This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes.
In this essay, I would like to elaborate why it is taking so long for our two main leads to recognize their love for each other. I have to confess that I only realized it after composing “The spirit and the shadow”.
Now I know why exactly Yoon Seungho fell so deeply for the painter. All this started with Baek Na-Kyum’s first confession. All this time he has been hoping to hear the same words from the painter but this time really addressed to him and not to Jung In-Hun. Sure, you’ll say that so far, this is nothing new. Nevertheless, we need to examine the painter’s first love confession again.
Back then, the love declaration revolved around respect and admiration indicating that the artist loved the scholar spiritually. Since the lord considered himself as a spirit until the chapter 49, no wonder these words must have moved his heart. The irony is that the painter was in reality longing for sensuality. He desired a physical love as the admiration was not fulfilling enough. Moreover, Jung In-Hun kept pushing him away. In other words, the low-born confessed because he longed for warmth and love and felt the need for sensuality. The spiritual love he continued clinging on till the chapter 20 kept hurting him as it was actually one-sided. Besides this spiritual admiration couldn’t satisfy the low-born entirely as his repressed sexual desires hadn’t been removed completely. Due to Jung In-Hun’s rejection in the chapter 19, the painter chose to look for sensuality in order to ease the pain. Yet, the spiritual love was still present.
From my point of view, Baek Na-Kyum moved the lord’s mind and heart with his confession, unaware that with these words, the lord’s heart had started beating again for real. However, the lord didn’t realize the change in him. So when Yoon Seungho heard the confession, he hesitated for one instant and accepted the confession. The lord imagined that he would just get the opportunity to taste the man. Yet, the moment the painter kissed and hugged him, the lord discovered sensuality 
but couldn’t notice the difference right away. He was still under the impression that he was just a spirit. He imagined that this would be like another “sex session” hence he became impatient and rough towards the painter..
With this signification, it becomes understandable why their first night felt so different for the lord. There existed someone who could feel respect and admiration for him, something he had never witnessed before. First, he is known as an infamous sodomite and hell-raiser. Even his best childhood friend Jihwa never considered him as a spiritual or intellectual man and I am quite sure that the protagonist knew about it. Deep down, he was well aware that his childhood friend only saw him as a 
. For the readers, it becomes more comprehensible why he told his friend he knew nothing about him. Yet for the first time, he met someone different… the painter was honest and so easy to understand, yet so difficult to control. All this time, he was sexually attracted by the painter but since in his eyes, he was just a spirit, he imagined that he felt the same way with Baek Na-Kyum. In his mind, the painter was just like the other men he had met.
Nevertheless in that chamber, he discovered that the painter was a spiritual being too. Furthermore to his surprise, he heard that the low-born had remained a virgin, the symbol of purity and chastity, showing how much he valued the teacher spiritually. It showed how strong-willed the painter was, as he had been raised in a brothel. He never fell into temptation, that’s why the noble could only fall for him. The painter was spiritually strong and since he viewed himself as a spirit, he could only choose him as his partner. As a conclusion, he saw in the painter a kindred spirit.
However, the longer they interacted together, the more the lord discovered sensuality. The warmth and love coming from the painter’s gestures could only touch his heart, therefore during that night he became a man of flesh and blood as his heart started beating again. That’s why he is able to show such a tenderness and affection.
He could never do it before as he was just a spirit. In other words, the spirituality got replaced with sensuality. While the lord thought, he was still a spirit, he didn’t notice the transformation. Furthermore he didn’t forget that the painter was spiritually attracted by a man. This could only reinforce the lord’s confusion. At the same time, the sex was no longer a fight but a sign of love and warmth. Therefore the lord had no idea how to differentiate love, sex, spirituality and sensuality, since he couldn’t distinguish spirit and body. This explains why he is as confused as the painter until the chapter 53. He only saw himself as a spirit until the chapter 49 and hoped to be loved for his mind and not his body. On the other hand, he had experienced sensuality thinking that this was spirituality.
Consequently Yoon Seungho had been waiting for the renewal of a love confession at the pavilion. Yet, not only he was rejected but he had to witness how the painter would hate him and keep admiring the scholar. Imagine, Baek Na-Kyum would even defend the low noble at any cost. No wonder that Yoon Seungho got so jealous and mad to the point 
he wanted to kill Jung In-Hun as he knew how fake the low noble was. Because the protagonist still viewed himself as a spirit and intellectual, he couldn’t understand the painter’s adoration for the scholar. The powerful noble knew that he had more knowledge and could even perceive people’s nature very well, yet he was unable to get the painter’s admiration. Imagine the humiliation. The young man fell for Jung In-Hun’s deceptions all the time.
The first confession also explains why the main lead confused the mind with the heart. Baek Na-Kyum never said “I love you” right from the start, he only did it much later
and since the painter had spoken about adoration and respect, the noble thought, the painter was still speaking about the mind and not the heart. As you can observe, it makes sense why it took the noble so long to discover that his heart was the reason behind all his actions and not his mind. He had been misled by the painter’s confession as well. Finally, this also explicates why the aristocrat decided in the chapter 49 to drop his perception as a spirit as he felt, he would never get anything from the painter, except the physical relationship. At least, the painter had accepted him as his partner, it was better than anything else. 
Thereby he decided to lower his expectations. Since he couldn’t get the same respect or admiration, then he should be satisfied to get the physical affection. In this picture, it becomes obvious that sharing what is on their mind is an allusion of their first night together.
We all know that all the sex sessions with the painter were an attempt of Yoon Seungho to relive their first night, to feel the sensuality and affection experienced during their first night. Yet, since he had no idea he was longing for the painter’s heart as he saw himself as a spirit, this is not surprising that the lord could never confess or never tell him what he wanted exactly.
The origins for the confusion between the heart and the mind is not only result of the lord’s philosophy but also the painter’s coercive persuasion. The latter had been forced to transform the physical love into a spiritual one due to the doctrine the scholar imposed on him. In other words, the painter’s thinking contributed to this misconception. At the same time, Baek Na-Kyum had been pressured to ignore his own heart, his mind had to control his body and as such his heart therefore he got confused himself. Since both were disconnected to their heart, they were no longer able to make the difference between the mind and the heart. And Yoon Seungho couldn’t even help the painter in that aspect. He was lost as well.
Jung In-Hun even brought more confusion when he compared the painter to a prostitute. The sensuality the latter had just accepted was turned into a perversion. He could no longer feel any admiration and respect for anyone as he saw himself as a nobody. While the lord thought, he had finally won the battle in the chapter 44, he kept waiting for a renewal, kept criticizing the painter for his passivity and lack of passion. He wanted to feel the painter’s admiration again but as time passed on, he realized that the sex between them wasn’t like he desired. Since he was a spirit and mistook his heart for his mind, he couldn’t voice exactly what he was missing as he had no idea what he really desired. This also explains why he replies this to the painter, when he is interrogated to the reason for his care:
He is pained all the time, as he keeps missing something but he can’t tell him why. He can’t even say that his heart is hurting all the time, hoping to hear the admiration the painter expressed in his bedroom during their first night. Many readers kept wondering why he didn’t confess here. He couldn’t as he was still viewing himself as a spirit, although he had already become a man made of flesh and blood a long time ago but he had no idea about it. He had never realized his own transformation.
This picture really reveals the lord’s illusion. He still believes that his mind is ruling his life and that his decision to just accept the painter as his sex partner will satisfy his need and longing. However, the reality is different. The hanbok he wears the next morning 
reveals that his heart is already bleeding and deep down he is hurting again. What he imagined, his mind was still ruling his life was no longer true. He had become a man a long time ago and his last decision could only hurt him even more. On the other hand, with his confrontation, he helped the painter to abandon the scholar’s doctrine for good so that he could finally liberate himself and become a free spirit.
From that moment, he made his own choice, accepted his homosexuality and his relationship with Yoon Seungho. But in that moment, he also decided to ignore his heart due to the bad experience made with Jung In-Hun. He got scared that the warmth he felt with Yoon Seungho was fake so he made up his mind that he should keep his distance from the lord. He could only have a physical relationship with the protagonist. The painter made the mistake to still mistrust his body and indirectly his heart.
Because of this decision, he wounded Yoon Seungho again.
Since the powerful master had never realized his transformation, he could never recognize the existence of his heart. Furthermore he kept thinking that all his choices were made by his mind, because he had continued seeing himself as a spirit for a long time. That’s why he kept looking for a spiritual love but he couldn’t get it as he kept having sex with the painter. This reinforced the artist’s misconception about the noble: he could only consider him as a man of lust.
Yoon Seungho’s “obsession” for spiritual love could never become concrete because their encounters were revolving around sex. On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that right from the start the painter was longing unconsciously for more than just spirituality. Deep down, he hoped for sensuality too. In reality, both protagonists were longing for the same thing, love… but since the noble viewed himself as a spirit and the other was forced to only admit spiritual adoration, they could never say what they were both looking and expecting. However, the more Baek Na-Kyum experienced sensuality with the main lead, the more the artist felt the lord’s love. Hence he had these memories where the lord expressed his love.
