Painter Of The night: The Joker’s plan

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.

What caught my attention is the huge influence Min has over Jihwa. The moment The Joker starts talking to the host, the red-haired aristocrat is not willing to listen to him. Due to his suggestion, he suffered a lot in the past, therefore he doesn’t want to make the same experience again: anxiety and remorse. Yet, at the end of the chapter 67, Jihwa is sitting like an obedient monkey and paying attention to Black Heart’s words. It was, as if the red-haired noble had given up on his “humanity” in the sense, he is no longer using his brain. How could this happen? The readers will blame Yoon Seungho for this. The moment he barged in his bedchamber, Jihwa ran away from his childhood friend and hid behind the windscreen. He was too scared and didn’t want to face Yoon Seungho’s wrath. But this attitude exposed simultaneously that he was not willing to assume his responsibilities. Remember that he relied on Nameless so much. Since the latter had become his hands, it signified that the criminal was accountable for the crime. Note this panel outlines Jihwa’s escapism. “I know, he couldn’t have seen me”, the scared man imagined, because Baek Na-Kyum had his eyes covered, then he wouldn’t get caught. What he failed to realize is that first, he spoke so that the servant could have recognized his voice, Nameless was well aware of this. Then, he counted on Nameless’ promise. For me, this panel embodies Jihwa’s habit: avoiding any responsibility for a wrongdoing, which could be seen in the three wise monkeys: In reality, a perverted version, as for Jihwa, if no one sees, speaks or hears his misdeed, then it means, he has nothing to fear. He has the impression that nothing happened. Getting caught triggers his anxieties, as it is connected to the incident with the door and Yoon Seungho’s suffering. And now you understand why Jihwa was so scared after the scene Yoon Seungho made: he had been caught for the third time!! Chapter 18 , chapter 57 and chapter 67 And each time, Yoon Seungho’s anger increased. However, each time, the aristocrat with black eyes never expressed remorse and offered an apology. I would even add that he never saw these as misdeeds, as he always justified his misdeeds. In chapter 10/17, Baek Na-Kyum represented a source of temptation for his friend and he had even seduced him. Then when he sent lord Song’s fake letter to his friend, he justified his action by putting the blame on his friend for changing and cutting ties with him. Finally, the painter was the reason why he got rejected. In all three cases, he never questioned, how his actions affected his victims. That’s why even when he got caught, he never changed his behavior. This explicates why Jihwa didn’t learn his lesson, as he didn’t see the wrongdoings and its impact on others.

Hence one might think that Jihwa changed his mind because of the main lead’s behavior and menace. But it only looks like that on the surface, as from my point of view, the trigger for this switch are Min’s words. First he offered help. Then he predicted Yoon Seungho’s arrival, so that Jihwa was deceived. Black Heart had already prepared his move. He created the illusion that “To Help you” was genuine, as his prediction had become true. For me, “to help you” played a huge role, as Min is well aware of the red-haired noble’s personality. He knows that the neglected child has never been willing to take any responsibility, letting others take the blame. There’s a reason for that: Min was his teacher, The Joker who never got caught himself. For Jihwa, the idiom “to help you” is a synonym for reliability. Therefore he has the impression that thanks to Black Heart, he can keep avoiding any accountability. But Min, as The Joker, will be the one teaching him a lesson. The latter has already planned for Jihwa to take the fall, making him believe that the commoners (Heena, Kim and eventually Nameless) will be blamed for the painter’s second kidnapping. What Jihwa fails to realize is that since Black Heart revealed his secret twice, the latter needs to put a neat, clean ending, so that no one will realize the existence of a mastermind behind the second kidnapping. My prediction is that Min has already calculated Jihwa’s death. This is the devil talking, when he voices those words: He is tempting Jihwa. The Joker was there, when Yoon Seungho warned the former friend and used his sword against him. That’s why the Joker could only laugh, when he saw Jihwa trembling after seeing the weapon so closely. He had to contain his laugh and smile behind his hand. He saw it as a confirmation that the noble would retaliate, if Baek Na-Kyum got abducted a second time. The lord wouldn’t even question his childhood friend. That way, Min would be able to get away, while Yoon Seungho would have to face infuriated aristocrats who would despise him for killing one of their fellows for a low-born. Imagine the destruction he is preparing, just to taste the painter.

That’s how strong his desire and needs are. The devastation he is plotting mirrors the power of his feelings or better said obsession. There’s no doubt that the kiss worsened his condition. That’s why he waited at Jihwa’s door the next morning. He could barely contain his impatience and his jealousy. The lord was far from being in a good mood. His smile is actually an expression of his anger and resent. As time passed on, his desire for the artist got so strong that at the end, he felt the need to approach Yoon Seungho’s mansion. But there, he had to see the painter’s smooth legs in the main lead’s arms. And now, imagine Min’s face, when he saw this: even the merchant, who never had sex with a man before was already bewitched by them. And now, you comprehend why Min has the sensation that he has been bewitched and can’t escape from this attraction. Therefore, it becomes comprehensible why Min wishes to have Jihwa killed in the end. He resents him for putting him in a misery. He had ordered his red-haired servant to bring him the painter, but the childish man had not only disobeyed him twice, but he had made it more difficult for Min to obtain the painter. Yoon Seungho would be on his guard now. That’s the other reason why Black Heart has already projected Jihwa’s death.

But why doesn’t Jihwa realize that? Why doesn’t he use his brain or his ears? I mean, Yoon Seungho warned him, but in reality he was asking Jihwa to stop meddling in his life. In other words, Yoon Seungho was still lenient, as he didn’t ask for a punishment. The only thing the noble needed to do was to avoid his friend’s path. But the problem is that Jihwa got so anxious, as he had been caught that he could no longer think straight. His anxiety was so strong that he wasn’t even able to walk. Observe the presence of The Joker on the windscreen. Since the aristocrat is so paralyzed by his anxiety, his weakened condition explains why he falls for Black Heart’s manipulation so easily. At the same time, this drawing illustrates that Jihwa’s fear is more linked to getting caught than to Yoon Seungho’s wrath. Let’s not forget that in chapter 59, the readers heard about the protagonist’s rage shocking the noble with the mole. Yet, Jihwa didn’t seem to upset and traumatized after that, which the friend noted. He was even surprised that the red-haired noble was able to maintain his relationship with his childhood friend. I see it as a proof that his angst is linked to apprehension and arrest. That’s why I believe that the advice given by Min before the appearance of the main lead played a huge role. Since Jihwa has internalized avoidance and escapism, assistance sounds like avoidance of responsibility. And now, you understand, Jihwa has been following his “teacher”‘s rules so faithfully: This explicates why The Joker knows how to manipulate the young man. Note that in this scene, he is actually contradicting his own doctrine. While the red-haired aristocrat decided to run away (escapism), the devil convinced him otherwise. Yet, the childish protagonist was not able to notice the hypocrisy and the lies. Yoon Seungho had indeed proposed a neat and clean ending: Never to cross his path. Nothing was clearer and neater than the sword swayed next to his face. He never expressed the desire to get revenge or to have him punished. However, Jihwa couldn’t think properly, too emotionally upset. Besides, the manhwaworms can perceive in the panel above that the red-haired noble is is hiding his face and covering his ears, unable to face reality and truth. Consequently, he is blind and deaf so that he is not able to perceive evil standing right in front of him.

As a first conclusion, Min is seducing Jihwa for the second time, asking his disciple to follow his rules: Baek Na-Kyum’s abduction, rape and murder. The irony is that The Joker presents himself as savior to his terrified servant, making him believe that he just needs to follow his instructions. Like I mentioned above, there’s no doubt that Min is planning to use Heena noona and even Kim. First, he heard from the guardian that people believed that the sister was involved in the artist’s disappearance. Secondly, he saw the uproar she caused at the entrance of the propriety. Moreover, the Joker must have noticed how Kim was standing at the door, yet the latter never stopped him and allowed him to be pushed away. This gesture signalized that the valet was a pushover. Besides, I have to admit that I am suspecting Kim to have met Min during that night in chapter 52/53/54. Back then, I was wondering where the man was, when the door of Baek Na-Kyum’s study was destroyed and when Deok-Jae fled. Furthermore, between the time Yoon Seungho brought Baek Na-Kyum to his room and Black Heart’s return, minutes elapsed… yet Kim never intervened. I have the impression, he played a similar role than during the night of the rape. He acted in the shadow, following his favorite philosophy: He is very similar to Jihwa, he is avoiding any responsibility by faking ignorance, whereas Jihwa has not learned to recognize evil and wrongdoings. Therefore I believe that The Joker must have recognized the butler’s true personality. Besides, because the valet doesn’t want to get into trouble with a noble, he can only accept any request from them. To sum up, in my opinion, the Joker’s plan is to involve Nameless, Heena noona and Kim, but he will make Jihwa the scapegoat. In Black Heart’s plot, his disciple killed the artist due to his fiery jealousy, whereas he tells the “monkey” that commoners like Heena noona will be blamed for this. However, Min already talked to Kim and asked him to let Heena noona to meet her brother. Min is expecting that the gisaeng will try to convince her brother to escape from the mansion. She just needs to get the opportunity to speak with Baek Na-Kyum. These words are important, as it shows that Kim has already envisaged what she will say to him. Hence Kim said this: he doesn’t need to say anything, while at the same time, he is putting the whole blame on her. He will say that he had no idea that she entered the mansion, therefore he justified his intervention: Kim has many reasons to act like this. First, the lord noticed his lack of competence (chapter 65) , secondly the painter caused him so many worries that he can only consider the low-born as a source of trouble now. Min must have convinced him that he won’t get caught due to the gisaeng’s intervention and scream. Besides Jihwa will get suspected, if a second kidnapping occurs. Therefore, he can always feign ignorance.

And now, you will ask the role played by the second Joker, Nameless. Where does he intervene? In order to answer that question, it is important to examine the circumstances which led to the first abduction. The reason is simple. Since this story is based on the principle, “history is repeating itself”, this signifies that the second crime will be similar, yet the chronology and the roles will be switched.

  1. Min as instigator at his friend’s house
  2. First, the crime was postponed, for Nameless hoped that Jihwa would change his mind: DELAY. This signifies that time passed on leading to the second lead’s agony: IMPATIENCE
  3. Nameless hired Deok-Jae as spy: SPY
  4. Deok-Jae was asked to push Baek Na-Kyum to leave the mansion which ended up in a failure: FIRST ATTEMPT FAILED
  5. Min saw the incident with Deok-Jae, the latter could escape: BRUTAL BEATING, ESCAPE
  6. Kim brought the painter to the doctor without his lord’s permission: VISIT TO THE DOCTOR
  7. The doctor saw something but out of fear, he remained silent: WITNESS
  8. In Nameless’ opinion, Jihwa’s fake letter contributed to organize the crime: JIHWA’S ROLE
  9. Deok-Jae’s death due to blackmail: SERVANT’S DEATH
  10. Nameless told him that Jihwa would have to make the choice and take his responsibility: RESPONSIBILITY
  11. The consequence: an uproar in town due to the behavior of Yoon Seungho’s servants.

If you look at the summary, you’ll notice that we have 4 persons involved in the first kidnapping: Min, Jihwa, Nameless and Deok-Jae. Yet, Kim and the physician helped them indirectly, as Kim allowed the artist to leave the mansion without his lord’s permission and the physician acted, as though he saw nothing. In other words, we have 6 participants. Therefore, I believe that there will be another person involved in the second abduction beside Nameless, Min, Jihwa, Heena and Kim. This seems to corroborate my theory that Nameless has already planted a spy at Yoon Seungho’s mansion. But there’s another person who could play an important role in the second kidnapping: the head-maid of the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong: I am not saying that she will help them, but she will be involved, because she will help the noble and the painter.

Now, I will explain my prediction. The numbers at the beginning of each paragraph are referring to the list of the elements for the first kidnapping.

1./2. What caught my attention is the importance of time and how the first crime got delayed. Since I portrayed Min as extremely impatient due to his strong desire to taste the painter, I believe that he will be the one suffering the most!! (DELAY, IMPATIENCE) The Joker is fell into his own trap! Why?

4. His plan to use Heena noona will fail (1. ATTEMPT FAILED). From my point of view, Baek Na-Kyum will reject her offer and explain that he prefers staying at the mansion. Let’s not forget that the painter dreamed of Yoon Seungho while resting. His dream was a mixture of dream and reality, yet as you know, the artist’s dream has always come true. Besides, when he woke up, he imagined that he was seeing his lord, exposing his desire to have him by his side. That’s why I believe that Baek Na-Kyum won’t follow her suggestion. Besides, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the head-maid was heading to the painter’s chamber. Consequently, I am expecting a new version from chapter 46. From my point of view, her words will have an influence on the low-born and his sister. Another evidence for this theory is the incident in Baek Na-Kyum’s study in chapter 53. The artist refused to leave the propriety, although he was hurt by Deok-Jae. In my opinion, the commoner will reject her offer so that Min is forced to wait. Imagine Min’s torments!! They will be so different from Jihwa’s. I have the feeling that unlike his disciple who drank to hide his anxieties, the lord Min will resort to opium. Min’s new hanbok in chapter 56 exposes his transformation: the pattern reminds the readers of the opium smoke. Furthermore, his return was announced with this picture: There’s no doubt for me that Min will get caught and will suffer the consequences of his manipulations. Since The Joker’s return, I have always predicted his death: he gets suffocated due to strangulation. First, Yoon Seungho broke the pheasant’s neck during the hunt with Min (chapter 41). The blood on his hands comes from the wounds caused by the arrows. But I also noticed a progression, how the lord used his hands during the second season: from this (chapter 61) to this (chapter 67). His hands are getting closer to the throat, for me a clue that Yoon Seungho will eliminate his rival personally.

