words, while Yoon Seungho was totally selfless here, this was not the case for the valet. And this is no coincidence that right after, the new version of Deok-Jae appeared in front of the door calling his master. He was faking loyalty and dedication. 
(chapter 80) Here, he was acting, as if he was sucking up to Yoon Seungho, but his gaze betrayed him. In my opinion, he had been deceived by the butler, for the latter expected that the painter would open the door. This situation was reflected within the same chapter. Notice what the messenger said to the young master in the study: 
(chapter 80) He was implying that his father had to bootlick an official in order to hide the incident. And how did the lord react to this? He not only asked the servant to do him a fellatio, but also made an allusion to the sexual favor: 
(chapter 80) He gave an order to the main lead, he threatened him. But actually, he was just a servant. He was not treating Yoon Seungho correctly. Interesting is that he showed more courtesy and respect to lord Lee than Yoon Seungho. 
(chapter 82) It was, as if the man was hoping to obtain father Lee’s support either. Another interesting aspect is that when the butler approached the wounded emissary, the former was definitely brown-nosing. 
(chapter 82), until he heard that the scholar Lee had approached father Yoon. On the other hand, his introduction didn’t fool the courier, for he was aware of Kim’s meddling. 
(chapter 82) In my opinion, Yoon Chang-Hyeon had followed the butler’s suggestion. Since the painter would always sleep in the study alone, he envisioned that the messenger would suggest to the artist to meet Heena. The man could fake that he had been sent by his noona. He was dressed up for that reason!! Observe that the color of the hanbok is similar to this one: 
(chapter 94) Thus I had this sudden idea. What if the messenger was receiving his karma for beating the painter in the past? Remember how I had deducted that these two men could have been disguised as nobles!! And this new perception would fit my interpretation. But let’s return to our main topic. The courier refused the obsequious and submissive remarks from the butler. He was no fool, for he knew that because of his “plan”, he had become the biggest victim of Yoon Seungho’s wrath. This explicates why the author never revealed the father’s words, because the manhwaphiles would have discovered the valet’s plan and as such betrayal 
(chapter 82) This means that if father Lee or Yoon Chang-Hyeon are cornered, they could be forced to “ass-kiss” the king. 
Baek Na-Kyum is now imitating his lover. He is also licking the lord’s boot/foot. However, contrary to the signification, he is actually making love to his companion. This has nothing to do with selfishness and hypocrisy. We could even say that at the end of season 3, Yoon Seungho had become the teacher’s pet, the yes-man towards Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 92) He could never refuse his lover’s requests. Thus in the gibang, he encouraged the painter to stay in the gibang. 
(chapter 93) It was, as if he was seeking the kisaengs’ support. Thus he chose leniency towards these women, though the latter had insulted him. At the same time, he was not hoping to receive any flattery from the noonas. He was the one “sitting on the painter’s right side”. 
(chapter 93) To conclude, the lord had been “tamed”, he was apple-polishing Baek Na-Kyum, but not in a negative way. It is the positive reflection of Kim who will act behind people’s back, and definitely use sex for his own advantage. We have the perfect example with the 2 sex marathons. He always let the painter suffer in order to cover up his own wrongdoings. But by allowing the main lead to act this way indicates that he was not helping Yoon Seungho. What people thought as assistance was in truth “brown-nosing”.
(Chapter 95) In his eyes, the lord didn’t need it, for he was already aroused. Remember in the beginning of the story, Lee Jihwa had to prepare his lover 
(Chapter 3) Secondly, the painter was in the position not to ask for favors, to suck up to Yoon Seungho. In their relationship, the low-born had the upper hand. Finally, Baek Na-Kyum had done nothing wrong before, so he didn’t have to beg for the main lead’s forgiveness. That’s the reason why the lord was actually rejecting the blow-job!! 
(Chapter 95) It is the expression of affection and love. 
(chapter 101) The painter had to do a fellatio to lord Jang in exchange for protection. 
(chapter 101) The artist was not acting like the teacher’s pet, 
(chapter 101), hence he needed to receive some lesson. In their eyes, Baek Na-Kyum should have licked their boot, sucked up to them… due to their power and social status. Therefore, it is not astonishing that at the end, they were executed. Why? It is because Min and the others could never “curry Yoon Seungho’s favor”. 