Consequently he started expecting something else from the lord. That’s the reason why he asked the lord why he treated him so well. 
Later he kept wondering why he felt hurt, when he saw his lord kiss another man and he didn’t pay attention to his painting.
Striking is that in the chapter 53, for the first time the lord could feel the painter’s affection in the hug. 
In my other analysis, I even described that the hug helped him to transform from a shadow into a man. But there is more to it. Unlike in the past, the painter remained by the lord’s side. He keeps hugging the man, although the servant has already walked away from them. 
There is no need for the painter to keep embracing the lord like that. Yet, he does it because he wants to comfort the man. He has sensed the pain in the gestures. So for the first time, the embrace is linked to affection but it is also disconnected to sex. There is only warmth and love without sex. And this is important as it helps them to see that they mean more to each other. This explains why the noble is tender again and wants to remove carefully the white band. Their love has finally come true.
They hug each other without feeling the need to express sexual desires. This was also another source for their misunderstanding. The lord had never received an embrace outside their intercourses. The only hug he received in the past occurred in the chapter 26 and it was to save Jung In-Hun. Baek Na-Kyum didn’t hug the noble for solace and comfort but it was for someone else.
In my opinion, the painter could be the one confessing his feelings first. We shouldn’t forget that unlike the master, the artist has already admitted that he felt his heart racing in the lord’s presence. In other words, he has never seen himself as a spirit but has always acknowledged the existence of his heart. Secondly, he is questioning the reason for his sadness due to the lord’s actions. He is the one who keeps asking “why” (chapter 46, 47, 52). Finally, he only rejected the lord in the chapter 49 because he got scared that this warmth was just an illusion. He didn’t want to fall into the same trap and get wounded again. And more importantly, he has a positive and forgiving nature. He didn’t really resent the noble for the kiss, he didn’t cry, when he got expelled at the door. He was sad but not furious at Yoon Seungho. Moreover, he got to hear from Min that the lord liked him.
And this is the second person telling him that the lord cares for him a lot. He saw that the lord took his side the moment he entered that room and started beating Deok Jae. Finally, I’ve always said that the painter was the bravest one which was confirmed in the latest chapter 53 again. He showed no fear to step between the servant and the lord, was willing to get a slap and didn’t even resent Yoon Seungho for his violent gesture.
Strangely, despite not knowing how intelligent and educated the lord is, the painter already fell for him as he sensed the love in his actions. The spiritual love will only come the moment the lord reveals his other side to the commoner but for that they need to open up to each other and even entrust their heart to each other.
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(Chapter 5) That’s why in this scene he couldn’t get erected in Lee Jihwa’s presence, chapter 5] Remember what I said about him: he was like a zombie and this was indeed correct. He lived through his mind therefore he read so many books and owns a huge library. From this observation, the manhwalovers can now better grasp why he never cared about his bad reputation as hell-raiser. The image he had about himself was so different from what the beholders saw. He considered himself as a free spirit. Besides, this interpretation confirms my statement in the analysis “The heart and the mind” as well where I explained that he confused his heart with his mind. Since he never considered himself as a man but as a spirit, he couldn’t recognize the existence of his heart. This explains why he makes such a mistake in chapter 53. Moreover, I feel that my association of the eagle was so point on either, as the latter flies high in the sky. That’s the reason why this bird symbolizes free spirit. 
(chapter 50) His mind was no longer controlling his body, he acted on his impulses. He let his heart do what it wanted. He no longer ponders like in the past. This explicates why he confuses the mind with the heart. We could say that he was deceived because of all the time he spent thinking. Imagine his reaction when he realized after making that decision that the painter was no longer reacting. He got scared that the painter had fallen sick again, he imagined for one moment that this was a repetition of the incident after the sex marathon. Now, you might be wondering why I bring up this scene again. I would like to point out that in chapter 32, when he said
(chapter 32) he was already living under the illusion that he was just following his mind. He made the decision consciously that he would have more rounds with the painter, whereas in reality, he already was under the influence of his heart. He felt unsatisfied with the first round as he had just forced the painter to acknowledge his sexuality. Deep down, he wanted Baek Na-Kyum to accept him as his “husband” but despite the painter’s facial expressions and his climax, the noble sensed that there was something missing. So he kept having sex with him until the painter felt sick. In chapter 49, it was different, as he had already learnt to pay attention to his lover. Nevertheless, this indicates that the lord’s learning process was not complete. During that night he finally accepted the existence of his body. On the other hand, this also illustrates that he was slowly giving up on the idea that the painter could ever open up to him. Striking is that both made a similar decision during that night. While the painter chose to accept the lord only physically, the lord made the same decision. That’s the reason why in the end, I believe that when I confused the noble’s thoughts with Baek Na-Kyum’s, it doesn’t change much, as the thoughts are quite similar. Both acknowledge the existence and influence of the body. We could say that their expectations were aligned. This outlines how similar the two characters are. Both were living under the influence of their minds. One was brainwashed, while the other chose to live as a spirit in order to avoid any pain. Nonetheless, I believe that he was also brainwashed.
(Chapter 50) How strange that the moment he comes back to life, he has to die a second time, he can’t let his body take the lead. That’s why he remembers the painter’s sleeping face. His mind is telling to distance himself from Baek Na-Kyum, yet his heart is showing him something else: the painter.
(Chapter 50) The man gets torn due to the conflict. Therefore I have a different interpretation of the last panel. One might say that he becomes a ghost again. It was as if he was vanishing again… disappearing in the books. 
(chapter 52) when he got a fellatio. His heart was telling him that he could only get attracted to the painter, therefore he doesn’t feel the need to have sex with his guests. Striking was his passivity as a host. He said nothing and did nothing except smoking. He was not taking the lead literally speaking contrary to episode 8. Since he was only a shadow of himself, there was no real desire. At the same time, it also explains why he remained passive to Min’s attacks. The latter was acting like the guest of honor, and as such taking the lead. There was no fire in Yoon Seungho to fight back and this illustrates why he gave in in the end.
(Chapter 52) Simultaneously his body was indeed taking the lead in his chamber too. The moment he discovered the painter’s presence at his door and even heard his guest’s words, he couldn’t help himself to react. 
(Chapter 52) That was his heart pressuring him to kiss Black Heart. He wanted to protect the artist. He simply let his body take the lead. To conclude, the lord‘s resolution in the study became a reality. 
(Chapter 51) Baek Na-Kyum from far away had the impression that this was his lover’s laugh. The lord was masking his wounded heart with these fake parties. Either he laughed so loudly in chapter 51 or ignored his guest’s remarks in chapter 52. 
(chapter 52) In the last picture, he still wondered why the painter came to his side, he must have heard about the rumors. But since Black Heart understood the lord’s actions perfectly, he kept rubbing salt into the wound so that the host finally gave in. 
(Chapter 52) Nonetheless, there was a certain rage and brutality in his gaze. Thereby he might have been defeated in that moment, yet.he had not lost the war. Why? It is because he was boiling internally. He was furious. His mind chose to give in to prove Min’s words wrong. But why? It is related to his brainwashing and past trauma. He shouldn‘t take it to heart. 
(Chapter 50) If he does, it will bring him only misery. And in the bedchamber, it looked like Kim‘s words were correct. Black Heart had bothered him so much that the only solution he had was to give in. That way, he would no longer be bothered. He would be left alone and find his „peace“. However, deep down, he was so annoyed and angry. Notice that his rage changed him. He became proactive allowing his body to take the lead. 
just like his steps were guiding him to a different room. Strangely, he was indeed following his body and not his mind. The mind made the decision to bring the painter back, the body chose not. That’s why he stopped the moment he heard the scream from the painter’s room.
That’s how the readers discovered the contradiction. That’s also the reason why this manhwa is not easy to understand after first reading. 
(Chapter 53) He wasn’t even forced to hug him like that. The noble got shocked because he had hurt the painter again. 
(Chapter 53)
(Chapter 53) Thus in the shaman‘s house, the lord fulfilled his wish. He wouldn‘t stop because someone had asked him to.
(Chapter 102) As you can see, Min was put in a similar situation, the only difference is that he was now the target of the protagonist’s fury. The gods decided to reveal to Black Heart how wrong his thinking was. A life of a commoner is not different than the noble’s. Yoon Seungho‘s heart got broken, the moment he saw the painter‘s bloody face. 
(Chapter 102) Therefore he transformed into a shadow with a bleeding heart. 
(Chapter 102) This is no coincidence that Min couldn‘t stop the main lead. How can a human influence a shadow? It is impossible. As you can see, Min‘s joke in front of his friends came to bite him in the end. 
(Chapter 101) In the shaman‘s house, he was not beaten to death, but stabbed to death. This was the usual punishment for a noble. The irony is that because the painter was unconscious, he couldn’t stop Yoon Seungho. The latter let his body take the lead and committed murder. He couldn’t act differently, as he had lost his reason to live. The main lead had once again confused the mind and the heart. This explicates why he couldn’t detect that the painter was just unconscious. And that‘s how Min became a spirit. 
