Category: Chapter 77

Painter Of The Night: The bride 👰 (second version)

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 13 Comments

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents:  https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/ 

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.

I am quite sure that you all know the saying: “Things always come in threes”. Striking is that this idiom exists in many other languages:

  • French: “Jamais deux sans trois”
  • German: “Aller guten Dinge sind drei”
  • Spanish: “No hay dos sin tres”

Moreover, the human being is even composed by three parts: the body, the mind/spirit and the soul/heart. All this proves that the number “3” is indeed associated to completion and perfection. I am quite certain that you are now wondering about the connection between the magical and mystical number three and the title “the bride”. The answer is quite simple: we had three bridal carries in season 2, which the manhwaphiles could witness.

1. The first bridal carry

The first bridal carry occurred in chapter 45 Back then, the identity of the “bride” was unknown. However, there were two witnesses: the wandering merchant and the servant Deok-Jae. (chapter 45) The former mentioned this event to others so that a rumor started among the town folks. They were all wondering if Yoon Seungho was engaged due to the bridal carry. Since no marriage had happened, but simultaneously he showed great care in that person, they definitely perceived that the latter in his arm meant a lot to the master. They could judge that the noble was in love. At the same time, they were pleased, because they had realized that the black sheep of the Yoons seemed to have calmed down. Many painterofthenight-lovers couldn’t help smiling, when the entertainer praised the fiancée for her good sexual technics, (chapter 45) because the truth was that Yoon Seungho was so dissatisfied with the painter’s tricks. (chapter 45) And with such a contrast, it becomes obvious how strong and deep the noble’s affection for the artist already was. While the commoner’s comment diminished Yoon Seungho’s love for Baek Na-Kyum, as it was reduced to sensuality and seduction, the lord’s attitude clearly displayed that Yoon Seungho was expecting something else, but he had no idea what exactly. Striking is that the low-born was also clueless that the aristocrat had carried him like that, for he had fallen asleep. The fact that the wealthy man used his own hanbok to carry the commoner to the bathroom illustrated how caring Yoon Seungho was, but no one told him about this. Furthermore, this gesture outlined that the protagonist was taking great of the painter’s body. He shouldn’t get cold and he should get cleaned immediately, underlining that the first sex marathon had left a huge trauma on him. This incident (the bridal carry) was never mentioned within the mansion for two reasons. The domestic Deok-Jae had no interest in telling it to others, as he was filled with jealousy and still hoped that Baek Na-KYum would lose the lord’s favor. As for Kim, when he discovered that the incident had reached the ears of the inhabitants, he seized the opportunity to hide the fiancée’s identity in order to limit the damages. On the surface, it looked like he was protecting the couple’s interest, whereas in reality he feared a scandal. But more importantly, he wanted, just like Deok-Jae, this situation to be just temporary. Therefore he could only reduce the painter’s status: he was neither a bride nor a fiancée, at best a favored servant. (chapter 45) That way, if the low-born was to disappear, no one would connect Baek Na-Kyum to the bridal carry. All the men were convinced that it was a woman due to the smooth legs. (chapter 45) Since the painter had been kept in the dark about the noble’s action, he couldn’t realize the noble’s feelings. The only person pointing out the master’s affection for the commoner was the head-maid. (chapter 46) Since she had been kept in the dark by Deok-Jae and Kim about the bridal carry, she had to mention another conversation to prove her observation. Yet it was definitely less convincing, as it was more related to comfort and respect.

2. The second bridal carry

Then the second bridal carry took place much later in chapter 66: (chapter 66) The manhwalovers will notice the progression. First, the identity of the “bride” is no longer hidden. This time, the lord’s attention is more focused on the head, as his hand covers the painter’s head. In other words, he pays less attention to the artist’s body. The latter is just wearing a shirt and nothing more. The reason for this divergence is simple. Baek Na-Kyum had just a flashback, a panic attack indicating that his spirit or mind was troubled. Yoon Seungho had recognized that the painter was injured mentally. Just like in the past, there’s a witness, but this time, it is the noble Min. Why only one witness? If you compare it to the first scene, you’ll note that Black Heart replaces the merchant and the servant Deok-Jae. The Joker is lusting after the low-born due to the smooth legs (a new version of this panel: chapter 45) and he is definitely jealous of the main lead, similar to Deok-Jae. This made me realize why The Joker revealed Jihwa’s abduction right after. Imagine, if people got aware of this incident, then The Joker wouldn’t be able to taste the artist. Every one would know about Baek Na-Kyum and his importance to Yoon Seungho. He was no longer a low-born, but the lord’s official wife and partner. If he were to disappear, no one would be able to escape punishment. Therefore he needed to separate the couple… since the artist was in a poor condition (chapter 66). He could only assume that the painter wished to disappear, for he had been abducted and Yoon Seungho had failed to protect him. Later, Kim could report to him what Yoon Seungho had done to the painter in the shed, so that Min’s belief that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the mansion could only increased. Both imagined that the commoner would desert the lord’s mansion. Both hoped that Baek Na-Kyum would reject the “marriage”, although he was already chosen as the lord’s bride. As you can observe, the bridal carry plays a huge importance, it definitely symbolizes marriage, even if it is between two men. And this led me to the theory that Min had already envisioned the next scheme. The conspirators had no time… especially if other servants noticed the bridal carry too. Let’s not forget that before Min stood in front of the master’s bedchamber, other domestics were standing there: Kim, the maid and another servant. (chapter 66) It is definitely possible that they looked at their lord’s action from faraway. If so, this would signify that the news about Baek Na-Kyum as the lord’s bride has finally reached the ears of the staff.