6. Because of his impatience and his increasing urges, I sense that Min will decide to put Kim under pressure, either directly or through Jihwa. Since the domestic is a pushover, he will be forced to follow the order. That’s why Kim will have to lie to the painter. I have the impression that he will use the sister as excuse. She desires to meet him outside the mansion. It is also possible that a visit to the doctor could be the cause for the artist to believe the hypocrite valet. (BAEK NA-KYUM’s VISIT AS CAUSE FOR HIS DISAPPEARANCE) Kim will lead Baek Na-Kyum to the trap. Honestly, I am expecting a new version of chapter 29, when Jung In-Hun led the painter back to the mansion. Yet, this time it will be the other way around.

9. This time, valet Kim won’t be able to escape his fate. He will be executed by his own master in the end (SERVANT’S DEATH). I doubt that Yoon Seungho will believe his words:

7./ 11. In my perspective, his departure will be noticed. Since Kim can’t ask the low-born to leave during the night, the second attempt will happen during the day. Because Kim and Baek Na-Kyum will walk through town, inhabitants will notice their move. Remember how Jung In-Hun felt uncomfortable, when Baek Na-Kyum met him on the street. He was annoyed, as he feared people’s gaze and asked the painter to follow him to an isolated place. Since I am imagining a new version of chapter 29, I am expecting that Baek Na-Kyum’s walk through town will attract people’s attention. Let’s not forget that in chapter 64, his escape caused a huge uproar, and I doubt that people will have already forgotten the artist. Since the low-born was seen many times in that town and no one paid attention to him before, Kim will imagine that no one will notice the artist. Remember that no one observed them, when they went to the doctor for the first time. And in the mean time, Baek Na-Kyum won’t leave the propriety for the time being. However, Kim is not expecting that people will witness him.

10./8/ 3 As for Nameless, I believe that he will play a similar role: he will ask Jihwa to become responsible and no longer avoid his wrongdoings, as Jihwa played a role in the second crime. I also think, the criminal will force him to witness the consequences of his choices and will refuse to take the fall. I am still expecting that Jihwa will be punished for Deok-Jae’s death. It is still possible that the red-haired noble changes his mind, and tries to stop the second abduction. There’s no doubt that Min’s plan will affect the second lead’s relationship with the criminal. I have the feeling that Nameless will play a key role in Min’s demise. First, the Joker has truly perceived Nameless’ true role: Do you remember that a buffoon is a synonym for “joker”? From my point of view, Nameless has already placed a spy at Yoon Seungho’s mansion. I am still convinced that the new guardian is giving info to the criminal due to his explanations to Min. His words reflected the butcher’s plan so well, besides he was so sure for the desertion without feeling angry and hurt. Sure, I made a mistake and mistook the man at Jihwa’s mansion as the same person due to the color of the shirt. However, this doesn’t mean that Nameless abandoned the idea of planting a spy. He warned the painter not to talk. From my point of view, the butcher never expected the lord’s reaction. Imagine, his servants caused such an uproar so that Nameless should have realized that his attempt to transform the disappearance into a normal escape failed. And if my assumption about the guardian as spy is correct, Nameless will realize that there’s a mastermind behind the abduction… especially if Jihwa argues with him about the discovery and reproaches him his bad work. I have to admit that I am uncertain about the criminal’s role. It is definitely possible that Jihwa is asked to contact Nameless again. Let’s not forget, Min believes that Nameless is someone who will do anything for money. He can’t imagine that the criminal was the one who convinced the red-haired noble not to commit the murder. However, this time the butcher will refuse. Even if Jihwa’s involvement has been revealed, I doubt that the criminal is not aware of Yoon Seungho’s visit to the family Lee. Since Yoon Seungho didn’t retaliate against Jihwa and only warned him, Nameless has no reason to intervene first. From my point of view, it looks like Yoon Seungho is still not looking too closely to the circumstances of the abduction and Deok-Jae’s servant. But it could change, forcing Nameless to intervene. Due to my previous analyses about Nameless, I came to the conclusion that he represents Jihwa’s conscience, hence he is his liberator. Consequently Nameless can eventually become Jihwa’s hands again, yet this time, Jihwa will never be able to escape his fate: he will be caught and be forced to become responsible. As you can sense, I am still unsure about Nameless’ actions. My instinct is to say that he will refuse to help the red-haired noble first, but could change his mind. One thing is sure: Nameless will confront Jihwa and let him see the consequences of his decisions. I am still hoping that he plays a huge role in the discovery of the mastermind, but there’s nothing sure, as Byeonduck prefers characters with flaws. In her story, there’s no hero, except the artist, if we overlook his lies in the beginning.

My prediction is that Baek Na-Kyum’s second abduction won’t be successful due to Nameless, the presence of witnesses and Min’s miscalculations. The latter will become impatient. Secondly, he doesn’t pay attention to commoners and is underestimating the butcher’s influence on Jihwa. Finally, he is underestimating his opponent Yoon Seungho and his own obsession for the painter. In this scene, Min is not only lying to Jihwa, but also to himself. I doubt, that his thirst for the artist will be satisfied with a single sex session. Like I mentioned it before, Min became fascinated by the artist’s gaze oozing desire and purity. Furthermore, I believe that the artist will resist this time due to the scene at the pavilion in chapter 25, it is still possible that he is able to escape too. Finally, the lord will know for sure that the artist didn’t run away from him this time. That’s why he will use other means to find his lover: that’s how the purge will take place. As you can anticipate it, my predictions are based on observations, therefore it can definitely turn out differently. Yet, I think the list I made could be helpful to envision the evolution of the story. In other words, you are more than welcome to imagine a different story about the second kidnapping.

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.

Painter Of The Night: Loyalty

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 the title, the manhwaphiles are already aware of the topic of this essay: valet Kim. But unlike the last texts, I decided to make some predictions about the future events, as I believe that Kim will play a central role. As you can deduce, my ideas are also inspired by my own interpretations about this character and his actions. Not only my perception about him, but also my own discoveries about other characters will play an important part for my predictions.

In the past, I used to describe the valet as loyal or faithful, as he remained by the main lead’s side. Furthermore he acted as his right-hand, like for example dressing him up, bringing his lunch or even fetching the painter for his master. But due to chapter 64, I questioned his loyalty towards Yoon Seungho and came to the deduction that he was just faithful to the mansion and as such to the Yoons. Now, if you examine the definition of loyalty, this is what you find:

loyalties: your feelings of support or duty towards someone or something: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/loyalty

As you can observe, this quality is strongly connected to support and duty. The person will do anything for a certain person, which seems to confirm that Valet Kim is indeed loyal to the Yoons. However, if we include the famous quote from Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president,

“Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.”

we can perceive, the valet stands in opposition to this description. That’s why I come to the conclusion. He is not even loyal to the mansion Yoons, he is only loyal to himself and his own interests. Notice that he is not willing to sacrifice himself for the painter, just like he didn’t sacrifice himself for Yoon Seungho back then. In truth, the butler’s mentality is the opposite: he will do anything to survive. Self-preservation is his leitmotiv. That’s why Kim’s is passive and indifferent to the protagonists’ fate. Therefore I come to the conclusion that Kim isn’t in reality loyal to the Yoons, but to himself, the guardian of the mansion. Now, you understand why he abhors so much the idea of a scandal. If there is no trouble, then he can live his life in peace, away from any worry and concern. And now, you understand the real cause of his cowardice. And if I include another quote about loyalty,

“it’s not about who is real in your face, it’s about who stays loyal behind your back”

the manhwalovers comprehend why the butler acted behind his master’s back in the end. He was not loyal to him, his true purpose was to survive and to lead a peaceful life. That’s why he was against Yoon Seungho’s relationship with the painter in the beginning, and since he remained silent after the “Wedding night”, the lord thought that his valet was faithful. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho made a huge mistake again. He hasn’t perceived his assistant’s true mentality yet. He believes that valet Kim remained by his side out of loyalty and duty, however he’s mistaken. Sure, the assistant felt guilty, but this doesn’t mean that he regretted his decision. He had no reason too. First, he never got punished. Secondly, after the purge and the main lead’s sacrifice, Kim chose to remain for another reason. He knew the mansion and the town, and once the previous staff left the property, Kim would become the right-hand of the master. He actually benefited from the incident. While the main lead was sick, Kim could do, as he pleased. That’s how he learned to take some liberties. I am even wondering if his gesture in this panel is indeed genuine: Imagine that the protagonist had succeeded with his suicide, then this means that father Yoon could have returned to the mansion. And with his return, there’s no ambiguity that father Yoon wouldn’t have let live him like before. He had definitely another reason for saving Yoon Seungho’s life. Hence the main lead mistook his gesture as a act of kindness. Note that the main lead kept living according to father Yoon’s principles and Kim knew it. So his bad reputation was not a real scandal, because he kept making deals with other nobles.

And observe, we have a repetition of the past and the butler is determined to keep the same attitude: silence and indifference. Consequently I judge him in a very negative way now. The man is very similar to Jung In-Hun in reality. His selfishness and his cowardice are the reasons why the painter is treated like a pawn and an object. Both views the low-born in a similar way. The only difference is that Kim acts so gentle in front of the protagonists, hence neither Baek Na-Kyum nor Yoon Seungho expect a betrayal from his side. Now, you grasp why the servant bought the ink and the brushes to the artist. If he becomes a servant of this mansion, then the scandalous relationship will remained hidden. No uproar. Let’s not forget that Jung In-Hun betrayed the painter on several occasions: the coercive persuasion (past), then his request to spy on the lord implying that he could sleep with him (chapter 24), the false hug (chapter 29) and finally the abandonment in chapter 40.

That’s why I am convinced that Kim will betray the protagonists again. How? He will mask the truth, and use Deok-Jae’s disappearance as an explanation. I doubt that once his body is discovered, he will be recognized, since Nameless stated that he would make sure that no one could identify the victim. Besides, he already used the servant as a scapegoat in the past.Note, that Deok-Jae was put in the front line, whereas the butler remained in the background. He had chosen the guardian as his scapegoat, hence the vicious man got punished the most and resented the valet so much afterwards. He had every right to do so. Both worked together to let the painter escape, but once the desertion was discovered causing the lord’s fury, they envisioned that they could use ignorance as an excuse. And here, I see another evidence that Kim was behind it and Deok-Jae followed his order. That’s the reason why Deok-Jae used the personal pronoun “we”, he wanted to share the responsibility with the butler.

Kim will bring up all the servant’s misdeeds and use him as a justification. The latter was jealous of the painter and tried to abduct him. The vicious servant attempted to sell the red dresser, then he spoiled the artist’s rice and finally the incident with the hurt wrist will resurface. Yoon Seungho will recall, how the painter even stopped him from killing the man. Kim will use this to his advantage. Deok-Jae will become the scapegoat of the abduction. The maids will testify in his favor, as they saw how jealous Deok-Jae was. The servant will let the lord feel guilty and even put the blame on the doctor, saying that the latter remained silent and he could have intervened. However, his attitude towards the artist will change, since this incident caused an uproar in town and tarnished his tranquility and reputation. Besides, there’s no doubt that noona Heena will request that the painter returns to her side, once he has recovered from his wounds. The valet will be happy, if Yoon Seungho is forced to send away Baek Na-Kyum. This will mean the end of his trouble, once the painter leaves the mansion. By doing so, Kim is helping Min in the end, as the painter will be left without any protection. In my eyes, Kim is Yoon Seungho’s real enemy, because he fakes loyalty and care, while in reality he prioritizes his own interests. He is a hypocrite, but a different kind, which is much more difficult to perceive. I had questioned his behavior right in chapter 45, but it took me 19 chapters to really grasp his personality. Let’s not forget that the painter had two enemies during the first season, the scholar and Jihwa, and since Byeonduck likes using parallels, we have to imagine that Kim and Min are the main lead’s enemies. Besides, Kim is also a surrogate father for the main lead. Consequently, he will use the main lead’s insecurities and self-hatred to his advantages. One might argue that the servant tried to plead to his master in the barn. He defended the artist. However, note the expression used by the servant: “I do not believe”. He never brought up any evidence, he just asked his lord to believe him. He never mentioned Deok-Jae and his desertion. Moreover, how could Yoon Seungho trust his words, since the latter betrayed him in the past? Note that the doctor acted the same way. He just voiced his belief, as he couldn’t mention the abduction. If he had pointed out the marks, then the noble could have asked him about his whereabouts… he could have been suspected of his involvement. Let’s not forget, the physician became an accomplice the moment he acted, as if nothing was happening. So he was definitely involved. Hence I think, Kim will use his words in the barn to his advantage and the physician could become the second scapegoat. Another evidence for this negative judgement about Kim is my association to the animal embodying his personality. While the dog is linked to loyalty and even described as man’s best friend, the animal represents negative aspects which are visible in different expressions:

  1. ‘It’s a dog-eat-dog world’: cruel, highly competitive
  2. “gone to the dog”
  3. a dog’s life: A life that is difficult, unpleasant, or boring.
  4. She’s a real dog – unappealing
  5. as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly : Foolish people are apt to repeat their missteps. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/dog

Finally, I would remind my readers that I had noticed some similarities between Jihwa and Kim. Both knew the main lead’s past and are responsible for his misery. The reason for their wrongdoings: their selfishness. Another parallel was their cowardice. Both acted behind the main lead’s back. Yet, both had a different behavior: while one was too active and sensitive, the other was too passive and indifferent. Due to their affinities, I come to the deduction that Byeonduck has planned to use them as mirror. From my point of view, while the noble will try to redeem himself and change for the better, the latter will never learn from his mistakes. The evidence for this: Jihwa expressed regrets for the first time in his life. He recognized his wrongdoings, which is not the case with Kim and chapter 65 showed. The butler will never become a man, responsible for his actions and decisions. My reasoning is the following: Kim plays a similar role than Jung In-Hun and we know that the scholar didn’t change his thinking and behavior. Even after abandoning him, he imagines that he can still use him.