Back then, he felt the need to share what was on his heart, mistaking that his kiss and caress were motivated by his mind. What he really wants to share is not his mind but his heart but his eyes are not able to distinguish the difference. Because of the link between the heart, the mind and the blindness, I had a sudden revelation:
The children can indeed enjoy the beauty in simple things, while the scholar’s mind is only focus on his books and his hunger for power and admiration. 
Therefore he can’t really enjoy life as he is left unsatisfied with his situation. As you can observe, the manhwa offers a similar philosophy. Jung In-Hun is just an adult who lost his inner child a long time ago.
In fact, his inner child died at the moment he got betrayed by his own father so that he stopped living for real. He was like a zombie, the mind was the only proof that he wasn’t truly dead. His thoughts were the remains of his existence and this explains why he detests the idea that he is a man consumed by lust. For him, the body was just a tool thereby he never paid attention to his own body. His sex sessions were just a tool to deceive people, to hurt his father and ensure that he wouldn’t get wounded again. This explicates why he is no big eater, why he was even willing to give his whole lunch to the artist.
He only existed through the mind and his eyes. That’s why he can’t see and recognize his own heart even after meeting the painter.
They were the expressions of his innocence and purity in the end, which the aristocrat felt. We could say that through the publications, the noble rediscovered the forgotten childhood and innocence. And this coincidences with the narrator’s life. The latter used to love painting but was forced to renounce his passion, painting. So by meeting Baek Na-Kyum, the lord is encouraged to paint again. 
(chapter 8) 
(chapter 23) 
(chapter 36) 
Remember when he even grabs the painter’s hands, he is treasuring them. There is indeed a certain candidness in his gestures and comments.
The erotic paintings were the fire to ignite the main lead’s heart. The inner child was awaken. Therefore he is again happy like a little child, when the artist appears at his chamber in the chapter 8. 
Thanks to the painter, the lord’s heart started beating again. He was able to reconnect with emotions that were buried by his huge trauma. However, since he had to use strategies to force the painter to paint, he explained everything with his eyes and mind. Although the low-born rejected him in the chapter 49, the aristocrat overlooked an important aspect: 
and it is the same for the painter. The latter is the one who offers comfort and warmth to the lord, only him can soothe the noble’s extreme emotions.
Observe the painting is what brings them back together. This is no coincidence, since imagination and creativity are important for children. Then if I had to compare all the other adults, I would say that Jung In-Hun is a combination of the geographer and the conceited man. The former lives in his books and makes no experience, he doesn’t visit the places he reads in his books. He has no idea about real life and the conceited man lives in order to get admired. The scholar is often seen in company of books
and has no idea about the real world, therefore the lord warned him before his departure to the city. As for the conceited man, since he is alone on his planet, he is left unsatisfied. And we all know how arrogant and conceited the low noble is. The two adults represent each of them a negative feature which people should avoid in their life. Knowledge is good but without experience, it is reduced to nothing. 
He shouldn’t feel wounded. On the other hand, he kept asking why. As you can see, the painter’s mind is controlling his heart. I had the impression that he would be the first one to recognize his emotions, because he is the only one who talks about his heart. 
And this assumption was proven correct: The Joker is determined to taste Baek Na-Kyum. However, he is not wise like the fox in The Little Prince. In truth, he embodies the negative version, because he is not reflecting on his own behavior and emotions. He has no idea why he is so obsessed with the painter: for me, there’s no doubt that he is confusing lust with love. He definitely got upset, when he saw the couple hugging 
each other tenderly. 
That’s why he felt the urge to vomit. Min is too focused on looking at Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum that he is not recognizing his true motivations behind his actions. That’s why he said this: 
In my opinion, The Joker needs the presence of others in order to feel his own existence. In other words, while the fox in the original story asked the prince to tame him, the fox in Painter Of The Night is acting the opposite. He is trying to tame the others, but he keeps failing all the time.
(chapter 70) 
, he starts acting like a child again: he plays pranks
(chapter 70) 
(chapter 74) or he is teasing his lover. 
, These are signs of the return of his innocence. The readers can feel the inner child in Yoon Seungho. 
When I examined this scene for the first time, I tried to define if this reflection was a prediction of the future or if it revealed the painter’s deepest desires which he was trying to repress all the time. Now, we can definitely say that the mirror announced the future for the embrace of the two protagonists occurs in the chapter 49.
we have to envisage other possibilities. The protagonist has to be seen elsewhere. In order to divert attention, he needs to create a huge scandal. Therefore if a sword is used, then Nameless could be involved and they will frame the guest who is high with the excuse that he acted under delirium. 
. So from strangulation, I came to suffocation, the impossibility to breathe. I couldn’t restrain myself from associating asphyxiation to the first picture of the chapter 52, when the evil aristocrat is smoking with his mouth wide open and his head is looking up.
, since there is a question mark and he adds: „Dammit“. Because of this, I assume that the servant spied on the low-born and observed him going to the noble’s bedchamber. Therefore he imagined that the artist would spend the evening with the lord. For him, the master is just a man consumed by lust, hence he won’t send away the artist. I have to admit that my first thought was that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the mansion again, either on his own will or forced. However, I changed my mind as we already have three escapes from the low-born. The first one takes place in the chapter 4, where Yoon Seungho can stop him. Then we have another desertion in the chapter 29 and the third departure was mentioned in the chapter 46. 
His reaction was terrible: he was so enraged that he started beating all his servants since they hadn’t noticed the commoner’s escape. The staff should have kept an eye on him. And note how many parallels exist between the chapter 29/30 and 52:
before getting dragged to the lord’s room for a sex marathon, I have the impression, the manhwalovers could witness a new version of the sex marathon, especially if my theory is correct that the author might have developed her chapter 53 as a reflection of the chapter 30. However, there will be a huge variation: the chronology. We have a change of clothes, then the visit to the lord’s chamber. Finally the low-born discovers his ransacked room, while the lord is angry due to Min’s words and behavior. This divergence will lead to a different outcome. 
He only intervened, when he saw that the maids were still looking down on the commoner. Back then, the aristocrat had to warn them. I envision that the lord will intervene the moment Deok-Jae starts getting violent. Because of that, Yoon Seungho could decide to drag the servant and punish him for his behavior. We would still have a dragging, like in the chapter 30 but this time, the person is different and the lord has a reason. Deok-Jae committed a crime. Yoon Seungho could grab the domestic by the topknot and punish him, like he did with Jihwa.
Yet, I have the impression that Baek Na-Kyum could act differently and no longer remains passive, like in the chapter 18. This time, he pleads for leniency. 
He never replied and criticized him for his attitude. From my point of view, the low-born has really changed, has already rediscovered his identity and found a certain confidence. He is now part of the mansion hence he needs to be proactive. He hasn’t forgotten the valet’s words: he is not a spoiled princess and as such, he can’t expect rescue from anyone. He needs to fight for his own place. My prediction is that he will question Deok-Jae about the reason for his action. As we experienced in the chapter 52 how the commoner would even question the lord’s actions and behavior.
This could be the new version of the painter’s plea. 
and will confront his husband and ask him for the reason behind his change of behavior and what is his position at the mansion. The former could even interrogate his “husband” if he has to leave the mansion, since he has no interest in the painting. While we had the artist submitting himself to the lord in the chapter 30, I envision a renewal of this alliance, yet under a different form. The painter could confess to the noble for real. Another possibility is that since Yoon Seungho is questioned, the aristocrat decides to be more open about his feelings and we have a mini-confession from the lord. He could use Wang Bang Yeon’s poem… if this theory is correct. Back then, the aristocrat wanted the painter to draw new images of their intercourse and he requested from him to pay attention to his own facial expressions, since they were lacking. Remember that was the reason why the protagonist sent the mirror to the painter’s room. From my point of view, the new work reflects the painter’s emancipation. 
His face is drawn properly, you can identify him on the drawing. Furthermore the visage is not expressing pain or fear but pleasure, which is quite strange because if you look carefully at the new picture, Baek Na-Kyum chose the position where he expressed fear and pain.
That’s what the readers got to witness. However, I believe that the painter wasn’t feeling real pain in fact. He was more scared of his own reactions, feeling pleasure. We shouldn’t underestimate the power of the brainwashing and the criticisms expressed by Jung In-Hun. I interpret that the painter must have felt pleasure but refused to admit it. He chose to act like a whore following the teacher’s words so that he could still deny that he was a homosexual per se. As a prostitute, he had been forced to sex, hence he shouldn’t feel any ecstasy. It was an excuse, a subterfuge for his own conscious. Deep down, a part of him wanted to keep following the scholar’s words. Due to the lord’s action, the painter had a breakthrough and finally dropped the teacher’s doctrine for good. And in my opinion, the painting is reflecting this. 
The smoke of opium in the first drawing reminds us of the poisonous words Min voices in that chamber. Observe that during the scene in Yoon Seungho’s chamber, he keeps talking all the time. He is not even waiting for Yoon Seungho’s answer. There is a reason to this. His words resemble the arrows he used during the hunt.
He had to use many arrows in order to really hurt the pheasant. However the protagonist was the one ending the suffering of the wild bird, by killing him with his own hands. That’s why I conclude that Min’s mouth is full of poison, just like the opium, and his words are like arrowheads. Consequently he keeps stabbing from a certain distance, thinking himself safe. 