3. The third bridal carry

In the third bridal carry, there is another huge difference. This time the painter is awake and his mind is no longer troubled. (chapter 71) This signifies that now the artist is well aware of the signification of that action. That’s why he is definitely moved. He is blushing and letting his head rest on the protagonist’s shoulder. (chapter 71) He stares at the lord’s shoulder so intensively in order to confirm that this is real. More striking is that the painter’s nose is on the lord’s shirt implying that the commoner is smelling the lord’s fragrance. Furthermore, the painter senses the warmth from the master’s body, just like he hears Yoon Seungho’s footsteps on the wooden floor. To sum up, Baek Na-Kyum is using all his senses that he is not dreaming. Gradually, he is accepting it as reality, hence he can only blush. (chapter 71) What caught my attention is that the lord carries the painter closer to his chest, while the artist is hugging the noble too. In other words, their hearts are close to each other. Hence this bridal carry is associated to the heart. While the first one represented the body, the second the spirit, now the last one is related to the soul. To sum up, the third bridal carry symbolizes the official marriage. Both have chosen each other. And now, here is the question: where are the witnesses? So far, Byeonduck didn’t draw any witness. Nevertheless, we have to imagine that there exist witnesses. Since Kim was always present during the three kowtows (for that read my analysis called The five candles), I believe that he definitely observed the scene in the shadow, especially after comparing this panel (chapter 71) to this one: (chapter 33). Back then, the butler was worried that Baek Na-Kyum would reveal his complicity in the escape. However, this time Kim is concerned for another reason: the painter is no longer a favored servant, but now the bride and as such Yoon Seungho’s official partner. But if the readers compare the two previous bridal carries, they’ll remember that there were more than just one testifier… although in the second case, it was just implied. Thus I think that there could be another witness. In the first version of this essay, I had imagined that the Joker could have been present: In chapter 44, he saw how the painter walked to the study. Secondly, he was present during the second love session: . (chapter 60) However, I was wrong here. Then it occurred to me that if there was a second witness, then it could have been the new version of Deok-Jae. He had been following the guest (chapter 66), when Min entered the propriety. And according to social norms, he should have followed the noble. So he could have seen the painter’s legs from a certain distance. And this also would explicate why the domestic had such eyes, when he approached the bedchamber in season 3. (chapter 80) He was interested in the painter. And there is another evidence that there are always two witnesses of that bridal carry, the love session in the gibang. (chapter 96) The noona was joined shortly after by Min who could now hear their love session. (chapter 96)

4. The meaning behind the bridal carry

And that’s how I discovered two important aspects: timing and consent.

  • Chapter 45: It happened after the sex session, and the painter had returned. This means that he had accepted Yoon Seungho as his partner.
  • Chapter 66: One might say that it occurred after the sex session. Yet, people shouldn’t forget that they were sleeping in the bed, when Heena caused a ruckus. (chapter 65) This means that the painter was now the official partner of the protagonist. Nonetheless, the lord tied his bride so that the latter wouldn’t leave. The bridal carry was connected to forced marriage.
  • Chapter 71: The bridal carry took place before the love session, and the painter had agreed to it. He had accepted the main lead’s advances.
  • Chapter 78: Before the love session, though their intimacy began in delay. Note that the bride was the one who determined, when they should be intimate. However, they got interrupted. Then the consumption was quite painful, though the painter had masturbated before and as such prepared himself. (chapter 81) For me, this is an allusion to Yoon Seungho’s rape in his youth.
  • Chapter 96: The wedding night got interrupted by Heena. This time, the bridal carry was strongly associated to sex.
  • Chapter 102: This happened after the sexual assault. The lord was acting like in chapter 66. He was full of regret and tenderness. We could say that he was acting like a knight protecting his bride. Here, again the bridal carry is intertwined with death and pain. Don’t forget his words in the bath: (chapter 70)

Another huge difference between the two first bridal carries is the importance of the caresses. Yoon Seungho had sex before the bridal carry in both scenes. But more importantly, neither in the first case nor in the second he spent his time entangled, kissing and fondling. He was either teaching sexual lessons or claiming the painter as his belonging. In the third Wedding night, the chronology is respected. We have first the bridal carry, then the shower of caresses and kisses.

Through this examination, I realized that the bridal carry must have played a huge role in Yoon Seungho’s past. Either he experienced it, but he could never witness it (chapter 45, 66) or he has repressed it. Another possibility is that the bridal carry represents the biggest wish of the main lead. Back then, he wished that the pedophile had carried him like that. If only the “pedophile”had treated him that way… The manhwaphiles should keep in their mind that the bridal carry symbolizes marriage. The groom is supposed to bring his bride to the nuptial room, and according to me, the lord was raped in his own bedroom (the stranger in the night). And if this is true, there could be no bridal carry. Besides, the manhwaphiles should remember that the bridal carry in Painter Of The Night is strongly intertwined with sorrow and regret. Thus I had the following idea. Yoon Seungho would have forgiven the sexual abuser, if the latter had done it at some point, because this meant that he didn’t fear to be seen together. Hence we have the constant presence of witnesses during these scenes. I had already said that the bloody marriage was fake, for it was never official. Moreover, the bridal carry indicates that the man is taking his responsibility. But if the pedophile let others carry Yoon Seungho (chapter 77) and clean up his mess… no wonder why Yoon Seungho came to resent the man. He left the young master totally unprotected, exposed to all forms of abuse. And the man might have wondered why Yoon Seungho was so difficult to tame… Therefore he could never entirely trust the main lead. Consequently I view the gesture as the symbol of bravery, care, responsibility and strength. From my point of view, the main lead must have recognized that he was “married” much too young to the pedophile. During his conversation with Bongyong, the lord indicated that age mattered. He still had time. (chapter 78) They shouldn’t get married too young, and in my opinion, he was speaking out of experience.

