Protected: Painter Of The Night: “The topknot incident” (fifth version)

April 1, 2021February 21, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Cowardice versus courage: innate or learnable?

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 20 Comments

Announcement: I updated the essay “Past, present and future – part 3”

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. 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/

For this topic, I used the following websites:

It took me a long time before I came to the conclusion that Kim was a villain, because he was betraying the protagonists. Striking is that I am receiving comments from readers saying that they have a different opinion. For them, he is no villain. Interesting is that they justify his actions and lies, because he fears for his life due Yoon Seungho’s mood swings. And this leads to the following observation. These readers are not denying Kim’s fear and as such cowardice. Why? It is because in chapter 64 and 65, his gutlessness is especially visible. (episode 64) When the butler sees the painter being treated like a sex toy, the valet doesn’t interfere at all. The manhwaphiles can even observe how Kim is so paralyzed before speaking. Then he acts, as if nothing was happening in front of him. He bows in front of his lord, not out of respect but out of fear. Then he gives an excuse for his interruption before taking to his heels, leaving the artist behind to his misery. Striking is that this attitude didn’t occur just once, but twice… as it is revealed in the next episode that Kim witnessed a similar scene. He heard how Yoon Seungho got assaulted, but he did nothing. He literally abandoned him too. And he knows what he did was wrong, since he shows signs of culpability. He is repressing his guilty conscience. He had even forgotten it, until he was confronted with a similar situation. However, his reaction was the same. This indicates that cowardice has become a major part of Kim’s personality. No, there’s no mistake. Fear is a synonym for cowardice, for it means that a person has not been able to overcome his fear. But what is a coward actually? How does someone become one? This pushed me to make some research.

When I watched the documentary “dans la tête d’un lâche” (in the head of a coward), I recognized the parallels between Kim’s behavior and the testimony of a person who refused to help a girl from getting raped. Her words were: “This is normal”, “nothing is happening”, “I fear for my life”. These kind of thoughts represent the psychological mechanism called “cognitive dissonance”. It’s a coping mechanism that helps people to feel less guilty. Put in a terrible situation and confronted with a dilemma, people try to explain why they behave like that. Since they are acting against their principles and beliefs, they feel uncomfortable and in order to reduce their embarrassment and discomfort, they adapt their values to their behavior. Hence if someone witnesses a person in danger, the witness tends to minimize the danger in order to justify this disregard for not providing assistance to a person in danger, like for example “sex won’t kill the painter” or “the artist is not calling for my help” or “I am just interrupting a rough sex session” or “Yoon Seungho could definitely kill me”. However, concerning the last point, if you pay attention, you’ll remember that the noble clearly said, he had no intention of interrupting his sex session and he didn’t mind the valet watching them. In other words, Yoon Seungho was not threatening Kim’s life. Now, someone might argue that these points above were just developed by me and we never saw any “cognitive dissonance” from the butler, which I can immediately refute. Byeonduck made the readers see what “cognitive dissonance” is:

: Why should I feel guilty, if it doesn’t concern me? It is not my problem, why should I have helped the painter?
: Why should I feel guilty, because the sex session proved clearly that the lord wouldn’t hurt the painter? If I had intervened, this could have had terrible consequences.

This means that the head is rationalizing a terrible behavior which stands in opposition to the witness’ initial values and beliefs. Therefore in order to become brave, a person needs to feel a lot of empathy. Only with a big heart, the initial fear can be overcome. This explicates why faintheartedness is a synonym for cowardice. The longer a person struggles in front of a dilemma, the higher the chances are that a person won’t help, as the latter will start convincing himself that his help is not needed.

To sum up, in chapter 64, Kim acted, as if the sexual encounter was normal and nothing was happening. This is the typical behavior of a coward, a person who refuses to help someone, because he feels frightened, exposing that the valet’s empathy is not truly developed. In my eyes, this indicates that his care and concern are more a show and an act than reality. He is indeed fainthearted. That’s why I consider him as a villain. He is a hypocrite like all the other villains: Min, the scholar Jung In-Hun and father Yoon. A person with a big heart would definitely help, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum proved it. And imagine, the painter protected a criminal, as Deok-Jae had assaulted him before, whereas Baek Na-Kyum was always respectful towards Kim. He always calls him “sir”, and even takes his words to heart.

But there’s more to it. A psychologist described the different reactions that are going through a person’s mind observing a crime: surprise, confusion and different kind of fears (embarrassment, shame, pure fear and incapacity to help). You might be surprised that shame appears in such a situation. Yet, a witness of a wrongdoing is often questioning his own senses. Is what I hear or see really a misdeed or it is just a small quarrel between lovers (in our case, a rough sex session)? Do I misinterpret the situation? What if I intervene and I was wrong… I’ll embarrass myself and even cause some trouble for nothing. And this explicates why Kim fears so much scandal and ruckus . As you can observe, cowardice is indeed connected social norms and embarrassment. Moreover, remember what I wrote about the trigger for cowardice. A person is put in front of dilemma: there are two values contradicting each other, and the person has to overcome this contradiction, like for example

A person in need should be always assisted
You have to make sure not to put your life in danger, hence you have to avoid dangerous situations.

In order to comprehend the notion cowardice, scientists developed different tests and one of them was to ask children. These would listen to a story and they had to make a big decision afterwards. In this story, a man loves his wife very much, but the only medicine that can save his spouse is so expensive that he can’t buy it. He has two choices: either he steals the drug and saves his wife or he lets his wife die but remains honorable. The children below 7 years old will always reply that the poor man has to let his spouse die, because if he steals the medicine, he ends up in jail. Why? It is because these children under 7 years have already internalized that stealing is bad, and you’ll get a jail sentence. However, the older children will make the opposite decision, as they are already aware that life is more important than jail. They are not afraid of getting imprisoned, they are willing to become responsible for their crime. As you can see, courage and cowardice are strongly intertwined with social norms and peoples’ values and opinions. Hence this means that in order to develop courage, a person needs to have developed his own taste, opinion and values. Therefore a brave person has not only a strong heart, but also a strong will and desires, which Baek Na-Kyum truly embodies.

But for that to happen, a child needs to get through an important phase: he needs to learn to control himself and as such his desires. That’s why I couldn’t help myself laughing, when I read the chapters 71 and 72: As you can observe, the child Yoon Seungho is learning to control his urges. Secondly, a child has to learn to make an effort and be patient. This might sound anodyne, but the psychiatrist truly outlined the importance of this development stage. This explicates why Yoon Seungho would behave like a spoiled child in chapter 30: and observe how it is strongly connected to his fear and abandonment issues. However, the moment he made a real decision and showed strong will by allowing the painter to choose his own fate, he becomes brave. It means that he is overcoming his huge fear. His strong will and big heart are the reasons why Yoon Seungho could transform into a phoenix.

And remember what I wrote about Kim in the essay “Past, present and future – part 3”. He was like a father or mother figure who would refuse to let his child grow up. He desired his master to remain in an infantile stage. And this is not surprising that Yoon Seungho was so selfish and even coward (chapter 33) in the past. He ran away, too afraid of facing the consequences of his misdeed or of getting too much into trouble with his peers. His role model was himself like that. As you can see, the rebirth of the phoenix means that Yoon Seungho is now learning to become brave and he will become a real and strong fighter, like it was perceptible during the first season. His conversation with the scholar in chapter 6 gave us a glimpse of the lord’s real values. Here, he was mocking the teacher. The former doesn’t care for social norms and treats commoners as humans in truth. He doesn’t think that peasants should remain peasants and peoples’ fate is already determined.

But let’s return our attention to the emotions a witness feels, once put in a uncomfortable situation. What caught my attention is that the specialist exposed that fear was associated to 3 reactions:

desertion, running away
attack, assault: let’s not forget that a cornered animal will bite and attack, if it feels threatened
freezing which means that the body is immobile, yet the heart is beating very fast and the blood is circulating more quickly.

And now, if you observe the butler’s reactions in chapter 64-65, you’ll note that we have all these three reactions:

: here he is threatening the doctor, if he speaks, then he will pay with his life.
(chapter 64)

Because people associate cowardice to desertion or freezing, they always overlook one aspect: fear, a synonym for cowardice, is not excluding attack. This explicates why Ernesto Mallo wrote this:

“It becomes clear that there are only two kinds of cowards: those who flee backwards and those who flee forward.”

And this truly shows that if a coward feels threatened, he can definitely retaliate, but naturally he will never attack a person directly. He has to use another strategy due to his fear. He will use others in order to protect his own interests. And Kim is definitely using others in order to get rid of the painter. In chapter 67, he clearly implied that Heena noona should take away her brother, while the master was away. He knew from her behavior, she wouldn’t leave Baek Na-Kyum in that mansion due to the way she attempted to reach the lord’s bedchamber.

And now it is time to focus on the part why Kim became such a coward in the end. From my point of view, Kim’s attitude didn’t start with the first incident in the shed, when the lord was a teenager. It started much earlier, when the valet was himself a child. Why? It is related to education and the environment a child grew up. Let’s not forget that Kim only became Yoon Seungho’s butler, when the latter was a teenager, meaning that he wasn’t a part of the Yoon household right from the start. He was raised elsewhere. The author from the following website (fr.housepsych.com) pointed out that three important factors explain why a servant like Kim could become a coward:

An authoritarian upbringing
The child’s will is broken. And in our manhwa, this can only be reinforced, if the boy is a commoner, as he is considered as nobody. He has no right.
“Faintheartedness” develops where impunity and powerlessness, violence and crime prevails. Therefore the child internalizes that he is weak in front of the outside world.

And now, you understand why I underlined out how important education and upraising were so relevant. After experiencing impotence, the child learns that he just needs to adjust himself in order to survive. This means that he obeys and follows his parents’ or master’s order very well, yet this is just a subterfuge. The weaker one quickly understands that an open conflict is dangerous and starts to act in a hidden and average way, while showing humility on the outside. And this description fits our butler perfectly. Since he is a commoner and as such weak, he became caring and humble on the outside, while in reality he is just defending his own interests, as his survival instinct has become a normality. And now, if I include Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you’ll realize that Kim is not motivated by love or esteem or self-actualization.

maslow's hierarchy of needs five stage pyramid

Safety and physiological needs are what matter to him. That’s why he desires to lead a peaceful life far away from trouble and ruckus. At the same time, this explains why Yoon Seungho never felt loved by his butler, as the latter was not focused on giving and receiving love. The irony is that the moment the domestic finally accepts the painter as his master’s lover (“let’s keep it this way”) implying that he will stop with his tricks, Heena noona barges in the mansion and creates a scandal, which he can only considers as a threat. Therefore the valet changes his mind. But more importantly, this scene is important for another reason. Kim is in the backyard working and this shows his true mindset. For me, he likes being alone, and it looks like he is hiding from others. It was, as if he feared the outside world, reminding us of the following remark: “he is weak in front of the outside world.” Moreover, the manhwalovers should recall my initial analysis about the valet. I compared him to a dog watching over the house. This interpretation fits totally. The courtyard is his world and he feels safe there. Therefore Byeonduck showed us many panels with Kim in the courtyard. (chapter 33) This explicates in my opinion, why Yoon Seungho is not willing to go to the capital. He doesn’t just fear old white-bearded men, his lack of motivation is strongly connected with Kim’s needs. The latter fears trouble, which stands in opposition to politics. If his master were to become an official, he would have to deal with other nobles and enter in conflict, which stands in opposition to Kim’s philosophy. That’s why the butler had an interest that his master remains as a man consumed by lust. He wouldn’t develop any desire and ambition. As you can see through the Maslow’s motivational hierarchy needs, fear and cowardice are somehow innate due to the survival instinct, yet by living in society, peoples’ life change, as through love and status, people feel the need to growth.

Now, I would like you to read this following quote, because it actually describes Kim’s personality so well:

“A fainthearted person lives hard, being in tension and leading a separate fictional life, he still does not get the events necessary for his personality. Those who often have to come into contact with such people are also very worried, because if you are in a dominant position, such a person will bend with fear (he will support you and love you surprisingly in the same combinations as you), but there is always a threat: you will be betrayed. It is impossible to know what such a person really wants, because he lives with an eye on those around him, but such attention does not reflect any desire to improve him. No, such a person will betray you and deny you, tell secrets or pretend that he or she is not familiar with you, as soon as the situation changes. Friendship and trust are out of the question, because these concepts require loyalty to the chosen person, nobility to him, immutability of their principles and courage.” quoted from http://fr.housepsych.com/malodushie_default.htm

What caught my attention first is the constant fear a coward is feeling. It is deeply rooted in him, and this explains why the valet would say this to the painter . The latter justifies his fear with the noble, while now I believe that it is more related to his state of mind. Since he has been living for so long in fear, he associates it to Yoon Seungho. That’s the reason why the valet always looks so frightened and tired. He is always in tension. Hence he always has dark circles. Another important detail in this quote is the importance of the coward’s attitude. He observes his surrounding to get knowledge. He feels the need to perceive their true personality and desires, and will mirror their reaction. This is particularly perceptible, when the butler calls Baek Na-Kyum as “no-good painter” and the head-maid describes him as a charlatan. This projection is implied with the following quote: ” he will support you and love you surprisingly in the same combinations as you “. However, this will never reflect his true emotions and thoughts, as a coward’s attitude is to avoid emotions. “Not feeling means not suffering”. That’s why Kim gives his master the following advice: Don’t take it to heart. Under this new approach, you understand why Yoon Seungho had a relapse. He was encouraged not to feel anything and as such not to face his fear… He never confronted the painter.

Moreover, by paying attention to people’s attitude, he can manipulate people in order to achieve his goal. He will never act in the open, but in the shadow, for he needs to keep his image of an obedient and loyal servant, while in reality he is only loyal to himself. By monitoring his surroundings, he is able to discover secrets (like f. example the future abduction or the ruining of a painting) and will use this for his own benefit. He will even deny a person: Note that here, Yoon Seungho has to defend himself and his honor, although the butler is well aware of the truth: his master was a victim.

Strangely is that the author from that website recommends to a person suffering from cowardice to start with voicing his own desires. Why? Such a person has already internalized that his dreams and ideas could never become true. In reality, the coward has no longer any wish. His mindset is only focused on self-preservation. Since they are asked to express their own wishes, they are forced to change their mindset. And this is not surprising that before the lord’s final transformation, Yoon Seungho started externalizing his own hopes:

chapter 58:
chapter 63: These were glimpses of a growing courage. He developed a dream and became motivated to obtain it. The manhwaphiles can recognize that thanks to his love for Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was slowly moving up in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. The latter is already announcing the lord’s raising. There’s no doubt that he will reach the highest level: Self-actualization needs – realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. A desire “to become everything one is capable of becoming”(Maslow, 1987, p. 64). quoted from https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html#gsc.tab=0 The self-actualization corresponds to the moment when the Phoenix will truly shine.

Now, I would like to return to the testimony of the woman who witnessed a rape and did nothing. She was plagued with a guilty conscience, which led her to reflect on her own behavior. Therefore she forced herself to face reality and assume her responsibility for her own wrongdoings. She decided to make a short movie in order to encourage people to intervene. And this leads me to the following observation. The butler is a coward for another reason. He has never reflected on his own behavior. That’s why he says this: Repressing and forgetting is an important factor why Kim never reflected about his own behavior. His fear was too deeply internalized, at the same time he was always focused on the others, making sure to perceive people’s personality correctly. That way, he would be able to manage to survive. For him, manipulation has become an important of his survival instincts. This explicates why the servants listen to him, he always knows what he needs to say in order to convince them. (chapter 69) There’s no doubt that Yoon Seungho never gave such an order. He was already too happy that the painter had chosen to stay by his side. Besides, note what the domestic says: “He will have you killed”. In other words, he will give the order to eliminate the kisaeng. Yet we know for sure that Yoon Seungho killed the servant with his own hand. Therefore it displays that Kim was the one speaking behind this. This exposes that the butler considers the mansion as his propriety. Hence I come to the conclusion that Kim didn’t choose to follow his master out of loyalty for him, but because he had become comfortable in that mansion. But he had definitely other reasons, like for example following the eldest master’s order (on the surface).

Furthermore, he lets others commit the wrongdoings so that he can not really become accountable for this. This is perceptible in chapter 17, when he asks the maids not to approach the study, he knew that Jihwa was there. Let’s not forget that he lets Deok-Jae take the fall for the painter’s escape when he was clearly the one who talked to Jung In-Hun . By using the personal pronoun “we”, the jealous servant wanted the butler to become responsible as well, but Kim remained silent and even kept his distance from Yoon Seungho. That’s why I come to the deduction that Kim was really content with his life, until the painter showed up. First, he was the real master of the courtyard, but he never had to take any responsibility, as Yoon Seungho as a master would take the whole blame: he was a sodomite, a violent and bad master etc… On the other hand, Kim could dress outside as a noble, as he represented the lord. But if there was any trouble, then his master was the one responsible officially. Besides, if Yoon Seungho was changing, the butler would make sure that Jihwa would control his master. As you can see, he never had to assume any responsibility. And this leads me to the following observation, the lord started becoming brave thanks to his affection for the painter much earlier. He truly desired to become responsible for him. The manhwalovers shouldn’t forget that in that scene, Kim was not present. If he had seen this gesture, he would have realized the danger. That’s why he imagined that the moment Jung In-Hun had abandoned the artist, the latter would run away, as he had no reason to stay at the mansion in his mind. That’s why the door was left opened. He had no idea that “responsibility” was the trigger for Baek Na-Kyum to stay there. This word implied that the low-born was not perceived as a burden. In other words, cowardice is strongly related to responsibility. That’s the reason why the valet needs scapegoats (the amateur spy, Jihwa, Deok-Jae…) and lets others take the blame. He sees responsibility as a burden. Moreover, there is another reason why cowardice is linked to accountability. Scientists discovered bystander effect (in French it is called as “effet spectateur”). What is it exactly? One might think that the more people are witnessing a person in danger, the more highly the victim will be saved on time. But no… the truth is the more people are present, the less they will intervene. This is related to diffusion of liability. All the witnesses think that someone else will come and intervene. Therefore they all remain passive. This explicates why a woman could be raped in front of many people. No one felt responsible, as they waited for the intervention from the other beholders. And now, you might wonder why I am bringing this up. It is to show that courage won’t appear, if you are surrounded by people. Real courage occurs, when you have the impression that you are on your own. Let’s not forget that Kim has the support from his staff. He is even able to motivate and manipulate people with his words, hence he has definitely the power to use the staff in order to protect himself. And he actually did it. Deok-Jae was the one who suffered the most, while the butler had a bruised eye. That’s why I can’t accept Kim’s fear for his life as a justification for his cowardice. Besides, chapter 56 clearly reveals the butler’s role: he is an advisor, hence his words will be taken seriously.

As a conclusion, it shows that cowardice is not truly innate. Moreover, courage is learnable, yet it can only be nurtured in a good environment. That’s why it is important to protect children very early on, as safety helps them to develop other needs. Hence, the earlier they are exposed to danger, the higher the risk is that they become cowards and hypocrites. But more importantly, it truly shows Yoon Seungho’s strength and greatness. Although he was abused physically and sexually, exposed to the worst situations, he was not able to forget the importance of love. His desire to feel loved was the reason why he could overcome his traumas. He never gave up on love, which explicates why Yoon Seungho will be able to shine as a phoenix later. On the other hand, the valet only saw love as superfluous, as it could cause trouble. Note that the butler prefers being alone which coincides with his mentality. Only his life matters and no one else.

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 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.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Yoon Seungho’s erections (second version)

March 21, 2021June 15, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Yoon Seungho’s treasure 👅

March 20, 2021June 16, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

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

March 15, 2021August 18, 2022 ~ 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).

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Peace and Love ☮️ (second version)

March 14, 2021September 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: The purge (theory)

March 13, 2021March 13, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 9 Comments

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.

First of all, if you are not convinced that Kim is a villain, then I guess, you don’t need to read any further. Since I have already explained why I perceive the butler as an antagonist and even predicted that he would be involved in the second kidnapping, you can easily imagine that my theory is developed based on this interpretation.

The reason I chose this title is quite simple. As the former servant from the Yoons explained to Jung In-Hun in chapter 37 that the noble families close to the Yoons became victims of a purge, this signifies that we have to expect an elimination in season 2 for the same reason: treason. Thus in my opinion, the domestic’s actions will lead to an extermination. But now, some of you might be wondering how. For me, the second kidnapping and the events happening around this crime will lead to the purge.

Moreover, after reading the chapter 71, it becomes more evident that the second kidnapping will happen the next day. Why? First, if you recall all the sex scenes (25-28/ 30-32/ 36/ 40-42/ 48-50/ 58/ 62-64), the couple always had to suffer right after: the painter’s escape organized by Kim and Deok-Jae strongly intertwined to betrayals, the painter’s illness, the incident with the sword in chapter 35, the drugging, the lord’s nightmare and suffering, the lack of privacy and the plan of assassination, the spoiled rice, the artist’s loss of favor, the first kidnapping, the artist’s punishment due to the cover up and the scandal with Heena noona. But more striking is that it was always involved with an “improvement” of their relationship, in the sense that Yoon Seungho chose the painter as his partner. The nature of their relationship would become more and more known and obvious to others. And now that we have an official marriage ceremony, the climax of happiness, there’s no doubt that a terrible event will take place the next morning. More importantly is that all the conspirators are running out of time.

First, the manhwaphiles will recall that Black Heart couldn’t even wait to taste Baek Na-Kyum and rushed to the kisaeng house during the same night. His “urges” became so strong after seeing the artist’s smooth legs and his poor condition, which could only excite his sadistic nature. In addition, the low-born is now recognized as a “noble” by Yoon Seungho, which means that Baek Na-Kyum has now become the master’s official right-hand. Kim has been dethroned from his seat. He has every interest to remove the commoner, as the latter is definitely his rival and opponent. However, he can not do it right away. For that, he needs to restore his relationship with Yoon Seungho so that the latter can trust him again, like in the past. Besides, he has never dirtied his own hands, he always lets others do the dirty work.

So far, I had pointed out that Lee Jihwa and Heena noona would be framed and a faked letter would become the evidence of the conspiracy. I had anticipated as well that the physician would play a role, because he was a witness of the first abduction. Yet, I still had problem to figure out how exactly Nameless and Deok-Jae would come into play. Let’s not forget that the disappearance of the vicious domestic has not been resolved. So far, only Nameless knows about his death… but if the servant’s body is discovered, then he will be brought up in connection with the first kidnapping. My initial thought was that Yoon Seungho would use the servant’s death in order to organize a purge. Nevertheless, so far I had no idea how his disappearance would be brought up. With my following theory, I believe to have found the perfect solution which I will explain below.

Furthermore, Min’s impersonification is also a major key in order to turn Jihwa into a scapegoat. Yet, since Baek Na-Kyum didn’t follow his sister, the subterfuge becomes pointless… How could this trick help him to frame the second lead now? Yet, I think that since Min is a smart psychopath, he can come up with new strategies very quickly. First, I had imagined that Min would approach the kisaeng and manipulate her by proposing her his help. This assumption is very possible, as Heena noona judges people based on their appearances and rumors. On the other hand, she despises rich aristocrats, and Lee Jihwa definitely belongs to that category. After recognizing while composing the essay “Love, embrace and caress” that Heena noona must have listened to the guests’ conversations in the past in order to report things to the scholar, I came to this idea: What if Min leaks details about Nameless by acting like the second lead, so that the kisaeng chooses to contact the buffoon in order to hire him? With this theory, we would have a repetition of chapter 43 and 44. The manhwalovers should remember that in chapter 43, Min incited Lee Jihwa to commit a murder, while the Joker portrayed him as a savior. He would save his lover from the witch Baek Na-Kyum.

Note that Min is hidden behind a curtain, which means that the kisaeng can’t see his face properly. Secondly, while Heena noona is speaking loudly, she doesn’t realize that her words are heard by Black Heart. And with such a situation, Min can seize the opportunity. While spying on her and discovering her weakness, he decides to manipulate her. But in order to fool the kisaeng truly, he needs to hide his face. So he starts talking about Yoon Seungho so that he catches her attention. The kisaeng listens to their conversation, especially if the impersonificator explains that he has a grudge against Yoon Seungho. He is planning to do something against his childhood friend who humiliated him twice, hence he plans to contact Nameless. Since the kisaeng never judged her spying actions as a crime in the past, she will think that she can use this to her advantage. She will ask Nameless to “rescue” her brother from lord Yoon Seungho. Let’s not forget that in the first part of the second season, we had Nameless acting with a kisaeng. It is also possible that she thinks that if a feud starts between the main lead and the young master Lee, then no one will pay attention to her brother’s disappearance. In other words, she will try to seize the opportunity of the quarrel between Lee Jihwa and Yoon Seungho in order to diver the attention from Baek Na-Kyum, a new version of this panel: Note that this panel was presented, while Heena noona was at the mansion. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t diminish the wrongdoings Heena noona has already committed. Like Yoon Seungho underlined it to her, she trespassed his property and arrived with guards, hence she definitely violated the law. However, in her eyes, her action was justified, because she imagined that she was rescuing her brother. And remember what I wrote in “Love, embrace and caress”. If Heena noona knew that leaking information was wrong, she legitimated it out of care for the scholar. Let’s not forget that the kisaeng is not afraid of human justice, but of divine retribution! In her eyes, the gods would approve her actions, since Joseon justice system is so flawed. Out of love she justifies her misdeeds. And since my perception about her was proven correct in chapter 71, then you can imagine how I consider her words in chapter 68: In this scene, she tries to use the authorities in order to convince her brother to follow her. How ironic that she uses Joseon justice system now to achieve her goal, while in truth she just looks down on it due to her social status! I mean, she is right to criticize such laws, but this doesn’t mean that she is allowed to disrespect people’s rights as well. She is indeed a hypocrite, a similar version of Yoon Seungwon. In her eyes, rich nobles are all evil. Why? It is because her loved one is a poor low-noble. Like my reader Luzy remarked to me, she must have hoped that if she helped Jung In-Hun, the latter would help her too: leaving her condition as a kisaeng, the former version of this scene: But love can’t be used for committing misdeeds. And since the night is long for the lovers, we have to envision that it is the same for the manipulators and conspirators. Heena noona could pay a visit to the “butcher” during the same night, not realizing that she is falling into the trap set by Min. In The Joker’s mind, her contact with Nameless will serve as evidence for a plot organized by the kisaeng. Framing commoners is the usual method for nobles to commit crimes. And Nameless experienced it for sure. The vicious lord is using the trouble she caused the day before as a diversion. Since she arrived with guards at Yoon Seungho’s mansion, this violation could be perceived, as if she had attempted to hurt the wealthy protagonist. Her ruckus will be turned against her as evidence. It is still possible that a faked letter written by Kim pushes her over the edge, especially after witnessing how Baek Na-Kyum was treated during this night, but I have now some reservation about it. She is already determined to take some action.