Because of the connection with the chapter 41, I have the feeling that Min considers the main lead as an easy target, for he views him as a pheasant. In an earlier analysis, I had imagined, the pheasant was Jihwa. And this interpretation was confirmed with the chapter 43 
and 67 
In both episodes, he used his words to poison the second lead’s heart and mind, so that the latter would suffer so much. Remember after each suggestion, the noble felt so tormented: chapter 51 
and chapter 76 
. He is so plagued by his existential fear and remorse that he feels like dying. But as you can imagine, due to my previous analyses and the evolution of the story, I would like to add another signification. From my perspective, we should consider Baek Na-Kyum as the pheasant too, for both ukes are mirroring each other. By living next to Yoon Seungho, the painter was slowly metamorphosing. Therefore I come to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum was indeed the deer in the first hunt. The scholar’s words were represented by the arrowheads and the lord’s sword symbolized his phallus. 
In other words, the first hunt announced the rape and the painter’s loss of innocence in episode 25 and the lord’s abandonment in chapter 40. 
As you can observe, the chronology of the hunt was not respected. But this interpretation allows us to be able to predict the future season and Black Heart’s personality. Since the two main leads are going through a metamorphosis, it signifies that this phenomenon will occur to Jihwa and Min as well. Since Min believes that the main lead is an easy prey, this signifies that he considers the host as a pheasant too. Moreover, I think that the vicious noble has the impression that he is similar to Yoon Seungho, that’s why he can understand him so well. Therefore he views himself as a pheasant, but in this battle for the painter, he attacks his rival with his beak, similar to the arrow points, unaware of the main lead’s true nature. The latter is a phoenix, based on different essays. This mystical bird embodies fire and passion – the flames of true inspiration. Moreover, it brings good luck, harmony, peace, balance, and prosperity. This signifies that by defying the phoenix, Min’s fate is doomed. His fight against him will bring only misfortune and destruction. Hence Heena’s words 
(chapter 68) seem to be true: Yoon Seungho will ruin misery to his adversaries. But in chapter 52, the noble had not gone through his spiritual death. That’s why the Joker had the upper hand in episode 52 and could hurt the main lead’s heart. As you can observe, I felt this chapter was announcing Min’s chronicle of a death foretold. And this perception was confirmed with chapter 76. His addiction to opium is already destroying The Joker, therefore he vomits and he loses his temper in front of Nameless. 
Observe the contrast with chapter 52, where the vicious noble controlled the situation and cornered Yoon Seungho. Black Heart was calm and vicious, he had the upper hand, whereas the opposite happened in chapter 76. But let’s return our attention to chapter 52. Yoon Seungho was put under pressure, thus the latter avoided Min’s gaze and remained silent, until the main lead gave in: 
(chapter 56), he wasn’t able to copy him entirely. This was a poor imitation. In other words, the Joker is short-sighted. He was able to defeat the protagonist in chapter 52, yet the one who definitely put the final blow to Yoon Seungho was not Black Heart, but the painter. His words in chapter 54 definitely wounded Yoon Seungho’s heart: 
(chapter 54). That’s why we could say that chapter 54 was a new version of the rape scene. Yet Min was not able to achieve his goal, for the main lead was confronted with his own reflection and his traumatic past: 
(chapter 54). Contrary to the first season, Yoon Seungho was able to stop before repeating the same mistake. And this is not surprising that the next morning, the noble confessed to the artist. He had been in truth defeated by the artist. The roles had been switched. And now, you comprehend, why we have two painful nights (52-53-54/62-63-64)) in the second season. They both represented the hunts from the first season, yet the roles had been reversed and the actors were different: Kim and The Joker. In chapter 68, valet Kim wounded his master
with his words in order to undermine his judgement and as such destroy him. 
(chapter 60), therefore I deduce that Nameless will become Yoon Seungho’s hands. The final episode already exposed the animosity between Black Heart and Nameless. Besides, the latter had to threaten the commoner: 
(chapter 60). But in order to get rid of Min, Nameless will have to get the support from Yoon Seungho. In other words, the latter could be the one giving the execution order. I would like the readers to keep in mind the protagonist’s words from chapter 11: 
. And the criminal behaved exactly like in chapter 54. He killed Deok-Jae and no one dared to suspect him.
(chapter 54) That’s why I am expecting a new version of this scene in the third season, and in my opinion The Joker will be the victim… let’s not forget that in Yoon Seungho’s words (chapter 11), the scholar’s life was threatened. This means, a noble will be targeted in the future. As a conclusion, I am predicting Black Heart’s slow destruction and final death. But he doesn’t turn into a beautiful bird like Yoon Seungho (phoenix) or Baek Na-Kyum (from a deer, he metamorphosed into a pheasant before becoming a crane!). Min has already transformed into a crow, consequently he wears a black hanbok in the final chapter 76! 
This is important, as it contrasts to Min’s gesture. The lord decided to look up, because he was wounded. He acted, as if he chose to ignore Min’s attacks. This stare at the ceiling was not connected to fun, rather to faked indifference and pain. His heart was wounded and he was trying to hide his vulnerability. At the same time, I also believe that he was also pondering, wondering why the artist came to visit him, although he had never asked for him. From my point of view, Black Heart’s poisonous words created a certain insecurity in him. Let’s not forget that in that scene, Min was describing the artist as a man consumed by lust. Besides, his butler had revealed to him that Baek Na-Kyum had become so easy, as he was now viewing himself as a prostitute. In other words, Yoon Seungho felt insecure and doubted the artist’s innocence. The position of his head symbolized the opposite, deep thinking, while it represented Black Heart’s carelessness and confidence, contrasting to Yoon Seungho’s doubts and mistrust. Min was not noticing his surrounding, as he was too focused on his own pleasure, while Yoon Seungho was looking up on purpose. The host was actually attempting to avoid Min’s arrows hurting him. Min was criticizing the main lead, insinuating that he was a killjoy. If he hadn’t sent away the boy, they could have fun. 
(chapter 66). the nobles would always fight against each other. This explicates why Black Heart had the upper hand in chapter 52 and why the main lead remained passive and silent for a while. He was applying what he had been taught: hide any weakness…. yet in this scene, the lord was definitely in pain. Then the author zoomed on the lord’s mouth, like she often does. 
In other words, the protagonist had the impression that he got the upper hand in the end. Black Heart had revealed his own “desire” and as such “exposure”. By giving in, Yoon Seungho was deceiving himself. His mind was telling him that he had found the perfect tool to control Min, while in reality he was playing into Black Heart’s hands. And now, you can understand why Yoon Seungho was infuriated, although he was smiling. 
(Chapter 52) In my opinion, he must be mocking the other noble. He feels that his fellow is just too stupid and naive. Yet Min is actually overlooking an important aspect. There is an explanation why the other aristocrats are calling the protagonist a lunatic. Yoon Seungho is indeed revolutionary as he rejects social hierarchy and as such criticizes nobility with its privileges. During the 18th Century, libertines were fighting for liberty and equity and this is not surprising that the French revolution began 1789. Remember what I told about libertines, sex was just one aspect in their life, they advocate reforms and changes in the tripartite society, in the rigid social hierarchy. That’s what Black Heart is overlooking, whereas the nobles sensed this aspect but were not able to define it. 
His retreat was not a defeat, he was just ignoring their opinion. Yoon Seungho just saw them as nobodies hence he had no reason to fight back for his reputation, since he never valued his notoriety. What Min perceived as a first victory was nothing in Yoon Seungho’s eyes.
(Chapter 33) Here, he was challenging the lord for the first time. Furthermore like I had already underlined before, the lord created this image of hell-raiser as a shield. Thanks to his bad notoriety, he could deceive people and protect himself. Ecstasy was never his goal unlike Min, since Yoon Seungho desired to divert people’s attention. And based on my theory he never took pleasure in sodomy, he rather forced himself to live up to his bad reputation. 
(Chapter 52) No noble imagined that the main lead had an interest in government posts. Admittedly, only the readers know the reason why he is sponsoring Jung In-Hun. It happened because of the painter. However, I detect another manipulation here because of the following picture: 
[chapter 11] The noble has always been honest in front of the painter hence his words outline how powerful the main lead is in reality. He already has connections in the government but he never made it public therefore aristocrats thought, he was indulging himself in lust. While he went to sex orgies, he did pay attention to what was happening at the capital, yet he never showed up there due to his trauma. I would even add that he even influenced the government, but always unofficially and indirectly so that people would never make any connection to him. His power seems to be quite important since he proclaims that he can ruin the teacher’s career. This can be also the explication why he even adjoins that he will never get caught with Jung In-Hun’s murder. 
(chapter 52) But this doesn’t stop here. He even confesses Jihwa’s involvement.