As a conclusion, in season 2, I noticed 3 bridal carries. We could say that the first bridal carry symbolized the union of the bodies, the second of the spirit and the last one, the marriage of the souls. But since the story is going in circle, this signifies that in each season, we had them, but we couldn’t see all of them. Why? It is because Yoon Seungho never realized what he was doing. In chapter 45, he was like in trance. (chapter 45) Then in many occasions, the painter didn’t discover that Yoon Seungho had carried him like that, for he was either sleeping or unconscious. Hence the lord had to do it over and over again, until both realized the existence of the bridal carry and its significance. And it only happened in season 3: (chapter 78) Here, both were conscious. Thus I am deducing that Kim could have realized the lord’s biggest desire (embrace and bridal carry), but Kim chose to remain silent. He never divulged this information to lord Song. According to me, the latter kept sending beautiful clothes as a sign of contrition and support. This proves one more time that ignorance is not a blessing.

At the same time, the teacher’s embraces in chapter 68 and 70 clearly revealed that the scholar was treating Baek Na-Kyum like a child: (chapter 68) (chapter 70). The learned sir acted like a father and with the recollection of the piggyback, Baek Na-Kyum recognized the true value of this carry. He was never loved, like the commoner desired, the young man just viewed him as a child. He was innocent and pure and couldn’t realize the true nature of the scholar’s feelings: trivial and fleeting emotions, which turned into indifference, when the artist became an adult. That’s the reason why the artist is no longer upset… he judges this event in a different light. Back then, he was only a child for Jung In-Hun. This scene represents Baek Na-Kyum’s loss of innocence. He is now a mature man who makes decisions on his own. He is no longer idealizing Jung In-Hun, and the bridal carry reflects this maturity. (chapter 71) Baek Na-Kyum is not seeking warmth and affection out of despair or pain, he is finally able to detect the lord’s affection in each situation: in the bathroom and on his way to the bedchamber. Baek Na-Kyum was slowly accepting his position as Yoon Seungho’s bride, though I have to add that here, the painter was not thinking about marriage yet. During that scene, the couple was rekindling. It was make-up sex. Hence he could only blush. (chapter 71) I can imagine that his heart must be racing as well. Then in season 3, the painter is now seen carried fully naked in front of his sister. (chapter 96) He has no idea that she witnessed their union, but she already knew the true nature of their relationship. However, till the end of season 3, neither Yoon Seungho nor Baek Na-Kyum were even envisioning marriage, this topic was brought up by Bongyong, the witness of the first bridal carry. This is relevant, because we have to judge these bridal carries as a gesture influenced by the main lead’s subconscious. Deep down, he wished to make the painter his bride, but he had never realized it. However, this dream will become a reality, like Byeonduck implied it with this panel: Thus expect new bridal carries in season 4, but some of them will be connected to death, pain and sorrow. 😥 (chapter 66) (chapter 102).

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Painter Of The Night: Jealousy and trust (second version)

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 12 Comments

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents:  https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/

Feel free to 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.

While I was reading the manhwa again, the scene when the lord caressed the painter’s cheek in chapter 18/19 caught my attention. Striking is that neither the noble nor the painter cared too much about that gesture. The artist was too shocked due to the huge scandal, and the main lead had the impression, he just wanted to taste the artist out of curiosity and interest. So there was no deep meaning in the caress, yet this gesture was witnessed by the scholar Jung In-Hun. (Chapter 18) And this not only shocked him, but more importantly, it really made him jealous.

1. The scholar’s jealousy

Imagine, he was upset, because the painter had been the recipient of a caress from the powerful noble. Yet, he didn’t feel repulsed, just displeased and resentful But if he was jealous, then it signifies that he desired to have received this mark of attention. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion, Jung In-Hun would have even accepted the noble’s advances, if it meant that he would get some benefit from it. And this interpretation is even confirmed, when you compare it with its reflection in chapter 35.

2. The comparison of the caress on the cheek

Here, we have a reversed situation. Exactly like the main character, he strokes the artist’s cheek, while he seems not to be aware that he is observed by Yoon Seungho. However, unlike in chapter 19, the caress has a huge signification. Jung In-Hun is faking affection in order to achieve his goal: the painter should spy on the benefactor on his behalf. Consequently, before he leaves the mansion, he reminds him of his request. (Chapter 35) In other words, although the caress from Yoon Seungho was anodyne, his gentleness was genuine, whereas it is the opposite with the teacher’s stroke. Moreover, if you compare the vocabulary field, you’ll notice the contrast: duty/work versus entertainment. And although the low noble is aware that Baek Na-Kyum has been very ill, he just sends him back to his “work”. He makes sure that the artist doesn’t fall for the lord’s generosity. He should remember that this is just work, and not entertainment. Moreover, the teacher reminds the painter of his promise: he is his servant. As the manhwaphiles can detect, in chapter 19, Jung In-Hun was already jealous of the painter, because he was receiving the lord’s attention and affection. But this was just a caress, therefore envision how he must have felt, when he heard this from the painter: (chapter 35) He must have realized that he was on the verge of losing the artist’s favors. That’s why he reminded the painter of his “loyalty” and “promise”. In chapter 35, Yoon Seungho was the one jealous, hence imagine the resent and jealousy Jung In-Hun must have felt in chapter 19. Yoon Seungho had even cut ties with another aristocrat due to the low-born. But unlike the scholar, Yoon Seungho’s jealousy was much more intensive to the point he would have killed the artist, if he had set a foot outside the mansion, though I doubt that he would have done it for real. But why are these characters jealous?