After elaborating my theory about the way Heena noona will get involved, it is time to focus on the valet and his manipulations. There’s no doubt that Kim has already sensed that his position is in danger. Why? First, Kim can no longer treat the main lead like his puppet, and secondly, the painter is on the verge to become the master’s official partner. Note that in chapter 71, Yoon Seungho is considering the artist as a noble, while the former is now a commoner due to the removal of the headband. Observe that these words are shown in front of a door, an allusion that a servant is spying on them. I can use the chapter 37 as an evidence: Kim is speaking behind the door, the protagonists didn’t detect his presence, until the former spoke. In addition, the manwhaphiles are well aware that the episode 71 is a new version of chapter 37. The chapter 37 starts with the noble’s fellatio: As a conclusion, it becomes urgent that the artist’s position is fragilized. The valet has now lost the master’s favor (new version of chapter 52 , because for the first time, his abuse of power was caught by the head-maid and the lord. In this scene, the readers could truly recognize Kim’s lie . However, the head-maid couldn’t detect his lie for good, as the master permitted Heena noona’s stay afterwards. Yet, there is no doubt that the butler must have perceived this conversation as a possible source of danger. If she just asked the master, she would discover the truth and from that moment, the head-maid would no longer perceive him the same way. Note that she relied a lot on Kim’s judgment, therefore her colleague and the head-maid requested to know about his opinion in chapter 63, a new version of the episode 17 Both maids trusted the valet’s decisions and action. However, in the second season, the gap between the butler and the maids kept increasing. From my point of view, the incident with the lie must have pushed the head-maid to show a certain reservation and mistrust concerning Kim. She is no longer relying on his perception and behavior. That’s why in my opinion, she brought the meal to Yoon Seungho in chapter 69:

Besides, we shouldn’t forget that during that terrible night (chapter 63), Kim disregarded both maids. He ignored their questions and comment. He left them behind without any explication. This scene is important, as we don’t see the valet’s eyes the whole time. However, we glimpsed his memories: he was wondering about the physician’s strange behavior. Therefore I come to this deduction: the butler was worried, if his complicity was witnessed. That’s why we don’t see the butler’s gaze in the panel above. Moreover, if you look closely, you’ll notice the butler’s pouting mouth indicating that he is really displeased. With this new interpretation, it becomes understandable why Kim ignored the maids. He had other worries. He needed to know what the physician had witnessed exactly. At the same time, he made a huge mistake, because he disregarded the maids for the first time. He gave the impression, he stood above them and could do anything he wanted. He was not obliged to answer them. And from my point of view, his attitude was the reason for the two women to distance themselves from him. Note that in chapter 66, the one with the green hanbok stood at the door, while the other followed Kim in chapter 67. In my opinion, they are now using their own critical thinking, which represents a source of danger for the valet. Dolls are not supposed to think on their own.

Let’s not forget that during this same night, Kim went first to the shed and from my perspective, he desired to know about the painter’s fate. Had the lord killed him in his rage or not? If yes, then he didn’t need to pay attention to the physician’s strange behavior. What he didn’t expect was to see the sexual intercourse. Hence Kim was forced to use an excuse for his appearance. Since the physician stood in center of his concern, he remembered him. Hence he requested from Yoon Seungho the permission to leave the mansion. Note how he is searching for his words. On the surface, the manhwaphiles had the impression, he was shocked by the scene, while in reality, he got scared, as he had been caught. Fortunately for him, Yoon Seungho blinded by his fear and wound didn’t question about the motive for the late visit. As a conclusion, the maids and the physician are all witnesses of the butler’s rudeness and possible manipulations. Remember that during that same night, Kim abused his position by threatening the physician. But this is just a short-time solution. The doctor could definitely talk and as such indirectly reveal the valet’s complicity. Consequently, I deduce that for Kim, the maids and the physician represent a source of danger too. Hence he needs to remove them and the best way to get rid of them is to organize an incident leading to a purge: the maids and the physician will be his target.

My theory is that by hurting the painter, he can get rid of his “enemies”, the one who could cause trouble to his quiet life. At the same time, he would use the lord’s agony to gain his trust again, but more important, he could usurp Yoon Seungho’s power and position, a new version of this scene: while he is legitimating that he is acting out of concern for the lord’s lover. Remember that each incident will be employed twice, but there exist some variation. But since Yoon Seungho is no longer under his control, he needs to create an incident, where he is requested to act on the noble’s name. He can take his power, if there’s a poisoning incident. He is the only one who knows that if the painter is hurt, he will lose his mind again. He witnessed it in the barn and his spy must have reported to him the following words: This would be perfect for him. If Baek Na-Kyum is wounded or even dies, then the butler can manipulate the main lead. The physician was a witness in the first abduction and remained silent, as for the maids, they were involved in the first “poisoning incident”: Back then, the identity of the culprit was never revealed to Yoon Seungho and notice that the maids were questioned first. Moreover, the lord experienced with his own eyes, how they looked down on him (chapter 38). And now, you will think… but what about Min’s plan? Let’s not forget that Kim has in reality a different interest than The Joker. For him, what matters is that Baek Na-Kyum is removed or is so wounded that the lord starts relying on Kim again. Since he has already attempted to kill him through the main lead and it never worked out, he needs to take a different approach. The drugging of the painter would be the perfect solution for him, a new version of the episode 36. He would get rid of all possible threads in one shot: the purge among the staff, like I had predicted… but the butler would be behind it. Consequently, my theory is that a drug will play a role in the second kidnapping.

My reader Luzy was the one who first brought up the idea of “drug”. Her theory was that Kim would poison the main character so that the latter in his rage would hurt the painter. First, it is relevant to reminisce that the incident with “poison” occurred twice during the first season: chapter 35 and chapter 36 One failed, whereas the second succeeded. Striking is that during the second “drugging”, the head-maid was involved. But as you can imagine, Luzy’s idea led me to this theory: Kim will poison the protagonist.

First, remember that we have this incident with the spoiled rice which was downplayed by Deok-Jae who called it a prank. However, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget in this incident, we had the two maids involved, just like Deok-Jae and Kim. I am quite sure that the readers will remember the butler’s words: this gesture was definitely a misdeed, worth of getting punished. However, back then no one got punished. Why? Due to Yoon Seungho’s good nature and leniency in the end. So we would have a new version of this incident. Nevertheless, like I mentioned above, we had two “poisonings” in the first season. One was a success and the other a failure. Since the commoner didn’t get hurt in the first “poisoning” , it means that the second will succeed. But more importantly, here is the twist. The victim of this “drugging” will be Yoon Seungho in reality!! I would like to point out that Kim never truly grasped the nature of the relationship between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum, hence he won’t expect this turn of event. How did I come up with this theory?

Remember that in chapter 47, the lord proposed his own meal to the painter after the discovery of the spoiled rice. Since the story is constructed like a circle, it means that we will have a repetition of this decision. However the chronology will be changed: the lord will give his own meal to the painter right from the start, while the former will eat the painter’s meal. The result is that Yoon Seungho falls ill.

But because in my eyes, the butler is very quick-witted, he will know how to respond to this sudden turn of event. He is already aware of Min’s project. The latter must have asked him to make the commoner leave the property, a repetition from chapter 51: I would like to outline the parallels here. The Joker was talking to a domestic, and since the manhwaworms saw it once, they don’t need to see this repetition. I have already noticed that the author uses similarities, when it comes to the main leads. Therefore we have to envision that the Joker Black Heart met Kim in the shed and they came to an agreement. However, like I mentioned above, the butler is not obliged to follow Min’s instructions. Exactly like in chapter 56, when the noble approached his “student”, he just requested this: That’s why I came to this idea. Min’s kidnapping will only be used as a second measure, for the butler’s philosophy is prioritize his own interests: And now, I am quite sure that you are questioning how this is possible that he can change his strategy so quickly. In order to elaborate this interpretation, the painterofthenight’s lovers have to remember the chapter 35. In one single chapter, Kim played tricks: first, he imagined that the painter was in the lord’s bed and another sex night would have caused the painter’s death. Then he proposed the medicinal tea (the drug) and finally when he saw Baek Na-Kyum speaking with the scholar, he seized the opportunity to trigger the lord’s rage and jealousy. He hoped that in his fury, Yoon Seungho would kill the artist. Yes, I judge the valet as very intelligent and perceptive. Why not? The painter as a commoner is also very smart. Imagined that when with one farewell, he could find closure and grasp the nature of his relationship with Heena noona and the scholar.

So now, what he needs to do is to make the painter leave the mansion. He will use the painter’s trust and his influence to manipulate the painter one last time, as the latter hasn’t grasped his true personality. Byoenduck visualized the trust between the two commoners thanks to the candle with the glass standing close to the three candles symbolizing the artist.

But it becomes a different story, if the butler usurps Yoon Seungho’s authority under the excuse that the latter has been poisoned and the culprits must get caught. He will use the master’s poor condition to frame the artist. And the incident with the spoiled rice happened, when the couple was eating their meal together in the bedchamber. Note that in this panel there’s an allusion to the artist’s wandering. I am expecting a new version of this. The painter will have some place to be: he will be sent away by Kim, the latter asking him to fetch the physician, as the lord has suddenly fallen sick. Knowing Baek Na-Kyum’s good nature and readiness to help lord Seungho, the painter won’t mistrust Kim’s suggestion.

As you can see, my idea is that the butler won’t reveal the poisoning immediately, just like it happened in episode 47. Remember that initially the maids were interrogated and they apologized… the discovery of the real culprit took place afterwards in the kitchen. Besides, in this scene, Kim was the one who gave the punishment: We all praised the butler for his intervention, while now I view it in a different light. On whose authority can he give a verdict? Actually, he should have reported it to his lord who would have made the decision. But note that in this scene, the butler plays the role of the judge. And now, imagine what happens if Yoon Seungho is “poisoned”.

First, people will think, the lord got sick again, as he was ill recently. And unlike in the past, the butler will ask the painter to bring the physician to the mansion. Knowing that Baek Na-Kyum cares for the master, he will listen to the valet’s suggestion and leave the property. He knows where the physician lives. And once arrived at the physician’s house, he will be abducted. How is it possible? This time, the doctor won’t be at his office and this is no coincidence. Either Kim or Min asked him to be absent so that he could feign ignorance later, the opposite behavior in connection with the first abduction. The valet will justify this, telling him that he needs to have an alibi. At the same time, it explains why an innocent doctor becomes an accomplice in the end. The physician chose silence and passivity forcing him to make another wrong decision… He needs now to cover up his crime.

But in order to frame the painter for “the crime”, the butler has to forge a letter explaining that he had to use such a method, because he was scared and he couldn’t push the main lead away. The male servant spied on their conversation in the bathroom. Kim will utilize the ruckus with the escape to his advantage. Yoon Seungho’s servants made sure that he was brought back to the property, hence his first flee caught the attention of the town folks. The male staff searched for him through the town. However, in my opinion, the butler has been miscalculating something: the tailor’s intervention. Imagine that the moment the painter leaves the property, the town folks will notice him. Furthermore, he had already caught their attention in chapter 45: So after the chaos created by his disappearance, I doubt that the town folks won’t notice him. In my opinion, they will stop him and ask if he is escaping again. However, this time Baek Na-Kyum will explain the situation, the lord is sick and needs a physician. Let’s not forget that in chapter 29, the inhabitants were intrigued by the conversation between the scholar and the painter, indicating that they will serve as witnesses, when the “crime” is discovered.

The second miscalculation will be Nameless. The latter through Heena noona will hear that Jihwa visited the kisaeng house and he intends to do something against Yoon Seungho. The butcher will pay the red-haired noble a late visit (new version of this scene) and question him. In my opinion, Nameless will realize through the kisaeng’s words the existence of a conspiracy. From my point of view, the buffoon will recognize that someone is setting a trap and Jihwa will be framed, especially after hearing that someone impersonated him at the kisaeng house. Secondly, when Heena noona describes to the criminal how Baek Na-Kyum was treated by Yoon Seungho (tied up in a room), the Joker will realize that Baek Na-Kyum never revealed Jihwa’s crime. Moreover, the brother would have confided to his sister what truly happened. After hearing from the second lead that Yoon Seungho created a scene in Jihwa’s bedroom and warned him to never approach him again, Nameless will get aware that Yoon Seungho did forgive the second lead, hence he has nothing to worry. At the same time, Jihwa could tell him in his innocence that Min asked him to remain at home. Since he is doing nothing, then nothing bad can happen to him in Jihwa’s mind. And that’s how the criminal will become involved in the second kidnapping again. But this time, his role will be different, as he will recognize that if the painter gets hurt, Jihwa and himself will be framed. Hence he will pay attention to the painter and follow him. We will have a new version of this.

In other words, this time the criminal will come to Baek Na-Kyum’s rescue and as such redeem himself. however, the criminal will be forced to reveal Deok-Jae’s death to Yoon Seungho. On the other hand, during the loss of his conscience, Kim will start with the purge blaming the maids, the kisaeng, the painter and even the doctor. Since the painter is not present, he can be framed, as he can not defend himself, unaware of what Kim is planning behind his back. The butler will go to the authorities. From my point of view, he could use the first poisoning incident and frame the maids. Since the real culprit is dead and no one will speak in their favor, Kim will usurp his master’s authority, while faking that he is protecting his lord. On the other hand, since the lord has been drugged for a long time, I am expecting that Yoon Seungho will recover very quickly from this poisoning incident. And once Kim brings the letter as an evidence blaming the painter and the maids for their complicity, Yoon Seungho will realize the butler’s treason and betrayal. Unlike in chapter 11, he will believe in Baek Na-Kyum’s innocence, as the paper will become the proof of his probity. Since we have to expect a repetition of the incidents from the first season, I realized that one event hadn’t been repeated yet: framing the painter for a misdeed. And remember that in chapter 11, Kim played a huge role in this incident and it happened, while the painter was away. However, the moment Yoon Seungho reads the letter, his eyes will be able to perceive the truth: he is surrounded by spies… as the paper will content sentences from conversations between the two protagonists. Consequently, he will discover Deok-Jae’s disappearance and he will remember that night. That’s how the purge will take place. I am expecting that during the painter’s disappearance and the lord’s sickness, Kim sends the guards to arrest Heena noona. Through this terrible experience, she will recognize her wrongdoings. She will tell the authorities about Jihwa and his plan, but as a kisaeng she won’t be trusted. Moreover, the authorities will reproach her spying activities. She will definitely accuse the lord for threatening her , but everyone won’t listen to her, until Yoon Seungho appears and believes her. That’s how the male servant will be questioned. Through that terrible incident the kisaeng will learn a terrible lesson. And since Nameless could rescue the painter from the second kidnapping, Baek Na-Kyum will be able to defend himself and protect his sister. While Kim wanted to eliminate people among commoners, Yoon Seungho will decide to retaliate against the nobles by utilizing Deok-Jae’s death and his own poisoning. The result will be a real purge, which valet Kim didn’t predict. Both Min and Kim will experience why “ignorance is not a blessing”. However, I have the impression, Min will be able to escape the purge, while he will betray and abandon his friend, the noble with the mole, who thought that he was playing just a prank. There’s no doubt that this time, Jihwa won’t be spared, yet thanks to Nameless’ help, the noble will suffer less.

As conclusion, Kim’s true personality will be finally revealed. At the same time, I am quite sure that the valet will send a letter to father Yoon to cover up the scandal… in case he got into trouble, a new version of chapter 44. The butler will justify his action, that he wanted to remove the painter from Yoon Seungho’s side. He did it out of selflessness and concern for the eldest master. His son was in love with a commoner, a scandal. Kim’s involvement will cause the return of father Yoon in the main lead’s life.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Sex and sensuality

March 7, 2021July 5, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Setting the trap

February 28, 2021March 1, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 5 Comments

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.

After reading chapter 69 for the first time, my instinctive reaction was to comment about Min’s presence at the kisaeng house on Twitter. Some readers had some doubts that this was Min, because the latter usually wears a green hanbok and not a mustard-yellow. Jihwa is the one wearing such hanboks, which is indeed correct. I have to admit that I didn’t even think about this detail, because my eyes had paid attention to something else: When I saw the laugh in the background, for me there was no doubt, Min was at the kisaeng house. The laugh is The Joker’s mark, that’s how you recognize this villain. (chapter 19) (chapter 54) And remember that a joker is a synonym for a comedian. Naturally, I have other arguments for this interpretation.

First, notice that Jihwa has never been at the kisaeng house, he prefers visiting the tavern. (chapter 59)

Secondly, since the story is constructed like a kaleidoscope, this signifies that we have to expect a repetition with some variations. And in chapter 19, Min is indeed present at a kisaeng house with Yoon Seungho. And back then, he was inquiring about the painter before making the following suggestion to the main lead: they should drink the expensive wine at the protagonist’s mansion. Black Heart was already trying to set a trap, because he couldn’t stop thinking about the artist. He felt the need to have sex with the artist, but in order to have his wish fulfilled, he needed to create an occasion. So the expensive wine was the bribe. One of my readers supposed that Min had planned to have the painter drunk, this is definitely possible. However, I am more inclined to think, Black Heart desired to have the main lead drunk, so that he could approach the artist more easily. Why? I believe, Min has totally misjudged the painter’s personality due to his observations. Remember that he is someone watching people closely. Since he saw the painter getting aroused during the sex session (chapter 8), he had the impression that the low-born was experienced with sex, and as such was “depraved”. He felt attracted to the painter’s facial expressions exuding pure and raw desires. He saw a confirmation of his perception in the drawings as well. In chapter 19, he describes the drawing as lewd, and for me he is actually thinking about the artist while commenting this. Moreover, this is the same expression Yoon Seungho will use during their Wedding Night: How could he paint such pictures without any sexual experience? Since Black Heart had the impression that Baek Na-Kyum was an easy man (a witch seducing men), The Joker proposed later to Yoon Seungho to bring the low-born to their sex sessions (chapter 33, chapter 52). He imagined, the artist would never be opposed to this, he just restrained himself due to Yoon Seungho’s order. That’s why he made such a comment about Baek Na-Kyum. (chapter 52) In my opinion, Min came to the belief that the lord was the reason why the painter didn’t join them in their sex sessions. However, he was right and wrong. In reality, the painter’s inner struggles were caused by the scholar’s indoctrination, and later the lord did really desire to keep the artist to himself. Yet more importantly, Baek Na-Kyum is actually a very loyal and faithful person, hence he abhors sex sessions. Since Min’s first scheme had failed, then he needed to find a new approach. Hence he came with this idea: if the lord gave his consent, he would be able to get his wish fulfilled. Therefore he keeps suggesting to bring the artist to their sex sessions after each failed trap (chapter 19, 43). Simultaneously, each time he planned something, this always backfired on him. In chapter 19, he got to see the beautiful face of Baek Na-Kyum full of tears, which could only arouse Min even more. Yet he couldn’t touch him. Then after urging Jihwa to organize the abduction and assassination, a few days later, Black Heart has to see the artist’s smooth legs, which can only increase his arousal. The more he tried to taste the commoner, the more he got tempted without being capable to satisfy his urges. Each time he even helped the lord in the end. In chapter 19, his plan with the expensive wine benefitted Yoon Seungho the most. The latter was finally able to “taste” the painter, and now Yoon Seungho has recognized that he can trust his loved one. He will now believe in his words, a huge step for the main lead. At the same time, Baek Na-Kyum got to hear that he could trust the noble, because the latter would believe in his words.

Moreover, since I have already portrayed the Joker as sadist, his desires can only increase, because he sees the painter’s condition has not improved. The last time Black Heart saw the low-born, he was a wreck… and I doubt that this repelled him. It had quite the opposite effect. Why do I think so? First, we have Yoon Seungho who confessed to the painter with these words: , therefore “wreck” had a positive connotation. Besides, we have Heena noona who complains about the painter’s terrible state. Yet at no moment the painter feels shocked or terrible. That’s why I believe, when Min saw the painter’s poor condition, his urges to taste the artist reached a new peak. That’s why he revealed Jihwa’s culpability. He needed to divert the lord’s attention, while he was already setting the next trap.

Because I have already elaborated this theory that Kim and Min have been talking to each other since the last party, I am quite sure, the butler must have revealed his knowledge to the Joker. Since Jihwa is no longer able to enter the place, the valet needed another pawn. In his mind, Min was perfect. So they must have agreed to use Heena noona during that morning. Both saw in her the perfect tool, because she already has a negative perception of Yoon Seungho. At the same time, she is close to the painter, therefore the latter will trust her more easily. Let’s not forget that when Min approached Seungho’s mansion, he saw the kisaeng making a ruckus in front of the mansion. He discovered her relationship to the artist. So far, no one had an idea where the artist was coming from. So their first plan was quite easy. Heena noona would bring the artist outside the mansion, while Yoon Seungho was busy making trouble at the Lee’s mansion. Both manipulators anticipated that once the artist woke up and saw his sister by his side asking him to leave, he would run away with her. In their mind, Baek Na-Kyum could only resent the aristocrat for the harsh treatment during the last night. That’s why Kim urged her to speak. He knew what she would say.

As for Min, he was very displeased with the new situation. Jihwa had really messed up, because for Min it would become more difficult to taste the artist. Besides, he is more than ever forced to kill Baek Na-Kyum, as the latter could reveal the scheme and the identity of the culprit. After the scandal Yoon Seungho created in town due to the artist, the Joker recognized that if anything happened to the painter, the main character would make sure to uncover the truth and make people pay for this. Remember The Joker’s words in chapter 43: They needed to fake an accident to cover up the murder, because killing a commoner was still a crime. And now you comprehend why Min revealed the abduction to the protagonist. Not only he wanted to divert the noble’s attention, but also he needed a scapegoat for the next kidnapping. Since Jihwa had disobeyed him, Black Heart felt the need to punish Jihwa. But most importantly, the red-haired aristocrat needed to pay for the situation he had created: Min was no longer able to concretize his “dream”: taste the painter.

But since Kim and Min thought that Baek Na-Kyum would follow his sister easily, we have to imagine that the Joker projected that he would encounter the low-born at the kisaeng house. He couldn’t wait to meet him, especially after seeing him as a wreck the same day. That’s why he went to the kisaeng house later. Since he had a servant by his side, the latter could ask the kisaeng’s guards, in which kisaeng house she was living.

And now, you are wondering why he is wearing a hanbok like Jihwa’s. It is quite simple: he is impersonating him. Since Jihwa refused to kill the painter, Black Heart envisioned that the noble had kept postponing the kidnapping due to fear and remorse. Therefore The Joker decided to come up with a new strategy, which would be so tempting that the red-haired noble wouldn’t doubt his words. Min asked the same thing than Nameless. He just needed to wait and remain in his mansion, having a low profile. In other words, Black Heart asked him to do nothing! Since Jihwa would do nothing, he wouldn’t have to feel remorse, and more importantly, he wouldn’t commit any crime in his eyes. Since the second lead is quite naive, he doesn’t realize that knowing the existence of a crime and not revealing it is actually a crime too. In his mind, his hands would remain pure, whereas in reality he is an accomplice. That’s why Min asked him not to run away. How did I come up with impersonification? It is because we already had one, and like I have already exposed it, each incident will be repeated. Jihwa impersonated lord Song, when he sent the fake letter.

And remember Jihwa’s reaction back then. He never saw any wrongdoing in his action, he didn’t recognize the seriousness of his misdeed. He even blamed the main lead.

In my opinion, Black Heart had envisioned the painter’s return, therefore he was waiting for him. Since neither Jihwa nor Min had ever visited this place, this means that no one would know their real identity. From my point of view, Black Heart had already anticipated to taste the artist that night. And if Baek Na-Kyum had disappeared, the kisaengs would have noticed the nobles with the color of the hanboks. However, the problem is that Heena noona returned alone that night. Hence Min’s scheme had failed again.

And now, I would like to point out the presence of the noble with the mole. He is noticeable with the purple robe. First, the latter is often seen with Jihwa, hence the aristocrat is already guilty by association. From my point of view, Black Heart is so determined to have his wish fulfilled that he is willing to jeopardize everything. And in my opinion, the poor friend has no idea about this. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that in season 1, Min already betrayed him once, when the latter got humiliated and evicted from Yoon Seungho’s bedchamber. The Joker didn’t leave the lord’s chamber, hence he chose to side with the host. Moreover, we have the second lead’s admiration for their relationship: (chapter 59) Jihwa will realize how fake this relationship was. There’s this possibility that Min also manipulated his friend, telling him that he was playing a prank. Remember that in chapter 37, Min lied to Jihwa and the noble with the mole sensed it, but decided to overlook this deception. For Jihwa has already been connected to the first abduction, the moment Baek Na-Kyum disappears, Jihwa will be suspected. Since he has the bad habit to sneak out of the mansion, the kisaengs’ testimony could play in his disfavor. Yoon Seungho, blinded by his first mistake, would no longer believe in his friend’s innocence. As for the friend, even if he claims, he was with Min, the main lead won’t trust his words either, especially after the incident with the topknot. And if he participated in the prank (calling Min Jihwa for example), persuaded by his friend to play a prank, then he is done. But the problem was that the kisaeng returned without her brother, which must have surprised Black Heart.