(Chapter 52) How can I not judge him stupid? I guess, opium has already confused his mind and reduced his vigilance. He is indeed careless and thoughtless. Besides, in the picture above, I noticed another important detail. He started insulting Jihwa as sodomite. This word “sodomite” reflects his opinion about sodomy as such. He is no homosexual per se, he just uses sodomy to submit the other masters. He is indeed similar to Yoon Seungho in that aspect. Both perceive sex as war, however the powerful noble did it out of resent towards nobility, whereas the other wanted to establish himself as the new ruler among the local aristocracy. Black Heart desired to prove his superiority over the other lords. the main lead had a different goal, it was to tarnish and ruin the image of the nobility. One might argue that the outcome is the same… which is correct, yet due to this, Min jumped to the false conclusion. Min assumed that Yoon Seungho had the same intention. 
(Chapter 52) The painter gets upset with the kiss but instead of letting his emotions take control of his thoughts, he ponders about the cause of these negative feelings. Why is he upset? 
Observe the lord’s hand is still grabbing the chin and his mouth is literally devouring Black Heart’s mouth. It was as if he was covering up Min’s mouth. He made sure that he would stop talking. Note Min’s expression. He never expected such a gesture, he thought that the lord wouldn’t retaliate like that, he would retreat. On the other hand, the main lead is not happy, he is actually furious. 
(Chapter 52) 
(chapter 43) but this signification is reinforced with this chapter. To summarize, Min treats everyone as pawns, including nobles. This outlines his arrogance. He considers himself as a puppet master, a great mastermind hence he is superior to everyone, including Yoon Seungho.
(Chapter 43) Therefore I believe Min defends the values perpetuated among the aristocracy: titles give lords the right to consider themselves superior to commoners and to treat the latter as bugs. Min is the representative of this mentality, for him low-born have no value and no right. They can be killed or be mistreated, this is the normality for him. And this mentality is faulty as Min is neglecting an important factor: commoners. They represent the majority and play a greater role in the masters’ life. The result is that he made a huge mistake because of this source of info. He just relied on his fellows, however I have always said that Yoon Seungho used rumors and has always acted in front of other nobles. In other words, Min has a false image about the main lead and there is no doubt about it.
(chapter 8) Furthermore, after having sex one time, he remained by the painter’s side observing his expressions and reactions. He understood what the painter meant to the protagonist.
(Chapter 9) However, his judgement is only partially correct as his perception is also influenced by the reports he received through his connections, like I wrote above. After the two challenges, Min could no longer approach the main lead hence he had to rely on other sources.
(Chapter 41) Min never took it seriously. He only saw it as an empty menace. The problem is that Min’s perception is mostly influenced by the rumors existing about Yoon Seungho. I doubt, he is aware that the main lead has shadow guards. I even suspect that he never heard Yoon Seungho’s thread made in front of the painter.
The scholar has become a high official in the drawing. He sits above all the people surrounding him, as if he was different and superior. His inauguration reminds me of a religious ceremony. Let’s not forget that this event is indeed linked to religion, as the new official has to thank the king and the gods in order to get good fortune. In other words, this picture is indeed linked to religion. The usual form of idolatry in the Bible is the worship of images or statues that are thought to embody the various pagan deities, like for example the golden calf. [For more explanations about the golden calf 
This scene is really important, as the strong seme demonstrates his power over the low noble. He shows him his powerlessness, he confronts him with the reality. He is not a god. He has no real authority, hence he can’t change the world like he would like. In this scene, the scholar has to recognize that Yoon Seungho stands above him. Moreover, the former makes him realize that the protagonist was never a new member of his cult. He never fell for his deceptions, he perceived his true abilities (the plagiarism and his poor poetry). That’s why Jung In-Hun got upset. For the first time, he met someone who was superior to him in all aspects (financially, physically and mentally) and couldn’t be manipulated, as he had wished. As a conclusion, the creation of the new cult was born out of the scholar’s arrogance and blindness. He thought, he was like a god due to the painter’s admiration. By the way, this explains why the intellectual asked the powerful main lead to follow him to the capital, he imagined that if Yoon Seungho accompanied him to Hanyang, then he would receive people’s attention due to the presence of the “famous” noble next to him. He wanted to use the main character’s reputation and attraction. He desired to create a situation where he could get the impression that he was also admired. Despite the scene at the hunt, the low noble hasn’t given up on his “dream”. He still wants to be regarded as a new god, receiving respect and admiration.
As a conclusion, the painter was more a fanatic than a man in love. It was the painter’s mind which was focused on the scholar and not the heart. From my perspective, the low noble had achieved to transform the painter’s love for him into an idolization or better said to fanaticism. That’s why in the artist’s first confession, the low-born voices yearning, aching and not just respect and admiration. The “I pine for you” reveals a certain pain. It can’t be simply explained by the coercive persuasion, since the latter had repressed it. The low-born had sensed that a distance had been created. Since Jung In-Hun was like a god, the painter could only watch him from far away, since he was just a commoner. There is another reason why I associate the first confession to fanaticism, it is the significance of the mind compared to the heart. 
hence the low-born could only recall the low aristocrat’s voice and mouth. Baek Na-Kyum was indeed indoctrinated, influenced by the learned sir’s speeches, therefore he used the same words. He also looked down on others (sodomite here). This explains why he became a victim at the end, since he was confronted with internal and external fights. Yoon Seungho wanted to get erotic paintings and later to have him as his true partner. In order to keep following the 7 rules, the low-born always used his brainwashed mind, cold reasoning, like f. ex. “I am painting it for the teacher’s sake” or “Seungho is just a man consumed by lust” and struggled against his sexual desires, his own heart. The painter’s mind was full of rules and “despise” hence he couldn’t judge Yoon Seungho differently. By connecting the doctrine or the new religion to rules and disdain, the scholar wanted to kill the painter’s empathy and as such his heart. Consequently Baek Na-Kyum always repressed his sexual desires as they are connected to the heart.
He, as a low-born, was asking his “idol” to take his responsibility. The low noble should take care of him, especially after the latter had supported him. Yet the scholar refused for many reasons. First, a god is not supposed to take care of their believers personally. The latter can just pray but never request it from their “god” directly and make them responsible. Then Jung In-Hun was under pressure, for he wasn’t sure if he would be able to succeed. Besides, he was jealous and resentful as the painter was treated better than him, a noble. Moreover, the artist had disobeyed him as he had lied to him. But like I mentioned it above, he had detected that his influence over the painter had seriously decreased. He was distancing from him, he no longer worshiped him like in the past. His questioning and his lies pushed the noble to hurt the low-born in order to remind him of his social status. As a person raised at the brothel, he was filthy, in particular as he had violated the 7 rules. The artist had succumbed to sodomy, the greatest sin in the scholar’s eyes. He needed to punish him. He was a nobody, whereas he stood far above him. His words and gaze were vicious and cruel for that reason: he is a god and Baek Na-Kyum committed blasphemy. He needed to destroy the man.
His sentences are broken, he voices fear because it feels so different from before, where he only used his eyes and brainwashed mind for the learned sir. Observe that in this picture he is covering his eyes, he fears the noble’s gaze. Let’s not forget that Jung In-Hun’s gaze was the weapon that killed the painter’s identity.
In the scholar’s gaze, he saw his own reflection: he was filthy, he was just a whore. Hence he is afraid of Yoon Seungho’s gaze. How does he perceive me, that’s why he is thinking. During that night, he becomes blind and deaf due to the injury caused by the teacher’s reproaches and abandonment. This is no surprise that his ears and eyes were destroyed. Like I had pointed out before, these organs are essential for indoctrination and for idolization [Remember the comparison to the Nazi event]. So during that night, the sex didn’t succeed to comfort the painter, because the latter was not looking for sex but for comfort and love. We shouldn’t forget that he asked for embrace. He wished to be hold. The problem was that the painter was confused, he didn’t know what he wanted. Besides, the noble had no idea how to show love.
That’s why we should perceive a positive development in the painter. He is no longer fearing the gaze of others. He is thinking on his own, hence he can no longer become a victim due to fanaticism again. I perceive that Baek Na-Kyum has reached a turning point in his life. He could definitely confront Yoon Seungho, like he did in the past. Remember when he yelled at him this: 
Due to this comment “If that bastard Yoon Seungho hadn’t beat me”, I had some doubt. However now I believe that in reality, the servant Deok Jae was punished a second time. 
Unfortunately, I forgot that the bandages are there because of the cold, like my reader @Sh pointed out. 
Even Kim had such bandages. So the bandages can’t served as evidence for this theory. 
which is much smaller than a wall? He could identify the persons painted in the drawing. So his sight was good enough back then. I distrust that within a week, the servant’s eyes could become so bad without any cause. The first beating occurred months ago, at the end of the summer. Now, we have winter. If so, his sight would have deteriorated more progressively.
He could have used the excuse with his poor sight to escape suspicion, yet he didn’t. But we shouldn’t forget that he wasn’t the only one with a bruised eye. 
Even the valet Kim didn’t get spared, his battered eye was on the left side. However, the latter is not suffering from a loss of sight. 
Then he pushed him hard with his shoulder.
His intentions were to insult and hurt the painter. If he had such a poor sight, then he could have used this as an excuse in order to hide his true objectives. He never did it.
Thrashed is a synonym for flogged. In other words, the domestic wished that the painter had been flogged hence he is definitely referring to the straw mat beating. Back then, the painter escaped the punishment because the lord intervened personally.