3. Jealousy: its origins and consequences

I made some research about the origin of jealousy and this is was I discovered: This feeling appears, when someone feels insecure in his relationship with another person due to the appearance of a third person. And if we take this definition into consideration, then the scholar’s jealousy is triggered by two aspects. First, he resents the artist, because he caught the lord’s attention. Yet there is more to it. He resents the low-born, as the latter seems to have escaped his control. Let’s not forget that Baek Na-Kyum allowed another man to touch his cheek. For the first time, Jung In-Hun saw another man getting closer to Baek Na-Kyum, indicating that his influence over the artist was diminishing. The readers shouldn’t forget that the scholar enjoyed it very much to use the low-born as his puppet. In the past, Baek Na-Kyum would always follow his orders, yet with this anodyne gesture, Jung In-Hun realized that something had changed. That’s the reason why he had to blame the painter for this, and accused him of seducing the main lead. (Chapter 19) In truth, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter. He wanted to be the one getting closer to the powerful aristocrat, and would do anything in exchange for his own interests. Simultaneously, he needed the artist to remain obedient and loyal, so that he wouldn’t become a rival. And now, if we examine the protagonist’s jealousy in chapter 35 with this definition, we recognize that it is related to the sex marathon. Yoon Seungho had envisaged that after that event, the painter had finally accepted him as his partner, and their relationship had changed. Besides, after his return, Baek Na-Kyum had been in his bed and had never reproached the sexual encounter leading to his illness. Therefore, he had envisaged that the commoner was slowly accepting him.

While many think, jealousy is terrible, evolutionary psychologists regard it as a necessary emotion, because it helps people to preserve their social bonds and motivate them to improve their relationship, since it serves as a wake-up call for the affected person. And if you pay attention to Yoon Seungho’s behavior, you’ll indeed sense that right after feeling jealous, he tries his best to improve his relationship with the painter. In chapter 35, he compliments the painter , approaches him and smiles to him. (Chapter 35) Moreover, he caresses his head (chapter 35) after finally asking him about his interest. This scene made him realize that he needed to get to know Baek Na-Kyum better, and their relationship shouldn’t only be limited to sex. Hence he invited the painter to his bedchamber that night. In my opinion, he really hoped to initiate a conversation. That’s the reason why he was writing something, he hoped that Baek Na-Kyum would ask, but due to the aphrodisiac and the “warning” from Kim, the artist didn’t dare to speak. As a conclusion, we could say, Kim would have totally succeeded to ruin Yoon Seungho’s plan, if the brother hadn’t appeared that night. At the end, Baek Na-Kyum did earn the lord’s trust, he was able to sleep by the lord’s side.

4. Heena and Yoon Seungho’s jealousy

And now, with the release of chapter 69, we have a reflection from these two chapters. We see two jealous persons, Heena noona and Yoon Seungho, the kisaeng is replacing the teacher. Yet, there’s a huge change. Why? While Baek Na-Kyum in the past would trust his adoptive parents and follow them blindly(chapter 35) (chapter 46), we see the painter deciding his own fate. He prefers remaining in the mansion. Not only he is no longer listening to his parents, but also he becomes proactive. He gives his noona his own scarf, a sign that he is now old enough to take care of her. (Chapter 69) He is no longer a child. In reality, this gesture has so much meaning. With this tender gesture, he desires to end the discussion. Notice that she keeps pressuring him (chapter 69), illustrating that she is still not giving up on her adoptive son. Since the chapter 19 is a reflection of episode 69, I believe that Heena noona’s behavior is indeed motivated by jealousy. Imagine, for the first time, her son doesn’t obey her, while in the past, even if he admired the teacher, the latter never represented a threat to her relationship with her son. For the first time, he has refused her help (chapter 68) and pushed her hand away, a huge shock for the kisaeng. (Chapter 68) For her, the only explanation can be the negative influence of Yoon Seungho. And because she attempts to change the painter’s mind just before leaving, Baek Na-Kyum stops her by smiling. He is trying to reassure her that he is fine. (Chapter 69) But she doesn’t trust her son’s judgement. She believes, she knows what is right for her son. Therefore, her last words exposes her true intentions. She won’t respect the artist’s choice. (Chapter 69) She thinks of herself as her son’s savior, whereas in reality, she will jeopardize Baek Na-Kyum’s safety. There’s no doubt that she will be manipulated by Min and Kim. Due to his kind words, she has already judged him as a good man (chapter 67), unaware that she is trusting a terrible servant who is determined to hurt her son. This reminds us of the chapter 35, where Jung In-Hun risked the painter’s life. I have to admit that after comparing the scene from episode 19 with 35, I had the impression that Jung In-Hun could have been demonstrating his affection in order to show off to the lord that the painter would only listen to him. Let’s not forget that in chapter 30, the teacher tried to sell off Baek Na-Kyum by telling Yoon Seungho that the artist would only obey to him. And in both cases, Jung In-Hun never recognized the real situation: he was putting his life in danger. And observe that we have many parallels in chapter 69 with chapter 30 as well. We have the painter’s intervention (chapter 69), when he senses that Heena noona keeps challenging Yoon Seungho by refusing to recognize his benevolence and her wrongdoing. Here again, he speaks to the main lead in order to deescalate the situation. While in chapter 30, he feared the main lead, (chapter 30) yet he desired to protect his learned sir, in episode 69 we have a reversed situation. The one menacing is the kisaeng, and not the lord. The latter steps back, as he knows that he did something wrong to his lover. Baek Na-Kyum could have exposed his brutality. However, due to Yoon Seungho’s past action, Baek Na-Kyum has learned to fear the noble’s power and strength. Hence he intervenes, because he wishes to protect his noona. (Chapter 69) Nevertheless the readers can sense that the artist is feeling more uncomfortable than scared. Moreover, his sincerity and his thoughtfulness is palpable. He is indeed recognizing the lord’s leniency. (Chapter 69) Another similarity is the constant blushing of the painter, the lord’s action and words surprise him. Therefore there is this awkward moment, for both protagonists are trying to figure out the situation. The lord never expected a thank you from the low-born, especially after receiving such a mistreatment. (chapter 69)