But this doesn’t mean, Min will give up. In fact, it is the opposite. He must have heard the sister’s comment who speaks her mind so loudly that she doesn’t realize the danger. But we shouldn’t forget that Min is not working alone in this. Kim is already setting the next trap. He used the servants for that. Since he has been by the lord’s side for so long, they trust him. So when the domestic warned Heena noona to never return to the house, he was actually repeating Kim’s words. Why do I think so? Notice that the valet is always the one referring to the lord’s bad reputation, and observe that the domestic uses the expression “is known as”, indicating that in truth he doesn’t judge his master like that. As the manwhaphiles can detect, the staff have become Kim’s eyes and mouth, that’s why he can definitely act in the dark. And while he was not present in chapter 69, I could still feel his presence due to the domestics. The butler is already trying to drive an edge between the kisaeng and the protagonist. He desires to push Heena noona to ignore her brother’s wish, and let him kidnap, although in her mind, she will be saving him. Now, she would become the perfect tool. As you can see, I am expecting a new conspiracy, and they will use Heena noona’s ignorance. For them, it is truly a blessing. And since Min is impersonating Jihwa, he can act, as if he had an interest to separate the couple. Moreover, he can even tell her that he will protect her brother from Yoon Seungho, as he has power and wealth as well. The noble won’t be able to abuse his power. And since Min is always laughing and smiling, Heena noona will trust him, as for her Yoon Seungho is just a violent fiend. However, in order to push her, they will have to fake a letter. Since Heena noona spoke in front of the domestics, that he could write her, if he changed his mind, Kim will know about this and forge a letter from the painter. Another possibility is that Kim leaves a fake letter from the painter behind, telling Yoon Seungho that he chose to return to his sister’s side. As you can detect, the letter will be the downfall for Min and Kim in the end. That’s how the conspiracy will be revealed. The main lead will know immediately that another crime has been planned and even committed. So far, only the noble knows that Baek Na-Kyum is illiterate. When they returned from the tailor shop (chapter 40), Kim wasn’t following them, hence he never saw that the lord had to read for the painter. This will be the new version from the chapter 56. I have to admit that there is this possibility that once Heena noona receives the letter, she decides to go to the authorities, and ask for their help. Remember that she mentioned it once, therefore it is possible that she decides to do it. And this is definitely something Min and Kim are not expecting. Furthermore, the readers should recall, they tried to use Nameless, and the latter didn’t act like anticipated as well.

As a conclusion, all the traps set by Kim and Min are doomed to failure. I am still convinced that Kim will be forced to reveal his true role in the end, because Min will pressure him. Striking is that the manipulators believe that they know everything, while in reality they are judging people based on appearances and their words. They imagine, the others don’t have any secret, because they are so easy to read and easily manipulated, which is far from the truth. I have not mentioned Nameless here, as so far, I have no clue what he will do exactly. But there is no doubt that Nameless will play a huge part in the failure of the trap set by the manipulators, since he desires to keep his promise to Jihwa. Only a joker can destroy another joker.

Painter Of The Night: Decisions

February 27, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 12 Comments

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 the previous analysis “Jealousy and trust” I demonstrated the importance of jealousy in the different relationships. In chapter 69, we see Heena noona getting resentful towards Yoon Seungho, for the latter has affected her bond with Baek Na-Kyum. The latter is refusing to listen to her advice. At the same time, the manhwaphiles could see the change in Yoon Seungho’s behavior concerning the painter. He chose to trust the artist, and ignore his own feelings (insecurities). But the powerful noble is not the only one to make a resolution in that chapter. The artist makes the choice to stay, while the kisaeng decides to ignore her brother’s decision. Therefore we can say that the chapter 69 stands under the sign of “decision”. That’s why I will examine the episode 69 under this aspect.

What caught my attention is the lord’s behavior in the beginning. He stands in front of the door, but doesn’t open it. This contrasts so much to his attitude towards Jihwa, when he barged in his mansion. Note the disparity between these two pictures. On the one hand, the manhwaphiles only get to see his feet, on the other he is shown as a whole person in the second picture. From my point of view, these images reflect the main lead’s mental disposition. He feels strong and confident in front of his former childhood friend, because the latter committed a huge misdeed towards him. But he feels so small and powerless in front of the painter, because he knows that he was the one in the wrong here. He mistrusted Baek Na-Kyum’s words, as a result he treated him as a sex toy, while he had claimed that he would adore him. And this panel announces the noble’s gradual transformation. For the first time, he is not following his desire to approach the artist, he is now listening to his conscious. It is possible that he heard Heena noona’s words and the artist’s confession, but from my point of view, it doesn’t truly matter. The most important aspect is that for the first time, Yoon Seungho didn’t allow his hand and feet to act on impulse. He always listened to his emotions, when it came to Baek Na-Kyum, which led him to make wrong decisions: he used his feet and hands to approach the artist and hurt him. In my opinion, he must have been reminded of his own words, when he punished the vicious servant in chapter 53. : “Who do you think you are to put hands on him?” Who was he really to Baek Na-Kyum? If he had to be judged by the way he had treated the painter the day and the night before, then he was definitely abusing his power. Hence he had no right to decide about the painter’s future. That’s why he retreats and returns to his bedchamber. Although he desires to be by the artist’s side, he is well aware that he can no longer force himself onto the artist. And if he truly heard their conversation, then this signifies, he realized that there was hope for him, as the painter had developed an affection for him. Imagine that if he did listen to their discussion, this signifies that Yoon Seungho decided to overlook Heena noona’s metaphor: a symbol of misfortune. Anyway, in front of the door, he was not thinking about himself and his pain, rather about the painter. This mirrors Baek Na-Kyum’s words: he keeps thinking about the master. But Yoon Seungho is one step ahead of him: he is no longer in denial about his love for the painter. That’s why I already perceive a change in the lord’s behavior in that panel. He is retreating, because he wants to let the painter make his own choice. He doesn’t want to put pressure on him, because if he does, he will always feel insecure. After hearing that Baek Na-Kyum had remained by his side, because the scholar had hurt him, Yoon Seungho’s heart had not only been wounded, but also poisoned. The butler’s revelation in chapter 50 gave him the impression that he had never been selected. That’s why he couldn’t trust the artist in the end. And now, you comprehend why I perceive Kim as really dangerous and evil. Kim fueled Yoon Seungho’s self-hatred and insecurities in order to tame and use the lord. Since the main lead’s biggest wish is to be picked by Baek Na-Kyum, he realized that he needed to give the painter some space and time to decide his own fate. There is no ambiguity that Kim’s words played a huge part in his resolution to give the painter the freedom to determine his future. When the butler mentioned the father, his intention was to remind the main lead of his own suffering. Father Yoon was an abusive and controlling father who kept imposing his will onto the main character. The latter was pressured to obey. Yet, what Kim didn’t expect was Baek Na-Kyum’s resolution to remain by the lord’s side. The butler had imagined that after that treatment in the barn (he kept hearing refusal from the artist), the latter was resenting the main lead and would run away, if he had the opportunity. Simultaneously, he also envisaged that by comparing him to father Yoon, the noble would choose to send away the painter, do the opposite of his father: releasing from his prison. Kim made a huge miscalculation: he never anticipated the real depth of the master’s affection for the painter. He wouldn’t give up on him. The main character took the advice differently. And by giving the painter the freedom to determine his destiny, Yoon Seungho will be able to perceive himself the truth.

So what did he do after his return to his bedchamber? Like my follower @Yaoon72898111 correctly pointed out, the main lead must have felt desperate and infuriated , because you can see shattered glass and the bed cover in front of the door. He was annoyed, not because he had been wounded by Heena noona’s words, but because he had realized that he had ruined everything for not trusting the artist. After giving some thought, I believe that this is a new version of chapter 48, when the lord drank first, before throwing the table. Yet the huge difference is that in chapter 69, he was mad at himself. However, as time passed on, he could calm down. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that he had forgiven himself. It was, as though he was punishing himself, when he sits on the terrace in the cold. Observe that he is sitting in the corner reinforcing the impression of contrition. He feels unworthy to be treated as a master, hence he didn’t ask his staff to clean the mess. We have to imagine how tormented the lord must have felt, while waiting for the kisaeng’s departure. He is still unsure about the artist’s choice. Will he leave him behind or not?

Striking is that Byeonduck focused a lot on the noble’s hand and gaze in this chapter again. On the surface, it looks like Yoon Seungho fell back into his bad habits. He destroys the room, then he drinks and smokes in order to numb his body and emotions. Let’s not forget that after the return of the painter in chapter 61, he was also smoking in front of the window, giving the impression that he was serene, while in reality he was literally boiling inside. However, I believe that this time, it is different. Note that the hand appears like frozen and emotionless in the panel, because the fingers are not moving. Besides, the gaze seems cold, yet clear. From my point of view, the aristocrat is here firm. He made the choice not to intervene and not to follow his emotions blindly. However, this doesn’t mean, he isn’t suffering internally, quite the opposite. The huge divergence from before is that he is willing to accept the outcome of the situation. Since he had been blinded by his own emotions, he is well aware that he has to ignore them. In other words, he is tormented, while waiting, but he doesn’t let it transpire. At the same time, we should remember that he is sitting in the cold as a sign of penitence.

That’s why when he hears the noise of the door opening, he looks immediately in that direction. He was waiting for a signal. This explicates why the author allowed the manhwalovers to zoom on the noble’s face. In a brief moment, Yoon Seungho’s gaze mirrors his true soul: he is scared, desperate and wounded. The sound of the door announces the final verdict, it could become the death knell for Yoon Seungho. If the painter decides to follow his sister, then he has to accept this. We have to imagine that in the main lead’s mind, the longer Heena noona remained by Baek Na-Kyum’s side, the higher the probability was that the painter would fulfil his sister’s wish, as it implied that she would increase the pressure on her brother. Yoon Seungho was well aware that if he entered the room, he could ruin everything. If he heard the conversation – I believe, he did -, he had sensed that he had not damaged his relationship with Baek Na-Kyum for good. But as time passed on, he became more and more uncertain. Hence he feared this moment. However, he was resigned to his fate. That’s why his mouth is closed. He has no saying in this, he is powerless. Like my follower @_tryxy_ observed correctly, this is the gaze the protagonist had after the low-born’s disappearance. Nonetheless, there exists a divergence. In chapter 60, the wounded and desperate gaze was focused on himself, hence he is felt betrayed. In chapter 69, all his thoughts are evolving around the painter. He is definitely prioritizing the commoner now, despite his agony.

And now Yoon Seungho’s attitude in episode 69 stands in opposition to chapter 30, when he threw a tantrum acting like a spoiled child, whose favorite toy had vanished. Here, he was surrounded by his staff and beating the domestics, whereas he sent them away in the last episode. He could no longer blame them for his misery. He was responsible for this scandal and his wrongdoing. Hence I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho pondered a lot, while he was sitting alone in the dark, but more calmly, unlike during the night of the low-born’s disappearance. He made preparations, in case the painter would select him. Therefore, he is definitely more mature and responsible. He is not only learning from his mistakes, but also feeling remorse, which I can only approve as a teacher. Finally, he starts using his mind more rationally.

Striking is that when he asks the painter about his resolution, he doesn’t interrogate him directly. Here he is feigning ignorance, and for a reason. If he had asked if the painter was leaving him, his inquiry could have negatively influenced the painter’s resolution again, an indication that he had already planned how to react in face of the verdict. That’s why after hearing the artist’s statement: he is so relieved , because there’s a glimpse of a smile on his lip. Note that Baek Na-Kyum is calling him “my lord” or “sir”, displaying that despite the incident, the aristocrat is still respected. The commoner still views him as his master. In this scene, the manhwaworms can sense another contradiction with chapter 30. While the main lead literally flew towards Baek Na-Kyum in the first season, in chapter 69 Yoon Seungho walks slowly with dignity. He is even followed by a servant showing that he is here indeed acting a honorable host. The other huge contrast is that he has already removed his manggeon. Besides, there’s light in his room now. It was, as though the lord had been relaxing in his chamber, and not waiting for the guest’s departure. Therefore he is not properly dressed, when the sister and the painter leave the study. His hanbok is opened, and without the manggeon. He looks like he feels enough comfortable around Baek Na-Kyum to show himself like that. He desires to create the illusion, he was well aware of her presence and had allowed it. Yet he didn’t pay too much attention to the scandal from the morning. At the same time, he doesn’t want to reveal to Baek Na-Kyum that he has discovered the true reason for his recent desertion. He is truly applying the philosophy from his butler: feigning ignorance. He acts, as if nothing had happened. There’s a reason for that. By doing so, he hopes that the artist will overlook his harsh treatment. In my opinion, as long as he has no idea of the outcome, he has to keep the pretense. If he expresses his wish too obviously, in his mind this can still affect the artist’s decision. He can still leave at any moment. As a conclusion, he behaves in a totally opposite way from the previous night and from the morning. He is willing to heed his words. (here as contrast: chapter 66)

And then why is a servant following him? From my point of view, since the protagonist still had no idea about the low-born’s decision, in case of his departure, he wanted him to accept the clothes he had bought for him. He wished the painter not to get cold and simultaneously to see that he had offered them, because he wanted to please the artist, and not in exchange for sex. He couldn’t forget the clothes left behind during the night of the abduction.

Another difference from chapter 30 is the gesture of the aristocrat’s hand. While he grabbed the commoner by the throat and pushed him against the wall, this time he gives the artist’s neck with the scarf. He is tender and careful, making sure that his loved one doesn’t get cold. As you can observe: when the lord approaches the commoners, he is determined to treat Baek Na-Kyum as his honored guest, while in the past due to his tantrum, the artist’s status became affected. From that moment, he was perceived as a servant, especially after the lord had dragged him into his chamber. Not only he had pledged loyalty to him in front of Jung In-Hun, but also he had accepted to do anything for the powerful aristocrat. In chapter 30, Baek Na-Kyum had no real saying, he had even been forced to make an oath in order to protect the scholar. However, in chapter 69, the moment the painter calls him “my lord” and “sir”, he indeed acts more like a lord. Since the artist is considering him as his master, then he has to behave like one. That’s why he gives his permission to the painter. As you can sense, Yoon Seungho lets the artist determine the nature of their relationship. He has become a staff of his household, the moment he called Yoon Seungho “my lord”. In other words, the situation has returned to the beginning, with a huge difference. Baek Na-Kyum is doing everything on his own volition. Yet, there is no doubt that Yoon Seungho will ensure that Baek Na-Kyum’s status evolve. He will make sure to woo him properly so that he can accept him as his partner, now Baek Na-Kyum is just a favored domestic. Hence you understand why Byeonduck used elements from chapter 35 as well. The lord was on the verge on giving up, when he saw a glimpse of hope, because the painter was blushing. In chapter 69, there’s hope too. That’s why the lord’s gaze is much softer, and his face lets transpire relief. The other positive aspect is that they are truly listening to each other. Baek Na-Kyum realized that Yoon Seungho’s comment about his noona’s behavior was correct. She had indeed insulted him by barging with guards in his mansion, and the noble had been benevolent. He had truly kept his promise, hence he switches the way he is addressing to Yoon Seungho. It becomes again “lord Seungho”. That’s why I see a huge progression in this episode. Baek Na-Kyum is the one determining the evolution. At the same time, he recognizes the good intentions behind the main character’s words and actions. He has already asked to send a servant to accompany his sister to the kisaeng house. What moved me the most was the noble’s facial expression, when he heard the painter thanking him. For the first time, someone was noticing his kindness, and was even grateful. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was blushing the whole time. After hearing the lord’s confession, he was able to hear and feel the care and affection in his attitude. In other words, it was, as though the magical words “you’ve made a wreck of me”/”I adore you” had lifted a curse, and the artist was no longer blind and deaf any longer. However, despite everything Yoon Seungho’s biggest wish didn’t get fulfilled. The painter was still not looking at him the same way he was looking at his noona and the scholar. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum is represented without eyes. Nevertheless, unlike in the past, the aristocrat doesn’t get enraged and resent the painter. In fact, this reminds him that he always wanted the painter to smile. That’s why he grants him the wish to follow his sister to the door. And with this decision, he actually achieves his goal. For the first time, the painter is able to smile. Sure, there’s another reason here. The protagonist is happy, because he could see Heena noona, and he wasn’t truly abandoned, like he had imagined.

As the manhwaphiles could observe, the author combined the chapter 30 and 35 together to outline the huge change in the protagonists’ behavior. While the low-born is able to perceive Yoon Seungho’s attention, genuineness and selflessness, the latter has decided to trust the painter and show him his true self. Both have truly matured, they are making decisions for themselves for the first time. This explicates why the low-born’s bow represents the climax of chapter 69. This time, he is not doing out of convenience and fear, like in chapter 12, but out of true respect. He sees Yoon Seungho like a true master, who can be generous and affectionate. The image of a lord with mood swings is not longer existent in the painter’s eyes. And now, you grasp the impact of the butler’s manipulation. The latter created a fake bow in chapter 12, by telling the painter that Yoon Seungho was a terrible master due to his bad temper. He had disguised this negative perception by mentioning the lord’s traumatic past. However, by outlining that he had worked for him for a decade and he was still scared of him, he was insinuating that the time spent with him was the cause of his pity, and in reality, the lord was indeed true to his reputation. During this night (69), this negative notoriety has been removed, because in front of him, Baek Na-Kyum only sees a calm and gentle master, who treats him and his sister very well. So the words he told his sister, he treats me very well, have become a reality. His special treatment will no longer dependent on Yoon Seungho’s moods, which were triggered by Kim’s manipulations. In a single day, Baek Na-Kyum was able to regain his reputation and to perceive the lord’s true personality correctly. He is no longer relying on others, hence this signifies that Kim can no longer manipulate the low-born as well. And this is no surprise that the valet is absent here. He has to be out of his master’s sight. The lord had witnessed how Kim acted behind his back. Yet he is still unaware that the valet is still ruling behind his back, as the servants trust him. Without him, both main leads can breathe more properly, his words are no longer polluting their mind. That’s why the windows are all open, while the lord is waiting for the painter’s decision. The master is clearing his head, making his own decisions without listening to his butler’s info.

Although both protagonists are still awkward around each other, they are now observing each other , ensuring that the other won’t be hurt and they don’t misunderstand each other. Both are trying to use their own senses in order to interpret the partner’s reactions and thoughts correctly: the eyes, the touch, the hearing. Yoon Seungho has to do more than the painter. He needs to earn the painter’s trust again, hence he externalizes his thoughts: he trusts the honesty in the artist’s words. That’s why their relationship can improve very quickly, there’s no one who can interfere between them any longer. Even Heena noona was not able to convince her brother to leave the mansion. Baek Na-Kyum is trusting his own senses and instincts in the end.

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

February 26, 2021July 5, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 12 Comments

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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!

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Painter Of The Night: Desires and communication 📲 (second version)

February 21, 2021September 11, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 6 Comments

1. The significance of communication

In the essay “Respect and love” I demonstrate that both protagonists aren’t honest to themselves, exposing their lack of self-respect. This is one of the reasons why they keep disregarding each other. While they are hurting each other, they force each other to question their own action and words simultaneously. Hence the readers are witnessing their transformation. Little by little, the protagonists mature and turn into adults. They become more responsible. Their growth coincides with the development of attachment and the realization of their affection. At the same time, this evolution is strongly intertwined with the painter’s sexuality. The latter is making his first sexual experiences, which leads him to slowly accept his homosexuality. Yet he still fears his own strong libido and as such his love for the noble. Therefore till chapter 68, the artist is still dishonest with himself. As the manhwaphiles can see, the painter’s honesty is linked to respect and love. Striking is that both values are dependent on communication.

“Love without communication is impossible”. from Mortimer Adler

“Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” from Fyodor Dostoevsky

2. Communication and relationship

With these quotes, it becomes obvious that communication represents the foundation of a good relationship, where there exist respect, love and trust. Silence or lies stand in opposition to communication, because they create a false perception or an illusion. Since manipulators employ lies by commission or omission, the latter can be judged as weapons. Moreover, unsaid things and deceptions display a lack of trust. That’s why the relationship between the noble and the low-born can only stabilize, the moment they talk to each other properly. Once Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum reveal their true thoughts and emotions to each other, they not only show trust, but also can discover the true personality of their lover. However, if you pay attention to the evolution of the story, you’ll observe two details:

Yoon Seungho is the one who keeps talking, revealing his desire to exchange thoughts with the painter. This explicates why the lord was so hurt in chapter 49. He wanted to communicate (“share what’s on our mind”) with the low-born, but the latter refused, because he just considered the noble as a sex toy to procure him pleasure out of fear to get hurt and deceived again.
The painter is only opening up once confronted with sex and his own sexual desires.

3. Words, sex and its impact on relationship

Now, I would like to elaborate more these observations, hence I will start with the first chapter as illustration. The manhwaphiles should remember that at the tavern, Yoon Seungho was very talkative. (Chapter 1) He expressed his genuine admiration for Baek Na-Kyum’s talent and creations. Yet, at no moment the painter noticed the compliments. He had been forced to touch the loins, which shocked him, and then he remembered the lord’s bad notoriety. Therefore all the lord’s good words fell on deaf ears. The painter was more concerned with appearances and rumors than anything else. That’s why the conversation failed. Since Baek Na-Kyum was not interested in the main lead’s feelings, he feigned ignorance first, and lied at the end. Striking is that their first conversation was connected to books and sex, therefore this already limited their exchange. Moreover, this first chapter clearly reveals the lord’s interest in the low-born. He not only sent a domestic for the investigation about the mysterious creator, but also asked about his recent whereabouts. And curiosity usually initiates a conversation. But there’s more to it. From my perspective, the main lead felt no longer satisfied with the erotic pictures. He wanted to share his emotions and thoughts, when he looked at them. However, he had no one to talk to, so in his mind, if he met the artist, he could come into a conversation with the creator. That’s why he wanted to invite him in the end. The painting of sex sessions would give him the perfect occasion to discuss with someone.

And observe, when the first session starts, he can’t help himself talking to the artist, while Jihwa remains silent, as he doesn’t pay attention to him. If you read the story again, you’ll sense the master’s strong desire to communicate. When the painter arrives in the bedchamber in chapter 8, the lord welcomes him warmly with a huge smile and speech. (Chapter 8) Observe the contrast. The main lead doesn’t reveal his anger towards the noble with the mole, it is not worthy for Yoon Seungho of giving him an explanation for the humiliation. He just smiles (Chapter 8) before grabbing him by the topknot. His words and behavior truly display a huge respect and a desire to exchange thoughts and observation.

Moreover, when the master is not talking during the sex sessions, then he is in a locked gaze with the artist. (Chapter 8) This mirrors the noble’s need to talk and now, you understand why the main lead had to evict the aristocrat with the mole in the end. By requesting to send away the commoner, (Chapter 8) he was more or less asking from the host to remain silent. (Chapter 8) The latter just had to focus on the guest’s sexual desires which confirms my interpretation that the main lead is treated like a head-kisaeng. Since the noble showed him no respect, then the main character didn’t need to respect him either. But more importantly, the protagonist made sure that he would be treated the same way. He also wouldn’t listen to his words, because the noble with the mole didn’t want to hear him speaking either. Therefore the door is closed, before the man can protest. As a conclusion, the aristocrats only visited him for sex or other pleasures and nothing more, while the noble had to remain quiet. Hence we have a silent main lead in his relapse: (chapter 52) However, even here the manhwaphiles can notice the transformation. The guests are no longer here for sex, just for smoking opium and drink wine. That way, the noble doesn’t feel lonely.

And Jihwa was not different from the others. Like Yoon Seungho described it to father Lee, (chapter 67) the childhood friend would only visit him during the night (“used to”). However, it changed the moment the main lead paid a visit to the red-haired noble early in the morning (chapter 3). After that, Jihwa realized that he could also go to his friend during the day (chapter 5 and 12 ). And now, you comprehend why the lord questioned his presence in the morning and why he assumed that his visit was related to sex in the end. It looks like Jihwa never showed an interest in the lord’s thoughts and emotions too. And there exist two reasons for that. First, he had the impression he knew everything about his lover. (Chapter 57) Secondly, there was a risk that the main character could talk about the past and as such mention Jihwa’s betrayal. The lord’s emotions (sadness, anger, pain) represented a huge burden to the red-haired master. (Chapter 59)

This illustrates that the lord was never allowed to express his thoughts and emotions, until the artist arrived at the property. And now the readers can comprehend why Yoon Seungho said this in chapter 18: (chapter 18) Thanks to the artist’s presence, Yoon Seungho had been able to talk and people would actually pay attention to his presence and words. They started listening to his words. Imagine, one word and the straw mat beating was stopped: (Chapter 13) No wonder, why he thanked the painter in chapter 18. He could only be happy, when he confronted his childhood friend, as there was a real exchange for the first time. (Chapter 13) Argument is also a form of communication, and it happens between people in a relationship. Not only his words were finally noticed, but also he was able to draw lines to Jihwa. By influencing the host with the hope, Yoon Seungho would send away the painter, the childhood friend didn’t recognize that he was attempting to turn the protagonist into a puppet, therefore he could only fail. Moreover, Jihwa had no idea that Yoon Seungho’s true desire was to get close to someone, to engage a honest conversation. Therefore the main lead could only reject the friend’s words and proposition. As a conclusion, with the painter’s arrival, the lord’s words were little by little listened, he was able to communicate more with others: Jihwa, the nobles and the staff. After scolding the maids in the kitchen (chapter 38), the head-maid started showing her respect to her lord. But more importantly, he gave her the order personally to bring the painter’s lunch to his study. (Chapter 46) He could finally voice his thoughts, everything happened thanks to the painter. This explicates why Yoon Seungho kept seeking the artist’s proximity, although the latter kept rejecting him (his escape, his lies, his refusal to paint for him etc…). He had realized that his living conditions had improved despite the struggling with the low-born.