That’s why Deok Jae says that Baek Na-Kyum should have received the punishment. Imagine, the artist never really suffered from the straw mat beating,
yet it took a few days for him to recover.
In the chapter 12, Baek Na-Kyum leaves his room for the first time before meeting Yoon Seungho indicating that he was indeed wounded, although he didn’t get really flogged. Jihwa even expected Baek Na-Kyum to be more injured after hearing the news that he had received the straw mat beating. 
This outlines the severity of that kind of punishment. This sentence can definitely cause disability or even death. Loss of sight is a disability. 
Deok Jae hates him so much for two reasons. While the artist was spared by Yoon Seungho, Deok Jae never received the same care. The lord never went personally there to stop the punishment. The opposite happened, my assumption is that the master was present, when he ordered the flogging. This would explain why Deok Jae expressed it that way: “If that bastard Yoon Seungho hadn’t beat me”. Since he was present during the punishment, it was as if he had beat him personally. This would stand in opposition to the painter’s fate. The latter was saved by Yoon Seungho personally. 
(Chapter 51) 
(Chapter 51) And now, if we look back at his first appearance, he was indeed recommended by hearsay. Min was the first one mentioning him to Jihwa. So in the following panel, the speech bubble represents Min’s voice. He is the one describing Nameless to Jihwa.
(chapter 51) The minions must be the musicians and the dancer. As you can observe, the man is not just some criminal driven by greed and brutality, he has abilities for he was able to impose himself as the leader of this band. I detect that he is methodical and quite decisive. Remember that he gave instructions to Jihwa in the chapter 50. 
(chapter 50) Strictly speaking, he is a strategist which is visible when he tells Jihwa that he has other channels. 
(Chapter 51) If you regard her clothes, you’ll note that her appearance resembles the one belonging to maids. 
(Chapter 47) The colors of the jacket and skirt are quite similar. However, there is a huge difference between the two maids. Although the servant in the picture above is the head-maid at the kitchen, she doesn’t own any expensive hair pin or ring, while it is different with the woman sleeping with Nameless. She possesses two jade rings and a golden hair pin. This is not something a maid would own. We have 2 possibilities. Either the woman disguised herself as maid by wearing such clothes and hid her real identity or she is a maid close to a lord and the latter gave her jewels for her sexual services. The third possibility is that she works as a gisaeng which would explain the contrast between the jewels and the clothes. She belongs to the lowest social class, yet she has to distinguish herself through her hair dress and jewels. This idea was proposed by one of my readers Anyway, in my opinion, Nameless approached her for a reason. He is digging for information. We have two possibilities: either he is spying on nobles (the clients of the gisaeng house) or he wants to know more about the painter. Let’s not forget that the latter was raised in a brothel. While Jihwa believes that Nameless is doing it for money, I think that he is using his body for information. Why do I come to this conclusion? It is quite simple. Since I sensed so many parallels between Yoon Seungho and Nameless, I am using the protagonist as role model. Because the noble used his body in order to defeat nobles and to hide his own self from others, I believe that the commoner is acting the same way. Both have a negative reputation through gossips and hearsay. 
(Chapter 51)
(chapter 50) that’s why he ordered him to stay home in the chapter 50 and here asks if he has been drinking. He can perceive people’s personality very well. I would even add that Nameless’ heart must have been touched, when he noticed Jihwa’s bad habit: biting his finger nails. He must have sensed that this noble had still an innocent soul. Striking is that although the red-haired noble is just a wreck and even insults the “criminal”,
(Chapter 51) Even the evil domestic got scared, when he experienced this gaze. 
(Chapter 51) That’s the reason why this zoom on his chin covered with tears was preceded with the drawing of Nameless’ face.
The latter looked at Jihwa’s mouth and tears, while the commoner allowed the noble to voice his worries and anxiety. His eyes don’t express any disdain or arrogance in the last painting. Here, we could say that Nameless is not cold-hearted, quite the opposite, he is sensitive. Sure, he doesn’t allow the red-haired aristocrat to mistreat him, yet he shows a certain curiosity and concern towards his client. In fact, this reflects the purity of his heart. He senses the noble’s sinlessness which stands so much in opposition to the criminal’s reputation. In this scene, the manhwaphiles can detect another similarity with Yoon Seungho again. The gaze and action reveal more than any word. And here is the next question: why would No-Name be quite nice to Jihwa? 
symbolizes perfectly the main characters’ personality. While Yoon Seungho has still a pure mind (White), his heart has been corrupted due to his tragic past (black) that’s why he keeps hurting the painter over and over again. On the other hand, Nameless has a pure heart, yet he has a corrupted mind due to a traumatic experience. His “vicious” mind could be the reason why he is able to perceive a conspiracy and even plot a crime. He doesn’t lose his temper, when he is threatened.
(Chapter 54) reminded me of Jung In-Hun’s behavior in the first season. He used commoners in order to dig up some secret so that he could blackmail Yoon Seungho.
(Chapter 29) Therefore I have the impression that the commoner is behaving like him, yet this time it is in order to unveil the identity of the mastermind. That way, he could protect Jihwa and at the same time, he would be able to get rid of a heinous person. On the other hand, since Min has become aware that his plot failed because the assassination didn’t take place, Black Heart can only condemn the red-haired aristocrat and Nameless. It is definitely possible that Min chooses to hurt Jihwa as retaliation which can only push the criminal to become very hostile to Min. From my point of view, Nameless will become a great helping hand for Yoon Seungho in the future. With his Black mind, he can even predict what villains will do. The protagonist’s mind is too pure to recognize the viciousness in the scholar. He might have perceived his hypocrisy and stupidity, nonetheless he still doesn’t know what Jung In-Hun afflicted to the painter. From my point of view, this explains why Yoon Seungho couldn’t defeat the scholar so quickly. He was too naive in this aspect. However, the main character needs to have someone with a black mind so that they can anticipate the scholar and father Yoon’s moves.
What caught my attention is the following expression: “sent him away”. Here, he imagined that putting some distance between the painter and the teacher would help him. His relationship with Baek Na-Kyum would improve, as you know the saying “out of sight, out of mind”. Nonetheless it didn’t happen like he had anticipated. Because Jung In-Hun had hurt the painter so deeply, the latter couldn’t forget his learned sir due to the agony. In other words, although the lord was physically closer to the low-born, the latter couldn’t perceive him at all, for his mind and heart were elsewhere. They were too focused on his own heartache and negative image. As you can observe, distance and closeness were in the center of the noble’s thoughts. He realized that the saying “out of sight, out of mind” is not true.
The latter felt comfortable and trusting enough to relax and fall asleep confirming what he had sensed before, when Baek Na-Kyum kissed and hugged him. 
So he needs to distance himself from the painter, creating a separation. Only then, the painter’s mind and heart will sense the emptiness left by the noble’s absence. On the other hand, Yoon Seungho will suffer for a while, he will be the one who can’t sleep and cry, hiding his pain in front of his servants, his acquaintances and the painter himself. We shouldn’t forget that we never saw the lord crying, it is something he has never been able to do, but he needs to in my opinion in order to overcome his traumatic past. Yoon Seungho will recreate the same situation, he will become the lover forced to be separated but who longs to return to his love. The noble is really a romantic one in the end. He is willing to be in agony, until Baek Na-Kyum gets aware of his own feelings but also of the protagonist’s affection. 
The master wanted the artist to discover the fraud and at the same time, he wished to correct the painter’s opinion about him. He was determined to prove to the low-born that he wasn’t a “man consumed by lust” but also a learned sir. This negative image had truly bothered him in the chapter 5 
to the point that he couldn’t have sex with Jihwa. However, the low-born didn’t realize the switch, too happy that his learned sir had come to the mansion (chapter 7). The poem had lost his purpose, since Jung In-Hun was close to him. He had his learned sir by his side, there was no separation any longer so that the artist didn’t feel the need to read it. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum never changed the negative perception he had about Yoon Seungho, as he never looked at the poem again. On the other hand, that’s how the noble discovered that the painter couldn’t read. The sex sessions with different sex partners contributed to this negative reputation, the stigma “man consumed by lust” got reinforced. The painter saw it with his own eyes and even seemed to experience it.
Both are very similar because of the weather and the situation. Nonetheless the changes are quite telling. In the second drawing, the commoner is walking on his own underlining his loneliness. He has not been accepted by the servants at the mansion, while in the chapter 51 it is clear that now the staff recognizes him as a member of the mansion. Pay attention that in the chapter 51 Baek Na-Kyum is following the head-maid from the kitchen and later the valet Kim. He is no longer isolated and rejected. Secondly, in the picture above Baek Na-Kyum is just walking to the mansion but he is not paying attention to the lord smoking by the window. Only on his way to his room, he spots Yoon Seungho sitting at the window, therefore he stops walking for a brief moment. 