(chapter 102) Without the painter, the lord had no reason to continue living. Baek Na-Kyum was his source of joy and of strength. Without him, he was powerless. And this leads me to the following observation. Since we have a situation of brown-nosing concerning Black Heart in the shaman’s house, this signifies that we should have a reflection earlier in season 3. And now look at this: 
(chapter 92) In that scene, Min was indeed “flattering” his ex-sexual partner, while he was rather dismissing the painter. 
(chapter 92) He was also indirectly currying the lord’s favor. This was the reflection of the night in episode 52 either. However, contrary to season 2, Yoon Seungho had the upper-hand, as the painter had already sided with him. But one might say that this perception of “apple-polishing and buttering up” stands in opposition to my previous statement: sex is like a battle, a fight where there is only one winner. But that one doesn’t exclude the other, since Min had also tried to eliminate Baek Na-Kyum before changing his mind. This truly shows that we had two different philosophies, yet both were evolving around sex. This truly outlines that someone was “consumed by lust” in the end. 
(chapter 86) Since the lord could see through Jung In-hun’s true personality, I believe that it is the painter’s duty to grasp the valet’s treason. In my opinion, since he caught Kim having sex with the maid, it is only a matter of time, until he realizes his true personality. In chapter 77, valet Kim had thought that he could rekindle with the owner of the mansion, hence he brought him tea and the medicine. He envisioned that if he acted like a loyal and dedicated servant, he could regain Yoon Seungho’s support. 
(chapter 77) In other words, he was buttering up to the young master. But observe that in that scene, he never lowered himself in front of the young man. He didn’t go on his knees or he didn’t bow to him either. This attitude exposes the valet’s true personality. He considers himself better than Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum, refusing to admit any crime or mistake. In that scene, he never said YES! In fact, he kept contradicting his master. 
(chapter 77) Under this new light, the avid readers can understand why he contacted the patriarch in the end. He knew that Yoon Chang-Hyeon would listen to him, for he had been brown-nosing him for years. And the color brown of his shirt is no coincidence. Observe that when the father visited the mansion, he was wearing brown and red… 
(chapter 86) He envisioned that his elder son would return him the seat and as such he would become the owner of the family mansion again. Why? It is because of the main lead’s words in the library. His so-called respect towards the father was just fake. That’s the reason why the father imagined that he just needed to show up and he would get the mansion back. However, in reality, he should have sought his son’s support, and as such kiss his ass in order to achieve his goal. But the man has never done it himself. He has always been used to being fawned and ass-kissed that it is not surprising that he barged in the mansion. And this is the same for Yoon Seung-Won. The latter might have sent letters in order to obtain his brother’s support, but we can’t say that he was sucking up to Yoon Seungho. Thus it is no coincidence that at the end, the latter advised his brother to follow the father’s principles. 
(chapter 37) Here, he was implying that Yoon Seung-Won should do fellatios and other things in exchange for favors. 
(chapter 40) Moreover, according to me, she used the young master Seungho and her brother to avoid sex. Furthermore, I would like to point out that when the kisaeng argued with her brother, this is what she said to her brother: 
(chapter 97) Here, she was referring to favors. Yet, shortly after she proposed this to her brother: 
(chapter 97) It is clear that the agreement was not selfless. No nobleman would spend money and energy for nothing. The noona was hiding the content of the deal to her brother, the negative reflection from season 1. And now, you comprehend why I am sensing that since her deal was to sell her brother in exchange of favors, her karma should be that she has no other mean than to sell herself in order to survive, as she is now on her own. And if this truly happen, this can only reinforce her resent and hatred towards the couple. But we will see, if Heena is the one “sucking up” in season 4.
(chapter 73). But keep in mind, this is related to the painter’s education. He had been raised not only to hide his homosexuality, but also to reject sexuality as such. Naturally, in reality a no means no and nothing else. 
(chapter 1), and he was no longer living with his single mother and brother Lee Hansoo. He described himself as a small but confident delinquent, as he used to work for a loan shark in order to earn money very easily. 