His strong desire to communicate exposes that he had no companion by his side. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho justified his existence as a free spirit in order to hide his loneliness and emptiness. It was his explication why the nobles and Jihwa wouldn’t listen to him and disrespect him. Yet, the real cause for this situation was his traumatic past, where he had been forced to silence. Moreover this explains why he never paid attention to intruders in the end. He didn’t have the impression, he would truly live in that mansion. Besides, because people were supposed to visit him during the night for sex, then he was never expecting visitors during the day. Hence he spent his days smoking in front of the window. (Chapter 5) This outlines the main lead’s isolation and loneliness. Simultaneously, with this new approach, the readers grasp why Yoon Seungho couldn’t anticipate to become Min’s target in the end. He noticed Black Heart’s envious gaze , (chapter 8) but he didn’t envision what jealousy and greed would provoke. In my eyes, he couldn‘t identify these emotions properly.

The problem is that Baek Na-Kyum refused to converse with the lord. In chapter 4, the artist didn’t allow the main lead to express his opinion about the plagiarized poem. (Chapter 4) He was not worthy to comment this poetry, as he was just a man consumed by lust. However, the commoner never asked why the noble would judge the poem so poorly. He already assumed that he was just making fun in order to humiliate the scholar, while in reality the noble wanted to reveal the author’s true personality: Jung In-Hun was just a deceiver. And since he had been hurt by the painter’s comment, he retaliated too: since he was just a commoner, he had no right to criticize the lord.

And now, it is time to focus on the second aspect: Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum only started communicating properly through sex. The reason is simple: the painter was only honest, when his unconscious revealed his true desires. Right from the start, the artist was sexually attracted by the lord, but he kept denying it. However, the aristocrat did notice the painter’s genuineness in the sex sessions, which could only reinforce his strong attraction towards the low-born. He loved his art, and now he saw that someone was truly perceiving him. (Chapter 2) Baek Na-Kyum was the first who made the main lead realize the existence of his body. For the first time, he felt attraction through the gaze and saw something beautiful in himself. And what was the lord‘s immediate reaction? He started talking about his thoughts, though this was more a monologue than a discussion. (Chapter 3) (chapter 3) Exactly like the painter, Yoon Seungho began talking while having sex. He even formulated his first desire in front of his childhood friend: (chapter 3) And now, you comprehend why his relationship with Lee Jihwa was doomed to fail. The red-haired master was more focused on sex and his own sexual emancipation than his lover‘s well-being. (Chapter 3) He never asked him why he was behaving so differently. He didn‘t notice that the lord was more communicative.

4. The first real conversation

But let’s return our attention to the main couple. The real conversation between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum only starts in chapter 16. Nonetheless, the only one talking is Yoon Seungho. He keeps asking questions about Baek Na-Kyum’s sexuality, waiting an answer from the artist:

Here I only selected a few inquiries from the main lead, however what caught my attention is that with his behavior, the noble was putting the artist under pressure. The latter remained silent, but the beholder detect how these questions affect the artist. They actually excite him in reality. Why? It is because the lord’s words incite the painter’s imagination. Note that in the second panel above, he is describing the sex session. And the painter gets really excited, when the noble says this: (chapter 16) On the surface, it looks like he is sulking, the reality is that he is already fighting against his urges. The hand is trembling due the arousal. While you have the impression, he is bothered by Yoon Seungho, the truth is that the artist is getting more and more excited due the lord’s picturesque questions. Funny is that in this scene, the aristocrat is the more innocent one. He plays with the head-band and his “innocence” is truly visible through his facial expressions too: . What is the painter’s real sexual desire? We have the answer in this panel: Getting violated by a stranger! In the wet dream in chapter 6, (chapter 6) a stranger in form of a shadow enters the artist’s room. The lord’s identity is only discovered at the end. But in his fantasy, the main lead was even grabbing him by the hair. It was definitely not a tender gesture. He was even caressing him against his will. And note that when Yoon Seungho questions when he got the most excited to the point that he had difficulties to breath, the commoner remembers this image and not the strokes. (Chapter 16) As a conclusion, the artist is actually a person who likes BDSM. This explicates why the painter’s trembling hand was grabbing the shirt in chapter 12 while facing the lord. He was hiding his erection (chapter 12) triggered by fear. This new interpretation explains why the artist painted the sex at the pavilion in the end. (Chapter 41) If the forced sex had truly traumatized him, he wouldn’t have been able to do so. Furthermore, he questioned the authenticity of the lord’s affection, when he recalled the moment, he was offered to the other nobles. He was upset and offended. (Chapter 55) Yet he didn’t even think about the scene at the pavilion for one minute. This means that Baek Na-Kyum only accepts the main lead as his lover. Fear and pain are not perceived as something negative, they can evoke pleasure.

In chapter 16, Yoon Seungho got the painter so excited that he felt the need to run away in order to hide his erection. Striking is that when the lord starts masturbating him, the commoner starts blushing and crying. But these tears and reddening are not the expression of pain, they express the opposite: pleasure. (Chapter 16) Moreover, he didn’t get angry at Yoon Seungho for touching his phallus. He got more scared that someone had seen him enjoying the masturbation and I would even say, getting grabbed by force. Therefore the lord got an erection and was so happy at the kisaeng house. Finally, he had been able to talk to the painter. He even got to receive a honest answer for the first time, where he was even called “my lord”: (chapter 16) To sum up, Baek Na-Kyum showed a certain respect to the main lead in this chapter. But more importantly, the master was in a good mood, because he kept thinking how he could procure pleasure to the commoner.

5. The secret meaning of „no“

However, he felt a little insecure at the same time, because the commoner had kept saying “no”. That’s why during their first Wedding night, the lord asked him about his first sexual experience: (Chapter 21) The painter reveals the truth by replying that he enjoyed it very much, it felt like a dream. As you can see, chapter 21 was a reflection of the episode 16: we had a discussion, where the lord tried to initiate a conversation, tears of joy connected with pleasure, the lord asking to be called “my lord” and the realization of a dream. But we have another evidence that despite his words, he wanted the main lead to continue: (chapter 16) The commoner’s hand is placed on the shoulder indicating that he is pushing Yoon Seungho to his side. He could have tried to remove the lord’s hand on his phallus, but he didn’t. The hand was even trembling from pleasure. That’s why the second sex marathon shouldn’t be judged as a rape in my opinion, although the painter kept saying no too. First, the painter makes the exact same expression than in chapter 16: (Chapter 63) And even the lord notices that the painter is getting more and more excited by the roughness. He keeps describing how the painter is reacting below (chapter 63) which can only increase Baek Na-Kyum’s arousal, as his words are again very graphic. Note that the lord’s pictorial “filthy” expressions affect the painter deeply, exactly like in his second wet dream: (Chapter 63) Therefore I come to the conclusion that in chapter 63, the painter is not crying, because he is really hurt and angry at the main lead. These are tears of pleasure mixed with pain, which is linked to BDSM. That’s why he keeps blushing the whole time. (Chapter 63) This explicates why he kept ejaculating, despite saying “no” or recognizing that there was a witness. He felt no longer scared or embarrassed, like in chapter 16, where he ran away to hide. With this new version of the sex marathon, the painter truly discovered his sexual preferences. Therefore, when we see this (chapter 63), we shouldn’t project our own emotions into the artist: pain and disgust. Remember this: the painter felt his blood running hot, when the lord grabbed his hair violently in his wet dream. (Chapter 6)

And now, you understand why the artist is scared to admit his affection to the main lead. (Chapter 68) He is still scared and embarrassed of his own sexuality. It must have felt strange in that historical period. What caught my attention is that we have two chapters where tears are mixed with pleasure and happiness (chapter 16-21), while we have two chapters where the tears are associated to pain and sadness (25-26; 41-42). Besides, in the last sex session from the first season, the painter was the one asking the lord to be quite rough! (Chapter 42) Yet, the noble couldn’t help himself showing tenderness and affection at the end with the passionate kiss. As a conclusion, the second sex marathon contains all these elements: sadness, pain, pleasure, anger and happiness.

6. Yoon Seungho‘s desires

And it is the same for Yoon Seungho. He likes BDSM and cosplay. That’s why he plays with the head-band (chapter 16), and in chapter 35 he accepts to be a servant or in chapter 49 a sex toy. Due their different sex sessions, he discovered that he likes being rough too. Therefore he couldn’t enjoy, when the painter was so passive. He recognized that he took pleasure, when the painter was showing resistance too. (Chapter 63) This explicates why he couldn’t stand the expression “I like it”. This was too insipid. So when he became rough in chapter 48, he truly hoped to provoke tears of happiness caused by the sensation of pleasure. (Chapter 48) However, since the painter ended up crying and criticizing the lord, he had the impression, he had failed. As you can see, the lord might have had a lot of sexual experiences, yet with the painter, he entered a totally new world: full of warmth and love, yet there was pain connected to pleasure as well. This explicates why he could open up and reveal that his real dream was to make the painter smile (chapter 63), which contrasts so much to Baek Na-Kyum’s dream: cry of happiness.

I deduce that Yoon Seungho discovered BDSM through the painter, and we should see this as a treatment for the sexual abuse. First, he is put in the same position than lord Song. Thus he learned that sex could only be enjoyable, if there was consent. (Chapter 79) Hence people saw the sex session in the shed as rape. Nonetheless, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that Baek Na-Kyum was living in the mansion as a servant. Hence according to Joseon’s social norms, he was in no position to reject the main lead. However, for Yoon Seungho, it was different, for he was a young master. He had a title that was supposed to protect him. Consequently, the main lead can reproach the mysterious lord Song that he never asked for his consent and he would even treat him like a male kisaeng!

However, we shouldn’t forget that right from the start, the lord was seeking for a companion to share his thoughts and emotions. Due to the sex sessions, their honest conversations were limited to sex. First, they started arguing, because their couple had started on the wrong premise. Both were not honest to themselves in reality. Through their discussion, they were forced to listen to each other: chapter 25-26. Yet without any confrontation, they were not able to converse properly. Both of them were hiding something out of fear and pain, that’s why the conversation in chapter 47 failed too. As you can sense, their physical connection was never satisfying for the lord, he always hoped for more and tried to initiate conversations (chapter 35, 39-40, 41, 42). Both needed to learn to trust each other, but it was not possible because of their lack of self-respect.

7. Kim as a fake mediator

Remember that the aristocrat desires to talk to the painter right from the start, and later he wants to share his meals with him. And each time, Kim intervenes. First, he manipulates the lord to visit the artist in his study, well aware what Jihwa has already done. Then in chapter 50, he finally reveals the content of the conversation between Baek Na-Kyum and his scholar. And this conversation happens right after the lord asked to take his meal with the artist. He made sure that their interactions would only be limited to sex. In my opinion, Kim started meddling between the two protagonists, because that way he could refrain them to communicate directly to each other.

“There is only one rule for being a good talker – learn to listen” from Christopher Morley

That way, the butler hindered the painter to discover Yoon Seungho’s true personality. If they didn’t have an opportunity to talk, then the artist couldn’t learn through listening. That’s why the use of aphrodisiac in chapter 36 was actually an act of sabotage. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that in chapter 35 the lord tried to discover the painter’s likes and offered the latter to join him to his room. But in order to ensure that there would be no conversation, Kim warned the artist about the lord’s bad mood. (Chapter 36) While, it looked like he was protecting the painter, he was undermining their relationship. He was actually using triangulation.

Triangulation is an approach used by many different people who share one thing in common: insecurity. As a result, they’re willing to manipulate others in harmful ways to get what they want or feel a sense of security in a relationship. Quoted from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-triangulation-in-psychology-5120617

I had described the protagonists as insecure, and Kim could sense these anxieties and took advantage of it. And this is no coincidence that the painter’s love confession took place in the gibang. Kim was not present, and he could only join them much later. As a conclusion, Kim made sure that there would only be sex between them and nothing more. But when he realized that sex would bring them closer, as they started communicating, he separated the couple. They should no longer have sex together. First the valet used the conversation in the library as a justification, (chapter 50) Then he utilized the lord’s misconduct in the storage room. He should wait for the painter’s visit in his bedchamber. (Chapter 75) However, the valet could never stop the progression. The irony is that their first deep conversation took place outside the mansion. (Chapter 39) Once again, the lord had a teasing attitude, yet he was gentle and considerate. This is not surprising that due to their interaction, Baek Na-Kyum started listening to the lord. He took his questions and advices very seriously (chapter 40). Thus he confronted the learned sir about his future. As the painterofthenightphiles can detect, by communicating they began trusting each other more, and as such showing more curiosity and understanding to their counterpart.

After the kidnapping, the butler imagined that the lord would kill the artist for his abandonment, yet it didn’t happen. In reality, the lord prepared himself the painter’s bed. Then when he went to the barn in order to see what was happening, he heard and saw a painter saying “no”, while the lord was quite rough. So in his mind, after this sex session, the painter would be scared of the lord and would run away. What he saw was violence because of the past. Note when he tried to manipulate the master, he mentioned the main lead’s rape at the barn. (Chapter 68) With these words, he was implying that the low-born suffered the same fate than Yoon Seungho, because it looks like that on the surface. He imagined that he would achieve his goal (sending away Baek Na-Kyum) by using his knowledge, but in my opinion the opposite happened, like I had expected. What caught my attention is that the butler only mentioned Yoon Chang-Hyeon (chapter 68), as he had sent the painter to the storage room like his father. Yet, at no moment he made an allusion about lord Song, though he saw the sex in the barn as sexual abuse. He was thinking of the pedophile’s crime. He couldn‘t bring up the pedophile for two reasons: As a domestic, he can‘t badmouth the king. Secondly, he has to blame the father, as his own responsibility in Yoon Seungho‘s suffering would come to the surface. Remember my theory: Kim was the one brought the young master to the king thinking that the latter would protect Yoon Seungho.

Yet the problem with BDSM is that the couple needs to set the rules first, and these are strongly intertwined with “respect and love”. They have to communicate. That’s why the moment the painter accepts his affection, he is forced to recognize his own sexual preferences. This is no coincidence that in the bedchamber, Baek Na-Kyum voiced his desires after vowing loyalty to his lover. (Chapter 88) Furthermore, the chronology is important. The painter communicated first his thoughts and wishes, before they initiated the love session. (Chapter 88) This contrasts to the sex session in chapter 48/49. The lord had used sex in order to force the painter to share what was on his mind. Finally, in the gibang, the painter had talked a lot about his childhood to his lover before kissing his lover. (Chapter 94) They had a long conversation, where the lord could ask questions. This conversation ended with a love confession. (Chapter 94) This is important, because sex had now a different function. Sex was now a real form of communication, they would share what was on their heart. With their bodies, they would convey emotions. They would use the hand (chapter 88) or the kiss (Chapter 95) so that no misunderstanding would be created. Therefore it is not surprising that even during their love session, they would keep talking, and even express their desires: (Chapter 96) And observe that even after the love session, they continued sharing what was on their mind and heart: (chapter 97) And now, you comprehend why the schemers had to separate the couple! From this moment on, they would communicate constantly, and this outside sex. Thus when they are in the mountain, they can speak freely. (Chapter 102) They are no longer a noble and a commoner walking together, but a real couple. They are equals sharing their happiness and pain.

However, this doesn’t mean that their love story ends here. This marks only the beginning, because the lord has so much more to show to the painter. Their love will keep growing and affecting other aspects in their life. Moreover, they are now paying attention to what is happening around them (chapter 102) Here, the painter wished to understand why they were separated for so long. This means that Yoon Seungho has to discover the circumstances which led to this tragedy. That‘s how they will realize that the enemies are close to them. The lord has to recognize that he needs to share everything, like for example the discovery of Deok-Jae’s corpse. (Chapter 97) As you can see, the topics of their conversation will diverge more and more. I do think that he was incited to let the painter sleep in order to „protect“ him. Yoon Seungho needs to recognize that warning and drawing lines are not enough to protect the loved one. He will have to take real measures to turn his statement (taking responsibility for the painter) into a reality: he will have to fight for his right to happiness. Taking the civil service examination only represents one step. Furthermore, appearances can be deceiving. The pure artist is not so “innocent” in the end. He has definitely met his match in Yoon Seungho, though I believe that his role is to heal Yoon Seungho from his PTSD and give him closure. And this can only happen, when the victim of sexual abuse confronts his perpetrators, the old bearded men!

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 Tumblr-Reddit-Instagram-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.

Painter Of The Night: A man consumed by lust

February 16, 2021August 26, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 6 Comments

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.

I would like thank Luzy again for her observations, because her comments inspired me a lot.

What caught my attention is the idiom employed by the painter to describe the wealthy main lead: a man consumed by lust. These words were pronounced, when the commoner criticized the main lead for mocking the poor quality of the poem. Since he was just a man obsessed with sex, he had no right to make fun of the poetry and author. He was worse than Jung In-Hun in his eyes, as he lived in debauchery. Striking is that the low-born kept seeing the lord that way until chapter 47: (chapter 48) But strangely, the main lead never realized it, until each time the commoner had to externalize it. How did he not see it before, and how didn’t the noble recognize that the artist hadn’t changed his perception about him in the second season? Thus I will try to answer these two questions in this essay.

I had exposed that Yoon Seungho feared his own image due to his self-hatred. Consequently, it meant that he had to rely on others to get a reflection about himself. However, we have to imagine that neither Kim nor Jihwa nor the other nobles gave him a honest portrait. They had no interest to reveal that he was a man obsessed with sex. Why? It is quite simple. Yoon Seungho’s mansion had become the kisaeng house for sodomy, and Yoon Seungho was the head-kisaeng. If you read the story from the start again, you’ll detect how the main lead is actually disrespected by his peers the whole time. Jihwa enters the lord’s mansion unannounced on multiple occasions (chapter 5here, no servant is sent to announce the noble’s arrival, which is quite rude; chapter 10, chapter 12, 17, 43). He acts, as if he owns the place. Moreover, the noble with the mole requests from the host to send away the artist (chapter 8). He acts, as if he had a saying in this, nevertheless he is just a guest and not the owner of the house. Moreover, he requests the whole attention from the main lead, as though the latter had to follow the guest’s desire. . No wonder, Yoon Seungho got infuriated and ejected the man. The painter’s presence revealed the disregard the noble had for the host. Striking is that even after getting dragged by the topknot, the aristocrat demanded an explanation for this humiliation. He didn’t realize his wrongdoing. This is not surprising that the Joker’s friend noticed the change in the protagonist. (Chapter 8) For the first time, the protagonist didn’t allow his peers to look down on him and requested more respect.

In chapter 19, Min invited himself at Yoon Seungho’s house in order to taste the expensive wine. (Chapter 19) He imposed himself upon the main character, yet Yoon Seungho didn’t feel upset. In fact, he just accepted the suggestion by a silence. It was, as if the protagonist was not allowed to refuse the invitation. More surprising is the place where The Joker suggested this: the brothel, an indication that the Yoon residence is considered as the noble kisaeng-house. I would even say, his mansion is the real place for pleasure and vices. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho was pressured by the nobles in chapter 33. In the past, he would have given in, yet this time he showed them that there was a line not to cross. (Chapter 33) Imagine what would have happened, if the noble had followed their suggestion. The artist would have indeed turned into a prostitute.

From my point of view, the young nobles considered the protagonist as their head-kisaeng, he entertained them and allowed them to do immoral things (sodomy, wine and opium), while they could maintain their respectability and honor. Yet, since a kisaeng belongs to the lowest cast, it signified that the lord could get mistreated, exactly like a kisaeng. Besides, only the lord got the bad notoriety, he was a hell-raiser, because the aristocrats desired to hide behind him. He was their scapegoat and shield for their debauchery. He actually embodied all the vices the aristocrats were doing in secret. And now, you understand why the guest in chapter 53 told Min, he wanted to having fun without ruckus. (Chapter 52) In Yoon’s residence, there was no parent or authority to interfere. This explicates why father Lee blames the main lead for his son’s sodomy. He corrupted Jihwa, while in reality Jihwa treated Yoon Seungho like his possession and his personal concubine. He was the one visiting his place and not the other way around, like a husband visiting his “wife” (chapter 67) explicating why Jihwa could only get infuriated and jealous. The “husband”, treated like a concubine, was unfaithful. The second lead was even perceived by the town folks as the mistress (chapter 45), in other words the mistress of the house (the second definition: a mistress is a person of authority and power). This explains why he could trespass the mansion, like he desired. He considered Yoon Seungho’s mansion as his property, where he could enter at any time.

But if he was the real mistress of the house, why didn’t he stop Yoon Seungho from fooling around with men? Why didn’t he act more responsibly? First, the young man was blind and deaf, hence he couldn’t truly grasp what was going on. Secondly, he was too afraid to confront the friend. Remember that he always played tricks behind the lord’s back. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that Jihwa was himself treated like a servant by Min. If the mistress is disregarded, then the head-kisaeng can only get mistreated. Moreover, the second lead never realized that the nobles’ behavior contributed to the lord’s bad sexual habits. The manhwaphiles should remember that the second lead blamed the main character for fooling around (chapter 57), yet his friend was the one participating to the sex session. At no moment, he reproached him his behavior. In Jihwa’s eyes, only Yoon Seungho was responsible for this due to his past. Yet, he never tried to change the situation. I would like to remind the readers that the origins of Yoon Seungho’s bad notoriety are quite complex. Many people had an interest that Yoon Seungho focused on sex and nothing more: Yoon Seungho (he wanted to hurt his father), father Yoon (covering up his cowardice and own misdeeds), lord Song (making sure that the main lead doesn’t retaliate), Kim (leading a peaceful life and covering up his own wrongdoings), the nobles… and in the end Jihwa. The latter always wounded the main lead by using the past in order to attach the protagonist to him due to his neglecting father. Since the second lead had obtained a certain control over Yoon Seungho, he saw no reason to change. He could outlive his sexuality and have sex any time he wanted. Sure, his dream was to obtain the childhood friend’s love, yet he never saw the urgency, because he believed that time would help him. For him, there was this hope that at some point, the main character would confess. Yet, with Baek Na-Kyum’s appearance in Yoon Seungho’s life, the fragile balance was destroyed due the sex at the pavilion. For the first time, Yoon Seungho felt true desires and pleasure. This detail is important, because it truly outlines that Yoon Seungho was living like a head-kisaeng. He had sex without feeling any pleasure, just to serve others.

And now, it becomes understandable why the noble claimed the artist as his possession in two occasions (chapter 8 and 33). First, he voiced that the low-born would only paint for him. (Chapter 8) He was clearly demonstrating that he would never accept to give up on the painter. Slowly Yoon Seungho started asking respect for himself from others. In reality, he is a noble and he is quite rich through trade. This explicates why lord Min used the wine as an excuse to come to Yoon’s residence. He couldn’t ask the main lead, if he could borrow the painter. Furthermore, this statement and the humiliation revealed that Yoon Seungho was no longer a pushover. Hence Black Heart was more careful around the main lead. From my perspective, The Joker imagined that if the lord got drunk with the expensive bottle, he wouldn’t notice the artist’s disappearance. However, because the wine was stolen, Black Heart couldn’t achieve his goal that’s why he asked for a harsh punishment for the theft. Besides, Yoon Seungho showed no interest to organize a sex session any longer. His eyes were already set on Baek Na-Kyum. Since his initial plan failed, and the lord was no longer organizing parties, then he could only use the sex sessions as an excuse to see the painter. (chapter 33) (chapter 52) Everyone among the aristocrats did see the main lead as a head-kisaeng, who had to please her guests. Thus Byeonduck created such panels indicating that the nobles had always taken advantage of Yoon Seungho. (Chapter 54) They look like conniving creatures. Their wish would get granted in the detriment of the host. And now you comprehend why the lord got so angry, when he saw this. (Chapter 54) It was not just a reflection of his own past as an uke, but he saw his actual reflection. His house was a brothel and nothing more, and his guests were taking advantage of him. That’s why he got so infuriated and evicted the aristocrats. They truly showed no respect to him. It took many months for the lord to recognize this. And now you comprehend why he abhorred the idea of prostitution. He wasn’t even realizing that he was still doing it. Therefore Yoon Seungho could only come to the conclusion in chapter 55 that he needed to confess. First, this night made him realize that all this attempts in the past were to win the painter’s heart. Yet he was well aware that with his last action, he had almost sold his loved one to nobles, thereby the painter could only reject him. Besides, he had another reason to expect this outcome: his self-hatred.

Under this new interpretation, the manhwalovers comprehend why the household had a terrible reputation. (Chapter 29) Since a kisaeng belongs to the lowest class in Joseon society, the servants could look down on their master. Despite his title, he was living like a head-kisaeng, therefore the staff showed no respect towards their lord. (Chapter 32) This explicates why they didn’t follow his order, when he asked them to keep an eye on the artist. Nevertheless, as time passed on, the noble started acting more like a lord, hence the head-maid accepted his reprimand and decided to treat him differently. That’s why she bowed to Yoon Seungho in chapter 46. (chapter 46) And by comparing the two last pictures, the readers con detect the butler’s absence. the latter was responsible for the past situation, because he didn’t want to get into trouble. As long as the lord was acting like a head-kisaeng, providing entertainment for the local aristocracy, the valet could lead a peaceful life and definitely sway his misdeeds under the rug. Moreover, he could even use the master’s authority and act like a lord.

But let’s return our attention to The Joker. When the main lead stated this: (chapter 8), he was looking at Min, for he viewed the noble’s envy in his gaze. Since the artist was not allowed to paint for others, then the only possibility left for Black Heart was sex. If the painter joined their sex orgy, then he could achieve his goal: taste the commoner. Therefore you comprehend why The Joker is determined to kill Baek Na-Kyum. If he kills him, then Yoon Seungho is left with nothing. He is like in the past: he becomes again a “head-kisaeng” with no right. But as you can imagine, the Joker is deceiving himself. I doubt that he would be satisfied with just one session.