In chapter 35, he detected his exhaustion and honesty, but he felt indeed affected by his presence. Nonetheless, the cause of his reddening diverges here. (chapter 69) He is not just affected by the main lead’s appearance, but also by his gestures. Baek Na-Kyum is finally able to see the kindness in Yoon Seungho. First, he did keep his promise to the artist. He restrained himself to punish the kisaeng. Secondly, he put himself the scarf around the low-born’s neck, which is quite extraordinary. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that Yoon Seungho is actually lowering himself by acting so, he prioritizes the commoner. This is not surprising that at the end, Baek Na-Kyum can’t help himself blushing. (Chapter 69) Unlike in the past, Yoon Seungho is willing to trust the painter by his actions and words. Therefore he emphasizes this: (chapter 69) “I do believe”. He has learnt his lesson. He recognized that his judgement had been clouded by his insecurities and jealousy. That’s why he stares at the painter, when the latter is looking at his mother walking away. (Chapter 69) He notices the artist’s concern and attention towards his mother. This explicates why he allows the painter to follow the kisaeng to the front gate. However, as you can observe it, the painter is not realizing that the lord is paying attention to his facial expressions. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho is trying to make the painter smile, when he gives his consent.

Let’s not forget that in chapter 44, he did ask Jung In-hun to bid farewell to Baek Na-Kyum, but the latter never cared for the boy. Yet, Yoon Seungho is only at the beginning to trust the painter entirely, hence he asks him to remain in his sight. (chapter 69) This explains why he asks him to follow his mother only to the front gate. That’s the limit of his trust. I would even add, he can’t bear Baek Na-Kyum out of sight. That’s how much he loves him. He needs to feel his presence close to him. And exactly like in chapter 35, the readers sense the importance of the door. While in episode 35, the gate was associated to life or death, now the door symbolizes trust. Within the building, he will put his faith in the artist’s words. Finally, we have another allusion to chapter 35: the reference to coldness. (chapter 35) And this parallel reinforces my perception about the valet. He is a hypocrite, because he incited the lord to go to the window, while claiming that it was cold. That’s why I perceive the chapter 69 as a good sign. Yoon Seungho is definitely willing to trust the painter. He let him make his own choice, and the moment Baek Na-Kyum expressed that he was not leaving the mansion (chapter 69), the lord could only feel relieved. That’s why he had a softer gaze right after. (Chapter 69) He was definitely happy that the commoner had chosen him. However, there’s still awkwardness between them, hence the noble can’t entirely trust him. And this lack of trust becomes a reality, when in chapter 80, the manhwaphiles witness that Yoon Seungho had threatened the kisaeng behind the painter’s back. (Chapter 80) He had once again listened to the butler’s advice… How can I be so sure? It is because the real author of the threat was the butler and not the lord. (chapter 69) Yoon Seungho will never order someone to eliminate a person. He will always use his own hands. We have many evidences for this: the hunt and the scenes with the sword. (chapter 69) The tragedy is that in the courtyard, the artist made the lord this promise: (chapter 69) He would remain by the lord’s side, but the lord still didn’t trust the artist’s words. And now, it is time to examine the origin of Yoon Seungho’s jealousy and lack of trust.

5. The real cause for the lord’s jealousy

As you can imagine, the answer is quite simple. It’s Kim. The latter has always been mistrusting people, he always felt insecure. In other words, he was jealous. This signifies that deep down, he always wanted to keep the noble’s attention and affection. That’s the reason why he revealed the incident with the door to father Yoon. (chapter 77) The young boy was looking at someone else. He would stop looking at him like that. (chapter 57) The butler would lose his influence over the boy. Under this new light, you comprehend why he decided to betray father Yoon after the straw mat beating. The young boy was rejecting him and despising him. (chapter 77) Yoon Seungho’s gaze was telling all his emotions and thoughts. That’s the reason why the butler isolated his master for so many years. And note that in chapter 69, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter again. Since the butler has always backstabbed, betrayed and abandoned Yoon Seungho, he imagined that the artist would have a change of heart too… like Kim always did in the past. Naturally, this is the negative version of a change of heart: not compassion and remorse, but resent and jealousy!!

And now, you comprehend why the bride’s abduction has to take place right now. Kim is not only on the verge of losing his home… but also he has lost his master’s love and affection. He is no longer looking at him. For the first time, he was punished which had never happened before. (chapter 77) If the painter leaves the mansion, the butler will make sure to portray the painter in a negative light. But there’s one thing that Kim overlooked: Yoon Seungho’s ability to learn!! Remember that jealousy is there to make the partner realize that he needs to improve his behavior. Since he mistrusted the painter’s choice, he realized later that he needed to earn the artist’s trust first. Therefore he made the following promises: (chapter 70) and he would always ask for the artist’s consent. (chapter 71). Furthermore, the artist’s reproach in the tavern (chapter 75) must have been an eye-opener for the wealthy aristocrat as well. How can he expect “loyalty and trust” from Baek Na-Kyum, if he is himself a fickle man by nature? With such words, the artist encouraged the lord to stop wavering and doubting his lover. He needed to show his love and trust first, before expecting it right away from the low-born. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho started courting Baek Na-Kyum. He needed to show his trust and love in order to obtain it. And in chapter 80, he finally succeeded it. Therefore the bride’s abduction is doomed to failure. Kim won’t be able to achieve his goal. However, there’s one thing that this incident will make the lord recognize that he trusted the wrong person. He should never have listened to the butler’s advice and threatened the kisaeng, because this meant that he was mistrusting his lover!

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.   

Painter Of The Night: Silence (fourth version) 🤐

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 13 Comments

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter   But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents:  https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/ 

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.