(chapter 1) And one day, his brother Lee Hansoo met him in order to ask him for money. Their mother was sick and they needed to pay the hospital bills. Lee Yohan agreed to help, thus under pressure, he chose to threaten a debtor’s son. Observe that the main lead chose to use a knife and take the child as hostage. He was walking on a thin line between legality and crime. As you can see, Lee Yohan was no saint. But it didn’t matter to him so far, for he had no faith at all. He refused to believe in karma. 
(chapter 1) He was definitely a disillusioned teenager, therefore he was not thinking about the future. However, the fact that he became totally reckless during that day indicates that he still valued his family. He might not have been close to them, but he still cared for them. That’s the reason why he agreed to accept the brother’s request. We can sense his worry here. 
(chapter 1) However, since he had given up on his dreams and had no hope, Yohan didn’t take the threat seriously, until he was confronted with reality. 
(chapter 1) The same man killed his brother Lee Hansoo in front of the main character. The man had acted like that, for he had lost everything: his home and as such his family. I would add that he had failed to protect his son. Out of despair and anger, he decided to retaliate, to make the young man suffer, like he had been hurt before. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The assassination was like a wake-up call for Lee Yohan. From that moment on, he turned a new leaf. 
(chapter 1)Why? He considered himself as the murderer of his own brother. 
(chapter 2) In his eyes, it was, as if he had killed himself the brother and his own mother! 
(chapter 27) He recognized that his actions had been the trigger for the debtor’s crime! At no moment in the manhwa, the main lead blamed the real culprit, not even his own mother who had given up on him. He admitted that in the end, it had always been his own choice to live like a thug! Striking is that he considers himself as responsible for his mother’s death, as because of his terrible way of life, he had caused her worries. As you can see, Lee Yoohan could not be considered as guilty for his relatives’ death, but he had definitely his share of responsibility in his family’s suffering. 
(chapter 27) No, he didn’t cry, hence the owner of the club wept for him. 
(chapter 27) He could sense Lee Yohan’s agony. He had lost his family at such a young age, he might have been a sinner, but anyone could sense his affection and conscience! He might have lived like a thug, but he was not a bad person per se. It is just that he had made wrong choices, just like the man who had stabbed his brother. In the main lead’s eyes, it was not karma, like the culprit said: 
(chapter 15) Thus he rejected the advances from Yoon Jae. In chapter 15, we could sense that the main character was preoccupied about the existence of god. Was there a divine punishment or not? 
(chapter 15) And Yoon Jae denied such a thing, but added then: 
(chapter 15) But is it not the same? Yes and no… For Yoon Jay, if someone acts badly towards another person, the former will be treated the same way. On the other hand, each kindness will be returned. But one might argue that the gods can interact through humans and use them as pawns to give people their karma. And this is what we are discovering in Payback. Lee Yohan helped Yoon Jae and even showed him a crying man. The famous director Yoon got moved by the main lead’s tears 
(chapter 15) proving that not all humans were cold and distant. They could express regret and admit their mistake. For the first time, Yoon Jae discovered warmth and sensitivity. 
(chapter 1) The most terrible thing is that the actor had been helped constantly by the protagonist. Since the former had a dream of becoming an actor, the “thug” was generous to help him financially and emotionally. The assassination worked for Song Myungshin, for he had planned to steal the money from Lee Yohan. 
(chapter 1) That’s the reason why he didn’t even call the police. The murder would divert the main lead’s attention from the theft. When Lee Yohan heard this confession, he got upset for two reasons. Song Myungshin showed no remorse and a total indifference towards Lee Hansoo and the main lead. 
(chapter 1) But most importantly, he never suffered any karma. In fact, he could benefit from his sins and crimes. This could only reinforce his impression that there was no god out there giving punishment to the sinners. The actor took pride of his bad action, as he decided to take Song Yohan as his stage name! Yohan was a reminder that thanks to him, he could enter the entertainment scene. As a conclusion, karma hasn’t punished the actor Song Myungshin yet. Therefore Lee Yohan was determined to take his revenge. What he didn’t realize is that his first encounter with the other main lead would help him to achieve his goal: to give “punishment” to Song Myunshin. So he didn’t know yet that the gods were aware of this injustice, thus they let him meet the famous director Yoon Jay. 