The problem was that Yoon Seungho never sensed that he was treated like a prostitute, because they created the illusion that he was the alpha among the sodomy community. (Chapter 33) The lord fell for this illusion, and he would have never realized it, if the painter had not entered his mansion. I also fell for this illusion myself for a while, calling him an alpha, while he was disrespected the whole time. However, this doesn’t mean that the main lead is powerless. He has indeed connections to the government (exactly like the kisaeng-house) and he is definitely rich, because he is a trendsetter. Min keeps copying his clothing and the master’s windscreen is the same at Min’s pavilion and the noble with the mole. That’s why Yoon Seungho never got to see his true reflection. In his mind, he was either busy reading or fighting with nobles, while in reality he was having sex for the most part of the time. Moreover, no one truly gave him a true reflection, since they had no interest to switch the situation.

And this negative reflection is also palpable in the paintings Baek Na-Kyum created, yet curiously the rich main lead never saw this image reflected in the pictures for many reasons. First, his unconscious noticed something else, the painter’s desire, so that the lord acted differently towards the artist. (Chapter 2) Therefore the main lead’s gaze in the picture mirrored the image of a man showing true interest, warmth and beauty. Later, he only got to see the ruined painting, which triggered a huge anger, hence he didn’t pay attention to the image. Then in the third picture, (chapter 16) he was no longer interested in the creation, since Yoon Seungho had already started wooing the commoner. (Chapter 16) Here the second lead was exploring an unusual position. Although the protagonist could have noticed this reflection “man consumed by lust”, because Black Heart commented it as lewd, he still didn’t observe it. His gaze and mind were all focused on the painter and his face. Then in chapter 41, he never saw the multitude pictures of him having sex with the low-born (chapter 41), because his gaze was only focused on the inauguration drawing with Jung In-Hun. (Chapter 41) And the moment the painter accepted him as his sex partner, he showed no interest in the paintings. However, he got annoyed, when he saw the first new creation. (Chapter 47) It was unfinished, and it gave the impression that both of them were acting like whores. That’s why the lord was indeed a little annoyed and made the following remark: (chapter 47) And it is in this chapter that he gets to discover his reflection… or better said, Baek Na-Kyum hadn’t changed his judgement about him, which provoked the next crisis. With the last painting, Baek Na-Kyum reproduced the situation, where the master was focused on provoking reactions in his partner in order to force him to abandon his torpor. (Chapter 52) Therefore the beholder couldn’t detect any love and affection in this drawing, only the attempt to incite pleasure. This explicates why Min described this as salacious, and had the feeling that the commoner was only interested in sex either.

Striking is that in the first painting, Baek Na-Kyum used a big wallpaper (chapter 2), while he only used small sheets of paper later. In my opinion, this is strongly connected to the return of the repressed sexual desires with the low-born. What also caught my attention is when he painted all the situation, when he had sex with Yoon Seungho having sex, the characters have no facial expression. It was, as though the lord was treating the commoner as his sex toy at his disposal. And that’s how the painter explained the rape. (Chapter 41) For him, every action from Yoon Seungho was caused by his obsession for sex, while the lord was trying to win his heart.

And while comparing all the creations, I recognized that they reflect not only his image as man consumed by lust, but also the disappearance of Yoon Seungho’s past life as sodomite and head-kisaeng. First, the huge painting with Jihwa is ruined, exposing that the latter is losing his control over his childhood friend. (Chapter 2) Simultaneously, Baek Na-Kyum destroyed it because of his jealousy (under the influence of his unconscious). The manhwalovers shouldn’t forget that in that wet dream, he wanted to take Jihwa’s place, attracted by the lord’s huge penis. Yet, he justified it with his doctrine. Furthermore, the second painting with Jihwa is created on a small sheet of paper reflecting the loss of the red-haired noble’s influence.

Later, when Jihwa ruined the painting with the threesome, the result was showing that Yoon Seungho’s life as head-kisaeng was starting vanishing. (Chapter 44) from that moment, the protagonist was no longer hosting any sex orgy which led Min to take over this role. Jihwa’s gesture symbolized that the childhood friend was not allowed to fool around with other men. However, he was quickly replaced by the painter. Let’s not forget that in the noble’s mind, Jihwa was just visiting him for his own sexual desires. He never recognized the childhood friend’s feelings. He had no reason to see otherwise, since the second lead treated him poorly. (Chapter 59) That’s why, after having sex with Jihwa, the “head-kisaeng” neglected his guest and went directly to Baek Na-Kyum for the painting in chapter 15, because the noble is already interested to taste the artist. At the same time, the low-born got his first sexual experience with the main lead. (Chapter 25) And here, the lord couldn’t perceive his own image as man consumed by lust, because his gaze was looking at the painter’s expression. This exposed the lord’s desire to see the attraction for Yoon Seungho in the painter’s eyes. His eyes were always focused on the painter the entire time, revealing that he was longing for more than sex. He wanted to see a mutual attraction… in reality, he wished to see a painting oozing warmth and love, exactly like in the publications he bought. And note that Yoon Seungho never got to see the last drawing, because his heart was too wounded by the distance. He hated so much the idea that the artist considered himself as a prostitute, while all this time, Yoon Seungho was just longing for love. Striking is that the ultimate picture is a blank sheet of paper mirroring the transition. (Chapter 65) Here, the lord has finally cut ties with his past. This marks the start of a new life and the painter will reflect his rebirth. But as you can see, the multitude of pictures (chapter 41) only mirrored the painter’s perspective about the main lead. For him, he was just a man obsessed with sex, while in truth he was just longing to get love. The problem was that the protagonist had never been taught how to show love. Furthermore, Kim made sure that the artist would only see this image. That’s why it took Yoon Seungho a long time, before he realized that he needed to recreate the Wedding night, so that the artist would be able to perceive his true feelings. For me, there’s no doubt that at some Baek Na-Kyum will create a huge painting with the main lead, and the low-born will be represented as well. Both will be portrayed with facial expressions exposing confidence and love. I am even predicting that Baek Na-Kyum will paint a new inauguration portrait with Yoon Seungho, which will contrast so much to the one with Jung In-Hun, where the commoner had no face and as such no identity.

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 the support.

Painter Of The Night: Heroes 🦸‍♂️- part 2 (second version)

February 14, 2021September 12, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 13 Comments

In the first part, after defining heroism, I exposed the hypocrisy of Jung In-Hun and Kim. On the surface, their action made them look like heroes, whereas in reality, they were only selfish cowards. They faked kindness and even used the painter as an excuse to make others suffer. However, what caught my attention is the resemblance of the following panel (chapter 68) to the situation in chapter 53, where the vicious domestic Deok-Jae got beaten for hurting Baek Na-Kyum. (chapter 53) This made me realize that chapter 68 was a new version of chapter 53 and 54. Therefore I would like to compare these two scenes for two reasons. First, the contrast will help us to judge better the protagonists’ actions.

Striking is that both scenes contain many common denominators:

a violent noble (in both case Yoon Seungho!)
a commoner is victim of a beating (Heena noona versus Deok-Jae)
Prostitution (the brothel –
The painter is a witness of that scene
Another noble, the second witness, decides not to intervene (Jung In-Hun versus Min) (chapter 53)
A noble’s love for Baek Na-Kyum (Jung In-Hun (chapter 68) versus Yoon Seungho)
A heroic act
The painter’s reluctance to accept the protagonist’s love: (chapter 54) (chapter 53) versus (chapter 68)

In chapter 53, the lord caught the vicious servant hurting the artist. That’s the reason why he became violent, he desired to protect his loved one who was getting abused. Consequently, he was wounded, when he witnessed this. His action corresponds to the first condition of heroism (Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need). Then when he started punching Deok-Jae, he never expected anything from the artist, a reward or a hug. He was just acing on his emotions, he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Baek Na-Kyum insulted and treated like a whore, thereby the second condition for heroism was met: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain. Since he interfered himself, using his own body to stop the perpetrator from employing verbal and physical violence, I come to the observation that Yoon Seungho was willing to risk his safety, fulfilling the last condition of heroism: Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions. Back then, the noble was indeed celebrated as a hero, yet if you pay attention to the reactions of certain readers, they are now calling Kim a hero. It was, as if Seungho’s past action had never existed. From one extreme (hero), he turns into a villain due to the second sex marathon and his attitude towards the painter in chapter 66. But if you pay attention to Heena noona’s description, (chapter 68), you’ll notice that here the kisaeng was not the victim, though it looked like it. In reality, the so-called violent and arrogant noble had been forced to go to the gibang. He was just a teenager. This means that Heena was lying here. And the lord’s behavior in chapter 53 proved her words wrong. He showed mercy, when asked by the painter. He never thought of himself in that moment. This confirms that the noona was lying in the study, and she was well aware of that. She definitely knew that the main lead had been the victim of physical abuse. Here, he was dragged by a black guard.

At the same time, during that night Baek Na-Kyum never saw Yoon Seungho as hero, because he only saw the violence used against Deok-Jae. He only felt concern for the jealous servant, he didn’t want the man to die by Yoon Seungho’s hands. (chapter 53) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t recognize the lord’s love in the end. The violence had blinded him, exactly like Heena noona had been blinded by her own prejudices. She was lumping the teenager Yoon Seungho under the same comb than the nobles. However, I would like to point out that her testimony represented a distorted memory. Why? It is because that way, she was justifying her inaction. Here, the person threatened and abused was not the noona, but the child Seungho recognizable with his hanbok. Under this approach, the manhwaphiles can grasp why she is not mentioning the helping hand in that scene, the black guard. (chapter 68) This is important, because in chapter 53, it was the commoner Deok-Jae who had acted like Heena’s description: (chapter 53) He had been insulting the painter and showed no mercy. Through this contrast, the readers can detect the kisaeng’s manipulations. It becomes even more obvious, when you add this scene from season 3. (chapter 99) We don’t just see nobles frequenting the kisaeng house, but also commoners! Heena’s statement gives the impression that only nobles are going there. This exposes Heena’s biased perception. To sum up, the kisaeng and the painter were blinded, though the latter had been influenced by the noona’s doctrines. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was in denial in the end and saw the lord’s love as a lie. Furthermore, this signifies that the artist experienced the opposite from what Heena noona is describing to Baek Na-Kyum: (chapter 68). In truth, the artist mistook love for fear. Note that in each confession, the low-born expresses a certain fear, while in truth his heart is already racing for Yoon Seungho out of desire and affection. In chapter 41, he explains that his heart is pounding due to fear and in chapter 49, he chose to reject the lord’s hug as a genuine embrace and decided to just admit his physical attraction. Since the lord had always been brutal, Baek Na-Kyum could never truly distinguish the cause for his heart pounding. And with this observation, it becomes obvious that the low-born was never in love with his teacher romantically, as he had never felt any heart racing for him. From my point of view, Heena noona was the one who mistook affection for fear. That’s the reason why she never saw the noble’s hypocrisy and cowardice. According to my latest theory, she is suffering from sex phobia [For more read the essay “Arrogant, filthy and lying nobles 🏯”]. But I am also suspecting that pride could have played a role as well.

But there was another hero during that night, Baek Na-Kyum, the low noble’s reflection. (chapter 53) He protected Deok-Jae from the noble’s violence (condition 1: Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need)), risked his own life (condition 3) and never receive any reward or gratefulness, in fact he never expected anything from the vicious man and the main lead. (condition 2: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain). He even embraced the noble and his hug was totally genuine which the main lead sensed. (chapter 53) Because the former was strong, brave, courageous, convicted, determined, morally integer, helpful, selfless, ready for self-sacrifice and honest, the powerful aristocrat could only be moved by his action. This explains why Yoon Seungho chose to remove the headband from the low-born, the latter had acted like a noble person, he was a source of inspiration. (chapter 53) And with this new approach, I believe that when Min mocked the lord by calling Baek Na-Kyum a low-born (chapter 54), the main lead punched Black Heart, because he was actually protecting the painter’s name and honor. He no longer felt embarrassed to love such a person, Baek Na-Kyum was a true hero in his eyes. And now you understand why Yoon Seungho felt truly rejected, when Baek Na-Kyum called the lord’s love a lie. Sure, he asked for an explanation before (chapter 54), yet since the lord was acting under the influence of his heart, he couldn’t voice his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, before reaching the study, he had been denying his feelings too. (chapter 53) The painter’s question was pushing the lord to admit his affection. However, because he had been in denial, the painter mirrored his attitude. (chapter 54) He claimed that this was not true. He had many reasons to think so. The noble had kept his distance from him for one week. Secondly, the lord’s hesitation and silence could only reinforce this interpretation. (chapter 54) Yoon Seungho was left speechless, because he was cornered. Since the artist was denying his protective actions, then he had no reason not to offer him to his guests. He felt rejected, especially when he saw the painter’s gaze: he could only glimpse “fear and denial” and not love. (chapter 54) He had thought that Baek Na-Kyum had hugged him out of concern and affection, yet he saw that he had misjudged the situation. And now, you understand why after that night, Yoon Seungho decided to confess with the expectation that the low-born would leave. He was able to grasp why Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting him. He feared him and Yoon Seungho had almost hurt him, he was not a real hero, like Baek Na-Kyum. In his eyes, he was actually the opposite: a violent beast hurting others. Therefore in his mind, if he confessed, the artist would get scared and run away. Yet, this didn’t happen which caught him by surprise.

Consequently, we have to imagine that during that night at the physician’s home, Yoon Seungho chose to confess properly, but the readers never got to hear his real confession. And here, I would like to thank Luzy one more time. She was the one who caught this detail: (chapter 68) When did the noble say that he adores Baek Na-Kyum? And remember that we have a flashback of that night from Yoon Seungho’s perspective: And this panel (chapter 62) made me realize that this could be the moment the lord chose to declare that he adores the painter. In this picture, the manhwaphiles have the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is whispering something to the lord, yet there’s no speech bulb and not even a moan. And since the painter is a reflection of the aristocrat, then this signifies that Yoon Seungho could have been whispering these words “I adore you”, especially after getting fully embraced by the low-born. Moreover, he experienced the heart pounding of Baek Na-Kyum (chapter 62) so that he felt compelled to reveal his adoration. However, despite the confession, Baek Na-Kyum was still in denial. And now, you can better grasp why Yoon Seungho was enraged afterwards and felt betrayed. He had confessed properly this time, and the commoner abandoned him for real, or better said, that’s what he envisioned. We have another evidence that Yoon Seungho declared not only his defeat, but his deep affection: (chapter 62) As you can observe, Yoon Seungho is also connecting love to fear, but in a different way. He was always afraid of admitting his love out of fear to be abandoned. And when he did it, the artist left him behind in his eyes. His nightmare came true, until he discovered that he had misjudged the whole situation. This repetition of misunderstanding proves me that chapter 68 is a reflection of the scene in the study from episode 53-54.

But now, if you pay attention to the chapter 68, you’ll observe that Baek Na-Kyum is still scared to admit his love for Yoon Seungho. He is definitely not brave here. That’s the reason why Byeonduck drew the commoner without eyes. He is refusing to face his own feelings. (chapter 68) First, he uses the scholar as his legitimation for his stay at the mansion. (chapter 68) Then when Heena noona pressures more the painter, the latter gives other justifications, like f. ex. the lord treats him well (chapter 68). Surprising is that he is actually mentioning others to legitimate his stay: the scholar, the master of the mansion (chapter 68) and “everyone” (chapter 68). But Heena noona can’t accept these excuses and forces him to confess his affection. However, even when he admits his feelings, he gives the impression that he is doing it against his will. (chapter 68) He portrays the main lead in a negative light (chapter 68) and observe that he is using the truth for his allegations. Yet, in my opinion, he is doing the same thing than Kim in the end. He is trying to put the whole responsibility on the lonely aristocrat. But what is the truth? Yoon Seungho might have dragged and mistreated the painter, but he also protected him and treated him with care, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum mentioned it first (“the lord is very good to me”). However, if the manhwaphiles look carefully at the artist’s second justification (chapter 68), they will notice that the commoner is just talking about the living conditions (a roof above his head and his art supplies). He doesn’t explain exactly how the main lead treated him well:

when he was sick, a physician was called and Yoon Seungho paid for the expensive medicine,
when the painter was sad and was longing for warmth and a hug, he tried to give him comfort,
when he was hurt with the spoiled rice, he looked at his injury himself,
he chose to eat with him and even gave his own meal to the painter,
he bought Baek Na-Kyum warm clothes for the winter,
and despite the huge betrayal and his agony, he made himself a bed for the painter and put some fire in the storage room, (chapter 62) (chapter 61)

This truly shows that truth and reality are far more complex than anything. Hence prejudices are not helping either. A commoner can also be violent and jealous, just like a noble can be tender and protective. Furthermore, reducing people to words like “rapist” or “psychopath” or “monster” or “racist” are not reflecting, how people truly are. A person shouldn’t be reduced to one action. Besides, like I explained, Kim and other people played a huge role in the lord’s brutal behavior. He made bad decisions, because people employed their knowledge about his weaknesses to trigger reactions in him. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Yoon Seungho is innocent. My point is that the share of responsibility can’t be placed on only one person. And Baek Na-Kyum might have been a hero in chapter 53, yet in chapter 68 he can’t be considered as a hero. He was not willing to assume any responsibility for his feelings. He was still scared, too afraid of embracing such a powerful person. As a conclusion, Baek Na-Kyum is still not accepting his love for Yoon Seungho, but Heena noona was not able to convince him to leave the property either. That’s why at the end, she could only portray the main lead as a bad omen.

For me, Heena noona was replacing the vicious servant. Yet instead of abuse, she legitimated her intervention out of concern and love. In other words, she embodies the positive reflection of Deok-Jae. However she failed too in her tentative to convince the son and brother to follow her. And since the painter refuses to leave the study, there exists only one person who can make him leave the mansion: Yoon Seungho.

Due to Kim’s words, Yoon Seungho is determined to allow Baek Na-Kyum to leave the property. He is giving up on his resolution: (chapter 63)
This time, he won’t question Heena noona’s intervention contrary to chapter 53 (“Who do you think you are to put hands on him?”). He won’t chase her away, like he announced it so loudly in chapter 68.
Kim manipulated Yoon Seungho by bringing up the past, therefore he mentioned his father. The manhwaphiles should remember that the latter had imprisoned the teenager (chapter 57), therefore Kim desired to push him to make the opposite decision. Since his father kept him captive, then Yoon Seungho should renounce on Baek Na-Kyum, because he doesn’t want to be like his own father. Kim knows Yoon Seungho’s good heart and wishes to utilize it to his own benefit.

That’s the reason why I believe that once Kim was caught in the act, Kim chose to use the painter not only to justify his disobedience (chapter 68), but also to push Yoon Seungho to accept the painter’s departure. This explicates why Yoon Seungho didn’t enter the study and waited for the kisaeng’s departure. (chapter 69) Don’t forget that in episode 68, we have Yoon Seungho getting dragged against his will. (chapter 68) Since in chapter 53/54, the lord showed his love by using violence in order to protect the painter, the latter couldn’t detect and accept the lord’s feelings. Thus it becomes comprehensible why the author selected passivity and silence for Yoon Seungho in chapter 68/69. He was doing the opposite from the night in episode 53/54! This is important, because that way, he let Baek Na-Kyum make a choice. That way, it was visible that the painter was willing to remain by his side. (chapter 68) At the same time, with this move, the main lead had cornered the artist. The latter could no longer use the lord as an excuse for his stay. By offering the painter the opportunity to leave, Yoon Seungho acts like a “hero” again. He helps Heena noona in the need (her desire to protect her adoptive son), he is expecting no reward, since he is giving up on the love of his life. Finally, he is risking his own life, because the moment he pushes the low-born away, it means that Yoon Seungho is giving up on his life. He has no longer a purpose to keep living. The artist was the only reason why he didn’t lose totally his sanity during that night (chapter 62-64). He reveals his selflessness in the purest form. However in season 2, it was not detectable, only through the mind’s eye. Yet, this interpretation was proven correct at the end of season 3. Once Yoon Seungho believed that his lover had died, he risked everything for his lover: his name and wealth. He no longer cared, for he had lost his reason to live. (chapter 102) So was he acting like a hero here?

Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an individual, a group, or a community

Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain

Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions

Yes, because he saved the painter’s life. Don’t forget that he was alone against three. If he had spared them… they could have testified against him. Secondly, Min could have broken his promise once Yoon Seungho had showed mercy. (chapter 102) Black Heart had already stated this before: (chapter 102) Yoon Seungho had already stabbed lord Jang, therefore he could be punished for this action, even if he spared the aristocrats. In reality, there was only one solution for Yoon Seungho now: to kill them all. Why? Like mentioned above, Min would have backstabbed him. Moreover once arrested, the main lead wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would have ended in Min’s hands. Nonetheless, the lord was not acting rationally during this night. He was guided by his emotions exactly like in chapter 53/54. The only difference is that he was acting like a cold-blooded killer. The rage and pain were only palpable in his gaze. (chapter 102) The irony is that the Joker had reproached this to the main figure in chapter 53: (chapter 53) He had been a killjoy, for he had showed mercy! As you can see, Black Heart’s words came back to bite him. (chapter 102) He didn’t stop, because Min asked him to. The gods were showing to Min the cruel reality: violence is not a game! And the painter’s soul and heart got spared during that night. Since he was unconscious, he never saw the bloodbath. The goddess showed mercy to the pure artist. He was rewarded for his bravery and good heart. He had remained loyal to his lover. He never believed in the manipulations of the schemers or gave in to the perpetrators. He resisted till the end to the point that he risked his own life too. Just like his lover, he was a hero. (chapter 102) And this brings me to the following observation: Heena described the nobles as violent and arrogant liars, but she occulted the reasons why a lord would employ violence and deceptions. Yoon Seungho didn’t become ruthless, because he likes brutality. He was forced to, and it is the same with the lie! There is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will have to lie concerning the bloodbath. It will be a new version of this scene: (chapter 11) He lied in order to protect the learned sir! He took even responsibility for the crime. Both have to lie in order to protect each other.

This is important, because lie also stood in the center of that fateful night. (chapter 53) (chapter 54) From my point of view, the lord’s rescue in chapter 53 left a deep impression on the painter. This is no coincidence that during the kidnapping. Baek Na-Kyum screamed for Yoon Seungho’s help. (chapter 60) He was hoping for his arrival. He was already considering him as his lord and knight in shining armor. And at the end of season 3, the painter hoped the same! (chapter 99) Yoon Seungho was his hero and protector. It is because the painter had perceived the noble’s true personality. He was humble, generous, but more importantly, he was a man of honor. He would keep his promises!

As you can see, their courage reflected the deepness of their mutual affection. In other words, fear and love can be compatible! Out of fear for the loved one, they will do anything. This stands in opposition to the kisaeng’s statement: (chapter 68) This new perception reinforces my judgement about Heena. During that night, the kisaeng was definitely no hero. (chapter 68)

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: Kim’s power – part 2

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 5 Comments

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 the first part, I exposed why Kim should be perceived as a villain and not as hero. Many readers believed that the butler’s words would always reflect the truth, while in reality it wasn’t the case. I have already unveiled, how the valet lied in chapter 11, 29, 35, 67 and 68. Nevertheless, with just a few examples, I don’t think that many readers are willing to change their opinion about the valet, and even question the genuineness of his concerns and advices. That’s why I desire to continue deconstructing the myth about Kim as hero.

Therefore I will add another lie, which my reader Luzy noticed. In chapter 17, Kim is asked why he brought back the lord’s meal. He justifies his return that the master was fast asleep , so he decided to let him rest. However, the readers see that the lord looks rested and seems to be waiting for the butler. He sits in his bed, he has no dark circle. If he had been suffering from insomnia, then he would have looked like in chapter 35. And since chapter 35 contrasts so much to the episode 17, it means that chapter 35 is a reflection of this incident. This leads me to the following observation. First, Kim never opened the door. Secondly, he wanted his master to remain in his room, so that he wouldn’t know what was happening in his mansion. This would stand in opposition to chapter 35, where Kim led the lord on purpose to the opened window so that he would get jealous. With this comparison, it becomes palpable that Kim knew about Jihwa’s presence, hence he advised the maids not to approach the study. Kim was determined to protect Jihwa’s intervention. The final evidence for his lie and complicity is the absence of Kim’s eyes, a signal that the valet is closing a blind eye and a deaf ear to the incident. But more striking in this scene is the valet’s disrespect and disobedience towards Yoon Seungho. He made the decision on his own that the lord shouldn’t eat the meal. It was truly an outrage, yet due to his “concern”, I fell for his lie myself. Notice that the maid questions him, if he asked the noble. He denies it and uses concern for his action. Striking is that when Kim manipulates, the author is not showing us the butler’s face, but the door or the rooftop. (chapter 35) This indicates that Kim’s worries are truly fake, they just serve one purpose: to protect his interests. He would like to have his peace and if my theory about him being a spy, then he has every reason to remove the artist from the lord’s side. Anyway, Kim makes decisions for others (Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho) without asking them. It was, as if he knew what was the best for them, whereas in truth, he is doing it for his own benefit. Moreover note that he is just a servant, yet he acts, as though he stood above the lord by disrespecting his lord. For him, worry and kindness are tools serving him to justify his passivity or his disobedience. And the scene in chapter 17 is important, because it reflects the chapter 68, where Kim had also disrespected the master’s order. However, in chapter 68, he was caught in the act. For me, the incident with Jihwa clearly revealed Kim’s silent complicity. If the main lead hadn’t been awaken, then he wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum from Jihwa’s violence. In chapter 17, the butler attempted to keep his lord in the ignorance by stopping the head-maid of the kitchen from warning the master. Yet, the servant failed, therefore in chapter 18 he stood behind the maid. That’s Kim’s other MO. If someone has to be blamed for this ruckus, then it should be the head-maid, explicating why Kim always hides behind others (chapter 29, chapter 50, chapter 65). In chapter 18, once he realized that Yoon Seungho was not angry, then he could act as a docile, but strong servant, hence his position was switched again. Later he stood in front of the maid. With this new interpretation, Kim’s visit to the doctor in chapter 65 appears in a different light as well. Here, he is actually threatening the physician, (“are you trying to have me killed?”), saying that he will reveal the doctor’s passivity and silence to Yoon Seungho in order to scare the poor man. With this attitude, he can ensure that the doctor won’t testify and at the same time, if his secret is leaked, then Kim can make sure that the physician takes the whole blame. He hides behind him to take the responsibility for the abduction. That’s why the man begs for his mercy. And this incident clearly exposes Kim’s scheme and manipulation. In this scene, the butler acts like a lord, therefore we have the following expressions “I beg you”, “spare me”, which are usually addressed to a noble. Yet, since Kim is just a servant, he can’t become violent himself. He just needs to employ the lord as his weapon. As a conclusion, the main lead is definitely his puppet, who will help him to get rid of any source of trouble. However, we shouldn’t forget that in this chapter 65, the valet reveals his complicity, as he realized that the physician had noticed something. He had no idea if the poor man had noticed his involvement. He needed to make sure that the doctor didn’t talk, because if he did, then the noble might also come to question the domestic’s whereabouts.