That’s why now I am no longer expecting a redemption for Kim. Because I have already predicted his death since the first season, I am more and more convinced that he will be killed by Yoon Seungho himself, a new version of chapter 1: “die like a dog”. However, this time, the main lead will have a reason for his execution. Kim betrayed him by not revealing what he knew and allowed his loved one to get hurt again. And in my opinion, Kim is the reason why Yoon Seungho was trapped in the end. He was never a good example for the main lead to grow up. He never taught him how to become a true master. His passivity, indifference and selfishness influenced the lord in a bad way, but the aristocrat never noticed it, because Kim took care of him. He relied on the butler one more time and imagined that he was still a good servant. That’s why they had this master-domestic relationship and this explains why the main lead is using it again against the painter, which doesn’t contradict Kim’s philosophy. The painter was just a favored servant.

As a conclusion, loyalty is not what defines valet Kim, rather cowardice and selfishness. But due to his gentleness and discrete behavior, people around him misjudge him and their mistake is the reason why they suffer in the end: Deok-Jae, the main lead and quite certainly the physician. And note that the painter always got blamed for Jihwa’s misdeeds, so people will become responsible for Kim’s wrong decisions.

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.

Painter Of The Night: Silence (fourth version) 🤐

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

It would be great if you could make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33  That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining manhwas. Besides, I need to cover up the expenses for this blog.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The way to hell is paved with good intentions.

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

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

Painter Of The Night: The phoenix, the crane and the butterfly (Serene Bird) – third version

This is where you can read the manhwas. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter  https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/serenebird But be aware that these manhwas are mature Yaois, 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/ Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about other manhwas:   https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

Thanks to comments from readers, I realized that I had overlooked certain aspects. And now, you understand why I keep asking my readers to give me some feedback. The remarks can definitely help me to improve the quality of my analyses.

After reading chapter 64, I have to admit that I needed a break to heal my broken heart. This chapter was the most painful to read. Because of this, I couldn’t help myself thinking of the work from Marquis de Sades again, Justine or the Misfortunes of Virtue. On the one hand, I was happy to see that my association to this work was correct, which I had sensed very early on. https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/06/17/painter-of-the-night-traces-of-dangerous-liaisons-and-justine-the-misfortunes-of-virtue-in-the-manhwa/

1. Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho’s misfortunes

On the other hand, this means that the manhwaphiles have to prepare their heart, as the misfortunes and agony are definitely a part of this manhwa. However this doesn’t mean that I consider Yoon Seungho’s love for the painter as doomed. It is just that they will have to overcome many obstacles and as such enemies. And now you are wondering why I was reminded of this novel from the 18th Century in episode 64? First, the author displays such a violence linked to sex. Then the brutality during the sex makes the main lead suffer so much. Furthermore the sex in episode 64 is linked to immorality, shame and shock. The manhwaphiles will detect the absence of love and warmth in the intercourse, as there is no fire and light in that episode. The pleasure is only connected to pain and humiliation.

Here, sex is connected to perversion and corruption, while the painter symbolizes purity. And now you know the origin from the idiom “sadist”. The French author from the Enlightenment has become “famous” due to his grotesque sexual scenes, very similar to the sex scenes in chapter 64. Here, the lord shows indeed sadistic tendencies. He takes pleasure that the painter ejaculates, when he is in an embarrassing position. He feels no guilt and remorse, when he sees Kim’s presence and shocked face. Hence this episode confirms my theory of father Yoon’s rules and the indoctrination Yoon Seungho was exposed to. Here, the lord wants to submit the painter sexually. In other words, the former would like to wreck the painter, reverse the situation from chapter 58. He wants to eliminate the painter’s purity with this huge amount of sex. The more he has sex, the more he will destroy Baek Na-Kyum’s virtue and innocence and as such obtain his submission. He has the impression that by acting like that, he will get what he desires, not realizing that he is achieving the opposite.

And now you understand why the night in the storage room is a combination of the rape at the pavilion, the sex marathon and the sex session in the painter’s study in chapter 41-42.Here, the painter expressed the wish that the penetration should be deeper, he even asked for more roughness. All these sex scenes oozed sadness and violence. While in chapter 63, love was still present, the opening of the door marked a turning point. Kim’s presence triggers a memory deeply buried in the lord’s unconscious: Yoon Seungho’s first rape and the butler’s betrayal and abandonment. While all the readers, including myself, loathed Yoon Seungho for that terrible behavior, I only recognized afterwards why the lord changed one more time. He became even crueler and more brutal in that episode due to the valet’s appearance and presence. (chapter 64). This actually displays how wounded and betrayed the young master experienced the whole situation. He loved the butler so much, so that he must have felt his betrayal and abandonment as the worst he ever had lived. He was so shocked that he repressed it.

That’s why the concentration of these chapters was painful for the readers too. Therefore we can definitely say that Baek Na-Kyum’s fate resembles a lot to Justine’s. But since he is going through the same experiences than the noble, it signifies that Yoon Seungho suffered the same fate. I would even say, he went through worse situations, as his torment lasted for many years. The innocent protagonist experiences one misery after another one like Yoon Seungho, but in a much shorter time. The other divergence is that despite the suffered physical and sexual abuse, the painter is able to remain pure because of love. And now you are wondering how it is possible that the main lead can remain so pure after this new sex marathon. It is related to the lord’s confession in the shed. It looked like rape, but in reality it was difference. The painter was not really pushing Yoon Seungho away.

However, there are two huge differences between these two works. First, I think, we have two “Justines” in Painter Of The Night: the commoner and the noble Yoon Seungho. We could even say, that even Jihwa and Nameless are Justine too. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that Yoon Seungho and Lee Jihwa represent Justine’s sister, Juliette, too. The latter chose to drop virtues and used sex to climb the social ladders. In the French novel, the sister never made bad experiences (rape, torture, etc.), because she chose the easy way out. She wasn’t bothered to sell her body. But as I pointed out earlier, Yoon Seungho was exposed to violence and sexual abuse, therefore it is totally comprehensible why at the end he surrendered and chose to live like “Juliette”. Let’s not forget that in the French novel, Justine dies at the end, but through her death, her sister chooses to change her way of life. She becomes a reformed woman, a nun and dedicates her life to virtue. Now, you can see the parallels between the two works: Yoon Seungho died as Justine and became Juliette, until he met the painter Baek Na-Kyum. Because of the new Justine, the lord was slowly transformed, until he chose to abandon everything and become the artist’s domestic, in other words, the Joseon Justine’s worshipper.

2. The cranes

And it is the same for Jihwa as well. Let’s not forget that the two ukes are connected to the crane: (chapter 45) (chapter 43) While Baek Na-Kyum’s problem is sex, Jihwa’s struggle will be crime, like trespassing, abduction and murder. Like I had already mentioned it in another analysis, crane is connected to happiness, honor, longevity and good fortune. However, this doesn’t signify that the person embodied by the crane encounters good fortune. Due to Baek Na-Kyum, the second Justine, the red-haired aristocrat is forced to change and Nameless becomes his guide.

Let’s not forget that in the manhwa “Serene bird” the main lead Yoo Chung makes a similar experience. He also meets tragedies, one after another. That’s why Jihwa will play a different role than the commoner. Jihwa’s fate will be connected to justice, but he will suffer and his tormenter and liberator will be Nameless. The red-haired aristocrat is ignoring true moral values like charity, selflessness and justice, while his unconscious has not forgotten it. This will be his inner struggle, while Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting sex, connecting it to something dirty. Furthermore, unlike in the French novel from the 18th Century, where evilness and injustice win at the end, as the heroine dies, the manhwaphiles witness in the manhwa the spiritual death of the culprit, Yoon Seungho. This is represented by the following panel:

There’s no light, only darkness. The lord is no longer represented by the white candle, but again with the yellow bougie on a chandelier like at the beginning. (chapter 5) This marks the return of his older self, but a worse version, as there is no light. The yellow bougie on the candelabra is a symbol for coldness, frigidity and selfishness. Yet, since there is no light in chapter 64, the absence of light is a metaphor for the non-existence of life. In other words, we are witnessing the death of the phoenix. When I say that this is his spiritual death, it signifies that the lord’s heart is no longer beating for the painter. He closed his heart, and since the heart was in possession of his mind, this means that neither his heart nor his mind are alive. Yet, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that Yoon Seungho’s love for Baek Na-Kyum vanished for good. It’s just that his self-hatred has taken over his mind and heart, therefore he is not able to give any love and warmth to his lover.

3. Yoon Seungho as Juliette

But let’s go back to our comparison to the French novel. Since Yoon Seungho torments the painter, we could think, he is a villain like the surgeon Rodin. However, this is just a deception, like I exposed above. The main lead is now Juliette, the sister who chose to live the opposite way of Justine after their separation. She became a libertine and used sex in order to climb the social ladder. She became rich and powerful. However, after meeting Justine again by chance, Juliette discovers her sister’s tragic fate, which affects her so much. When the libertine even witnesses Justine’s terrible death, the latter gets struck by lightning, Juliette decides to become virtuous and enters a nunnery, where she becomes a very famous nun, receiving the admiration from many ladies. Out of love for her sister, she decided to dedicate herself to virtues. And now, you comprehend why I believe that Yoon Seungho will have a similar reaction in the end. He will change for the better and fight for commoners, which was already visible in chapter 6. Now, you understand the signification of chapter 64. The latter doesn’t reveal his true personality, the violent and obsessed side to the painter, but the violence and betrayal he was exposed to, which led to his murderous and suicidal tendencies. His behavior is the result of the sexual abuse and the coercive persuasion. For me, it is clear that the lord actually reveals his self-hatred, therefore he is so rough and brutal towards the artist. He is reliving the past, and more precisely the first rape which marked the start of his suffering. And due to the brutality and the words of the rapist and his accomplice (chapter 65), he came to hate himself. That’s why the disappearance of the light shouldn’t be judged as something negative in the end. The lord has finally shown his actual mental disposition: a man full of insecurities and self-hatred, which the painter could hear and see. On the other hand, like I said, this is not his true personality, as he was forced to change and abandon all virtues.

4. Kim and the scandal in town

For the first time, the main lead confronts the butler with his past actions. He let him see what he went through during that night, when Kim chose not to open the door. That’s why Kim is so shocked and ashamed. But instead of assuming his responsibility, he acts exactly like in the past. He acts, as if nothing was happening and runs away. The only difference is that he can not make the painter feel guilty. This is important, because Baek Na-Kyum is not pushed to repress the incident. The painter won’t forget his behavior… exactly like during the night of the rape at the pavilion. Back then, he only reproached that he never revealed the truth. Yet during that night, he experienced his cowardice and abandonment. The painter is very sensitive concerning abandonment.

In my opinion, Kim always reflected to his master the following image: He was just a poor lord due to his tragic past, hence he was misunderstood. He could use memories to his advantage, hence the noble could only trust his butler. There’s no doubt that Kim had not forgotten the sensitive and kind teenager. He was willing to use his brutal behavior to his benefit. He could divert attention from his own misdeeds in the past. Yet in episode 64, he is confronted with the lord’s darkness directly for the first time, a heritage from father Yoon: he witnesses the true consequences of the lord’s hypersexuality. This time, he is affected, because he sees it himself.