(chapter 15) On the other hand, the existence of Lee Yohan gave the director hope, he could smile again and as such find happiness. The rabbit announced the return of innocence in Yoon Jae’s life. In other words, the two main leads were quite similar in their disposition: both had been wounded by their past, and had no hope. And thanks to the famous and powerful director Yoon Jay, the main lead is slowly starting living again. Little by little, he is interacting with people again, helping others, though he never does it openly. The best example is the actor Lee Hansoo who has the same name than his own brother. 
(chapter 6) In this scene, he refused to be addressed as hyung, as in his eyes, he didn’t deserve such a title. He had not acted like a hyung to his true little brother. 
(chapter 14) I couldn’t myself thinking of the antagonist Lee Jihwa, for he was put in a similar situation.
(chapter 101) Indirectly, he was claiming his innocence. Thus the servant suggested to the young master to go to the police bureau in order to clear his name, but the young master refused to do so. Why? The problem is that Lee Jihwa couldn’t prove his innocence. And deep down, the childhood friend knew this. How could he prove that he was not involved in the scheme, when Min visited him 
(chapter 76) He could no longer back out. He couldn’t put the whole blame on the Joker, because this means that he would have to admit his own complicity. Yes, Lee Jihwa was trapped. He could sense that he had been framed by Black Heart, but the former couldn’t claim his innocence because of his knowledge! That’s how I realize why the young man was punished this way. Remember how he had blamed his childhood friend for his misery, and had used his knowledge as a proof for his reproach! 
(chapter 57) 
(chapter 99) But what did he do? Nothing. Secondly, he witnessed how the kisaeng was dragged away to get killed, though it was staged. Here again, he did nothing. 
(chapter 99) I would even say that he even faked ignorance, because he was lying. The drop of sweat is the clue for this interpretation, besides Min contradicted his testimony in the shaman’s house later. 
(chapter 100) He turned his back on Baek Na-Kyum. But that means that he abandoned the artist once more time. In three occasions, he was well aware what was happening and he could have intervened. Yet, he let it happen. Besides, he handed over the drugs and dildo to Min. As you can see, he was never an innocent person, but not just a sinner. He was an accomplice. And he knew this, thus he couldn’t go to the bureau of investigation. Min was well aware of this. 
(chapter 101) Naturally, his crime was nothing compared to Min’s. 
(chapter 101) He didn’t see why he should die, when in his eyes, he had done nothing! And the antagonist’s prophecy became a reality. 
(chapter 50) By fleeing, he didn’t stop his friend from committing a murder. Thus he is responsible for their deaths. And he knew that Min and the other nobles would die. 
(chapter 101) He chose to save his own skin instead of saving their life, though here he was more fearing the king‘s reaction. During the same night, Lee Jihwa got tested 4 times, and each time, he refused to help. That’s the reason why the gods chose to punish him by making lose his title and name. He will become the culprit of a mass murder, he killed Black Heart and the other two nobles. And this would reflect the truth, for the red-haired master didn’t intervene. He could have acted like Baek Na-Kyum 
(chapter 53) and even follow his friend. And this distinguishes him from Lee Yohan so much. The latter recognized that each decision he made had consequences. And note that the idiom “choice” was connected to silence and assistance. 
(chapter 50) It was, as if he had murdered the nobles himself. The gods were teaching him a lesson: Knowledge and passivity are crimes. In other words, Lee Jihwa became a sinner and a criminal because of this night. And this because he refused to face reality. 
(chapter 83) But was he really ignorant here? I came to a different interpretation recently. How? First, why does the second lead have a drop of sweat in the last picture? This is an indication for a lie. But there exist stronger proofs. Don’t forget the following rules: there’s always a reflection within the same chapter, and each chapter is reflected in the next. In the antagonist’s memory, Lee Jihwa was portrayed as someone who would disobey his father! 
(chapter 83) He would trespass the house of the Yoons and enter the shed, even the lord’s bedchamber! 
(chapter 83) As you can see, Lee Jihwa was acting as a rebellious son in the past. He was not respecting social norms and the elders. This signifies that we have the exact opposite in the present. Observe the seasons: summer versus winter. Thus I come to the following deduction. He is following the order from his father, he is not dragged
(chapter 83), but he brought Min there. Why would Min say this? 