As you could see, Kim is not just a liar, but also an excellent manipulator, because he uses his knowledge to his advantage, like in chapter 19. Here, he feigns ignorance concerning the culprit’s identity for the disappearance of the expensive wine. There’s no ambiguity that he knew, since he had no eyes in the picture. Yet he hoped that this incident would cause a riff between his master and the painter. Imagine in this scene, Min even asked for the thief’s death. Yet, nothing happened, because the lord covered up his “crime”. In other words, Yoon Seungho saved his life. However, the lord was not celebrated as a hero in this scene. And like I explained it before, I am even suspecting that Kim left the bottle on purpose, expecting that the artist would take it. And now, I have found a proof for this theory. If Baek Na-Kyum had truly stolen the wine, then he wouldn’t have drunk it in the open. Note that he is not hiding at all. From my point of view, Kim used the painter’s ignorance to his advantage (“ignorance is a blessing for the perpetrator”), and he just didn’t expect his master’s reaction. Finally, when Yoon Seungho reveals the incident to Baek Na-Kyum the next morning, the low-born is embarrassed and gives quickly a fake excuse, because he realizes that he was the cause for the ruckus. From my point of view, the commoner had no idea about the true value of the alcohol, and only discovered it with Yoon Seungho’s revelation. That’s why his lie was easily discovered, the artist was only reacting to the lord’s words and indirect questioning. He had to give himself an alibi so quickly. Note that he didn’t feel guilty, until he heard the truth. In other words, Kim applied his philosophy in Baek Na-Kyum’s case. For the butler, the painter’s ignorance and innocence was a blessing, because this could help the domestic to get rid of him. For me, the chapter 19 and 23 are strongly intertwined, therefore we should see the valet’s leitmotiv in a different approach. With only these two examples (17-19), it becomes visible that the valet Kim has already targeted the artist. However, the lord was capable to protect him twice. That’s why I would like to revisit the circumstances of the rape at the pavilion. But for that, we need to examine the previous chapters (23 and 24) closer.

What caught my attention is the conversation between Kim and Baek Na-Kyum. The butler kept using the question word “why” which can not be a coincidence. In other words, Kim was digging for information, as he is well aware that knowledge is power. At the same time, it indicates that Yoon Seungho’s obsession for the “why” is related to the valet. From my point of view, the servant must have asked the main lead the same questions in the past. Yet, since Yoon Seungho’s affection was genuine, the latter never suspected the true intentions behind the interrogation. Therefore, this scene exposes that Kim is already working as a spy, as he is invading the painter’s privacy, trying to figure out the true nature of the relationship between the master and his “guest”.

Let’s not forget that we could see how he utilizes his knowledge to his advantage (chapter 11, 12, 17, 19, 35, 65, 67, 68). Due to the artist’s innocence, the butler discovered that Baek Na-Kyum had not only forgotten his love confession addressed to the wrong person, but also he had been tasked to paint a new drawing for the lord. That’s how Kim realized that Baek Na-Kyum’s privileges were related to their first night: the lord’s visit in his study the next morning, he even lets deliver a potion for the hangover, the absence of new sex sessions, the invitation to the hunt and his protectiveness. Since Yoon Seungho was expecting a picture of their Wedding night, the valet could only deduce the importance of the sexual encounter. He recognized that Yoon Seungho was already in love with the painter and he desired to get a picture of their night together. Nevertheless, we should recall that the butler was also present, when he heard the artist’s confession. (chapter 19) So he knew that the artist was in love with his teacher. As a conclusion, he was aware of the existence of the love triangle. And through the interrogation, he could fill all the blanks. He thought that he was the only one owning the truth, yet he was wrong. He could only judge Jung In-Hun, from what he saw. But more importantly, with this conversation, the valet got aware that the new painting Baek Na-Kyum had created was not representing their first night. That’s why I judge his advice to the painter in a new light. He refused to give any clue to Baek Na-Kyum, while the latter complained about his lack of insight. The butler was deliberately misleading the commoner. On the surface, it looks like he is saying that what happened that night, should be forgotten… Yet in truth, he means something else. He is speaking about himself. For Kim, it is a blessing that Baek Na-Kyum doesn’t remember and doesn’t know what happened, because he couldn’t profit of his “power” over the main lead. If he had remembered their night and had accepted the invitation, this meant that he was acknowledging the lord as his lover. This would signify that Kim’s position as the lord’s right-hand was threatened. The readers should remember that Kim’s power comes from the master’s genuine affection and closeness.

On the other hand, the butler can take advantage of the situation, a repetition of chapter 19. For the butler, ignorance is a blessing, because he still can change the actual situation. That’s why these words are exposing the valet’s hypocrisy. If the artist is left in the ignorance, then he can’t take Kim’s position or influence the main lead. Besides, his words could be judged as a warning: “lie low”, “remain out of his sight” signifies that Baek Na-Kyum is not allowed to get close to Yoon Seungho, because the butler will aim at him, making sure that he loses the master’s favor. As you can detect, Kim’s best advice contains so many layers, and shouldn’t be treated so lightly.

Striking is that after the painter’s admission, he leaves him. And there’s a reason for that. He has achieved his goal, he has gained a new insight about the actual situation. Baek Na-Kyum is now favored, because their night together left a deep impression on the noble, nonetheless he is clueless about the change. Furthermore, if the love triangle was revealed, and as such Yoon Seungho would get rejected, this would push the main character to cut ties with Baek Na-Kyum and the teacher. The servant definitely knew about the lord’s past tragedy: his suffering due to abandonment, rejection and jealousy. From my perspective, he decided to use the lord’s jealousy and insecurities to his benefit. That’s why he ensured to keep them alive. With his self-hatred, the lord would come to rely more on him.

And now, if you pay attention to the chapter 24, you’ll notice two important elements: the role played by valet Kim and the chronology is disrupted. Striking is that the butler announces that the lord desires to meet the painter at the pavilion in front of Jung In-Hun. This is relevant, since the latter was already very jealous of the artist. He had observed the lord and the commoner at the end of chapter 23 and felt unhappy. So Kim ensured that the scholar would hear this. Secondly, the manhwalovers can observe the absence of the butler’s eyes, when he expresses his emotions. For me, this is a signal that the valet is deceiving the scholar and the painter. And if we think carefully, then we can only come to the conclusion that the butler is lying again, when he claims that the lord is waiting for him at the pavilion. And now, you might come to the belief that I am suspecting the butler too much… However, I have different reasons to view his declarations as deceptions. Why?

How can the lord be waiting for the artist at the pavilion, when they were returning together? I doubt that the lord would leave the whole group behind. Secondly, the artist and the teacher didn’t disappear for hours, only for 10 minutes. The lord hasn’t even changed his hunting clothes.
Finally, we have to question the reason for the disruption of the chronology. We see the painter leaving the scholar’s side and following the butler through town, then we have Baek Na-Kyum’s memories, where he is shown painting the scene with the masturbation, before witnessing Baek Na-Kyum on the ground trapped by Yoon Seungho. Why did Byeonduck utilize a time jump and a discontinuation of the chronology? Since there’s nothing random in her work, I believe that this disrupted chronology had a purpose. She never showed us the protagonists’ arrival at the pavilion. What caught my attention is the position of the bodies. If the lord had been waiting for the artist, then they should sit differently. Note that the noble is closer to the entrance of the pavilion than the painter. After the rape, the latter’s legs are facing the butler who stands at the entrance of the pavilion. This would explain why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t flee at the pavilion, as the noble stood in the way. He could only just crawl away… A reversed situation of chapter 16. And this indicates that Yoon Seungho must have arrived after the low-born who was waiting for him at the pavilion. So this would indicate that Kim lied, when he invited the artist to follow him to the pavilion.
One might argue that Yoon Seungho’s emancipation occurred at the pavilion, therefore Kim must have just been following the order to send the painter there. Yet, the manhwalovers should recall that Jihwa was the one who invited the lord to the pavilion and not the reverse. If Jihwa had allowed him to enter his chamber, then the sex emancipation would have happened there. Yet, Jihwa sent the noble to the pavilion for one reason. He never expected the noble to have an erection and wanted to maintain a certain respectability. That’s why I am convinced that the words Kim said were not true. Besides, let’s not forget that his declarations shouldn’t be taken by face-value. Besides, we have again the absence of the eyes in the previous panel and the following picture shows the valet’s wrist, when he announces the invitation to the pavilion (reminding us of the observation that Byeonduck would never show the valet’s face, when he tells lies or manipulates). That’s why I see these elements as a clue that Kim has been acting as a puppet master in the rape at the pavilion.
Besides, the lord knew about the painter’s shyness concerning his painting. He knew that he had brought it with him during the hunt, because he felt embarrassed. And he had been protective and caring so far. He had no reason to become rude towards Baek Na-Kyum, who had even accepted his invitation for the hunt. He had also seen, how an opened door scared him so much that he fled from his embrace. A pavilion would never be the appropriate place for the painter to reveal his picture. Therefore I believe that Kim was the one who told the lord that Baek Na-Kyum was waiting for him at the pavilion. In the noble’s mind, it was a reasonable suggestion, because that way the low-born would protect himself from the lord’s advances, since it was in the open.
One might question about the butler’s motive for such a suggestion? What would he gain by creating a encounter at the pavilion? He desired a witness, the teacher Jung In-Hun. For Kim, it didn’t truly matter what would happen there. Either the scholar would choose to intervene or he would remain silent… yet he would see the main lead’s in his rage, making him realize how dangerous and instable the protagonist was. First, he had seen the low aristocrat strolling with the artist at the pavilion (lie from chapter 11). So he knew that the scholar was aware of the location of the pavilion. Secondly, the pavilion allowed him to see the event, while in the lord’s bedchamber, the scholar would have never been able to see or to react to the situation. Kim had different reasons for assuming that the low noble would follow the invitation. He must have witnessed how Jung In-Hun would stare at Baek Na-Kyum during the hunt, which could have been perceived as sign of jealousy. For the butler, Jung In-Hun didn’t like the closeness between the noble and his “loved one”. Kim misinterpreted the root of the scholar’s resent. Since Kim was aware of the painter’s affection for Jung In-Hun, he imagined that the scholar would be disgusted and jealous, if he definitely witnessed the lord’s affection for the painter. As the noble had always been smiling and caring towards the artist, Kim assumed, exactly like Heena noona, that the teacher was infatuated with the low-born. From my point of view, Kim desired to recreate a similar situation from the past, where Yoon Seungho would experience rejection. Remember that we saw the lord’s memories in chapter 55, where he felt abandonment and huge jealousy making him feel enraged. In Kim’s mind, the noble would feel insecure with the rejection, therefore he would turn into a beast. Remember what I wrote before: the lord had been protecting the painter (from 12 to 22), so Kim’s last resort was to use the master himself as his pawn in order to get rid of the painter and the scholar. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that at the pavilion, Baek Na-Kyum was forced to confess his love for the scholar in front of Yoon Seungho. This is exactly what Kim had intended and even imagined that the teacher would react and protect the painter. With this incident, the painter would decide to leave the mansion with his “master”, Jung In-Hun. However, the butler never expected that the lord would still claim the painter as his and wouldn’t accept the situation. I even envisage that Kim had predicted the artist’s death. If it happened, the lord had no longer any reason to sponsor the teacher. In my opinion, Kim misjudged the low noble’s hypocrisy. Hence he didn’t anticipate that Jung In-Hun would remain passive and silent, because the man needed Baek Na-Kyum as the lord’s lover. He wanted the low-born to be a spy. I have always claimed that Jung In-Hun witnessed the rape (chapter 29), but chose to feign ignorance, since it didn’t serve his interests. Therefore I perceive the panel where Kim announces the invitation to the low-born in front of Jung In-Hun as an evidence for my theory. Kim let it transpire to incite the scholar to go to the pavilion.

And observe in chapter 25 that after faking his concern for Yoon Seungho by pointing out the scar, Kim asks his lord the painter’s whereabouts. Why? From my perspective, Kim was expecting something and by faking concern for the artist, he would like to know the outcome of the encounter at the pavilion. I have to admit that I can no longer sense genuineness in the butler’s words. Striking is the idiom he employs: “that … painter”. He doesn’t give him any name, a real identity. His words are quite similar to Min’s expression “low-born”. In my eyes, the innocent protagonist is perceived as a function and as such an object or subject. With the painter ‘s absence and the lord’s reaction, he gets aware that something happened, exactly what he desired. In my opinion, he is already envisioning that he has achieved his goal. The drop of sweat is just a sign of discomfort, because once again, there was a ruckus, but it was necessary for his own interest, his tranquil life. The only difference is that with his question, he infuriates the main character, which must have been totally new for the valet. Moreover, when he says this , the readers (including myself) thought, he expressed concern and felt pity. But who is talking to in reality? Baek Na-Kyum is still far away from him, hence I doubt that these words were addressed to him. Furthermore, the butler has again no eye. That’s why I have now the impression that “oh dear” could have been addressed to himself. Now, he needs to clean up the mess. In other words, he feels pity for himself. Since he stands far away, he must see the body on the ground, so for me it looks like he imagined that the artist was dead. But to his surprise, when he gets closer to Baek Na-Kyum, he recognizes that the artist is still alive. Striking is his next comment: Now, he knows why the noble brought the horse. The main lead felt concern for the artist, so he was considerate enough to spare Baek Na-Kyum from moving too much. After detecting the valet’s hypocrisy, I could only sense coldness and indifference in this picture. The gaze is cold and at no moment, he talks directly to Baek Na-Kyum. His words are only centered on him and the noble (“I”, “me”, “he”). Besides, even if his eyebrows indicate a certain concern, it doesn’t necessarily mean that his worries are related to the painter, rather to himself. And the scholar had not even fled the mansion, which the valet must have noticed, since he was wandering around with the lamp. So in the end, Kim’s manipulation had failed once again. And if you consider that in chapter 35, he tries again to motivate Yoon Seungho to kill the painter out of jealousy, it becomes understandable why I believe that Kim had already envisaged his death before. Since the main lead had always been protective, he needed to trigger the lord’s rage caused by abandonment and rejection so that the main lead would turn into the weapon to hurt Baek Na-Kyum. Yet, it never happened like he desired. Each time, Yoon Seungho’s violent mood changed him into a sex monster, unwilling to get separated from the low-born. And now, you understand why I perceive the following butler’s words in a new light: Since each tentative to get rid of Baek Na-Kyum through the lord has always failed (chapter 11, 25, 34, 35, 36 and 61/62 – this one I will explain it later), Kim’s last remark gets a new signification. Here, he makes a statement, he is realizing that he can no longer utilize the main lead like in the past, the lord with his violent mood swings is no longer obeying him. Back then, many readers had the impression that the valet was telling a lie in order to diminish his guilt and responsibility (self-deception). But what if he was telling the truth in reality and was not trying to deceive himself? I would like to point out that in the previous picture, the butler is shown with his eyes and ears indicating that he is no longer closing his eyes to the truth and reality. Moreover, note in this scene, he is reminded of the past, when he abandoned the main lead to his misery, which leads him to the following conclusion. If the painter remains a favored servant, then everything is fine. The artist never abused his position or truly threatened him. So his privileged situation wouldn’t truly change, if Baek Na-Kyum was a “concubine”. However, while he is on the verge to abandon his plan to remove the artist from Yoon Seungho’s side, Heena noona causes a ruckus, which makes the valet change his mind once again. Observe the contrast: the closer he gets to reality and accept it, the closer the zooming on his face. So in the last panel, Kim is facing the truth and facts. Yet in the end, he is forced to correct his judgement, as there is another trouble. But what Kim fails to recognize is that there’s no life without worry and problems. As you can see, the chapter 65 is a new version of chapter 35… however this time, Kim is the one on the verge of giving up on his original plan: remove the artist from Yoon Seungho’s side.

Another point for this theory that Kim is a villain and a mastermind using people for his own happiness (leading a life without trouble) is that each time, Kim had to clean up the mess afterwards. The irony is that Yoon Seungho is unaware of this.

the ruined painting: he has to put himself the ointment on the painter. Yoon Seungho forces him to see the consequences of his lies and silence.
(chapter 17/18) Jihwa’s trespassing and mistreating Baek Na-Kyum: Yoon Seungho orders Kim to bring the second lead to the door and evict the amateur spy.
chapter 19: Yoon Seungho gets to discover love in the painter, since the latter gets drunk and reveals his feelings. Kim has to hear that confession and he is left behind.
Then when he asks the servant Kim to pick up the low-born at the pavilion. and later, when he takes care of Baek Na-Kyum, the latter confronts him with his lie. He knew about the sexual encounter and chose to remain silent. So he is once again forced to face reality and recognize his misdeed. However, the butler decides to run away.
In chapter 30, the butler receives a punch for allowing the painter’s escape. And because of his intervention, Yoon Seungho felt even more insecure than before, which explains why he had a sex marathon. In his mind, the artist had to accept his sexuality and as such him as his lover thereby he would remain by his side. That’s why Kim had in the end to take care of the exhausted painter. The sex marathon was a direct consequence of the rape and desertion involving Kim.
In chapter 36, Kim gave the painter’s aphrodisiac and this led Kim to lie to Yoon Seungwon. Therefore he got scolded.

I could add the list of the punishments Kim received for his lies and manipulations. It was definitely his karma, reflecting his own flaw. Kim is a person who is trying to escape from reality by closing his eyes and ears, with the belief that uproar and problems stands in opposition to a good and peaceful life. And the conclusion is that there’s no redemption for the valet. The latter chose to keep his original plan, as Baek Na-Kyum has become a synonym for worry and scandal in his eyes. That’s why I am more than ever convinced that he will participate in the next kidnapping and unlike in the past, he won’t just be a manipulator and mastermind, but a real perpetrator. And my final observation is the following: since Kim manipulated the situation in chapter 24/25, the readers have to question the butler’s responsibility in the rape. Kim could have revealed the truth to the main leads, but he chose not. This shows that Kim never acted like a father or a true advisor and allowed the situation to escalate. And it is the same for the teacher who witnessed the violence and decided to feign ignorance. As you can see, the whole situation is far more complex than it looks like.

I still have more to say about Kim… Therefore there will be a part 3.

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 tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: The life of women 👯‍♀️in Joseon (second version)

February 10, 2021September 12, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The night: Kim’s power (part 1)

February 7, 2021March 12, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 6 Comments

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.

I am well aware that some readers will be upset, if they read this essay, especially Kim’s stans. However, I can no longer postpone this topic, a real portray of the so-called “loyal valet”. I have to admit that Byeonduck even deceived me, as I let my first impressions about the butler misinterpret his past actions. For example, I had determined that Kim had helped the painter to escape in chapter 29. I had explained his behavior by writing that he felt sorry for him or he gave the artist the aphrodisiac in order to make his lord happy. He had realized the master’s affection for the painter. Yet, this was my wishful thinking in truth. Kim had other reasons to act like that, which I only recognized around chapter 62. This made me realize that I had been blind to the truth for a long time, because I had paid too much attention to the pictures concerning him and his words. It signifies that I trusted too much my eyes. From my point of view, the author of Painter Of The Night desires us to see the story with our mind and not only our eyes. The Greek philosopher Plato wrote that “noesis”, the Greek expression for insight, was the highest kind of knowing. With this description, he meant that the mind saw what was true. And we have a scene referring to this type of knowledge: As you can detect, knowledge is linked to sight. That’s why when a person employs the following idiom “I see”, she or he indicates that the person knows and understands. However, we need to see the butler’s behavior with our mind’s eyes and not only our eyes. With this new perspective, it becomes important to examine the valet’s actions beyond the pictures Byeonduck presented to the readers in order to have a real insight about Kim. What is his true personality in reality? He appears kind and gentle, therefore the readers judged him as such. However, this is not the truth and the topic of this essay will be to destroy the myth about Kim as a hero. And in order to achieve this goal, it is important to review all his actions and words from the start.

If we consider the formal aspects, we will notice that Kim is introduced in the same chapter than Jung In-Hun’s arrival at the mansion. That’s his first introduction. I doubt that this is a coincidence. As I have already described the scholar as a villain, this can be viewed a first evidence for this theory. Secondly, if we count the number of chapters (2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 44) where Jung In-Hun appears, you’ll notice that Kim has the exact same number: 20 (7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 44). One might argue that Kim has been developed to contrast to Jung In-Hun, yet this is not possible, as the valet often lies (f. ex. episode 11, 12, 29, 34, 35, 44, 67, 68), exactly like the teacher. Nevertheless, I am well aware that these exterior aspects might not be not convincing enough.

Let me elaborate why I believe that Kim isn’t only an antagonist in Painter Of The Night, but also a villain. But before bringing up all the points, I need to define the nature of an antagonist and a villain.

“In literature, an antagonist is a character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the Protagonist, which is the main character. […] ” quoted from https://literarydevices.net/antagonist/

This definition points out that the antagonist hinders the protagonist to achieve his goal, hence he creates conflicts for the protagonist. He can be a villain, but not necessarily. He can be just a competitor and rival. And note that in my last analysis (“The slaps in the kaleidoscope”), I had described Kim as a rival to the painter. The latter was slowly taking away the power Kim had over the powerful noble. At the end of chapter 66, Yoon Seungho is submitting himself to the artist’s authority. But I could also use the confrontation Kim had with Yoon Seungho as illustration in chapter 68. The butler used his knowledge to literally destroy the lord’s confidence and power. He portrayed him as a bad and cruel person who made a false judgement and was even wayward in his youth. At no moment, he gave a real advice to the protagonist, contributing to his lord’s growth and improving his behavior. But one might argue that everything is linked to the valet’s position. He is just a domestic. Yet, he had disobeyed his master’s order showing a certain confidence. And his disregard for his master was already visible on different occasions, like in chapter 33 or chapter 56 . He brought the artist to the physician without his master’s permission. Back then, many like myself overlooked his infraction, because it seemed like it was for the artist’s sake. However, the readers should remember that the physician was called to the lord’s property in the past. So why bring the painter to the doctor’s office? And let’s remember that in the past Yoon Seungho visited the doctor’s office in order to get drugged. Back then, the main lead became a victim of drug. As you can observe, Kim’s actions should be judged with the mind’s eye and not with just with the heart or the eye. Besides, the butler’s attitude towards the main lead revealed a certain confidence to use knowledge and lies to manipulate Yoon Seungho. So maybe Kim represents a certain hindrance to the two protagonists, but to describe him as a villain, some readers will question this interpretation.

“A villain is the bad guy, the one who comes up with diabolical plots to somehow cause harm or ruin. It is one of the archetype characters in many stories. The villain may truly believe that he/she is helping society, but causes harm in the process.” quoted from https://literaryterms.net/villain/

On the surface, it looks like a villain is a bad person. Yet this is not correct, it is not complete. The definition portrays the villain mainly as a scheming person who believes that his actions are right, because he has a good justification. However, his words and actions have a negative impact on the protagonists. “Schemes and causing harm” stand in the center of this definition and not if the villain acts badly so obviously. In other words, the villain is not necessarily an evil or brutal person, as long as the person legitimates his actions. Furthermore, there are different types of villains:

Traitor: This villain betrays the ones who trusted him or her.
Patriarch/Matriarch: These warped villains see themselves as the head of the family or group.
Tyrant: This villainous leader takes no guff from anyone – do as you’re told or pay the price.
Devil: True evil at its worst, the devil villain has no good side.
Schemer: This villain loves making diabolical plans and carrying them out.
Lunatic: Just plain crazy, this villain may not have any real motivation but the crazy conspiracies he or she “sees.” quoted from https://literaryterms.net/villain/ (I didn’t list all the different kind of villains)

After reading these different descriptions, the readers recognize that Min resembles to the Schemer and Devil, while father Yoon looks more like a patriarch. I would like to remind that Min justifies his schemes with his urges for the painter and his desire for entertainment. Nevertheless, the first type is often overlooked, the traitor. From my point of view, Kim represents the first type, because he has already backstabbed his master on multiple occasions. I could mention Kim’s betrayal towards Yoon Seungho in chapter 65. Here, he heard and saw something, but decided to turn a blind eye and abandoned the young boy. He allowed the young master to get assaulted and chose not to intervene, because he dislikes the idea of trouble so much. His real desire is to lead a peaceful life. Arguing that he feared for his life can also be refuted. If the butler had intervened immediately, then father Yoon would have believed him. Father Yoon trusts the valet so much that he followed Kim who recommended him the physician. So he had the valet’s trust. However, it became a different story, if Yoon Seungho had revealed the truth and accused the butler for abandoning him. In my opinion, he didn’t want to get in the way of a noble hurting the main lead, therefore he became an accomplice. He had to hide his wrongdoings. And in order to ease his conscience, he justifies his passivity and inaction with the following motto: Since it doesn’t concern his life, then he doesn’t need to care. But one might refute my argumentation that Kim only made a mistake once. However, let’s not forget that there’s another main lead in this manhwa: Baek Na-Kyum. Kim betrayed him in chapter 11, by letting take the fall for the damaged painting. Like I had already exposed in a previous analysis, Kim lied to his master in chapter 11: In fact, Baek Na-Kyum had left the room for a stroll. And with his two lies in chapter 11, he allowed the painter to get hurt and punished unfairly. In other words, he caused harm not only to Yoon Seungho, but also to Baek Na-Kyum. What caught my attention is the absence of the eye in the first picture. First, one might think that this aspect is an indication that the servant is trying to hide his true thoughts. However, I would even add another dimension. The absence of the valet’s eyes displays his leitmotiv: turning a blind eye. But there’s more to it. The absence of his eyes mirrors his desire to ignore the consequences of his actions. Therefore he keeps running away (chapter 64) (chapter 67) in order to avoid any confrontation. Furthermore he avoids peoples’ gaze and questions (see the picture from chapter 67) (chapter 63). Note that in this scene (last image), before leaving, he never answers to the maids’ question corresponding to the missing ears in the following picture: He is also turning a deaf ear. That’s other Kim’s MO. He is deliberately closing his eyes and ears to reality and truth, so that he doesn’t need to feel guilty. With this attitude, he doesn’t want to feel burdened and responsible for his actions. And he prefers letting others take the blame. Yet, this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t use his senses like Jihwa, it is quite the opposite. He utilizes his senses in order to get knowledge, as he has already recognized that insight can help him to live a quiet life. That’s why he is described as perceptive by Yoon Seungho in chapter 23.