Moreover, I would even say that the lord’s self-destruction is palpable, not only in front of the barn and in the painter’s study, but also in the town. The inhabitants are discovering the truth: Jihwa’s words became reality and as such truth. That’s how the town folks will judge it too. They will condemn the lord Yoon like Jihwa, because they became the victims of lord’s fury and despair. Due to his obsession with the painter, his domestics behaved like ruffians towards the inhabitants. This is quite similar to the scene in chapter 30, where his staff had to experience the lord’s brutality. We have to understand them. They were desperate to please their master, as they feared his brutality. They didn’t want to experience another huge beating. And the tailor plays a huge role in the birth of the huge scandal. With his small action, he will trigger a huge storm, so that the lord’s reputation as alpha and king will be literally destroyed. Therefore from my point of view, we are witnessing the lord’s gradual death. Despite his bad reputation, the inhabitants never avoided Yoon Seungho in the past, as he had money and connections. However, we shouldn’t forget the incident in chapter 54, where he evicted the nobles. The latter will no longer respect the powerful lord, and the chapter 64 announces that the protagonist will first lose the inhabitants’ support. He will truly become an outcast. One might argue that he already had a bad reputation as hell-raiser, yet with this scandal, there’s no ambiguity that no officials and no merchants will like to be connected with him. But this situation is just short-lived, because after the scandal, the main lead becomes tranquil again. The absence of a new scandal for 2 weeks and his attitude towards the painter in chapter 76 display that Yoon Seungho is able to get the town folks’ support like in the beginning. They definitely judge him as a reformed man. This explicates why the shop owner is still showing respect towards the master. (chapter 76)

5. The candle and painting

However, I believe that in chapter 64 Yoon Seungho has not reached the bottom yet. Why? First, he has not realized the consequences of his action yet. He literally destroyed the painter, and not with sex, but with his refusal of kissing the painter: What caught my attention is the absence of the painter’s blushing and the disappearance of tears. These two panels represent the final blow to the painter. And he will remember this gesture, just like he could recall the embrace and kiss from chapter 42. That’s why the yellow candle is also a metaphor for the painter. I believe that he didn’t cry after that night. And the manhwaphiles can note the vanishing of the painter’s physical reactions, if you compare it to the sex scene in the barn or in front of the storage room. The painter is still blushing and ejaculates. And the interpretation from my previous analysis was correct. The scene with the storage room is a combination of the sex marathon and the chapters 40-41-42. Here, the absence of the kiss is similar to the scholar’s words: However, there are two contrasts. First, the outcome will be different. Secondly, the lord treats the painter as his plaything now, and not as a prostitute. Notice the parallels. We have the return of the yellow candle on a candlestick, then the treatment is similar to the first chapter, where Baek Na-Kyum was kept captive in the barn. In chapter 1, the room was bright contrasting to the darkness in the storage room in chapter 62-63. Back then the main character was intelligent and cunning, as he was not aware of the influence of his heart. From chapter 62 on, the lord is no longer in possession of his smart and bright mind, as the darkness of his heart has taken possession of his mind. Yet, since the painter was able to hear and see the lord’s love on two occasions, the artist will recover from the wound afflicted during that night. Unlike the scholar, who never declared his love for him and just hoped that he would change into a person without a sex life, the noble expressed his wish to be the cause of the painter’s happiness. Therefore the new version of chapter 40 will have the opposite outcome. The painter’s spirit won’t be so devastated like before. He has already experienced the noble’s love. On the other hand, the painter stopped painting after that night. From my point of view, this second marathon has affected his creativity. He couldn’t paint due to his injury, but he remembered the orchid from Yoon Seungho. In my opinion, the lord’s words from that night must have left a deep impression on him so that he won’t be able to paint erotic paintings. I am more inclined to believe that Baek Na-Kyum’s new picture in the third season will be a different topic. Remember my theory that Yoon Seungho was a painter in the beginning, but his father ruined his talent. In my opinion, we should expect a similar phenomenon. Due to the sex marathon, the painter will be encouraged to paint something else. Since the orchid from Yoon Seungho caught his attention and he drew himself an inauguration painting, I come to the conclusion that the painter will choose a different topic for his works. That’s how he will shine as a phoenix. This would explain why the sheet of paper remained white during that night. (chapter 64)

After that night, the low-born’s love for the noble is affected. Baek Na-Kyum has discovered his own huge sexual appetite. Based to my interpretation, the painter serves as the aristocrat’s mirror. By making the painter suffer the same fate, so that the latter becomes a new version of Yoon Seungho, the protagonist will perceive his own reflection. Hence he has the impression that he is a man consumed by lust, and in his denial he tries to blame his lover. (chapter 75) And now, you grasp why the author is tormenting our main lead. His function is to liberate Yoon Seungho, but for that, he needs to go through the same pain and wounds. By destroying the artist, he kills himself in the end. This explicates why the yellow bougie represent the two protagonists in chapter 64: Hence we could say that the painter is a phoenix as well. And by turning the artist into a zombie, Yoon Seungho will be cornered to accept the reality. He is indeed a man obsessed by sex. This interpretation was confirmed with chapter 66. (chapter 66). There’s no ambiguity that in that moment, Yoon Seungho blamed himself for the artist’s flashback, until the abduction was unveiled. But the artist experiences a rebirth… as a painter. He won’t create any erotic painting in my opinion forcing the noble to create erotic pictures. But naturally this is just a theory. The reason for this is that we have the presence of the brushes under Yoon Seungho’s head. (chapter 64) It was, as if Baek Na-Kyum was passing his task to the main lead.

6. The crane’s vision

By announcing the presence of a zombie, I couldn’t help myself to connecting it to Jihwa’s nightmare. His dream became real. I perceive this scene as the evidence that Jihwa’s role is quite similar to the artist’s. The latter’s dreams always turned into reality. But there’s more to it. Now, I comprehend the meaning of the following images differently. The painter’s dead gaze is the reason for the main character to have dark eyes. Observe that the noble’s hand is holding the painter’s head, indicating that the lord is responsible for the artist’s spiritual death. The darkness of Yoon Seungho’s heart was brought to the surface due to Jihwa’s action. Due to his misdeed, he caused the noble to become oblivious of the truth, his gaze is covered by a shadow. As you can observe, the new episode gives us the opportunity to perceive Jihwa’s prediction under a new light. That’s why Baek Na-Kyum is able to move on from the scholar.

7. Yoon Seungho’s indoctrinations: the cause of his death

And you all know the reason why the master is so determined to deny, that he is a man consumed by sex and believes that he is not worthy to be loved. He has been brainwashed by his father, just like the painter. Yet their path was different. Whereas the artist was forced to abstinence and to reject his own sexual orientation, the aristocrat was forced to prostitution for his father’s sake. The latter turned his mansion into a brothel, since he was such a prude hypocrite. When the purge occurred, the father saved his own skin by betraying and abandoning his son. For the first time, Yoon Seungho was confronted with reality and as such his own reflection. The father never loved him, in fact he despised him, hence the latter developed self-hatred and a phobia of his own reflection. But he adopted his father’s point of view due to Kim’s influence, just like Baek Na-Kyum did after the low noble told him that he only considered the low-born as a prostitute. That’s why he kept fooling around with men. And the chapter 64 was another revelation: the lord’s hypersexuality. It became really visible in this picture. It was, as if the artist was asked to paint an erotic picture, while having sex, because the sexual act was not even enough for the lord’s libido. This sexual disorder is the result of the father’s coercive persuasion. If you look up, you will discover that sexual trauma can definitely lead to hypersexuality.

“There are several causes that can explain hypersexual behaviour: a psychological trauma related to affection, love or desire, but also an emotional shock such as depression, etc.” (translated by me) https://www.passeportsante.net/sexualite-g159/Fiche.aspx?doc=hypersexualite#:~:text=Il%20existe%20plusieurs%20causes%20qui,%C3%A9motionnel%20comme%20une%20d%C3%A9pression%2C%20etc.

With this quote, it becomes obvious why the lord is so convinced that he can’t be loved. Imagine that just by reading the title of this article “Hyposexuality and Hypersexuality Secondary to Childhood Trauma and Dissociation” I can link the other psychological disorder I had diagnosed in the master with hypersexuality https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J229v03n04_06?journalCode=wjtd20 And now, we know why the main lead needed stimuli all this time and why he chose to live in debauchery in the end, which his physician had criticized. He had to in order to mask his mental issues. However, I believe that after the public disgrace, the main character, misguided by his “mentor” Kim, thought that he could take revenge on his father by becoming the exact image his father hated. In his mind, he would hurt and humiliate his father, at the same time, this control about the rumors gave him the impression that he was indeed a spirit. The reality was totally different. Father Yoon might have lived in exile, yet his reputation was still intact, whereas Yoon Seungho was treated like a head-kisaeng.

Due to the second sex marathon, Yoon Seungho is forced to admit that he was wrong. That’s why after realizing his huge mistake, he gives up on all the doctrines taught by his two fathers. Simultaneously, he realizes that he can only make love to the painter, if the latter desires it. He can no longer impose his will onto Baek Na-Kyum. The irony is that by acting so, he is definitely breaking a taboo. He is not hiding his love for another man, and not hiding it behind social norms, like: sex is a battle. Once the fight is won, there’s an exchange of favors.

As a conclusion, after that night, Yoon Seungho is no longer confusing sex and love. He has adopted the painter’s original point of view. Sex is an expression of love. That’s why he will shine as a phoenix. He will represent Baek Na-Kyum’s philosophy and fight for these virtues: hard work, dedication, forgiveness, empathy, equity and liberty.

7. The butterfly

And now, you are wondering why the title is referring to the butterfly, as so far, I only talked about the phoenix and the crane. Why did I come up with such an association, when the second season happens during the winter? My reason is quite simple. The image of the butterfly is present in the manhwa under two aspects, first we have one panel with a butterfly in the special episode: Secondly, I couldn’t restrain myself thinking about the butterfly effect. While many readers were mad at Yoon Seungho for his brutality and ruthlessness in chapter 64, they seemed to have forgotten that everything happened because of Jihwa’s action. The latter let the painter kidnapped. Nonetheless since he was returned, in Nameless and the red-haired aristocrat’s mind, nothing had happened. A small change, and yet it destroys the fragile relationship between the two protagonists, affects the bond between Yoon Seungho and Kim and ruins the lord’s image in the town. Jihwa’s greed and jealousy led to the main lead’s self-destruction. Sure, the lord is not innocent either. Therefore he will be punished. The main lead loses everything: Baek Na-Kyum’s trust, his “life” and even his position as lord of the mansion. Their “spiritual” death is his punishment. That’s why I believe that Jihwa has not met his karma yet. He will definitely suffer just the painter and will be punished. So far, he has not been exposed to physical and sexual violence, that’s why I am now predicting this. The relationship between Jihwa and Nameless won’t be romantic. Jihwa will see the butcher’s true face at some point.

And now, if you recall the whole story, you’ll observe a certain pattern: the butterfly effect is always linked to the painter and Jihwa. The main lead is affected thanks to Baek Na-Kyum’s works and once they meet, the artist affects him and his life. A small creature, like the butterfly, brings huge transformation to the people around him: Jung In-Hun, the valet Kim, the servants, Deok-Jae, the nobles and Jihwa. Note that in chapter 8, Min met the artist for the time and awoke lust and desires in him. That’s why he started challenging the main lead. And since Jihwa is the noble version of the painter, we can conclude that Jihwa plays a similar function in the end. He brings transformation, positive and negative, just like Baek Na-Kyum, but to Nameless and Yoon Seungho. And this is no coincidence that the butterfly is a symbol for transformation and temporality.

Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Butterflies are not only beautiful, but also have mystery, symbolism and meaning and are a metaphor representing spiritual rebirth, transformation, change, hope and life. The magnificent, yet short life of the butterfly closely mirrors the process of spiritual transformation and serves to remind us that life is short. https://gardenswithwings.com/butterfly-symbolism#:~:text=Butterflies%20are%20deep%20and%20powerful,%2C%20change%2C%20hope%20and%20life.

This explains why the beautiful insect is associated to death in the end. There’s this belief that the butterfly represents the soul of deceased people, the loved ones. That’s why some people think that butterflies are messengers from the afterlife, the souls are communicating to them through butterflies. Let’s not forget that butterflies are attracted to light and fire, and we all know that one of the main lead’s element is fire. However, fire can kill a butterfly, if the latter becomes too close to the flame. And now, you understand why I connected this candle with the one from the special episode. This bougie represents the true form of the painter: white because of purity and innocence and the butterfly as a sign of his true power. He is the one who brings transformation and rebirth! The butterfly is the cause for the rebirth of the phoenix. His selflessness causes him to lose his “spiritual” life. He follows the lord till the end, never rebelling which contrasts to the painter’s behavior during the first season. He won’t even try to run away after that night, as he will keep his promise. However, this new vow is not without consequence.

This time, someone will have to abduct him in order to free him from this hell, and this prediction seems to become true. (chapter 69) Due to this panel, it becomes obvious that Heena noona will behave the same way than Jihwa in the end, though the roles have been switched. Her brother has been seduced by a witch and he needs assistance. She will do anything in order to save her brother, unaware that she will be the cause for her brother’s misery. While I thought in the past that Kim embodied the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, I came to recognize that this bible quote fits Heena noona’s personality. And this would definitely reinforce my interpretation that the kisaeng is a Christian.

So while the readers envisioned that the kisaeng introduced at the end of the episode would become Baek Na-Kyum’s savior, (chapter 64), she played a different role in the end. She instigated fear in the painter and confronted him with a negative reflection so that the artist stopped opening up. He never revealed his true emotions and thoughts in front of Yoon Seungho. Even the influence of the wine didn’t push him to confess his affection, contrary to chapter 21. In other words, Heena noona is no emancipator, just like Kim. Note the pattern, the butler’s stans hoped that he would become the painter’s helping hand, but he never did. When he encouraged the painter to leave the mansion, he was well aware that Black Heart was waiting for him at the kisaeng house.