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people” from Martin Luther King

With this quote, the famous American Baptist minister denunciated the passive attitude of many Americans, who didn’t feel concerned with racism and segregation in 60’s. Why? (chapter 65) As you can see, the valet Kim is not revealing the truth, not out of fear, but he has the impression, this is not his problem. He chooses indifference. With this single attitude, the readers discover Kim’s true personality and past, confirming my last analysis about him. When he heard the painter’s refusal, (chapter 65), he was brought back to the past. The domestic was a witness of Yoon Seungho’s rape and as such of his sexual abuse. Striking is that in episode 65, he didn’t even open the door, but instead of helping, he let it happened. He didn’t act according to his belief. This means that in the past, he must have acted the opposite. The door was open. This signifies that he abandoned the young Yoon Seungho, when the main lead asked for assistance. (chapter 65) He refused to listen to the young master’s plea. And now, you understand why Yoon Seungho had sex in front of him outside the barn. Unconsciously, he wanted to confront the valet with the consequences of his actions. (chapter 64) The teenager was left behind by the servant, and his hand couldn’t even stop him. But since it is a reflection, I think that the butler was the one who brought the main lead to the predator, naturally his intention was not to have him raped. And now, I grasp why the lord feels the need to hurt people with his hand, like for example strangling the painter (chapter 61) or grabbing the topknot of a noble(chapter 8). His hand expresses not only his rage, but also his powerlessness. With his hand, he wasn’t able to stop the valet from leaving him behind. He had tried to stop his father from leaving his side with his hand too. (chapter 86) Furthermore, Yoon Seungho couldn’t even punish the valet for betraying him, because he had no authority and no strength. Back then, he was just a teenager. In chapter 63 and 64, Yoon Seungho was indeed reliving his traumatic past. Because the butler was recollecting two different memories (the night before and the lord’s sexual abuse), my first impression was that the young boy had been abused in the shed. (chapter 65) Yet, the storage room is the place where the valet betrayed him, as he changed his lord. (chapter 77) My theory is that the main lead was raped by “lord Song”, the king. Therefore I assume that the man was invited by father Yoon. Remember that the kisaeng Heena proposed to her donsaeng to seek the protection of a nobleman, as he is a low-born. (chapter 97) My idea is that the valet thought that by seeking the monarch’s protection, the young master’s suffering would end, for the king stands above the scholars and elders. Anyway, I believe that the valet made a bad choice and regretted it afterwards. Due to his guilt, he developed resent towards Yoon Seungho. And this explains why Kim said this to the painter in order to ease his pain: (chapter 12) He couldn’t tell him details, since he would reveal his complicity to the crime. Furthermore, since the valet led the painter to the pavilion, it is very likely that Kim was the one who offered Yoon Seungho to the pedophile, which makes his crime even worse.

With Kim’s silence came a huge price: fear and guilt. (chapter 65) Since he had not assisted the young master repeatedly (chapter 77), he became more and more burdened by his guilty conscience. He turned into an accomplice, for he never revealed his involvement and mistakes.. He could no longer reveal the truth, because he would have to get punished. He feared father Yoon’s wrath and he had reasons too. He could definitely die. That’s the reason why he reproaches the doctor his passivity and silence, though in my opinion, it was not about the abduction, but about the tonic. Sure, in Joseon, there was no law called “Duty to rescue or Failure to provide assistance”.

“Failure to assist a person in danger is a criminal offence that condemns the failure to assist a person in danger. Contrary to most criminal norms, it is an offence of omission and not of commission, i.e. the perpetrator does not act when he should have done so.”

However, from a moral perspective, Kim committed a wrongdoing, and he knew it. That’s why he couldn’t forget and felt guilty. Even nowadays “Duty to rescue law” doesn’t exist everywhere, nonetheless many European countries, like Germany or France or UK possess one and its creation was partially influenced by the experiences made due to Nazism. And now, the manhwalovers can comprehend why my association to dictatorship was correct. Kim and other ordinary people are their willing assistants in the end. They prefer avoiding trouble out of convenience. Consequently, they turn a blind eye to injustice. Yet, though they try to forget (chapter 65), they can’t, because they feel guilty and remorse. Note that right after voicing his wish to forget the incident, he recalls Yoon Seungho’s tragedy indicating his incapacity to forget. This explains why Kim gives the doctor the following advice: (chapter 65) Although Kim’s words in the panel are addressed to the physician, they actually reflect that Kim is speaking out of experience. He knows by experience that “silence is a true friend who never betrays”. Observe that Kim’s complicity was never brought to light, hence he never got punished. This explicates why Yoon Seungho is acting differently from his biological father in reality. Each time there was a crime, the lord let the painter defend himself and asked questions: chapter 11 and 62 , (chapter 62) especially when you think that Baek Na-Kyum is just a commoner. But the problem is that he was biased, just like his father who had the impression that his son was a homosexual due to the testimonies of close people (Kim, Lee Jihwa and probably Yoon Seung-Won). After the rape, Yoon Seungho got punished. And this interpretation was proven correct in season 3 (chapter 77). But here Kim remained silent too. (chapter 77) It was even worse than before, because after the straw mat beating, he was paralyzed. No one spoke for him and believed his words, and Kim wasn’t willing to step in. Moreover, I believe that Kim had another reason for remaining silent. (chapter 65) He disliked the idea of a scandal and trouble. If he had told the truth, he knew that his punishment would be death. Out of convenience, he ran away from responsibility and from the uncomfortable truth. (chapter 65) That’s why I believe that the author is not showing that Kim and the physician chose secrecy and silence, because they feared for their life. They only started fearing for their life, when the truth is about to be revealed, as the painter was not dead yet. As the victim, he was a witness. Because once the lord discovers the butler’s passivity and complicity, it becomes a matter of life or death for him. According to me, there are two doctors. So the chapter 65 unveils that the first doctor didn’t testify, as he wanted to help the artist. (chapter 65) In my opinion, the butler had deceived the commoner, he let him believe that Baek Na-Kyum had run away because of the lord’s violent temper. The painter had come wounded to his office. This negative perception of the young lord Yoon could only make the doctor jump to wrong conclusion. ,Striking is that this scene (chapter 63) revealed that the doctor was hesitating to give his opinion to the butler, he thought that the artist had run away. And what is the common denominator of all these scenes with the doctors. They all chose silence for different reasons. Just like Kim, the doctor had become an accomplice. As for the second, he remained silent out of fear, that he could get into trouble. (chapter 65) My theory is that the valet used the drug as an excuse to silence the physician. Now, the doctor is hoping that the boy says no word about it, so that his “wrongdoing”, the false medication, won’t be discovered. Kim blamed the doctor that after that, his master had behaved like a crazy man. The result was that both physicians chose silence!! Why? It is because the valet had pushed them to make this choice. And note the pattern. Kim used pity and compassion for the first doctor, and fear and brutality for the second! Exactly like in this scene: (chapter 12) In this scene, we have all three elements: pity, fear and silence (“can’t go into details”).