This happens very quickly, then he starts walking again in the direction to his study. This action is interesting because it reveals that the painter only remains there as he has no other home. Yoon Seungho as such was never the reason why he decided to remain by his side, just the notion “home” was good enough for the artist. We shouldn’t forget that the mansion is big contrasting so much to the tiny appearance of the master. The difference of size underlines the significance of the artist’s motivation: he is walking towards the mansion. His gaze just gets distracted by the lord’s appearance at the window but that’s it. This interpretation is confirmed later with the chapter 46. 
The commoner is following the head-maid, yet his body and head are turned to the lord. In this episode, he doesn’t make a pause to look at him, he keeps starring at the opened window, where he can observe his “lover” laugh. The other huge divergence is the wealthy protagonist’s attitude. He is no longer passive, sitting alone while smoking. He is drinking with another aristocrat, making jokes and laughing. 
becomes a disaster. His dream turns into a nightmare. Therefore I will come back to this confession in this essay, although my main focus is a comparison of the painter’s confessions in the presence of Yoon Seungho.
So there was a mixture of concern and lust. The reason why I adjoin care is that we have the same motivation in the chapter 41 and in the chapter 48/49. In both scenes, he is troubled by the painter’s behavior. In the chapter 41, he heard from the servants that the low-born had been working non-stop to the point that he was even skipping his meals.
As you can see, care was always the trigger for his visit to the painter’s study. In the chapter 48, he wasn’t just angry. If fury had been his only motivation in the chapter 48, then he wouldn’t have contained his anger. Yet during the chapter 48, the master remained quite calm.
He acted like a master or a client at a gisaeng house, yet he kept talking to the artist, pointing out the weirdness of his attitude. He kept asking why, just like in the chapter 41/42. Therefore I come to the conclusion that care and concern were the biggest motivations for the lord to visit the painter’s chamber. In other words, Seungho has never been cold-hearted, like some readers are still judging him. 
As you can see, the more the lord spent time at the pavilion, the more he became troubled. His despair and worry pushed him to make the wrong decision: force the painter to remember their wedding night so that he could claim Baek Na-Kyum as his “wife” and partner. 
Let’s not forget that the master did follow all the painter’s requests in that scene. That’s why he kissed and hugged his lover so passionately, he wanted to comfort him so much but he failed to stop the painter’s heart from freezing. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum still judged himself as a whore after that night. And in the chapter 48/49, this time the manhwaphiles behold the lord acting like a real client at a brothel.
He wants to provoke a physical and emotional reaction in the painter so that the latter finally leaves his state of shock. By playing this role, he wanted to make the commoner realize the harsh reality of a brothel and the real fate of prostitutes. He frightened the painter so much that the latter begged the lord to stop, to listen to his requests.
However, this time he did succeed but still didn’t achieve his original goal: winning the painter’s heart. I am well aware that some readers are still thinking that Baek Na-Kyum hasn’t changed his view about himself. I have a different opinion because he is now the master of his own fate. For me, he has become a libertine, sure his negative opinion about himself is not entirely removed, yet he is now able to differentiate between his own interests and the ones from his partner, which he never did in the past. He imagined that Jung In-Hun’s interests were the same than his own hence he was willing to do anything for the scholar. He has finally realized his own existence so he is no longer the same person, a whore with no identity and desire. He is now creating his new life, making new rules. 
(chapter 48) All this led me to the following observation. We had the artist’s many confessions. Hence I am listing the common denominators that are always present during the three different scenes.
The opposition of the two gestures illustrates the diminution of the social and emotional gap between the two main characters. Note that despite standing on tiptoe, the artist’s head was still below the aristocrat’s head.
(chapter 19), whereas his head in the episode 49 exceeds that of Yoon Seungho. During their first real kiss, the difference reflected the huge social divergence, however what changed later more was the emotional state of the noble. Now, he is the one looking up at 
(chapter 49) the painter. The former is literally admiring his lover, pining on him but he doesn’t express it. 
(chapter 49) Now, they have switched the position, the aristocrat is the worshiper and Baek Na-Kyum is his object of affection. So in this scene, I would even say that we have the first lord’s confession but he is not voicing it. But because the artist has been deaf and blind for so long, he can’t witness this with his own eyes and ears. That’s why he doesn’t catch the true meaning of the noble’s saying. That’s why he could only doubt the protagonist’s genuineness in the hug and warmth and pushed the man away. Strictly speaking, the aristocrat is once again rejected, although he has finally truly behaved like a man in love.
(chapter 49) he is apologizing to the artist. He might not use the word “apology”, unlike in the chapter 20, nonetheless his wording unveils regret and heartache. During their wedding night, the aristocrat did apologize for taking the painter’s virginity, nevertheless his excuse didn’t sound genuine. 
In the chapter 49, Seungho acts the opposite. He doesn’t mention the word “apology”, yet he feels regret. He is sorry for making his lover cry. He admits that he is responsible for this, as each time they had such an encounter, he cried. 
(chapter 21) In chapter 41/42, he cried due to the scholar too. So why would he mention “whenever”? Which occasions was he referring to? And now be ready for the next revelation. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho must be including the scene at the pavilion and the rape. I am positive that the lord wasn’t just remembering the scene, when he slapped the low-born or threatened him. Imagine, the lord is actually apologizing for all the pain he caused to his lover, he is expressing his atonement. And now, if the manhwaphiles recall the scene with the forced sex, they will also notice that there is a repeat of chapter 20/21. Besides, the readers witness a confession there too.
(chapter 25) The painter admitted for the first time that he loved a man and his confession was addressed to the teacher, his “learned sir”. We have a long kiss
(chapter 25), the attempt of a hug
, the tears, the rough actions, 
, the painter lying on the ground
(chapter 25), the lord’s comments
(chapter 49) The man had just humbled himself, yet this was totally ignored. I would even add that the artist’s words even devalued the noble’s words and actions even more. Like I mentioned it before, the low-born somehow treats the aristocrat as a tool for his own pleasure. We have an indirect rejection as the artist refuses to give him his heart. 
(chapter 20) The low-born’s head is much lower, and there is a certain distance between both bodies due to the way the low-born’s hands and head are placed. Here, the lord is even complaining about the painter’s lack of experience and reaction. Now, if you look at the hug in chapter 42
, you’ll note here that the low-born’s head is higher and they are physically much closer but there still exists some distance. Even the lord’s behavior is different. His gestures oozes warmth, love and despair. His affection has truly gone deeper and with this huge hug, the manhwalovers can detect that the painter is indeed his first priority, while it was not the case before. His own selfish desires mattered more (20-21/25) back then. And now, we should look at the hug in the chapter 49. 
(chapter 41)
Another example is when the butler asked for an aphrodisiac from the physician so that the painter would get an erection. He used Yoon Seungho’s trick in order to improve the relationship between Baek Na-Kyum and his master.
He wasn’t just infuriated, he was totally eaten by jealousy. Imagine, he belongs to the high nobility and the painter chose a low aristocrat with no huge income and connection over him. He, used to be surrounded by many nobles due to his wealth and power, kept experiencing rejections. Not only he was turned down multiple times but the person even preferred running away from him. The aristocrat made terrible experiences for the first time: not only jealousy but also he started feeling insecure. His reaction towards his servants (the beating) demonstrates that he was not just mad but also panicking, trying to vent all his negative emotions onto the staff. The one he chose because of his feelings for him had no consideration for him, a high noble. Neither wealth nor power nor force could make the painter submit to him. Only the butler could read his master’s expressions and behavior as an open book. 
He thought that if he kept putting new brushes and an ink stone next to Baek Na-Kyum, the latter would realize that he was a painter in reality and no prostitute. However, his actions didn’t help neither his master nor the painter. Remember the saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. And this is exactly what is happening. The valet caused more agony to both protagonists with his actions. First, he asked the tailor to hide the true identity of his master’s lover to the folks, then he never confirmed the real status of Baek Na-Kyum to Deok Jae (he is just favored) so that he kept the painter in a very ambiguous status, which his lord didn’t catch. The painter had been literally destroyed by these poisonous words and the butler didn’t even comfort the man because he couldn’t. Due to Kim’s neutrality/passivity, the lord’s behavior could only reinforce the negative reflection the painter had about himself and his sex partner. We shouldn’t forget that Yoon Seungho was described in the first chapter of the second season as someone obsessed with his new lover.
The lord initially imagined that he had finally won and enjoyed his time with the painter, only to slowly realize that he was still missing something: the lack of passion and warmth. But the valet Kim kept this important detail from him. That’s why the master is so angry with his loyal domestic and with the low noble. The former acted on his own accord, although he is just a servant and Jung In-Hun, despise his absence, was still able to cause trouble in his relationship with the painter. Therefore Yoon Seungho feels the urge to kill the scholar symbolically, once he discovers the truth. He comprehends the painter much better, why he behaved like a prostitute, why he had lost his strength and strong will. 
Here, in this drawing, the noble is definitely pushing the artist to interrogate the true nature of his relationship with his learned sir, while at the same time he shows that he’ll assume the responsibility for him. But in this scene, the manhwalovers could never see Kim as he had been left behind at the tailor shop, taking care of the order for the new clothes. If the lord had known about the existence of this conversation, he would have been happy and not hurt, since he would have noticed that his words and actions had affected the artist. Yoon Seungho is well aware of the true meaning of this exchange, while the valet Kim wasn’t. 