(chapter 83) Why would he come to see the mess? His words are indicating that someone must have told him about the scholar’s death. Since we saw this, 
(chapter 83) we thought that when the plotters came, Min was leading the way. But if we take into consideration chapter 76, we realize that back then the childhood friend brought Min to Nameless’ barn. 
(chapter 76) Thus it could have been the same! Lee Jihwa had brought Min to the scholar’s house, then Min was the one giving the signal to leave the humble dwell, just like in chapter 76. The red-haired master let Min meet The Joker, before Min was the one asking Lee Jihwa to follow him, when he realized that Nameless refused to help him. 
(chapter 76) So when we view this, 
(chapter 43), so from my point of view, we could have a similar situation, someone had asked him to bring lord Min to that mansion! It can not be Min… From my point of view, Lee Jihwa was acting on his father’s orders. That’s the reason why Lee Jihwa never entered the mansion, and he told Min the story about the incident in the bedchamber. Father Lee had been the one who brought it up first. 
(chapter 83) Another clue for this signification is the vocabulary of Black Heart. The latter is speaking like father Lee: lunacy 
(chapter 82) 
(chapter 83) But Min was not naive like Jihwa, he knew that once involved, someone had to pay for the subterfuge and crime. 
(chapter 93) 
(chapter 99), the servant Seokdae or even his son Lee Jihwa. The loss of hair was the proof of his leniency. 
(chapter 101) Each time he spared them. How can father Lee claim that the main lead is behind the murder in the shaman’s house? Secondly, his own son vanished which will be considered as a sign of culpability. Finally, lord Shin is a survivor and his last image is that he got unconscious, when he spoke to Lee Jihwa. This means, Lee Jihwa will become a criminal! Because of this situation, I am hoping that the red-haired master will reflect on his own actions and decisions. He followed the elders’ advice blindly and paid a huge price for this. He would never get loved by the main lead. He came to lose everything: his home, family and title. He is now a commoner. From my point of view, father Lee will be forced to cut ties with his son in order to save his own skin, but it is also possible that he even loses the mansion. 
(chapter 82) 
(chapter 27) On the other hand, contrary to Lee Jihwa, he grew up in a poor environment, thus he had to work in order to live. He could never live carefree like the spoiled only son of the Lees. Finally, I would like my readers to question themselves this: Will Lee Jihwa come to admit his responsibility in the death of the nobles and in Yoon Seungho’s suffering? I have to admit that I am hoping for his return, for the two friends need to have a proper talk, and according to me, Lee Jihwa apologized or at least expressed regret in front of his friend, thus he got spared. Yet, I would like very much to see such an apology to the main lead. But before his departure, he still viewed himself as a poor victim who had been wrongly framed exposing that he had not grasped the true nature of his wrongdoings. 
(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 102) He was acting like in trance, the painter’s bloody face had opened the Pandora’s box. 
(Chapter 101) Remember his confession in the bedchamber: 
(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 82) 
(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 28) As you can see, blood and a mirror were used as objects for “fortune-telling“, though the main characters had no idea about their signification. While the painter rejected this “hallucination“, Yoon Seungho had the impression that it was real. Thus he turned around. He imagined that the two nobles were approaching him. 
(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 34) and 
(Chapter 98) In the last one, he believed to see the scholar’s corpse. The artist had even an auditive hallucination. 
(Chapter 98) This means that a similar situation will occur. Someone will repeat Jung In-Hun’s words.
(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) 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 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 46) And this vision came true in season 3: 
(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) But not necessarily. Imagine, the butler had such a dream, and his memory got triggered, when he heard the commoner talking about the incident with Bongyong for the first time. But don’t forget that the man is a traveling merchant, so in the butler’s mind, the trader would leave the town and as such he wouldn’t be able to mention this to others. But he never imagined that the man would meet his friend. 
(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 34) 
(chapter 45) Here, Baek Na-Kyum had just returned to the mansion after his second desertion. 
(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 17) This is an expression that he would often use. We could witness this cognitive distortion (should statement) in front of the shed. 
(chapter 87, labelling) 
(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. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 