And despite knowing the truth, Kim makes the same decision like in the past. He chooses to sweep the incident under the carpet. He is glossing over the abduction with all fake excuses. (chapter 65) He has the audacity to say that his master won’t hurt the painter, although he even witnessed the roughness the artist was exposed to. Yet, for him harm was flogging or execution. From my perspective, this is no coincidence that the author showed us the valet sweeping. (chapter 65) This represents his attitude in life, therefore he is responsible for Baek Na-Kyum’s loss of innocence. His other leitmotiv is (chapter 23) He acts, as if he knows nothing reminding us of this scene. (chapter 28)That’s why I believe that the butler was lying back then and had even allowed the artist to run away that morning. I see a new version of chapter 29. But let’s go back to chapter 65. Notice that he is the one removing the snowman built by the painter, the last reminder of the low-born’s innocence. In two occasions, he chose cowardice and silence. First, he did nothing to stop his master (chapter 65), as he didn’t desire to feel his master’s wrath. Secondly, he asked the physician to keep silent by making him feel guilty. (chapter 65) But if he had seen this, he could have intervened and reasoned his master. But he chose not. He was too embarrassed, for he had been caught “spying”. (chapter 64)

And the next day, he prefers to forget this incident. (chapter 65) What caught my attention is that he feels nothing for the painter, he doesn’t even express any regret or remorse. Since he knows that the artist won’t be killed, then everything will return to normal. He doesn’t consider the impact of Yoon Seungho’s violence used against the painter, which he witnessed on several occasions. For him what matters the most is silence, the absence of ruckus! And now, I can understand why the lord is not able to distinguish genuine from hypocritical care. When the lord was young, he saw in his valet a surrogate father, but he got betrayed in the worst way. He turned away from the wounded master. He closed his eyes, closed the door and ran away. Therefore, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungho’s unconscious always expresses itself through the hand, the eye and the feet. This was the result of Kim’s abandonment, but not only from him: from his own family and even his best friend. And back then, the butler must have thought exactly the same in order to justify his behavior: (chapter 65). He legitimated his cowardice and passivity by saying that Yoon Seungho wasn’t part of his life and his adoptive son. He was just a noble, with such a statement, Kim was drawing a line. Due to his mistakes, he chose not to intervene any longer. But observe that in season 1 and 2, he meddled in his lord’s life, as he viewed it as his own business. Why? It is because he feared that he could lose his position. However, I think that in season 1, he was more influenced by his unconscious, but not in season 2.

After all these observations, I come to the conclusion that Kim has many common points with Lee Jihwa. He knows the past and feels remorse and repentance. But both are forced to hide their wrongdoings and as such their culpability. That’s why the chapter 65 reinforced my conviction that Lee Jihwa was indeed responsible for Yoon Seungho’s misery and the red-haired noble was aware of it. Yet, exactly like the butler, he denied his responsibility. Sure, many are to blame for the main lead’s tragedy as well: father Yoon, his brother and lord Song/the king. All of them lied and chose to remain silent.

From my point of view, Byeonduck has another reason for making Baek Na-Kyum going through the same experiences than the protagonist’s. This is not just to make Yoon Seungho realize what he has become and sees his own reflection in the end. In my opinion, the author uses the painter’s suffering to reveal the main lead’s tragic past. Since we all suffer for the artist, the manhwaphiles have to imagine that Yoon Seungho experienced it too, but in the worst possible way, as he had really no one by his side. While Yoon Seungho might be rough and hurtful towards the artist, he is still in love with the artist, hence he still cleans (chapter 65) the artist after their intercourse and even gives him his own shirt. He shows a certain sense of responsibility.

So my actual theory about Yoon Seungho’s past is the following: Yoon Chang-Hyeon got deceived by many people, making him believe that his son was an idle young master before being stigmatized as sodomite. The king had to ruin the protagonist’s reputation in order to approach him. The real puppet master was lord Song alias the king. But every culprits had to suffer the consequences of their crimes and deceptions. I don’t think that even the king was spared. He also got punished by the gods, yet he never realized it. Yoon Chang-Hyeon thought, he could benefit from such an alliance, but he got betrayed by father Lee, but the scholar never recognized it. (chapter 82) Why didn’t he ask for a punishment after this humiliation? It is because he couldn’t. However, he must have definitely sought revenge. And the main lead became the sacrificial lamb, as in father Yoon’s eyes, his son was the reason for the purge: desertion, betrayal and probably drugs played a role in the purge. It is definitely possible that I have to change this theory about his traumatic past, but as you can observe, the main elements don’t change:

  1. coercive persuasion: sexual, physical and emotional abuse
  2. a wrongdoing and the innocence of the main lead, yet the father believes that his words are all lies
  3. the abandonment from everyone: Lee Jihwa, the staff, the butler, his brother and his biological father
  4. The responsibility of Jihwa and Kim in his misery due to their behavior (action versus passivity)
  5. sexual abuse committed by a repressed homosexual
  6. “prostitution” and gangrape As the king would share Yoon Seungho to his officials

As a conclusion, silence is as terrible as words. Both can kill in the end.