Now, you understand why it is important to know this manhwa very well. The previous chapters help me a lot to perceive the thoughts and emotions of the main characters. Byeonduck uses the episodes from the first season to enlighten the development of her characters, underlining their transformation. In the beginning of the chapter 50, the manhwaphiles witness how much the main lead has changed. He has become very gentle, selfless and making sure that his lover is feeling well. But he is still ignorant of his own feelings. For him, reasoning is the cause of his behavior. Let’s not forget that during the first season, the main lead had to ponder a lot and even suffer due to remorse. So the painter did occupy a big place in his thoughts that’s why the lord is still making the mistake. On the other hand, he is now capable of expressing his love much better, although the artist couldn’t see it with his own eyes. However, his body has already sensed it. 
and at some point, they stopped for a moment, only to do it again for a while 
In the latest chapter, he sensed it right away. 
Here, there was an emergency, while in the chapter 50, the main lead has no reason to be so gentle and affectionate except to feel the need to express his love for the painter. At no moment, his gaze diverts from Baek Na-Kyum’s face, his eyes are always focused on his lover during that night. 
He felt the noble’s presence due to the tight hug. He wasn’t able to repose at all. He could only doze after witnessing, how vulnerable the noble was. He realized that the aristocrat needed him for real and there was no danger coming from him. (chapter 37/38) Notice in the chapter 50 that he fell asleep while fully embraced, 
In the previous chapter, he is angry and due to his fury, he destroyed his room. However, he could stand on his own feet, was able to sway the sword and he had his hair tied with a topknot. So his appearance was still intact. In the chapter 50, he is on his knees, unable to grab anything, even hiding his face from the world. It was, as if he couldn’t even face people due to the bad decision he made, accompanied with huge pangs of conscience. 
Later he didn’t even pay attention to his clothes and image (chapter 41) 
and after hiring the assassin, he looks even worse than in the chapter 41. Neither alcohol nor sleep can help him to relieve his anxiety. 
. First, he didn’t notice Min’s perversion as he was too overwhelmed with his recent discovery. His childhood friend was having sex with the low-born for real. Besides, he witnessed the tender hug so his only explication was he had been bewitched. Anyway, under the influence of his emotions, he only started worrying the moment the killer looked at the mansion and his target. The irony is that whereas the painter was just acting like a prostitute and showed no real and deep feelings, Jihwa behaved the exact opposite. His huge amount of guilt and tension makes him so nervous and unstable. He can’t calm down at all.
Let’s not forget that the teacher never showed his true gaze to the painter until the chapter 40. Besides, we should remember that I already associated Jung In-Hun to the day and the sun (a fake one), therefore he couldn’t choose the moon as a metaphor for himself. Usually, kings are associated to the sun (see Louis XIV, the sun king or the pharaon in Egypt) and not the moon. 
(chapter 3) He finally came to love himself. However, he never realized that the gaze reflected his affection and fascination for the artist, as his eyes were directed at the creator and not at his sex partner Jihwa. 
(chapter 2) Moreover, the noble showed his true self, the moment he met Baek Na-Kyum for the first time. He was acting like a fan meeting his idol which is a sort of love. 
(chapter 1) He was smiling and happy, he was very genuine. All his actions in the beginning prove to me that he fell for the artist at first sight. His admiration for the painter’s work served as a good preparation and when he saw the painter’s face, he was already gone. Consequently I wrote the essay about Yoon Seungho’s weaknesses. He fell very hard for him, but never realized that, because he had lived for a long time without his heart. He had forgotten how to interpret emotions. This is the reason why he had a low EQ. And now, I can bring an evidence that this interpretation was correct. In the third season, the lord admits that his affection existed very early on. 
(chapter 91) Another reason why the lord couldn’t recognize his affection for Baek Na-Kyum was that the painter kept pushing him away. Thus he had no time to introspect himself and question his feelings. He was busy pondering how to convince the artist to work for him or to think about the image the commoner had about him: “a man consumed by lust” (chapter 5). Then from the beginning, he felt the need to touch him 
(chapter 2) He also liked his ears, because he often whispered to the painter’s ears, although he first threatened him. The whispering is important, as it shows his need for closeness. This is not surprising why he whispered and licked his ears during the masturbation scene.
Thus in the third season, we witness how the lord keep whispering to his lover in private 
(chapter 91) and in public 
(chapter 92) This truly exposes the protagonist’s true nature: he is delicate and sensitive. 
(chapter 57) Now, you can sense why I am writing this. The love Seungho had in the beginning has changed a lot, has deepened so much that he considers the painter as his wife, that he became monogamous and is even willing to get hurt, if it means that in the end, he can get closer to Baek Na-Kyum. His love for the low-born has transformed the man, 
(chapter 48) He is actually upset, because Baek Na-Kyum still views him as a man consumed by lust and the former acts as a prostitute. the aristocrat did so many things for him (lowering himself in order to pleasure him, becoming monogamous, buying him expensive and warm clothes, treating him with respect, going to town with him etc.). But with the painter’s remark, it was as if the lord had done it, as he was expecting something in return!! Yes, the existence of a new deal, but contrary to the past, Yoon Seungho had never mentioned it explicitely. The reality was that Yoon Seungho had acted generously out of selflessness. He didn’t expect anything in return, maybe just his presence. Because of the silence between them, a misunderstanding occurred. Thus the lord felt so upset. It was, as if all his benevolence had never existed, as if the aristocrat had paid him like a whore. 
(chapter 46), the painter felt somehow obliged to paint something… as you can see, he was trying to change the nature of their relationship. 
(chapter 47) He had been hired as a painter, but the lord had showed no real interest in the picture, it remained on the floor. Furthermore, he kept commenting about Baek Na-Kyum’s body 
(chapter 47) (his blushing and how thin he was). Thus the noble contributed to reinforce the painter’s prejudice. He was only interested in his body. Thus the artist jumped to the wrong conclusion: he was only a man consumed by lust. 
(chapter 48) His appearance is linked to his resolution to solve the issue. Since the painter didn’t understand the aristocrat’s pranks 
(chapter 48) His true goal is to provoke a reaction in the artist. However, in the chapter 20, he hesitated before deciding to slip into the role, as he didn’t respond to the kiss immediately.
(chapter 21) I interpret the way Byeonduck drew the glasses as if they are vanishing. That’s the reason why I state that the commoner was able to distinguish the disappearing of the glasses. The expensive wine had lowered the painter’s control body (conscious mind) so that the unconscious could finally be released. Here, the painter was expressing his inner deepest wish: making love to the person he was attracted to. Furthermore I consider the drawing above as a proof that the painter became aware of Yoon Seungho’s real presence. The artist could recognize Yoon Seungho by his lips and chin, let’s not forget that he is a detail-oriented painter who had both nobles as source of inspiration. Since the powerful lord was dishonest, then Baek Na-Kyum could also be insincere. The black in the pictures, corresponding to the artist’s eyelids, kept increasing symbolizing his denial of the reality. 
(chapter 21) It was, as if he was closing his eyes to his sex partner’s identity, choosing to follow his sexual desires which had been repressed for so long. Hence I come to the conclusion that during that night, the painter wasn’t entirely innocent and used the noble. Until the chapter 16, he had to fight against his sexual desires for Yoon Seungho. But he had to deny them and as time passed on, he was forced to hide them (see the masturbation in the chapter 9). So the scholar’s rejection and abandonment 
(chapter 19) not only pushed the painter to drink, but also to disregard the doctrine that had been imposed on him. I am not saying that Baek Na-Kyum had already realized the subterfuge right from the beginning. Yet it dawned on him as their sex session progressed. Once confronted in the pavilion, he could perfectly recall his love confession. Both main leads sinned during that night, hence they had to pay the price for their dishonesty: the rape and the rejection. But since in the study, the lord was selfless and even took the risk to jeopardize his relationship with the low-born, he got rewarded. The painter was finally accepting him as his sexual partner. 
(chapter 49) He was no longer a prostitute. This explicates why Kim had to intervene himself and reveal the incident in the library. 
(chapter 50) He needed to separate the couple. From my point of view, it is related to Deok-Jae’s insult. 
(chapter 47) Kim must have tattled on Deok-Jae to his master, faking that he was defending the painter’s best interests. 
(chapter 29) Notice the parallels. In the chapter 49, Baek Na-Kyum is associating the gentle lord with the double-faced teacher, just like during their Wedding night. One more time, the scholar becomes a hindrance and is the reason why the painter refuses to open up to the main lead entirely. He won’t make the same mistake: sensing the warmth coming the main lead as something genuine and real. 
(chapter 51) If he was no longer his sexual partner, why didn’t the lord chase him away? Why was he allowed to stay in the mansion? Remember the head-maid’s words: 
(chapter 38) Maybe he is expecting him to paint for him. Thus he created a new erotic picture. From my point of view, the artist was slowly realizing that Yoon Seungho was indeed favoring him. 
(chapter 53) He knew that this was not the main lead’s wish. And now, you comprehend why the artist didn’t paint so much in the second season. It was related to the lord’s interests. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 