Then one might refute that he only hurt the protagonists once, he can’t be a villain. Besides, he never intended the main leads to get hurt, he just feared to get punished. However, this is just an illusion. In reality, if you pay attention to the butler’s actions, you can actually witness Kim’s true power which is based on manipulations and drugs. In my opinion, he is a puppet master hiding in the shadow and the pawns have no idea that they have been masterminded by a “kind” valet. Now, you are wondering how?

What caught my attention is the medication that Yoon Seungho has been fed since his teens. In chapter 57, even the doctor questioned the lord’s illness, yet he still gave him the medicine without a real diagnosis, because father Yoon would talk to him, until the latter gave in. Besides, Kim decided to continue feeding him after the abandonment, and it was never questioned by the doctor. The latter only heard through Kim that Yoon Seungho had started getting seriously sick. The readers should recall that the doctor only examined the lord twice, the second time it happened many years later. The doctor has never been able to define the illness the main lead was suffering. And note that the doctor pointed out that before the lord wasn’t known as hot-tempered. That’s why I believe that the drug is the cause for Yoon Seungho’s mood swings and impulsive behavior. Sure, there exist other causes, the different traumas the lord experienced. And from my perspective, the connection between the violence and the drug is visible, if you think carefully about the return of the lord’s violent and impulsive attitude from chapter 61 on. It coincides with his stay at the physician’s. For me, there’s no coincidence in this story. Since the story is repeating itself, the author revealed that after the visitation, Yoon Seungho as a teen started receiving the medication affecting his mood. For he went to the doctor’s in chapter 57, it means that the physician must have given him some medicine after the disappearance of the painter. And let’s not forget his words in chapter 55: The man recommended Kim to give him the tea. Now, due to the physician’s words, which Baek Na-Kyum clearly heard, Kim has a reason to feed him the drug again. He is just following the doctor’s prescription and note that Kim has the painter as a witness. This panel is relevant, as it exposes that the lord refused to take the tonic before. His reason was simple: he slept better. In my opinion, we have to envisage that Kim would use the doctor’s innocence to justify his action, if he was caught giving the drug. Furthermore, the master was at the doctor’s, hence the former would trust his recommendation and his tea. Hence I believe that the lord got drugged after that night explaining his relapse (violent temper). Since we know that this story is built as a kaleidoscope, it means that this medication was mentioned in season 1. It first appears in chapter 35, and the lord declined the “medicinal tea”, a reflection of chapter 55. But the readers have to envision that Yoon Seungho had already stopped drinking the potion even before chapter 35. Let’s not forget that the main lead was away for many days, hopping from one bedchamber to the next. Consequently, he couldn’t take the drug. And after Baek Na-Kyum became the lord’s lover, the latter had no reason to drink the medicinal tea. First, thanks to the low-born, the noble had been able to get some sleep. Observe how refreshed he looks the next morning after spending a night with the painter. Later he was busy having sex with Baek Na-Kyum and could sleep better, like Kim described it in chapter 55. One might argue that Kim is doing for the lord’s sake, but then the manhwaphiles should question truly his intentions, as he gave an aphrodisiac to the painter against his will in chapter 36. The purpose for his action was simple: he intended to use the artist as the new sex toy for the master, so that Yoon Seungho would be busy with sex and forget the outside world. And the artist didn’t want to take it either. There’s no real legitimation to drug someone, the goal doesn’t justify the means. Besides, giving the wrong medication to someone who is not sick can never be good. It can definitely make someone sick, and the manhwaworms should recognize that the doctor could never truly diagnose the lord’s illness. He created the medicine based on the father’s desires and suggestions. Yet, at no moment, Kim stopped the treatment, although he knows that father Yoon was a cruel man, like he revealed in chapter 68. Therefore I judge Kim as a real dangerous person, because he drugs people and uses people’s innocence. I doubt that the physician is aware that he has been used by father Yoon and later by Kim. The clue for his innocence is palpable because of his testimony to the painter. He is not hiding anything, he reveals the past to the artist, since he knows the relationship between the two protagonists. However, like I have already explained it, the doctor’s revelations will help to uncover the truth. One might still argue that Kim is just doing what father Yoon told him. He is still loyal to the eldest master. So he is not responsible for the drugs. I could just argue that father Yoon never gave him the permission to drug the painter, Kim made the decision on his own and no one asked him to do so. Besides, he works as Yoon Seungho’s butler and not father Yoon’s, therefore we can definitely describe him as a traitor, since he drugs the main lead and we have to imagine that Yoon Seungho must have refused it in the past as well. So once the father abandoned his son, Kim could have stopped with the medication.

And let’s turn our attention to my second point: the butler’s manipulations, symbolizing that Kim is indeed a villain. In order to validate my theory, it is necessary to examine all the butler’s words and actions. Like I had already mentioned in a previous chapter, Kim lied in chapter 11 with a certain intention. My first reaction was to say that he didn’t want to take the blame for the second lead’s misdeed. However, I believe that there’s more to it. Observe the way he lies. He notices the lord’s good mood, and he suggests the noble to visit the painter in his study by saying that the painter spent the whole day. With his words, he implies that the painter has been dedicated towards Yoon Seungho and he must be tired, the first version of the following panel from chapter 41. That way, the noble would discover the ruined painting. He anticipated that the noble would like to go to the painter with his suggestion, since he knows that the lord is a goodhearted man in reality. He orchestrated the whole situation, he knew that the lord would have a mood swing and his rage would target the painter. That’s why he hid behind the door , so that he wouldn’t be confronted with the consequences of his lie and manipulations. Like I demonstrated it before, there’s no doubt that Kim had seen Jihwa’s arrival and had chosen to close his eyes. From my point of view, the butler had already judged the painter as a source of trouble and desired to get rid of him. Why?

My theory is the following: Kim is actually working as a spy. Since he has only been loyal to himself, I suspect that Kim has been working behind Yoon Seungho’s back for several people. His motivation was never money or power, rather leading a tranquil life without any trouble and struggle. However, this mentality led him to the dark side. I believe that the starting point was the protagonist’s abuse in the storage room. After his silence and passivity, he was bound by secrecy. It is definitely possible that he has been blackmailed too, the older version Deok-Jae’s thread. In my opinion, it is lord Song, but this is now only a supposition. First, I discovered that Kim was able to read and as such write. If I complete Kim’s sentence, we have this: Lord Song is not one to write to my master. Then to whom is lord Song supposed to write? I doubt that Kim is aware of lord Song’s mail contacts, since the valet lives in that mansion the whole time. The logical deduction is to say that the valet has been in touch with lord Song. Besides, another evidence for Kim’s hidden abilities is the painter. Remember how I described the artist as the positive reflection of Kim. Since Baek Na-Kyum was supposed to be literate and the lord discovered that it was not true, Kim as the low-born’s negative reflection is supposed to be illiterate, while in reality he can read and write. Moreover, if you pay attention to Kim’s reaction in chapter 56, when he hears that lord Song desires to meet the main lead at the tavern, Kim gets scared. Back then, many imagined that the butler’s fear was related to Yoon Seungho’s past and he felt concerned for the master. Yet, he got scared twice. The second time, the master was not present and Kim was definitely frightened. Finally, note how he tries to suggest to his master to postpone the meeting due to his illness. It sounds reasonable and legitimate, yet if you think that Kim is a spy, he has a motive to make sure that both don’t encounter. That’s why he abandoned Baek Na-Kyum at the physician’s and rushed to the lord’s side. He was scared that Yoon Seungho would discover the truth. Once he saw Jihwa there, he felt relieved and faked concern. That’s why he said this to the doctor: He definitely expressed relief here and notice, he hides his eyes again, a sign that he is hiding his true thoughts, but also avoiding to face the consequences of all his lies and manipulations. Besides, I couldn’t help myself thinking about Yoon Seungho’s comment in chapter 18: The amateur spy got discovered, because he showed true concern for Jihwa. So what if we had a professional spy, the reflection of the amateur spy? As such he is a puppet master who can deceive people due to his acting skills. Now, you can comprehend why for me, Kim is a villain, a traitor. He is always perceived as kind, gentle and genuine, yet the truth is different. His thoughts exposed his selfishness and dishonesty towards the painter and the master.

And now, it is time to return our attention to the reasons for Kim’s manipulation in chapter 11. Let’s not forget the circumstances that led to Jihwa’s revenge. In chapter 8, Yoon Seungho had humiliated a noble and even grabbed him by the topknot creating a scandal, something Kim abhors the most. And this was caused by the low-born’s presence. And we have to imagine that Kim must have been staying in the background and saw the scene, a repetition from chapter 33. So with such a humiliation, Kim could only object to the lord’s attitude and consider the painter as the source of trouble and danger. However, if my theory about Kim as a spy is correct, we shouldn’t forget that Jung In-Hun had just arrived at the mansion, and the scholar must have told Kim about the reasons for his stay here: the lord desires to sponsor him and give him a high position. Since Jung In-Hun is arrogant and likes admiration, I doubt that he hid it from the butler. So Kim has a bigger cause to get rid of the painter. If Yoon Seungho has connections to the government, he can become dangerous. Since the latter has an affection to the teacher, which Kim witnessed, he must have recognized that his sponsorship is related Baek Na-Kyum. So when he viewed Jihwa’s arrival in chapter 10, he knew what would happen, and saw it as an opportunity to get rid of the painter and indirectly the teacher. That’s why he tricked the main lead to pay a visit to the artist, by portraying the low-born as a hardworking painter. Besides, we also have to envision that he knew that Jihwa had hired one of the servants from his staff. Since his policy is to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear in the sake of his “peace”, he had no reason to intervene. At the same time, since he knew that the teacher was the artist’s alibi, the other possible outcome was that Jung In-Hun intervenes so that a quarrel between the two nobles begins leading to the end of the sponsorship. However, the artist chose to remain silent and the scholar didn’t show any interest for Baek Na-Kyum. Anyway, Kim could only win with such an action: either Jung In-Hun chose to cut ties with the main lead for mistreating the commoner or Baek Na-Kyum decides to leave the mansion after such a punishment. That’s why Kim allowed the amateur spy to leave the mansion and announced that the lord had chosen the straw mat beating as punishment. However, the manhwalovers have to envision that Kim never revealed his knowledge. He must have just given the servant the permission to leave the property without his master’s knowledge. Consequently, the hired spy had no idea that he had been used as a pawn by Kim. For the latter, it was important that no one would notice his manipulation. He only had to fake ignorance and kindness, while in reality he was utilizing his eyes and ears. By using the amateur spy, Jihwa had no idea about the butler’s involvement. That way, no one would realize that there was a puppet master behind them. At the same time, I also believe that the butler anticipated the childhood friend’s intervention. And let’s not forget that Kim is the only one who knows Jihwa since his childhood. He witnessed their separation, therefore he already envisaged that the red-haired noble would target the artist, like he did in the past. In other words, Kim has always utilized Jihwa in order to isolate the lord and hinder him to focus on someone else for too long. Kim had already imagined that the painter would get punished severely and the scholar who seemed so affectionate towards the artist, would decide to cut ties with the lord. Who would like to be seen with such a violent sodomite? From my perspective, that’s the reason why Byeonduck chose to introduce the butler in chapter 7. The teacher’s goal stands in opposition to Kim’s. As long as the lord is busy with sex and debauchery, Kim can lead a peaceful life and his misdeeds can never get discovered. And all the persons responsible for his misery in his youth, like lord Song, don’t need to fear any revenge. However, nothing worked like the valet had envisioned, because neither the painter nor the master reacted like he had anticipated.

What caught my attention is that in chapter 12, the amateur spy appears twice. Not only he goes to the tavern to tip off Jihwa, but also he is the one who announces the red-haired noble’s arrival. This is no coincidence. Since Kim knew about his true relationship with Jihwa, he knew that the red-aristocrat would question the domestic and vent his anger at him. Furthermore, Kim suggests the painter to make a walk which led the second lead to notice that his plan had failed. This also indicates that Kim witnessed the painter taking a walk with the teacher. And striking is that when Yoon Seungho saw the painter, he asked him, if he was trying to run away. We can definitely question if this was not the butler’s original plan, especially when the readers recall that Kim witnessed the painter’s behavior in chapter 11. He talked back to Yoon Seungho and even refused to submit to Yoon Seungho’s authority first. So maybe when Kim took care of the painter, Kim hoped that if he said that he would have to resign and accept his fate, these words would have the opposite effect, the artist would choose to leave the mansion after witnessing his mentality. One thing is sure: Kim was in the background all the time and knew what was going on. And this is reflected in chapter 17. The valet refuses to intervene and has even allowed Jihwa to enter the mansion without any invitation. Let’s not forget that in chapter 17, we have the same constellation of characters than in chapter 12: the amateur spy following the second lead, Yoon Seungho in his bed, valet Kim in the background and the painter. The only change is the apparition of the head-maid of the kitchen. For me, he was definitely an silent accomplice, who tried to stop Yoon Seungho from intervening and causing another trouble. With this new perception, it would explain why Yoon Seungho and Jihwa maintained their relationship despite its toxicity. Kim could use the noble to get rid of any thread, without causing any big trouble. And if there was a huge incident (like Jihwa’s topknot incident), then this would be swayed under the rug, because Jihwa was always willing to overlook Yoon Seungho’s retaliation.

Furthermore I think, Kim expected Jihwa’s return after his success and if he met the painter, he would see that his plan had failed. Note that in that moment, the childhood friend tried to suggest his friend to get rid of the artist by hiring a painter from the Royal Academy. Observe that despite the sex session with Jihwa, the latter had lost the fight against the painter. He was even sent away and the host didn’t pay attention to him at the end. However, during that same night, Kim got himself tricked by Deok-Jae, something he hadn’t expected. And that’s the moment the butler realized that he could use the guardian as his second pawn. That’s how Deok-Jae took over the role from the amateur spy and helped Kim in his attempt to separate the artist from the noble: chapter 29/30. But since the vicious servant got betrayed, because Kim abandoned him and let him suffer the most, Deok-Jae could only act on his own. He tried to steal the red dresser, he sabotaged the rice, and finally he even ransacked the study and hurt the artist causing so much trouble to Kim that he could only ask him to disappear. Nevertheless, I would like to remind that the moment when the amateur spy reveals his complicity in chapter 18, he doesn’t even deny or try to put the blame on the valet. This shows that he has no idea that Kim knew about his role. Kim has always been able to survive thanks to this philosophy: IGNORANCE IS A BLESSING.

Then in chapter 19, there is another crime committed: the theft of the expensive wine. Back then, everyone was convinced that the painter was the thief, because we saw him with the bottle. However, Baek Na-Kyum is supposed to be a pure person who wouldn’t commit a crime. So the protagonist is not only a liar but also a theft, no one was upset. But now, if you perceive this incident in a different perspective, Kim is a manipulator, he created the incident so that Baek Na-Kyum would get caught. This time, no one would speak for him. Surprising is that Kim is again portrayed eyeless. For me, a sign that he saw what happened: the painter was the criminal. People would think that he was covering up for the painter, yet if you look at Min’s reaction after hearing the butler’s words, you’ll realize that Min is asking for blood. Striking is that in chapter 19, we have elements from chapter 11:

Kim without eyes and who feigns ignorance
Kim is also asked as witness
A lord in a good mood. That’s why he went to the brothel to eat with Min and two other nobles, the first version of chapter 52-53-54.
A crime: the disappearance of the bottle

Since it is a new version of chapter 11 and I had explained that Kim had orchestrated the first punishment, so the logical consequence would be that Kim tried to recreate a similar situation. Besides, just before, the lord had cut ties with Jihwa, hence Kim could no longer use him like in the past. But what if Kim left the bottle on purpose so that the artist would take it? Let’s not forget that during that night, Yoon Seungho witnessed the quarrel between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum, therefore it is definitely possible that Kim could have witnessed it as well. Just because we didn’t see it, this doesn’t signify that this didn’t exist. Realizing the painter’s sadness, the butler could have anticipated the painter’s next move. And when he revealed the crime to the guests, he desired to use Min’s anger and request to have the painter punished, even killed. This time, the lord wouldn’t be able to change his mind and show remorse. However, once again his plan didn’t work out, because the lord covered up himself the misdeed of the painter. For me, there’s no doubt that the absence of Kim’s eyes are a signal that Kim is up to something. With this new interpretation, I come to the following conclusion that chapter 67-68 are the new version of chapter 19. Kim and Min are already working together and both are determined to use Jihwa once again, like they did in the first season. Yet back then, Min had no idea that he was used by the humble valet.

But if Kim has already planned the painter’s rape and murder in the second season, then this signifies that he must have done in the first season, as history repeats itself. And he actually did it, which no one noticed before, including me. However, his plan didn’t work out so that we can definitely predict the butler’s failure.

Thanks to Luzy’s observation, I came to this realization. It all started with her notice that Kim lied in chapter 34. When Baek Na-Kyum gets sick after the sex marathon, he brings himself the painter back to the study, even clean him. Observe that the doctor is in the painter’s room, when he examines the low-born. Then in chapter 34, the head-maid declares that the painter has been sick for 4 days and observe that the painter is still lying in his bed. Then, when the artist wakes up, he discovers that he is in the lord’s bed. He assumes that the lord left him behind after the sex session, that’s why he remembers the sex marathon. However, Kim deceives the artist by portraying the lord in a good light: He brought himself to his bed, because it is the warmest room. However, Kim announces him that the painter has been sick for 10 days and the lord has been hopping from one bedchamber to the next. So how can he have brought the painter to his bedchamber during these 10 days, if he was away? Besides, how is he supposed to have brought the painter to his bed, if he was already in the bed after the sex marathon? In my opinion, the valet had chosen to turn Baek Na-Kyum into a favored servant and placed the painter in the master’s bed. If the latter chose to become the master’s lover, then the lord would have no interest in keeping sponsoring Jung In-Hun. Now, he needed to separate the two. Besides, he knew that at some point, the lord would return. That’s why Yoon Seungho was surprised, when he arrived in his room. He tried to hide it by showing a rather indifferent expression. Yet, Kim’s machination failed. The butler never imagined that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the room and Yoon Seungho would agree to it. We have to imagine that the poor boy had just recovered, so if the main lead had ignored the painter’s condition, the new sex session could have led to the painter’s exhaustion and death. That’s why I can’t perceive Kim’s trick as a favor for the main lead. Yet, both protagonists in their innocence defeated the butler’s plan. And note that the valet lies again the next morning. He announces his arrival with the excuse, he is bringing his meal: But where is the meal? Read the chapter 35 again, you don’t see anything like that at all. Besides, pay attention to the valet’s reaction, when he opens the door: he is feeling uncomfortable, as if he was expecting something. He imagined to see the painter there with the lord, maybe dead… But no, his master is alone and didn’t sleep the whole night. He had reasons for that. He must have wondered why the painter was in his bed, but then he left him in order to let him rest. Then what caught my attention is that the valet opens the two windows, although the lord is not even dressed. He doesn’t even hurry to bring him the hanbok and later he even comments, it is cold. Note that here again, the domestic is without eyes again. From my point of view, he saw the painter strolling in the courtyard and meeting the scholar, therefore he opened the two windows so that the lord would feel the need to come closer to the window and witness the scene. Since there’s no ambiguity that Kim witnessed how the lord took the sword during the night of the rape, and tried to kill the teacher, he recognized the lord’s jealousy. Therefore, he imagined if he saw the painter with the scholar, he would get so resentful that he would grab his sword and kill the painter in affect. Notice that at no moment Kim intervened, although he was by the lord’s side, when he saw this. He literally vanished and only reappeared, after the situation had called down. The lord had not killed the artist. He even brought the fake letter from father Yoon, an excuse for his disappearance and at the same time a diversion. That’s why the artist was given the aphrodisiac right after. The painter needed to become the lord’s favored servant. If he remained loyal to Yoon Seungho, the latter would have no longer any interest in the teacher’s support. And since I judged the incident with the sword in chapter 35 as an attempt on the painter’s life masterminded by Kim, there’s no ambiguity that his participation in the second murder attempt will surface. However, this time it will become visible, because the puppet master lost his pawns one by one (the amateur spy, Jihwa, Deok-Jae). He can only use the second lead through Min that’s why he was included. Under this different approach, Jihwa’s crimes are relativized and it becomes obvious that Nameless is not only Min’s nemesis, but also Kim’s. Nameless contrasts so much to the butler, if you compare their attitude. Nameless might be ruthless, yet he is compassionate and genuine. And he is not running away from any responsibility and from reality, he is not putting the blame on others.

As a first conclusion, Kim has always manipulated people and he was never caught, because he often seems nice and humble. That’s how powerful the butler is. Yet, like I demonstrated, he lied on many occasions and worked in the shadow. That’s why I believe, it can only be recognized if people use their mind’s eye. Moreover, if the painter is a theft, then why shouldn’t the butler be a liar and manipulator? Under this new approach, we can say that Kim took advantage of people’s weaknesses (f. ex. the protagonists’ abandonment issues, Deok-Jae’s greed, Jihwa’s need for attention) explicating why the lord was so reluctant to open up. Besides, giving drugs to people is not right, especially when they are not aware of the real effects. Yoon Seungho is still unaware that he has been fed with the same drug from his youth. If he knew, he would definitely reject it, because he sees his father in a very negative light. As you can anticipate, there is so much more to say about this character, I didn’t even explain the incident with the rape, the missed farewell from the learned sir in chapter 44, the reason why Kim hid the painter’s identity etc… Just an advice, look at the panels where Kim is portrayed without eyes and question the reason for this. With Byeonduck, this is never random.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: The slaps ✋🥊 in the kaleidoscope (second version)

February 6, 2021October 7, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Reflections

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 3 Comments

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.

Reflection has different significations:

the image of something in a mirror or on any reflective surface:
the return of light, heat, sound, or energy from a surface
a sign or result of something
serious or careful thought https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reflection

While reading the chapter 67, I realized that we had all these different meanings offered by Byeonduck. Therefore I chose to analyze this episode under this aspect.

First, we have the incident with the broken mirror, , a new version from chapter 29, when lord Seungho discovered the painter’s escape. The common denominators are:

The lord’s fury (chapter 29) (chapter 67)
The cause is the painter’s escape, although in the second version, the desertion was in reality a kidnapping
the broken mirror, like illustrated above
the lord is searching for the whereabouts of the culprit: (chapter 29), in the first season he was looking for the artist, in the second for Jihwa as the instigator of the abduction (chapter 67)
the role played by the servants: Deok-Jae and Kim feigned ignorance, while they knew the truth. In the new version, it is the same. The domestic is covering up for his master: (chapter 67). Striking is that this time the complicity is clearly revealed. Here, we see, the red-haired aristocrat asking for his domestic’s complicity, while in the first season it was never shown. It only came to light through my closer examination: Kim had a hand in this and let the domestic Deok-Jae assume the responsibility for the desertion. That’s why he stood behind the servant. Consequently the latter got beaten the worst.

The reflection (definition 3) of this comparison is the absence of loyalty towards Yoon Seungho. He is betrayed not only by his own staff (chapter 29), but also by his former friend. (chapter 67). Unlike in the past, his gaze is not covered by darkness, but he gets a true reflection (definition 1) of his childhood friend. The cheerfulness and naturality he saw in his friend’s visage has turned into a monstrosity. But in chapter 67, Yoon Seungho got to see and hear his own reflection: definition 1 and 2. Father Lee described him as a man consumed by sex, a man full of vices who led his son to debauchery. He blamed the main lead for corrupting his son. However, for the first time, Yoon Seungho stood his ground and refused to be accountable for Jihwa’s reputation as sodomizer. Hence the protagonist gave father Lee a different reflection about Jihwa: Yet, this time, he confronted him with facts. He portrayed his son as a strong-willed and free person. Jihwa knew how his father would disapprove, hence he acted behind his back (“sneaking during the night”). With these words, the lord pointed out not only the son’s hypocrisy, but also the father’s. Father Lee preferred turning a blind eye and preferred reproaching Yoon Seungho for his son’s sexuality. So the reflection (3) was that father Lee got to hear and see for the first time his son’s true behavior. In other words, Yoon Seungho was actually putting the blame on the father and son. Either father Lee had been blind and deaf, or the son manipulated the head of the family. In reality, it becomes obvious that father Lee was well aware of his son’s behavior, but chose to feign ignorance and let Jihwa tell him lies so that the appearance of respectability could be maintained. Both Lees had an interest to let Yoon Seungho become the scapegoat, that way Lee’s reputation would be still intact. The father could no longer pretend innocence, when his son returned one day with his topknot cut off. With this kind of words, the father could only put the whole responsibility on the main lead. However, in chapter 67, father Lee got confronted with a different reflection. Lee Jihwa was never forced to visit him, he did on his own volition, hence the main lead can not be responsible for the second lead’s sexual orientation. Yoon Seungho’s words became the reflection father Lee needed to hear and see: his “pure” son was quite the opposite. The lord had finally grasped Jihwa’s mean and hypocrite personality. Jihwa’s hypocrisy was already perceptible in chapter 3, when he attempted to hide the hickeys from the servant and note that he acted the same in chapter 67. However, this time he desires to hide the marks left by Nameless from The Joker, because his sex with the commoner would create a scandal. Note that the second lead has a hickey on his chest, and when he is facing his acquaintance, the shirt covers the mark. If Min saw the mark, he would ask the red-haired noble how he got the hickey. And this time, Jihwa can no longer hide his homosexuality behind Yoon Seungho’s reputation as the biggest sodomite. Imagine, Jihwa has done exactly what he reproached to the main lead: having sex with a commoner. . He has fallen so deep into sodomy that he is now reaching for a low-born, yet at no moment he feels remorse or disgusted. In fact, he even admits that he did enjoy it. This exposes Jihwa’s superficiality in my opinion. He doesn’t reflect (definition 4) on his own actions, and these contradict his own rules. And now, I am even wondering, if Heena’s words addressed to the painter in chapter 68 could be the reason why Jihwa was so obsessed with his childhood friend in the past. Since he was so young and had no adult by his side as advisor, he had no idea how to identify what he truly felt for his friend. Yet, in chapter 67, we don’t see Jihwa’s heartbreak any longer. And from my point of view, it is related to Nameless. The moment Jihwa had sex with another man, he was able to move on. Jihwa had a false perception of love in the end, which explains why the red-haired noble was so obsessed with his friend.