The chapter 64 announced a huge turning point in the noble’s life, his death. In other words, it forced him to face reality. The master was no longer a boy with a tragic past, but a monster. And let’s not forget that the tailor revealed the identity of Baek Na-Kyum in chapter 64. He made an allusion, that the low-born was the anonymous artist who became famous with his erotic paintings. And due to this final panel, I come to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum’s departure from the brothel was linked to the success of his career as a painter and his homosexuality. They chose Jung In-Hun, as he was a low noble with no wealth and connections. From my point of view, the adoptive mother or sister wanted Baek Na-Kyum to remain in the shadow. We can assume that she imagined, by living with the scholar, the painter would keep painting, but he wouldn’t be able to outlive his sexual orientation. There’s no doubt that Heena noona imagined that he would be abused. And the appearance of the kisaeng with two guards signifies that Baek Na-Kyum is indeed connected to power in the end. Since I consider him as a phoenix, this could be an indication that he could be more than just a filthy low-born, like Jihwa and Jung In-Hun imagined.

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: The night of revelations – part 3 (second version)

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.

In the first part, I had compared the chapters 62-63 to the scene at the pavilion in order to outline the progression of the OTP’s relationship and to announce Yoon Seungho’s imminent emancipation. However, due to the length of the first part, I didn’t get to mention that the scene in the storage room is also a new version of the sex marathon.

1. The signification of sex marathon

Back then, the lord used the mirror for the painter so that the latter would see his own appearance and realize the existence of his body. The true purpose for the sex marathon was to force the painter to accept his sexual orientation, and as such Yoon Seungho as his sex partner. It was, as though the master had employed the mirror for a hypnosis session. (chapter 31) Consequently in chapter 34, the painter sensed a change of perception about his body after the sex marathon. For the first time, he detected his heartbeat and the butterflies in his stomach, which were triggered by the main lead’s presence. (chapter 34) The parallels can be observed by the absence of the eyes of the protagonists in certain panels. Compare the picture with the mirror (chapter 31) with the following one: (chapter 63) Striking is that the character represented with eyes plays the role of the liberator for his sex partner. Due to the sex marathon, Yoon Seungho had helped the painter to free himself from his torpor, since due to the coercive persuasion, the artist had come to deny not only his sexual orientation, but also the existence of his own body. That’s why he could no longer admire his learned sir like before after the sex marathon. By recognizing the existence of his own body, the painter couldn’t feel the same attraction towards the teacher. And since the sex marathon played a huge role in his healing process, we have to imagine that the sex scene in the barn has the same signification for Yoon Seungho. He is on his way to be liberated from his self-hatred, but as you can imagine, it will be a painful process. Back then, the painter got ill and the lord ran away from his responsibility. That’s why this time, the blinded person will be the one suffering from the sex marathon: he will feel like dying, when he realizes that he wounded his lover blinded by his prejudice and anxieties.

2. Comparison between the two sex marathons

Nonetheless, there’s a huge difference between the two scenes. Unlike the painter, the aristocrat never denied the existence of his body as such, he just judged his body as a weapon and a armor. This explains why in the latest episode, the noble is so rough with the low-born. He is trying to defeat the painter, so that the latter will accept his submission, and won’t leave his side. He is too afraid to lose the artist, especially if he hears a love confession from him, that’s one of the reasons why he interrupts him. (chapter 63) He has no guarantee that this is true, and love is like a leap of faith. This isn’t something that you can grasp or see. Besides, he would have no control over him, if he accepts the confession. Loving means taking risks, which is linked to fears. This displays how much the master has been brainwashed. Since the painter disappeared in his mind, he came to acknowledge his father’s doctrines one more time before dropping them completely, when he discovers the truth.

The second sex marathon announces the imminent noble’s death. Contrary to the first one, Yoon Seungho has no idea about this. Unlike in the first marathon, he made only emotional decisions, which is normal. The manhwaworms shouldn’t forget that unlike the artist, who remained only one year with the scholar, the noble has been exposed to violence and indoctrination for years. And now, you can understand why I perceive father Yoon as another dictator, like Jung In-Hun. Power and strength are all what matter in their eyes. Finally, the main lead can’t imagine that his dream became true, that he is loved, since he considers himself as a monster. In other words, his self-hatred hinders him to lose his last principles taught by his ruthless and immoral father too. Therefore the lord uses his status as lord to claim the painter. (chapter 63)

As a conclusion, the “therapy session” for the main lead is still ongoing. From my point of view, the ending scene represents a turning point in the hypnosis session. The lord has already revealed his feelings and thoughts (chapter 63), so his love confession to never let the painter go symbolizes one of the last principles Yoon Seungho has internalized. As a master, he can decide about the painter’s fate. So if we consider this scene as a hypnosis session, where is the mirror? As you can imagine, the painter’s face and gaze serve as a mirror for the lord, where he can perceive himself. Therefore the last image shows our protagonist looking closely at the painter’s face and his eyes. (chapter 63) Unlike in chapter 55 or 58 or 62, he is no longer avoiding the artist’s gaze. And there is no doubt that what he will perceive is a different reflection he had received, when his father betrayed and abandoned him. This will help him to forget the father’s gaze engraved in his heart. The latter was full of hatred and resent, which the main lead internalized. And with this new interpretation, the chapter 63 appears in a different light. It gives the manhwaphiles hope.

3. The repercussions of this night of revelations

And now, you understand why Baek Na-Kyum didn’t leave Yoon Seungho’s side after this night. Though the lord acted like a common brute, the painter was able to see his soul through his gaze and sense his agony through his words. (chapter 63) With this strong “confession”, the artist’s own fears were addressed too. Let’s not forget that the artist has terrible abandonment issues either. The master’s words left a deep impression on him as well. That’s why he could use the same words the next morning. (chapter 65)

Then in the first version, I wrote this:

“On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that after the sex marathon, the artist got so sick that some servants had already envisioned that Baek Na-Kyum would die. Therefore, we have to prepare our heart that Yoon Seungho will suffer, just like the low-born. I am expecting a return of his suicidal thoughts, when he realizes that he failed as lord and couldn’t even protect his lover.

This took place, exactly like I had predicted. The noble was definitely pained and destructive after discovering the truth. He ransacked his own bedroom out of anger and despair. (chapter 69) He had ruined his relationship with the artist. Because he refused to make the leap of faith in the shed, Yoon Seungho decided to make the opposite choice. He let the painter decide about his own fate, yet he was definitely living in agony. The wounded, fearful and desperate gaze revealed his turmoil. (chapter 69) In my eyes, the absence of the lord’s eyes during the night of revelations stands in opposition to the lord’s gaze full of expressions in chapter 69. Note that in that episode, the author always drew his eyes, underlining that now the noble was using his own eyes finally. He is no longer relying on Kim and his information. I was also right that this night would affect Yoon Seungho’s relationship with the valet, yet I didn’t expect, it would unveil his true personality. For me, this second sex marathon was a real eye-opener: it made me recognize Kim’s hypocrisy and cowardice. From that moment on, I could no longer view him as a real father figure.

4. Betrayals, pain and sex

And since the painter’s gaze and facial expressions will play a huge role in the master’s healing process, it signifies that the artist won’t show any disdain or repulsion, in fact the opposite: acceptance. But how is it possible, when the master behaved like a rough sex-maniac in the barn, the very same image the aristocrat kept denying? The response is very simple. If you compare the scene in the barn with the chapter 40, which includes the incident at the tailor shop and at the library, the similarities will become so obvious that after the contrasting, you will realize the true meaning of this confrontation in the storage room.

Therefore I would like to point out all the common denominators in both scenes, accompanied with comparisons and observations:

  1. The length of the scene: 4 chapters (39-40-41-42). If we include the whole chapter 40, then we can add the chapter 39, since in chapter 40, the painter leaves the tailor shop and in chapter 41, we have a flashback with the scholar and the request of Baek Na-Kyum to get comfort from Yoon Seungho. And it looks like we will have two episodes in the storage room (62-63-64-65).
  2. The use of flashbacks (chapter 40) (chapter 62)
  3. The terrible wound afflicted on the protagonist: In chapter 40, Baek Na-Kyum is the one who gets wounded by his former teacher, which leads the artist to hurt the main lead as well in chapter 41. He rejected his concern and yelled at him. In chapters 62-63, the positions are switched. Yoon Seungho is the one upset and pained, since he is convinced that the artist abandoned him, therefore his anger is aiming at the commoner. Yet, the true culprit of his wound is his childhood friend Jihwa. Simultaneously both have a common point: Baek Na-Kyum gets hurt, because he becomes the target of Yoon Seungho’s anger, while in chapter 40, he is backstabbed by his admired sir and used the master to get some comfort. Yet, the situation is similar, as the real culprits of the wound never witness the consequence of their actions and words.
  4. Sex: tailor/painter’s study versus barn: The intensity diverges here. We had a romantic date in chapters 39/40 and a painter acting like a prostitute in chapter 41 due to his pain. Sex was used in order to cover the emotional wound and in chapter 62/63, it is the same. The roughness in Seungho’s behavior during the intercourse displays his wound and need for embrace, yet he can’t ask for warmth and love, since in his mind, the painter will never open his heart to him. (chapter 63) And if we take the chapter 41/42 into consideration, the painter did request that the lord should be particularly rough. (chapter 42) As you can see, the chapter 40 can not be really detached from the sex scene which follows the teacher’s betrayal. Another contradiction is that the painter is just asking the lord to stop, since Baek Na-Kyum is exhausted, while the aristocrat believes that the commoner is pushing him away, begging him to let him go for good. (chapter 63) But this divergence comes from the fact that this scene is a new version of the sex marathon, which I mentioned above. Back then, the painter made a similar request. As conclusion, the violence of the sex in chapter 62-63 is strongly connected to an emotional wound, a repetition of chapter 41/42. And in my opinion, the artist understood the situation and the lord’s motivation. Hence he doesn’t feel badly about Yoon Seungho. Notice that the next night, Baek Na-Kyum doesn’t think badly of this sex marathon.
  5. The question of responsibility: In episode 40, the lord desires to become responsible for the painter, while the latter desires the low noble to be his “guardian” and keep his promise. (For further explanations, you can read my analysis about chapter 39-40). In chapter 63, the powerful noble is using his right to claim the painter and as such, he becomes his guardian.
  6. An interrupted confession (chapter 40) (chapter 63) What caught my attention is the contrast between the two declarations. While the artist’s feelings for his admired sir seem to be very strong (I adore you), his words don’t really correspond to his affection, because his feelings have already diminished. He did lie to his teacher and protected the main lead in chapter 38. That’s why the “I adore you” should be judged as an exaggeration. It was, as though the painter desired to convince himself and his teacher that he was still attached to him. Besides, he needed to persuade him not to abandon him, after hearing so many reproaches. This observation leads me to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum made up his mind to still follow his teacher out of loyalty despite the harshness of Jung In-Hun’s words. On the other hand, the author used a litotes (“I do not dislike you”), implying that in fact his attachment is much stronger. And this is exactly what happens during this scene. Despite the harshness, the painter is forced to question his true feelings for the main lead and recognize them. He is even willing to confess, yet he is stopped. I doubt that Yoon Seungho would have perceived it as a love confession, as he hates meek words. I can use this panel as a reminder: (chapter 48). Yoon Seungho is exactly like the painter, he loves strong and metaphorical confessions, like “you’ve made me a wreck” or “I will never let you go”. But let’s return our attention the scholar and Yoon Seungho. Both nobles act the same way. Both can’t accept the artist’s declaration, yet their motivation diverges. The teacher finds it disgusting to be connected to a commoner, whereas Yoon Seungho is too afraid of being lied. He has the impression that this dream can never come true. Yet, while contrasting them, we see the painter’s determination who is willing to overlook the reproaches expressed before by both aristocrats. And he remains faithful till the end. That’s why he waited for Jung In-Hun at the gate in episode 44. He needed to see with his own eyes, how the learned sir had truly abandoned him. This represents another explication why the low-born didn’t react like Kim and Min anticipated. He didn’t follow his sister out of loyalty, compassion and a certain trust. However, Heena noona was able to sow seeds of doubts.
  7. A betrayal and abandonment: In chapter 40, the low noble refuses to take his responsibility and breaks his promise. (chapter 40) In this picture, the scholar leaves the painter behind, a metaphor for his abandonment. He even repeats this action, when he leaves for the capital. In chapter 62-63, Yoon Seungho sees in the commoner’s escape a rejection and betrayal. (chapter 62) This panel illustrates the thoughts of the protagonist: the commoner has turned his back on him.
  8. The recurrence of the question: “why” (chapter 40) (chapter 40) (chapter 62) (chapter 63) In both cases, the aristocrats questions the commoner’s motivations for his actions. While Jung In-Hun’s interrogation serves him as an occasion to break his promise by putting the blame on Baek Na-Kyum, the other character is more curious to know about the reasons for his desertion. From my point of view, this shows the noble’s desire to comprehend the painter better. And this illustrates that his obsession with the “why” is well meant. Why is he pushing him away? If he knows the cause, he could find a solution in order to bring the painter to his side.
  9. The importance of the commoner’s smile: (chapter 40) The painter became happy, when he heard that the civil service examination would take place soon. He immediately thought of his learned sir and envisioned that this would please his former teacher. Jung In-Hun’s excitement became the painter’s joy, this is how the painter was thinking in that scene. (chapter 62) (chapter 63) In the scene in the barn, there are two smiles, the first one is a cynical one. However, if the manhwalovers pay attention to Baek Na-Kyum’s smile, his gaze is missing. The absence of his eyes indicates that this picture represents the lord’s mind. Hence the smile full of “schadenfreude” and sarcasm mirrors the noble’s smile, the one he uses in front of people. We had an example in chapter 6, when he made fun of Jung In-Hun, because the latter fell so easily into his trap. However, in the second panel, the master reveals his biggest wish: he would like to smile genuinely too. If he sees a gentle and honest smile in the painter’s face, he will also return the smile. This shows the lord’s humbleness and desire to become honest and genuine to someone. He would like to make such a facial expression, something he has long forgotten. In the end, I believe with these words, the aristocrat would like to drop his mask of deception.
  10. The hope of both protagonists: (chapter 40) (chapter 29) By contrasting both panels from chapter 40, the readers can detect the painter’s lie. He expects something from the low noble. He is indeed hoping that Jung In-Hun will keep his promise and he will take his responsibility for him, since the painter supported him. In chapter 63, the noble confesses that the words said by the painter (going home together) gave him hope that he had achieved his goal, that the painter would smile for him one day.
  11. The painter’s fate: In chapter 40, Jung In-Hun declares that despite his efforts, Baek Na-Kyum has been destined to remain a prostitute. (chapter 40) Now, it looks like the lord is determined to keep him by his side, his fate has been also defined by another noble. The painter seems to have no saying in the end. Yet, there is a slight difference. Here, the main lead doesn’t consider Baek Na-Kyum as a prostitute, but as his sexual partner and lover. Yet, in both cases, he is treated like an object, a possession. This explains why the artist has no right to make a decision. So his “fate” has barely improved. Yet, there is definitely a huge difference between the two nobles. Whereas the scholar wanted to use him for his own benefits, while the other’s dream was not to get any concrete advantage: the commoner’s happiness will make the lord happy. And because of this divergence, the lord will realize that his order (chapter 63) stands in opposition to his wish. If his true goal is to make the painter happy, then he needs to let him go so that the artist can make his own decision.
  12. The jealousy is also present in both chapter. The lord witnesses the commoner’s smile in chapter 40 and gets so jealous, which the master is referring to in chapter 63. He wished to have been the cause of the artist’s smile. And Jung In-Hun is definitely jealous of the low-born due to Yoon Seungho’s care for him. He had to witness how a commoner was treated so well, unlike him, who is a noble. (chapter 40) The former had Yoon Seungho’s attention all the time, and we all know that Jung In-Hun’s desire is to get attention and admiration. Striking is that the comparison enlightens the materialistic and narcissistic side of Jung In-Hun, while Yoon Seungho appears purer. He is just content with a smile. Besides, he would like to be the source and recipient of Baek Na-Kyum’s smile, whereas the other wishes to get favors (clothes, a room closer to the lord’s chamber, the favor to spend the evening in the bedchamber etc). That’s why by contrasting both chapters, the protagonist’s purity and simplicity become even more palpable, which is hidden due to the violence employed during that confrontation.
  13. The role played by the hug: In chapter 40, Yoon Seungho hugs the painter in order to protect him. Furthermore, if we take the chapter 41 into consideration, since we have a flashback of the incident at the library, then the readers can recall that in this episode, Baek Na-Kyum was so heartbroken that he asked from Yoon Seungho to be embraced. He needed a shoulder as solace and comfort. The low-born literally begged him, while crying to be hold in his arms, but the noble didn’t know how to respond to this request. (chapter 41) He only knew sex. In chapter 62, the lord hold the artist in his arms, only to betray him afterwards. The warmth is faked. (chapter 62) Yet, if you pay attention, you’ll observe a second hug in the barn: (chapter 63) The painter is forced to cling onto the master. This position reflects the lord’s intention. He desires the painter to depend on him. Hence the hug is no longer a fake one, but the expression of longing. As a conclusion, the embrace mirrors Yoon Seungho’s need and is indeed connected to warmth, despite the rather cold expression.
  14. In both scenes, an important character reveals his true personality in front of the painter. This signifies that this figure shows his true thoughts and emotions. In chapter 40, Jung In-Hun unveils, how he judges the commoner, (chapter 40) while in chapter 63, it is the turn of our seme to reveal his expectations and desires. (chapter 63) Yet, unlike the low noble, the master keeps describing himself in such a negative way (f. ex. he is pathetic, a fool),(chapter 62) while the scholar calls the artist a fool (chapter 40) and a liar. Sure, when Yoon Seungho says “pathetic”, it could be perceived, as if he was insulting the low-born. Yet, like I had mentioned it before, since he is talking about himself right after, his description (pathetic) is in fact more addressed to him. He is still masking his true thoughts a little. (chapter 63) And here, we see his cynical smile accompanied with a gaze expressing agony. This stands in opposition to Jung In-Hun’s coldness and disdain, who shows neither pain nor compassion. . (chapter 41) He is just jealous, furious and repulsed. Yoon Seungho is seeking closeness and uses sex in order achieve his goal, therefore he is is refusing to stop. He is so desperate to remain intimate with the painter, while the other noble has only one thought: keeping his distance from the low-born.
  15. The importance of the gaze: The learned sir’s gaze was almost deadly for the painter. And this is accompanied with an indifferent facial expression and cruel words, hence the artist’s heart could only get wounded by such an assault. They were almost fatal for the painter. (Chapter 41) In the scene at the storage room, the painter’s face (chapter 63) and words (chapter 63) have a huge effect on the upset protagonist. They trigger the noble to open up and reveal himself. That’s why the chapter ends with a face to face: the aristocrat is not decided to look at the painter’s eyes directly.
  16. Then we have reproaches addressed to the commoner: Not only he is a liar, but also he is a scheming traitor. (chapter 40) (chapter 62) (chapter 63) The irony is that in chapter 40, the scholar is correct. The artist did lie to him, while it is the opposite in chapter 62-63, hence the Yoon Seungho’s reproaches are not valid. Baek Na-Kyum just didn’t tell him the truth, the existence of the kidnapping. Yet, despite the correct observation of the artist’s lie, the low noble’s words are full of falseness. They reveal his true thoughts and emotions. He is quite manipulative, by blaming the artist. With the lie, he can justify his criticisms. He resents the painter for his origins and his so-called immoral behavior. However, let’s not forget that the scholar actually asked the innocent man to sleep with Yoon Seungho in order to obtain information, but because he revealed nothing, he has become a whore according to the teacher. Here, the latter’s hypocrisy reached his climax, exposing that all his reprimands are unfounded in reality. Jung In-Hun is just jealous and infuriated, because he perceives the painter’s lie as a disobedience. And defiance means punishment, that’s the reason why he wounds the commoner with his words. What caught my attention is that despite all the reproaches expressed by Yoon Seungho towards the artist, the master is not willing to cut ties with Baek Na-Kyum. In fact, despite his wounds and the imaginary betrayal, he is willing to overlook all this, because his need and dependency are greater than the injuries the painter afflicted on him. In other words, he is accepting the painter with all his misdeeds and indirectly his flaws. What a statement! And now, the manhwaphiles can better grasp the true meaning of the lord’s confession. His words mirrors his true thoughts and feelings: his roughness, his despair, his possessiveness, but also his willingness to accept Baek Na-Kyum as a whole. He doesn’t care for his social background nor for his desertion. As long as he remains by his side, this is enough for him. Sure, with this kind of statement, he doesn’t promise him to give any special treatment. Since he utilizes his status as lord, this means that he can treat him however he likes, just like during the night. Nevertheless, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that right before, the lord let the painter see his expectations. He will be satisfied, if he is granted to perceive a genuine smile on the painter’s face. In other words, he gave him the solution for the future.
  17. The location: the library versus the barn. Both rooms are closed and without any window. Yet, I detect two huge differences between them: the presence of light and warmth. While the library oozes a certain clarity (chapter 40), the grange exudes darkness. One might argue that this is related to the time. Baek Na-Kyum visited the teacher during the day, whereas the protagonist arrives during the night. Yet, I see another signification in the contrast. The purity of the white in the library illustrates the clarity of the teacher’s mind. He might be jealous, yet he is in possession of all his skills. He knows how to direct the conversation, how to embarrass and hurt the artist. Notice that during their conversation, there’s no real exchange, the teacher is leading the discussion. Baek Na-Kyum is barely able to finish his sentences (chapter 40), while the scholar held a speech about the low-born’s flaws and his terrible social background. Imagine that the teacher doesn’t allow the artist to finish his confession nor to reply to his origins. He leaves the library, before the artist has the opportunity to say something, so that his words are final and represent the truth. (chapter 40) As a conclusion, there’s no real exchange of opinions, and the teacher used his status as noble and teacher to shut the painter’s mouth. The latter is neither allowed to speak nor to make any claim. During this discussion, the room with its light reflects the true personality of Jung In-Hun: manipulative, cold, heartless but most importantly cruel and ruthless. (chapter 40) He uses his power over words to wound his rival, the one who is receiving the lord’s attention. The teacher didn’t employ physical violence to injury the low-born, but this doesn’t mean that there’s no violence. Byeonduck is actually here referring to the saying: words can kill. The scholar used his words to destroy the artist’s personality. And now, you comprehend the symbols behind the color and clarity. The library reflects the coldness of Jung In-hun and his mental abilities. And pay attention that there is neither candle nor fire at the library, a metaphor for Jung In-Hun’s heartlessness and coldness. With this new approach, the scene in the barn appears in a different light. The darkness of the room symbolizes the lord’s darkness in his heart and mind. He is not truly himself. He also wounds the painter with his words, (chapter 62) yet it is not entirely deliberated, he is another person. That’s why the moment he regains some of his senses, his face seems brighter, just like the room. The change is visible, if you contrast the two following pictures (chapter 62) (chapter 63) That’s why I believe that we should perceive beyond the harshness and sexual force employed by the lord. He is totally different from the scholar. And more importantly, his position in the room reflects his mental and emotional disposition. Yoon Seungho is turning his back to the light and as such to the truth, (chapter 63), yet he still manages to let transpire a certain warmth, which explains why the painter never expresses a reproach towards his lover or pushes him away. He just asks him to stop, because he is exhausted. He has a similar behavior during the next night. He keeps the lord at a certain distance, as he fears his own emotions (chapter 71) and Yoon Seungho’s outburst (chapter 70). Furthermore, when the painter is able to calm down the main lead by calling his name “Lord Seungho” and showing a blushed face, the aristocrat initiates a real conversation and lets the painter the opportunity to reply. There’s a real conversation, although it is interrupted the moment the artist desires to confess. (chapter 63) The lord can’t face the truth, he is in denial. But at the end, despite his relapse, he is finally able to voice his deepest desires: He wished the painter to show him a smile. And unlike the scholar, he doesn’t feel dirty or disgusted to touch a commoner. There’s no gap between them, unlike at the library, where the painter attempts to approach the low noble, only to be pushed away and left behind. And remember that at the end, they are both facing each other: (chapter 63)

The beholder can observe a switch of the positions. Notice that the lord is no longer standing above the painter, like in chapter 62 or during the chapter 63: (chapter 62) (chapter 63) Now, the painter stands at the same eye level with the master reflecting that the gap between them has diminished. Like I pointed out above, Yoon Seungho is forcing the artist to hold him, implying that he desires the low-born to rely on him. Hence the words gives us now another perspective. The first interpretation was to say that he is ordering, as a lord, the servant to remain by his side, in reality he is revealing his dependency and his need. That’s the reason why his last words should be judged in a more positive light. He is insinuating that the painter has much more power than it seems like.

As a conclusion, by contrasting the behavior of the two nobles in both scenes, the brutality in chapter 63 is diminished and lets transpire that the powerful protagonist is less vicious and hurtful than the teacher, although Yoon Seungho is revealing his dark side. The painter is able to perceive the agony and the despair in his lover. At the same time, the main lead shows to the painter that his person affects the noble in a positive way. That’s why you can now comprehend that I am less perceiving this chapter in a negative light. And this comparison was definitely correct, because it explains why the painter was reminded of the learned sir the next night and felt no longer a heartache. (chapter 71) There was a “love confession” in the barn, but the lord didn’t use the typical expression for that: and . (chapter 63) Baek Na-Kyum could no longer be in denial that the noble was in love with him.

After this analysis, I recognize that Byeonduck is a master of deception. She is asking from her readers to question appearances and behavior. People should detect disguised cruelty and brutality, words and manipulations can be as mortal as physical violence. I am not saying that Yoon Seungho did nothing wrong, it is just that he is not entirely responsible for this situation: the coercive persuasion, his disorders, his huge insecurities and his self-hatred are the causes for his brutality. He stands in opposition to Jung In-Hun, whose words and moves were all calculated to destroy the painter. Yet, the artist was able to distinguish between the seem and real. This explicates why he is able to move on and to rely more on Yoon Seungho. (chapter 76). The only problem is that Baek Na-Kyum is still fearing his own emotions for the infamous noble. Therefore he has not confessed yet, which will be the reason why both main leads will suffer again. The painter has just opened up and is not trusting Yoon Seungho entirely.