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

That’s why it is important not to turn away from injustice. This is not just a question of courage. Not helping someone in the need is committing a crime, and it contributes to reinforce injustice. Fear for life can not be an excuse in this story, since the matter of life and death appears afterwards. The silence is related to a misdeed. Besides, this kind of behavior explains why Third Reich could exist. First, while some people were convinced believers, many chose comfort over trouble. Let’s not forget that Hitler could install his dictatorship, because the MP from the Reichstag voted for Enabling Act (1933). That law gave Hitler the power to enact laws without the involvement from the Reichstag. One might argue that Hitler used terror to coerce the MP, but this is not correct, as Otto Wels gave a speech against it and the socialist party (SPD) followed him. This was the only party that voted against it. I have to admit that while reading the last chapter, I couldn’t help myself thinking of the Third Wave.

https://timeline.com/this-1967-classroom-experiment-proved-how-easy-it-was-for-americans-to-become-nazis-ab63cedaf7dd

In our case, it is not about Nazism, but about civil courage. Once one remains passive, the other follows creating a common movement: all become inactive and silent. IT takes courage to admit a mistake and a wrongdoing. And we have to imagine that in the past, the servant Kim remained silent once leading the others to close an eye as well. And the phenomenon is occurring again. The physician was a witness, but did nothing (not even asking for help after the painter’s disappearance). He was convinced that if he shut his mouth, he would help the artist! But this was simply wrong, for with his passivity and false conclusion, the painter could have died. The irony is that Kim is following him after their conversation. (chapter 65) Slowly, he is recognizing that his master won’t hurt the artist. Yet, during his visit, he thought the exact opposite. (chapter 65)

However, this time it is different because of Baek Na-Kyum’s panic attack and his sister’s intervention. (chapter 65) The lord realized that something had happened. Due to the painter’s reaction, he was brought back the past. (chapter 66) Striking is that the painter’s words were the trigger for revealing the truth. (chapter 66) This stands in opposition to silence. Therefore it is no coincidence that Min revealed the truth. (chapter 66) The irony is that Heena suspected the main lead of kidnapping her brother and everything looked like her words were true: the wrist, the wounds around his wrist, his actual position (the mouth covered and his hands tied together…) (chapter 66) (chapter 66) Thus the circumstances were turned against him. (chapter 65) But she was not present, when Min admitted Lee Jihwa’s crime. That’s how I realized that while chapter 65 represents silence, deception, cowardice and passivity, chapter 66 embodies the exact opposite. Min told the truth, Heena tried to save her brother by creating a ruckus! For Yoon Seungho, silence is a sign of culpability which he learnt from Kim. Hence he lied to the kisaeng (chapter 65), and later never spoke to the painter about the incident. If he had done it, he would have been forced to admit his misjudgment and wrongdoing. And now, you understand why Martin Luther King said this:

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people”

The physician and the butler are no evil men per se, as they don’t find pleasure in death and suffering. However, like the following idiom is revealing, people can change due to their decisions:

The way to hell is paved with good intentions.

That’s why in season 4, the tragedy won’t be repeated and the truth about Yoon Seungho’s martyrdom, strongly intertwined with the artist’s, will come to the surface. You are wondering why now. The reason is quite simple: The doctor revealed his knowledge to Baek Na-Kyum, (chapter 57) It doesn’t matter, if the butler told lies to the physician in the past, as they are now perceived as truth. Remember what Kim confided to the painter: (chapter 86) He believes that he is the only one left who knows the past. But he is wrong, since the doctor also recalls the past. Hence how can Kim prove that he is telling the truth, since he told a different story to the physician? In addition, we have also lord Song. Besides, by giving the drug to Yoon Seungho without his knowledge and consent, Kim committed a wrongdoing. His knowledge won’t serve him in the end. I am deducing that the saying “silence is a true friend who never betrays” will no longer be valid. Therefore we have to expect a betrayal, and that would be from the physician, especially after we recall the butler’s warning in the first season, which was addressed to a different doctor from my point of view: (chapter 33) Let’s not forget that in chapter 65, the servant tried to put the whole responsibility on the physician, making him feel guilty. And since Byeonduck is even using elements from the first and second season, I believe, we will have a reversed situation in season 4, where the doctor will speak up and put the whole blame on someone. Neither the physician nor Kim expected that the painter’s body wouldn’t remain silent (chapter 65), a proof that the truth needed to be unveiled. It was impossible to act, as if nothing had happened, just because the painter had been returned to Yoon Seungho. And it is the same at the end of season 3. The painter gave his husband a task: (chapter 102) He needs to find the answer, which stands in opposition to silence and burying the truth (sweeping it under the carpet). This signifies that this time, Yoon Seungho has to gather information himself, and he can not rely on Kim: (chapter 98) As you can see, slowly people are forced to talk (chapter 99), hence their testimony can be questioned and perceived as lie. (chapter 100). This is important, because by getting confronted with lies, the lord will be able to discern the truth! In other words, silence embodies darkness and as such death. (chapter 74) Thus there was only silence in the lord’s nightmare. And this contradicts this statement: (chapter 65) Because Germans chose silence, the Holocaust could take place.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.