However, what caught my attention in this chapter is the broken mirror. It is exactly the same than the one the main lead offered to the painter. This implies that the protagonist must have given it to Jihwa in the past. (chapter 3) (chapter 45) It shows that Jihwa had already got closer to Yoon Seungho than anyone else. Yet, by destroying the red dresser, it signifies that the main lead is cutting ties with the red-haired noble for real. They have no longer any connection. Let’s not forget that when Baek Na-Kyum received the dresser, he saw his future: (chapter 28). the mirror predicted the evolution of the protagonists’ relationship. They would become lovers. Since Yoon Seungho destroys himself the red dresser, it displays that Jihwa and him have no future together. At the same time, I believe to see two other interpretations in the broken mirror. When Baek Na-Kyum destroyed the mirror, it didn’t just mean that he was rejecting the lord as his partner, it also meant that he refused to accept his sexual orientation. He was denying his own identity as homosexual. And now, you understand why the main lead used the mirror to confront the artist. That way, he pressured him to accept his sexuality. And now, when the lord throws the dresser, it means that the lord is rejecting the red-haired aristocrat’s identity. He is not the one he thought he was: his personality is different from what he imagined. The reflection the mirror gave is not the reality. His true face is vile and deceptive.

The broken mirror has the other following signification for Jihwa: loss of identity. I would like to remind my readers of the 7 functions a mirror has:

to perceive his true self and personality;
to predict the future,
to unveil the past
to reveal desires and illusions
to indicate beauty, vanity and superficiality
to unveil truth, reality and as such wisdom https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/painter-of-the-night-the-mirror-and-its-functions/

In my opinion, this scene in chapter 67 marks a turning point for Jihwa. From that moment, he won’t be able to identify himself with the main lead. Striking is that Jihwa’s room contains the same furniture that Yoon Seungho’s: the cupboard, the white vase, the candelabra, the red box and the shelf (chapter 56) (chapter 65) The only differences are the windscreen and the colors of the bed. The resemblance exposes the true nature of Jihwa’s feelings for his childhood friend. Jihwa never developed his own taste. When the main lead started showing an obsession for erotic paintings, Jihwa bought an erotic painting from Qing (chapter 9). He had no real identity, he was still identifying himself in relation to the protagonist. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho represented in reality the surrogate father, the father Jihwa was missing. Since his father was absent and Yoon Seungho seems to be dedicated and gave him his attention, the red-haired noble developed an affection based on an oedipal complex. That’s why he couldn’t accept the separation and any other lover. In other words, he had similar feelings than Baek Na-Kyum’s had for Jung In-Hun. The only difference is that Yoon Seungho was first a boy and later a young man full of traumas. He couldn’t act as a real father. Note that Yoon Seungho is the only one scolding Jihwa and reminding that there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Father Lee never took his responsibility as father, that’s why he can only blame the main lead for Jihwa’s sodomy.

And now without a mirror, Jihwa is forced to develop his own identity. His “adoptive” father is cutting the umbilical cord literally speaking. Jihwa needs to find his own taste and make his own choices. Since Jihwa didn’t go through puberty properly, he couldn’t distance himself from his surrogate father properly, an important step into adulhood. Let’s not forget that he was separated from him for so many years, when father Yoon decided to seclude Yoon Seungho at the mansion. The years of separation reinforced the noble’s longing for his “father figure”. At the same time, I believe, his emotions were also connected to guilt. This explicates why Jihwa couldn’t accept being separated from him. He imagined that being together would erase everything. However, Jihwa is now an adult, hence he needs to be independent and become responsible.

That’s why Jihwa is so scared that he is crawling afterwards. His behavior is not just the reflection of the sword aimed at him. Note that he is crawling exactly like a child. This is no coincidence in my perspective. For the first time, he is on his own, hence he feels very insecure. The main lead is no longer willing to be responsible for him, and since father Lee was confronted with the truth, the young man can no longer put the blame on Yoon Seungho. And like a young child discovering the world for the first time, he feels afraid and fears for his life. Everything feels new and scary for him. Consequently he hides his face and ears, he prefers darkness, as it gives him a certain protection. And now, you grasp better why The Joker was able to manipulate Jihwa. He gave him the reassurance and comfort a scared child needed. Yet he deceived him that he just needed to rely on his plan, which includes that he will put the blame on others. Since Jihwa always defined himself in relation to Yoon Seungho, it means he never tried to use his own mind. He never reflected deeply, as he relied to much on mirrors:

“Mirror should think longer before they reflect.” from Jean Cocteau

Since he didn’t ponder deeply before, he prefers relying on others’ thoughts: rumors, gossips and Min’s words. That’s why he looks like a monkey, when he is facing Black Heart. He prefers renouncing on his humanity and skills than thinking carefully. The Joker stands here in opposition to Nameless’ role. The latter acted like his mirror and his guide into adulthood. That’s why I believe that the criminal will play a crucial role and he will confront Jihwa, but at the same time leading him to find his true identity. Nameless will become his mirror, fulfilling the same role Baek Na-Kyum has with the main lead. It will force him to drop the hypocrisy he adopted from his second surrogate father figure: The Joker. I believe, Nameless will assist to find the purity deeply buried in his soul, yet I am still expecting a punishment for Jihwa. Since my theory is that Nameless was framed in the past, I also believe that Jihwa will have a similar fate. He will become Min’s scapegoat.

As you can see, we had so many different kind of reflections. They helped the manhwaphiles to comprehend the functions Yoon Seungho and Min had in Jihwa’s life. They were both the red-haired noble’s surrogate fathers, because father Lee decided to let his servants to take care of his son. In this chapter, father Lee’s guilt is clearly demonstrated, while he feigned ignorance, another person applying Kim’s philosophy: Nonetheless, I am quite certain that father Lee will be punished for his negligence, just like father Yoon lost his position as official due to the purge.

Painter Of The Night: Heroes 🦸‍♂️- part 1 (second version)

January 30, 2021August 14, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 13 Comments

The first reaction many readers had was to celebrate the butler’s courage, because he chose to tell his lord the truth and confront him with his true reflection. And unlike all the other characters, he mentioned one positive aspect: the lord’s good heart. (chapter 68) In their eyes, valet Kim had turned into a hero not fearing his death. But we had another hero in this chapter, the scholar Jung In-Hun. The latter took the crying Baek Na-Kyum in his arm and brought him away from the scene, where Heena noona was getting beaten by a rich noble. (chapter 68) In her eyes, he was a hero, because he showed concern and care towards her tenderhearted brother. (chapter 68) Yet, only a few applauded Jung In-Hun for his behavior. Why? It is because many readers have already perceived his true nature: his hypocrisy and coldness hidden behind his calm demeanor and huge smiles. That’s why we need to examine more closely the behavior of these two father figures. Are they truly heroes? In order to answer this question, it is important to look at the definition of heroism and at the characteristics of a hero.

Heroism is characterized by:²

Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an individual, a group, or a community
Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain
Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions https://www.verywellmind.com/characteristics-of-heroism-2795943

So let’s start with the scholar’s heroism. I would like to remind the reader that this scene is told from Heena noona’s perspective. If the manhwalovers observe Jung In-Hun’s action, they have the impression that the scholar is indeed helping someone in need. He is comforting the upset boy. (chapter 68) So the first condition is met. However, neither the second condition or third component are present in the teacher’s gesture. Jung In-Hun is not exposing himself to danger, risking his own life as he doesn’t come to help the real person in danger: Heena noona. Actually, the real person who needed to be rescued was the gisaeng, and not the artist. (chapter 68) Yet, the so-called hero abandoned her to her misery, as he walked away from the room. (chapter 68) This shows that he wasn’t willing to risk his life or position. There are no selflessness and sacrifice. Secondly, he did hope something in return: while consoling the kind boy, he hoped to get recognition from the gisaengs. They would see him in a positive light, hence if he came to visit the brothel again, they wouldn’t ask him for money, and I can even envision that they would give him some wine or food. Furthermore, they would allow him to roam around. No one would question, why he would come to the gisaengs. His reason was simple: he liked the tenderhearted boy. Finally, we have to question about the scholar’s appearance at the brothel. Why was he there, so dressed up? This scene is relevant, because it displays how Heena noona got manipulated in the end. The teacher used Baek Na-Kyum as tool in order to save his own skin. In reality, Jung In-Hun was there in order to get noticed by rich and powerful nobles. He hoped to find some connections, as he knew that the brothel was the place, where influential aristocrats would like to spend their time. In my opinion, this is what happened. Jung In-Hun knew the importance of Baek Na-Kyum at the brothel. From my point of view, he used this knowledge to achieve his goal. He must have approached the guest at the gisaeng, while Heena noona was serving him. But the rich aristocrat got upset that a scholar was bothering him and started beating the poor woman. Seeing this, Baek Na-Kyum cried which gave Jung In-Hun the excuse to leave the place. He needed to console the boy. While reading this, the manhwalovers sense the origin of Heena noona’s prejudices towards rich aristocrats. The latter would disregard her, because the teacher was around, as the latter was hoping to get some benefit from it. With this scene, Byeonduck exposes the origin of Heena’s blindness, which is also visible in different panels, like this one: (chapter 68) As you can detect, the absence of her eyes reflect her blindness. The feelings she is projecting onto the painter’s are actually her own. (chapter 68) Now, we know why Baek Na-Kyum was so indoctrinated in the end. His own sister was also a victim of the manipulator, whom I had already diagnosed as a person suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder. Note that she uses the same vocabular than the scholar. (chapter 18) Hence I come to the conclusion, the teacher used the school in order to manipulate the commoners and the gisaengs. While he portrayed himself as righteous and kind, he described the powerful nobles as violent and arrogant, so that he would get the admiration from the commoners. In truth, he was deceiving them, since he looked down on them. Yet he needed them in order to get some connections to the powerful and rich nobles visiting the gisaeng house. On the other hand, since he didn’t want to get too close to the gisaengs, he employed the innocent boy as a shield, misleading Heena noona to think that Jung In-Hun had feelings for her brother. That’s why he hugs the protagonist so tightly. (chapter 68) For Heena, he was a hero, because he gave the impression that he cared for them, whereas it was the total opposite.

If we pay now attention to the butler’s behavior, it looks like the first aspect (“Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need“) is present in his action. He wanted to help Heena. (chapter 67) However, the second component (“Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain“) doesn’t apply, because he is not doing it for free. Let’s not forget Kim’s philosophy, which was exposed in chapter 65: (chapter 65) He hates scandal and trouble. The gisaeng created such a uproar that Kim almost lost his credibility in front of his master. (chapter 65) He had two reasons for allowing her to meet the painter. First, Kim feared that she would cause more chaos in the future. Secondly, Kim realized that Baek Na-Kyum had become a huge source of trouble. He knew that the artist had been abducted, hence he got aware that Baek Na-Kyum had become a target of nobles. Furthermore, as soon as he had been returned, his sister made such a ruckus that she had turned the mansion upside down. Besides, like I had mentioned before, due to her behavior, she had put Kim in a difficult spot. Finally, he had another ground for giving his help: (chapter 65) He had seen the painter hurt in the bedchamber, so his words “Lord Yoon will not harm Nakyum” were proven wrong. Therefore I conclude, he had something to gain from his intervention. But what exactly? In my perspective, Kim wanted to get rid of the painter. The valet had already anticipated that Heena noona would ask her brother to leave the mansion. That’s why he said her this: (chapter 67) The butler anticipated her words and actions, as he is very perceptive (see chapter 23). At the same time, he told her the truth: (chapter 67) He had never received the authorization from his master. However, the manhwalovers should recognize that he painted his master in a rather negative light, while leaving a good impression on her. (chapter 67) In his mind, the butler thought that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the place right away after the harsh treatment he had received. For him, there was no doubt that no one in his right mind would stay at such a place. He knew that Yoon Seungho would come back soon. In other words, he was not helping Heena or Baek Na-Kyum here. He was doing himself a favor: his desire was to lead a peaceful life. Therefore, this explanation contradicts the first point.

As for the third point (“Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions“), the manhwalovers should question this: When he granted the favor, was he putting his life at risk or was he willing to sacrifice himself? In my opinion, he was not, as he was acting behind his master’s back. He waited for the lord’s departure, then he allowed her to enter the mansion with the hope that Baek Na-Kyum would follow her right away. That’s why he was waiting outside next to the door. At the same time, he couldn’t tell her to hurry. At no moment, he was risking his life. He was using his position as the loyal valet to make decisions on his own, and even lied to the head-maid, when she questioned his behavior. (chapter 67) In my opinion, we have here a new version of the painter’s escape from the first season: Kim acting as a shadow helped the artist to run away (chapter 29-30). However, the problem is that he got caught by Yoon Seungho. (chapter 68) What should he do now? I would like to remind the manhwaphiles that Kim had not only disobeyed his master’s order, but he had acted, as if he was a lord. He had given the permission without Yoon Seungho’s consent. (chapter 68 It is important to recall that this story takes place in Joseon, therefore Kim’s action can definitely be judged as a betrayal and usurpation of power. One might argue that he desired to help Heena, yet like I exposed above, he did out of selfishness and not because he felt concerned for the painter and for her. As such, Yoon Seungho has the right to be upset. He is the master and someone is acting behind his back, overlooking his orders. Under this perspective, the head-maid appears more loyal to her lord than Kim himself. In this scene, he was only serving his own interest.

People were rejoicing that Kim became brave, because he criticized his master for his behavior. But what they failed to realize is the importance of the timing. Why now? Observe that Kim only starts confronting the main lead after Yoon Seungho threatens him with consequences: (chapter 68). Note that the protagonist doesn’t menace to kill the gisaeng. He just desires to send her away, but he is now determined to punish his butler for his disobedience. He usurped his position, and as a lord he is allowed to do so. And that’s the moment, when Kim starts speaking the truth, which many readers associate to something positive.

However, this is important to realize that truth can also be used as manipulation. This is called paltering. Psychologists discern 3 types of lie: lie by commission, lie by omission and paltering.

“Like lying by omission, paltering can involve failing to disclose relevant information, but unlike lying by omission, paltering involves the active disclosure of true but misleading information: paltering enables would-be deceivers to actively influence a target’s beliefs” (Rogers, Zeckhauser, Gino, Norton, & Schweitzer, 2016). quoted from https://workplacepsychology.net/2016/12/18/to-deceive-using-truthful-statements-is-called-paltering/

This type of lie and manipulation is often used by politicians and even traders. They try to divert attention from the real main issue, and in our case: the butler’s disobedience and abuse of power. The other advantage is that since the paltering person is using truth as his tool, it is easier to remember and not get caught by the target. Moreover, the manipulator doesn’t have to feel guilty, as it looks like ethically more correct than lies.

That’s why it is important to look at the timing, when Kim reveals the truth. Here, I would like to bring another scene, where Kim’s first paltering was visible: chapter 50 Note, that in that chapter, the lord had the sword in his hand, and strangely the valet came late. As you can imagine, this is no coincidence. In my opinion, butler knew that something bad had happened and in order to escape his lord’s bad mood, he arrived late on purpose (lie by commission), but at the same time he revealed his knowledge about the cause for Baek Na-Kyum’s depressed mood in order to divert his master’s attention. That way, he could put the blame on the absent noble, but also on the painter. The latter had disregarded him due to the scholar’s words. At the same time, he made the lord feel insecure, because it showed him that he had behaved exactly like a client, a man obsessed with sex. That’s why with the butler’s intervention, the master had a relapse. What mattered for Kim was a peaceful life, the rest is (chapter 65) Yet, he never expected such a change of behavior in the main lead, that’s why he blamed the painter afterwards. (chapter 52)

Hence I come to the conclusion that Kim’s MO is mostly paltering. And now, it is time to return our attention to the conversation between Yoon Seungho and his valet. It is important to examine each argument Kim brought up: (chapter 68) Initially, it looks like he is appealing to the lord’s heart, but in reality the main point is the noble’s judgement. The valet is reprimanding his master for his lack of discernment. He misjudged the painter’s behavior. This is relevant because in this panel, I view a first emotional manipulation. His real intent is to make the lord doubt his own judgement, like “look, back then you made the wrong decision… therefore you could be wrong here”. But the readers know that Yoon Seungho is right. Heena is determined to take away his lover, so his initial judgement about Heena is indeed correct. In his eyes, she represents a source of thread, he might lose the artist. One might argue that Yoon Seungho is sequestring the painter which is also correct, yet like my reader Luzy pointed out, this is the painter’s decision. Neither Kim nor Heena nor Yoon Seungho have to make the decision for him. And here, Kim and Heena are trying to do so. The problem is that Kim got caught. But let’s go back to my initial thought. Kim used his knowledge (the lord’s misjudgment) in order to make his lord doubt himself. and he appealed to his emotions for that. This type of manipulation is called gaslighting:

“Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that’s seen in abusive relationships. It’s the act of manipulating a person by forcing them to question their thoughts, memories, and the events occurring around them. A victim of gaslighting can be pushed so far that they question their own sanity.” https://www.healthline.com/health/gaslighting#:~:text=Gaslighting%20is%20a%20form%20of,they%20question%20their%20own%20sanity.

As a conclusion, Kim made the lord feel insecure and doubt his own judgment and used facts in order to achieve his goal. The lord should rely on his butler’s discernment. But the mercy and favor for the painter are just a subterfuge, he is trying to mask his wrongdoing.

I could bring up another panel as illustration: (chapter 68) Here, he is using the past in order to distort reality and memories while speaking truth. What Kim doesn’t mention here is his involvement in that incident. (chapter 65) Kim is destroying the lord’s confidence, so that Yoon Seungho will rely on Kim’s judgement.

If you pay attention to Kim’s words during that confrontation, Kim is actually utilizing many psychological and emotional manipulations:

Guilty trip (chapter 68) “You are so cruel to this boy”. He might be right, yet why didn’t he say anything in chapter 64? (chapter 64) He literally looked away, because truth wasn’t helpful in this case. Feigning innocence and ignorance was more appropriate. (chapter 23)
Shaming and vilifying the target: (chapter 68)
Projection: it is a defense mechanism used to displace responsibility. Here, Kim decided to use Baek Na-Kyum as justification for his infraction: (chapter 68)
Triangulation: “Triangulation is a tactic used to manipulate an interaction between two people who are not communicating directly with one another. It is problematic because a third person becomes involved in a situation that should be between the two individuals involved in the conflict.” https://www.e-counseling.com/mental-health/what-is-triangulation-psychology/ (chapter 68) Here, Kim is mentioning the past, where he played an active role between the father and son. In other words, he is reminding the master that he is acting like a mediator. However, this revelation exposes the servant’s manipulation. He was one of the causes for the falling apart between father Yoon and the eldest son. We have to imagine that he never revealed the real reason for Yoon Seungho’s rebellious nature to father Yoon. And here, he is behaving like in the past. He tries to intervene between Baek Na-Kyum, Heena noona and Yoon Seungho, as if he had the right to. (chapter 68)
Diversion: (chapter 68) he is bringing up the past to divert Yoon Seungho from the main problem: Kim abused his position.
Negging: (chapter 68) making a person feel bad about herself, by giving backhanded compliments or comparing to another person. On the surface, it looks like constructive criticism, while in reality the victim is supposed to feel terrible and doubt his personality. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/negging

I have to admit that I can’t give you an illustration of all psychological tricks Kim used in this confrontation. On wikipedia, there is a whole list of different psychological manipulations, which served me as orientation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_manipulation Nonetheless, as the readers can detect, I tried to look for more info for this analysis.

After portraying Kim as a manipulator, I would like to remind my reader of two aspects: I described the butler as the gatekeeper, the one who opens the door. And now, if the manhwaphiles pay attention to this picture, (chapter 68) they will detect that the door is now open. The valet opened Pandora’s box in my opinion. That’s why Yoon Seungho was hurt and at the end ran away. (chapter 68) He had heard, how Heena noona was comparing him to misfortune, reinforcing his negative opinion about himself. He had been already prepared mentally by his butler. He was as wounded as Baek Na-Kyum, when the scholar had voiced his true thoughts about the painter. (chapter 40) While the artist’s fate is to become a prostitute, the other is destined to bring misery. He already externalized this perception about himself in chapter 49: (chapter 68) For me, chapter 68 is the new version of chapter 40. That’s why I wasn’t rejoicing at all about Kim’s behavior. He was far from being honest with his truth. In reality, he used truth mixed with emotions as his ultimate tool in order to save his own skin. In other words, he functioned as the noble’s mirror.

This scene made me think of “Snow White and the 7 dwarfs”, where the mirror of truth tells the jealous queen that Snow White is far more beautiful than her. With this truth, the queen is led to take actions against the heroine and torment her. And here, we have another allusion how truth can be used as a weapon. The mirror never told the queen how to become the most beautiful woman. He never gave her any advice, it retained information: beauty can be different. It is not just the physical aspect, but it is about the personality. Therefore we could say that the mirror of Truth manipulated the queen leading her to her own demise. However, at no moment the queen never questioned the mirror of Truth and its ulterior motive. That’s exactly how Kim behaved the whole time explaining why Yoon Seungho never suspect his words. They reflected the truth. Yet the valet never intervened for his sake and for the painter’s sake. He only did, when he noticed that his lord was angry and let others take the blame, like here the father or Yoon Seungho himself. However, the readers should remember that in this scene, Kim had abused his authority. That’s also a fact.

Therefore I don’t consider Kim as a hero, quite the opposite. He is the worst manipulator, the reason why Yoon Seungho ended up with self-hatred and became violent with his swing moods. Kim isolated him, eroded his sense of reality, making him fear his own image. Besides, he didn’t even help him, when he got raped. Since Yoon Seungho has been manipulated psychologically and emotionally for years, he ended up hating himself.

“Long term effects of emotional manipulation:

Isolation and numbness
Requiring approval
Feeling resentful
excessive judging
depressive disorder and anxiety” https://peaksrecovery.com/blog/effects-of-psychological-emotional-manipulation
insomnia
chronic pain
guilt
eventual feelings that their partner or parent is correct, and that they are “no good” or ugly, for example https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327080#long-term-effects

That’s the reflection Kim wanted him to have, so that the latter would never question his servant’s actions. And now, this picture has another meaning for me: (chapter 57) His gaze is only focused on his valet, not realizing that the latter is not honest with him. From my point of view, there’s a reason why Byeonduck put Jung In-Hun’s so-called heroism (chapter 68) next to the valet’s . (chapter 68) For me, she put the readers in the same situation than Heena noona’s. Just like the kisaeng, many readers expressed their admiration for the butler, because he had told the truth. They associated truth to goodness. Heena noona also watched the kindness in the scholar’s gesture leading her to think that the teacher was a honest and caring person, yet she overlooked that the teacher had in reality abandoned her. He never protected her and let her suffer. This picture truly reflects his cowardice and treachery (chapter 68) He slowly takes the artist in his arms. He doesn’t rush to her side, remains silent and immobile. His passivity reflects his true personality, but Heena is too focused on her young brother to grasp the situation. (chapter 68) The crying boy is used as a diversion. Besides, I am quite certain that Jung In-Hun was actually the source of her misery by trying to get attention from powerful nobles. Note that the scholar and Kim utilize both the painter’s to hide behind their misdeed. He serves as a justification why the scholar left the gisaeng behind and why Kim defied his master’s order. The domestic used kindness and pity as legitimations (chapter 68), while it was the opposite. He desired to get rid of them.

But there’s hope in my opinion. Baek Na-Kyum refused to listen to his sister’s words, which Kim hadn’t expected. Therefore he got caught, he anticipated Baek Nakyum’s eagerness to leave. (chapter 67) Secondly, by giving his master a reflection of his behavior, the valet lost his influence on the main lead. Remember that I wrote that Baek Na-Kyum served as the lord’s mirror, therefore he will take over the valet’s role. He will reveal his true reflections: his flaws and wrongdoings (chapter 68), but also his quality: his honesty (chapter 58). Let’s not forget that the artist realized his dedication in chapter 58. Note the huge difference. The artist never uses others in order to judge the lord. Kim will realize soon enough the consequences of opening Pandora’s box. He might have achieved his goal (the lord won’t punish him for his disobedience), yet he lost his lord’s trust. Notice that right after this quarrel, Yoon Seungho started treating Baek Na-Kyum like a noble. (chapter 69) (chapter 72) From that moment on, Yoon Seungho was no longer viewing the valet as the unofficial lord. We could say that he had lost his status as “hero” in the main lead’s eyes.

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