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: Brothers (second version)

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter   But be aware that this manhwa is 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/

In this analysis, I will focus on the main lead’s brother, Yoon Seung-Won, who has just appeared in three chapters since the beginning: 37, 44 and 55. On the surface, it looks like it is impossible to get much info about this character, yet this impression is incorrect for two reasons. First, I have already written two essays about this character, showing that by examining the panels and his words more closely, we could definitely analyze his personality and judge him. https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/06/30/painter-of-the-night-an-accomplice-a-pawn-or-an-innocent/ and  https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/24/painter-of-the-night-the-animal-representing-yoon-seung-won/ (Unfortunately, these compositions are the lest read essays)

Yet, back then, I had only two chapters to examine and now, we have a new panel, where the younger master appears. Secondly, the more we get to know Yoon Seungho’s past, the more we discover his family and as such the brother as well. I have already determined that Yoon Seungho’s traumatic past is not related to one incident, but he was exposed to abuse over a long period. I have even developed the idea that his father abused him sexually. Therefore, with this new knowledge, the behavior of Seung-Won needs to be reexamined. In my first analysis, I had questioned his role in the protagonist’s suffering: Was he an accomplice, an innocent or a pawn? And once again, this question will be in the center of this composition.

Back then, I had the impression that in this panel, we were seeing Yoon Seung-Won as a teenager: (chapter 55) Many readers were able to recognize the younger master trying to walk into Yoon Seungho’s direction, while the latter was lying on the ground. Why? It was, because of the brother and father’s gestures. Father Yoon stopped his younger son to join his brother’s side with his hand, while Yoon Seung-Won’s foot is moving. Due to these actions, the manhwalovers saw it as a good sign from Yoon Seung-Won’s part. The latter desired to help his brother, yet their mean and strict father requested him not to. It looks like Yoon Seung-Won had some affection for his older brother in the past, yet the father ruined their bound. However, what the manhwaworms shouldn’t forget in this panel are the two following aspects:

  1. This incident marked the beginning of Yoon Seungho’s trauma, which caused all his disorders. We should keep in our mind that when the lord confessed that he was sent back to his past, each time he saw the painter’s face expressing rejection, he was reminded of the moment, when father Yoon chose his younger son over him. This incident is strongly associated to jealousy, and the love triangle between the scholar, the artist and the protagonist was the trigger. The rejection from Baek Na-Kyum in chapter 25 made him think of the moment, when father Yoon pushed him away and even showed a disgusted face, while he could observe the father favoring Yoon Seung-Won.
  2. Father Yoon was teaching the younger master a lesson: his brother should be treated like a commoner, a servant. He had no right, hence he was just a possession. Since I have already established that Yoon Seungho was exposed to coercive persuasion and to physical abuse, this scene can serve as a proof that the young boy witnessed the violence used on his brother. Besides, the young boy saw, how the older brother was kept captive in the mansion for a long time. Even with a certain age gap (6 – 7 years), Yoon Seung-Won was old enough to understand that the father imprisoned his brother, when the latter was a teenager. (chapter 57)

Hence I can definitely state that Yoon Seung-Won was not ignorant of the harsh treatment his brother was exposed to. I believe that this panel represents the moment, when the main character lost his topknot. (chapter 55) It is also possible that during that event, the young man was punished with a straw mat beating, while the cut of the topknot represented the climax of his public humiliation and abandonment. Yoon Seung-Won looks like a teenager, since he is dressed the same way than his older brother was. (chapter 57). It was, as though father Yoon had chosen to replace Yoon Seungho with his second son, and was determined to see Yoon Seung-Won as his future heir. However, I believe, the special treatment started before this. Anyway, the younger master was old enough to witness the public humiliation and to comprehend the implication. He might have not known the whole truth behind the incident with the topknot (the plot and the purge), yet since the lord’s suffering is not connected to one incident, but happened over a long period, I doubt that Yoon Seung-Won was totally oblivious of his brother’s misery. I believe the opposite in reality.

On the other hand, it becomes comprehensible why the younger master didn’t intervene back then. He was just a teenager and had no power to protest or contest his father’s decision. (chapter 55) He was weak and vulnerable, just like his elder brother had been at the same age. He had to follow his father. Yet, this panel is important in my opinion for two reasons. It shows that Yoon Seung-Won was taught the same principles than his brother’s: strict obedience to the father and treat people like pawns and possessions, in particular Yoon Seungho. Secondly, we have to imagine that in the past, the main lead must have followed blindly his father’s orders in order to get recognition and acceptance, till he was treated like a commoner and a monstrosity, hence the dimension of the father’s abandonment and betrayal becomes significant. Imagine, he did everything in order to please his father (even prostitution), only to be left behind and treated like dirt. No wonder, why Yoon Seungho became jealous of his brother and why he felt so hurt by his father. This explains his obsession with the question mark: “why?”. Why did his father make such a decision, why did he choose Yoon Seung-Won over him?

The younger master had done nothing like him, yet he was never treated like him: captivity, abuse and prostitution. Even if the theory of the incest is wrong, there is no doubt that Yoon Seungho was exposed to a huge amount of violence from his father, like the bruised face displays it in the following panel. (chapter 57) What the protagonist failed to understand is that his father must have blamed him for the loss of his big dream. There’s no doubt that the father resented his son deeply, because he explained the source of his failure in the plot with his son’s behavior, especially if the main character became the tool for his own survival.

Finally, since I have already assumed that the main lead tried to flee the mansion once, the younger master must have heard about it as well and seen his father’s reaction. That’s why I come to the conclusion that by living by his father’s side, the younger brother became an accomplice in the end. At the same time, his thinking must have been influenced by his father’s words and behavior. Since the older brother was conditioned, then the brother must have been taught as well. Yet the methods diverged. While the one was the object of coercive persuasion, the other was a witness of that teaching. Since the main lead was treated harshly by the father, Yoon Seung-Won learnt the following lesson: his older brother is just a tool, a possession used for the family’s power.

Consequently, the lord’s words in chapter 37 mirrors the truth: (chapter 37) The younger brother was taught his father’s principles too, but unlike Yoon Seungho, the younger brother is NOT living according to their father’s rules. This means that he is living differently. And now we have to question this: how is his life different?

The first reply would be that he is no homosexual. Yet now with the new knowledge, I perceive the master’s words under a different perspective. Here, he is not just talking about sodomy, but also about prostitution. One of the father’s rules I could determine was: sex is a battle and as such an exchange of favors. That’s the reason why Yoon Seungho became the infamous hell-raiser, the biggest sodomite of Joseon. In his mind, he is applying his father’s principles to the extreme in order to humiliate his father and to point out his hypocrisy. And now, I believe that the prostitution took place in the mansion, hence the doors were closed. That’s the reason why the protagonist became a prisoner, as he could expose what was happening in the domain. The huge mansion became a brothel in the end. Envision the irony of the situation: while Baek Na-Kyum was truly raised at a brothel, where he was loved and treated like a real son, the other had to experience the opposite. On the surface, he was a noble living in comfort and surrounded by servants, in reality his position was the opposite. He was just a whore for the father’s interest. Since the father despised sodomy, the latter had another reason to act in the shadow. Now, we know for sure that the sexual abuse occurred during the nights explaining the protagonist’s insomnia. This signifies that the father didn’t abuse his son sexually, but he allowed it for his own selfish interest. One thing is sure that the young man was sexually assaulted for a long time and the perpetrator was the mysterious lord Song. Nonetheless, I am certain that the main lead’s traumas are linked to constant sexual assaults, prostitution, physical violence, and since everything happened at the mansion, there’s no doubt that the younger master knew about the existence of sex sessions and the role played by his brother. That’s why we need to take another look at the picture:

Here, he is telling the brother that it is his turn to follow their father’s doctrines. This can only be right, as Yoon Seungho as the eldest son had to live according to these doctrines first. Now, Yoon Seung-Won should become a whore, if necessary. And notice the brother’s embarrassment. He avoids his brother’s gaze. He can not deny it, for if he did, he would have to reveal the true identity of the “pedophile”. Hence the younger master is humiliated. The younger master can not argue with this point. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that the brother has already internalized his father’s values: Yoon Seungho should keep working for the family, like he did in the past. He should use his connection. He is truly viewing his brother as an accessory for the family’s benefit. And it is time to examine the chapter 37 one more time. In the first composition, I had demonstrated that the brother was selfish, insensitive and quite arrogant, since he never asked his brother about his well-being. All his business mattered. But I can add more layers to his description and it starts with the way he was introduced.

(chapter 37) The younger master sent many letters to Yoon Seungho, while using his father’s name. While the loyal valet had the impression that these letters were written by the elder master, the protagonist was well aware of the subterfuge. He could recognize his brother’s writing. That’s why he burnt the letter without reading the content. And this interpretation can be confirmed with the character’s confession in chapter 37. (chapter 37) However, I can bring up another evidence for this conclusion: the fake letter from lord Song. (chapter 56) The forged message was a new version of the letter in chapter 35. And under this light, we can judge the character in a rather negative way. He is acting like Jihwa, using his knowledge of the past to his advantage. He desires to use his father’s power over his elder brother to achieve his goal: getting the support from his older brother so that he can please his father.

From my point of view, Yoon Seung-Won attempted to get in contact with his brother in order to get connections, and as such to obtain a high position as an official, he wanted to take the easy way. Since the family’s power was declining(chapter 13), Yoon Seung-Won was asked by the father to restore the family’s influence. But since he had witnessed how his father obtained his support, he thought, he could employ the same method: using Yoon Seungho. One might argue that the poor boy is pressured now by father Yoon and the weight of the expectations can be extremely burdensome. However, here I would like to point out that unlike the main lead, Yoon Seung-Won was never trapped in the mansion and not hindered to participate in the service civil examination. Furthermore, he was never exposed to any kind of violence. He was allowed to roam freely, yet in my opinion, all this time the younger master relied on his father’s power and influence. Seeing that the letters didn’t provoke any reaction, the young noble paid the lord a visit, as he was pressured by the time. And what caught my attention is that once asked about the motive of his visit, he replied to the main character: (chapter 37) He mentioned his father directly, but he never answered to the question properly, since he didn’t announce the true reason for his visit. Why? Since he used the name of his father in the letters and in the conversation, I can only deduce that the brother knows the true power of father Yoon over the main character. He is actually playing with the protagonist’s fear and he knows it too well. Notice his hands: they show a certain discomfort, indicating that he is well aware of the signification of his words. One might argue that he has been pressured by the father and he is just a pawn. To this, I can only retort that he is doing the same to his brother. By asking him to visit their father, he is not just requesting from his brother to reconnect with their family, but also to submit himself to father Yoon. In other words, the elder master could utilize Yoon Seungho’s connections and wealth for their family’s interest. Besides, this would signify that the father would become the main lead’s pimp again. As the new head of the family, father Yoon could decide to treat his eldest son like in the past. And if my theory of the incest is correct, then this means that Yoon Seung-Won is asking his brother to relive a hell again. This is not surprising that the lord gets upset and becomes cynical: (chapter 37) Who would accept such a suggestion after getting treated like an sex toy, a prisoner and as a pariah at the end? And now envision that Yoon Seungho has been exposed to physical and sexual abuse because of his father. This scene reveals the selfishness and cowardice of the brother. This is not surprising that the lord clenches his fist, and his hand is shaking: there’s definitely fear due to the father and anger towards his brother. Yoon Seung-Won knows his father’s rules, but he doesn’t desire to apply them, as he is well aware of the meaning. And now the following panel gets another significance: He desires to have a private conversation and suggests his brother to send away the painter. His reason is simple: he would like to appeal to his brother’s compassion, he must be in a rather difficult situation. His father is now relying on him. But since the master of the mansion is not following this suggestion, the brother chooses to mention the father. The illness is an excuse, but Yoon Seung-Won is determined to maintain his image as a loyal and honorable son. Yet, like I pointed out earlier, the true intention with the father’s evocation is to put Yoon Seungho under pressure. And now, I would like to bring another evidence that the younger master is well aware of his brother’s fear in front of their father. He witnessed the constant abuse, and as such he noticed and internalized the brother’s anxieties. Remember that the moment Jihwa heard that the brother had visited Yoon Seungho, Jihwa chose to rush to his childhood friend’s mansion. Why? He knew that Yoon Seung-Won’s visitation would torment the main lead and provoke nightmares, indicating that this must have happened in the past well. And since the main lead is connecting his brother to his past trauma, then this reveals that the younger master is related to the protagonist’s suffering. Why? In my opinion, Yoon Seung-Won must have been favored all this time, whereas the powerful noble was just treated like a servant. In other words, even if the younger brother was weak as well, he never tried to help his brother behind his father’s back. This explains the resent from the protagonist. He can never consider him as a relative. Let’s not forget that when the elder master moved from the house, only valet Kim remained by the main lead’s side, showing that all the other servants sided with Yoon Seung-Won and the father.

Therefore I come to the deduction that the younger master has been negatively influenced by his father. He definitely treats his brother like a possession, acts as a righteous person (chapter 37), while in reality he is just a hypocrite. I would even add, he is quite immoral. He lies about the illness, fakes letters in the sense that he uses his father’s name and authority. Then he utilizes social norms (“the right thing”), though he is well aware what the visit would mean for his brother. I also perceive an evidence of father Yoon’s influence in the younger master’s behavior: his words and behavior. Remember that I connected the lies to the protagonist’s dissociative episodes, indicating that the elder master must have punished his eldest son, when he imagined that he had been lied to. Observe the reaction Yoon Seung-Won has, when he realizes that Kim has been lying to him: (chapter 37)He gets outraged and yelled to the butler, although he is not the lord of the mansion. Striking is that he would have opened the door(chapter 37), if the painter hadn’t screamed through the door. Not recognizing the voice from the inside, the young man got surprised and stopped. And this single gesture outlines his disrespect towards his elder brother in reality. I had already observed his selfishness and lack of sensitivity, but with the new elements, I can definitely determine that the younger brother has indeed internalized father Yoon’s values. He treats servants and commoners like people with no right. His tone is quite strict, authoritative and rude. (chapter 37) This is not surprising that he requests his brother’s assistance in the end. He has experienced it first hand, has envisioned that through his father’s influence, he could manipulate the brother and get benefit from his increased fortune and influence. However, this time the lord didn’t follow his suggestion, since he has already started moving on. In fact, the younger lord was mocked through the main character’s following suggestion: Yoon Seung-Won should also live according to their father’s principles.

And now it is time to pay attention to the letter given by the valet Kim. In the first analysis, I had perceived his smile as a sign of his naivety. (chapter 37) But now, I would add another layer to this description. This picture could be judged as an evidence of his ruthlessness too, like my follower @nonoboy-oops suggested it. He exposes a certain satisfaction, although he used the lord’s fear of father Yoon for his own benefit. In his mind, he has achieved his goal and it doesn’t matter the way he obtained it. The manhwaphiles should remember that the lord had even difficulties to breathe and speak properly after the visitation, indicating how much the main character suffered during that conversation. (chapter 38) This reinforces the immorality and ruthlessness of the brother’s suggestion. With the letter, Yoon Seung-Won has the impression that in the end, the main lead bent to his will. This means that he is ignoring his brother’s reproach and rejection. But since the brother used their father’s name in order to approach his brother, it looks like, it was Yoon Seung-Won’s decision to utilize the brother. Even if this idea is not correct, and the father did use the younger son as a pawn to approach Yoon Seungho, this doesn’t diminish the atrocity of the younger master’s gesture. He is not just a pawn, but a real accomplice, because he knows his past but prefers his own comfort over his brother’s life. However, let’s not forget that during their conversation, the younger brother never spoke in the father’s name, like for example: “Father Yoon desires to reconnect with you and asks for a visit from you”. Even that way, the father’s honor would have been maintained, since the main lead was asked to pay a visit to their father unofficially. My final point for this interpretation is the importance of reputation in father Yoon’s eyes. The latter chose to act behind closed doors and maintain his image as a respectable aristocrat. By sending letters to his eldest son who is well-known in the mansion as an infamous sodomite, his image as strong lord is kind of tarnished. He is the one asking for help from his son… a humiliation in his eyes. Now, you can better comprehend why I believe that Yoon Seung-Won is not just a pawn in reality.

But let’s return our attention to the letter given to the younger master. I can’t imagine that the second character didn’t take a look at the content of the paper handed over by servant Kim. Since his visit was connected to a request concerning him, the paper was concerning him too, even if it was possibly addressed to the father. That’s why I am now thinking that Yoon Seung-Won must have seen the damaged painting. There is no doubt that his visit is connected to sponsoring and only Yoon Seung-Won can request his brother’s help and support. That’s the reason why I believe now, he looked at the content of the message. And now, if we take this approach into consideration, then this means that when he gave the letter to his father, he knew how the former would feel. Father Yoon would get mad at Yoon Seungho for his defiance, insult and disobedience. The latter was violating his rules. That’s why he said this to the servant. By putting the blame on his older brother, he excuses his father’s behavior for not showing more concern for him. He didn’t leave the bedchamber in order to bid farewell, because the lord had been troubled due to Yoon Seungho. The latter serves again as an excuse to save the appearances. By giving the ruined painting, Yoon Seungho was indeed determined to provoke his father. He shows him his hypocrisy and the consequences of his principles. At the same time, the ruined painting illustrates his message: the Yoon family will never get a benefit from his sexual performances (“damaged image”).

But what about Yoon Seung-Won? Why did he deliver the letter? If the letter was addressed to his father, then he had to. But if he was acting on his own, it becomes a different story. However, in both cases, he must have known the content. And with this approach, we can imagine why the younger master chose to give it to his father. First, he acted as a loyal and obedient son, reinforcing the prejudices the father has about his eldest son. Besides, he could be hoping that the father gets so infuriated that the latter decides to take action and employ his impressive strength and aura to oblige the eldest son to bend to his will. Yoon Seung-Won can only benefit from this. Let’s not forget that the father is still paying attention to his son’s moves, like Kim mentioned it in chapter 57.

As a final conclusion, Yoon Seung-Won doesn’t appear as pure and innocent, as his handsome face suggests it. He was already paying attention the painter’s presence and curious about his identity, since he was sitting by the master’s side, as if he was his companion. (chapter 37) Here, he envisioned that the lord’s companion was a noble due to the green hanbok. He is definitely more than just a pawn, in my eyes he has become a willing helper of father Yoon’s dictatorship, since he could profit from his situation. He is like an indoctrinated child, since he behaves like his father in a certain way. On the other hand, he has not completely lost a certain sense of morality. Since he is showing a certain discomfort during the conversation in chapter 37, it displays that he recognizes the wrongness of his request. But his interests are prioritized over his brother’s well-being. Another aspect is that he is not so brutal compared to his model, Father Yoon. But he has a common denominator with the elder master. He is also quite naïve. Hence Yoon Seungho could see right through his brother and his lies, just like the father. The master of the domain was well aware of the true purpose of his younger brother’s visitation: sponsoring. In the end, the younger master is forced to take the exam, like the scholar Jung In-Hun. I had imagined that their paths would cross, unaware that the learned sir would die before. There’s no ambiguity that Yoon Seung-Won would get annoyed and humiliated to hear that his brother chose a scholar with no connection and wealth over him.

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: The night of revelations – part 1 (second version)

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/

The story doesn’t progress much in chapter 63, as it is still the same night, where the painter is with the main lead in the storage room. Yet, this doesn’t signify that there’s no change in the relationship between the two protagonists. In fact, we could say that this is the night of revelations. In chapter 63, the manhwalovers get to hear two love confessions, although their form diverges: Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho’s. Here, the painter is on the verge to admit his affection for the lord, yet he is stopped by Yoon Seungho. The latter can’t believe his words, he only trusts the painter’s physical reactions. As for the master’s love confession, it couldn’t appease the readers and please them, since they were upset with the way the main character was treating the painter. The reason is simple: they identify themselves with the painter and as such, they would never accept abuse, which is totally normal. However, I believe that it is important to read this manhwa with a certain detachment and analyze the main lead’s words very carefully. The portrayed brutality overshadows the lord’s words, hence his opening up and gradual transformation doesn’t catch the readers’ attention. That’s why I will focus on the lord’s behavior and words in this essay, because through them, the artist discovers new aspects about his lover.

1. Interpretation of the landscape during that night

But before starting with the analysis of chapter 63, I would like to examine this night, in particular, how Byeonduck introduced it. This panel comes from chapter 62, and here what caught my attention is the dimension of the house compared to the sky and the moon. In the former similar pictures, it was the opposite. (chapter 33). Besides, the moon was rather in the center of the image. Here, the satellite seems so far away, while the mansion occupies the biggest part of the image. Since I had interpreted that the house is a metaphor for the painter and the moon for Yoon Seungho, this picture reflects the importance of Baek Na-Kyum in the aristocrat’s life. Baek Na-Kyum represents his whole world. However, since the moon is so small, I sense that this reflects the lord’s emotional and mental state. Yoon Seungho isn’t really himself, he is lost in his fears and insecurities.

2. Yoon Seungho the master

Another possible interpretation is the coming disappearance of the moon, announcing the rebirth of the phoenix. Furthermore, the moon is so distant illustrating the gap existing between the two lovers. At the same time, the huge mansion also reflects the cause for the distance between them. One is a lord, a noble who can treat the artist as he pleases, since the former is a servant. And this issue is actually visible in chapter 62 and 63. Yoon Seungho is using his right as master to define their relationship. That’s why he expresses his firm refusal to let the painter go on two occasions. And if you compare the two idioms, you’ll observe a progression, the increasing determination of Yoon Seungho to keep the painter by his side. In the first sentence, Yoon Seungho puts “That” as first, which indicates how much the artist means to him: he can not permit the artist to leave him. On the other hand, we could say that this sentence mirrors Yoon Seungho’s treatment towards the artist. The latter is considered as a possession, an object (“that”). I would even add that this sentence illustrates his actual position. Baek Na-Kyum has no right, hence he is not even mentioned here. The lord doesn’t say here: “I can’t allow you that”. Then in the second sentence (“I will never let you go”), the personal pronoun “I” appears first showing his strong will to make it happen. His needs are prioritized and the painter has to submit himself. The personal pronoun “you” referring to the low-born is used as an object, once again the expression mirrors their relationship: the one is a master and the other a servant. As the manhwalovers can detect, both sentences have something in common: it revolves around permission, reinforcing my conviction that the noble’s one of major issues in their relationship is his status.

This third love confession is strongly connected to his status as master. And there’s a reason for this sort of love declaration. In his eyes, he has no other way to keep the painter by his side. He is not expecting a sense of loyalty or duty from Baek Na-Kyum, as he believes, the latter ran away. As the lord of the mansion, he is the one with the upper hand.

Nonetheless, in the last panel, Yoon Seungho reveals his true thoughts and feelings, demonstrating that he is definitely opening up. For the first time, he shows his need for the painter. So far, he had never attached himself to others, even confessed a certain dependency on others, though he was definitely relying on Kim and his knowledge. On the other hand, he has always perceived the painter as a servant in the end, despite his claim that he didn’t consider him as such. (chapter 47) In my opinion, the painter could definitely confront him with his own lies, just like he did in chapter 26.

3. Yoon Seungho’s love confessions

And now, if we compare the aristocrat’s “love confession” in chapter 63 to the previous ones, we can detect a huge progression. (chapter 55) (chapter 58) and (chapter 63)

First, the manhwaphiles can observe that when the lord admitted his love for the artist for the first time, he kept his distance from the painter. The physical separation indicates his fear to reveal his true emotions. He definitely views this as a weakness and has the impression that he is exposed to danger. He is definitely protecting his heart by maintaining a space between them. In the second love declaration, the noble trapped the painter under his body displaying his fear that the painter might run away after a love confession from him. As you can observe, both love confessions had a huge difference. On the one side, the master encouraged the low-born to desert the mansion by opening the door and keeping his distance from Baek Na-Kyum. During the second love confession, Yoon Seungho was no longer willing to accept the artist’s escape. Since he had admitted his feelings and as such his dependency, the painter was forced to remain by his side. He had no other choice than to obey to his master.

However, both scenes have a common denominator. During these moments, the noble avoids the artist’s gaze. In chapter 55, he looks down, and in chapter 58, he only whispers it to the artist’s ears. Even when they are physically so close, the lord is attempting to hide his face on the painter’s chest. (chapter 62) For the first time, he hears Baek Na-Kyum’s heart, yet he is not ready to face the artist. This illustrates his huge insecurities. The main lead fears his own reflection. Nevertheless, in episode 63, this is totally different, as for the first time, the lord is looking at Baek Na-Kyum’s face directly, while admitting his dependency on the commoner. There is no physical distance and the master is starring at the artist and waits for his reaction. But here, he comes out as a strong person, because he utilizes his position as a master. This gives him the strength to face the painter. Yet, this is not what the latter desires too. He doesn’t want to be treated as an object or as a servant. That’s why I think, a real discussion is needed here. Does he really love him or does he just view him as a domestic? Furthermore, being in love is not a weakness and that’s what the low-born needs to show him. As you can observe, the lord utilizes now his position so openly to face his loved one. Only as a master, he has the power to claim Baek Na-Kyum as his partner.

Striking is that when the lord declared his feelings for the artist for the second time, he never said these words: I love you. Instead, he chose this: He admitted his defeat. Since he had lost the battle, he had become a wreck, making him very vulnerable. Whereas we all took it as a metaphor, the noble meant it literally. And now, we see the result of this defeat: he is indeed a wreck, hence he is blind and deaf. Moreover, it looks like the lord is unable to use his brain and notice the bruise on the painter’s wrist. He is emotionally unstable, because he had been forced to reveal his affection and vulnerability (dependency). According to his father’s doctrine, sex is a battle, therefore by confessing his love, he surrenders. And now, you understand why his father gave him such a role, absence of love is a synonym for independency and liberty. By attaching himself to the artist, he is in truth trapped himself. Now, the manhwaphiles can grasp, why the noble acted like that. The lord already viewed himself as a servant and object due to his love for the artist, but he was refusing to accept his position. In other words, he was in denial. That’s why he acts like a lord so openly.

On the other hand, by abandoning this rule (absence of love), we have to imagine that the lord must feel confused. He still thinks that every relationship is a balance of power and the painter’s confession did reinforce this impression. Remember that the artist treated the master as his sexual object, the one who will give him pleasure. The master could only perceive it as a power of force. Yoon Seungho doesn’t know, this is not correct, as he has never experienced it differently. Power relationship was the nature of his rapport with his own father. Just like he said, he has been living according to his father’s principles. In other words, the noble is no different from Baek Na-Kyum in the end. He was also exposed to coercive persuasion. This explicates why his last resort is to use his status as master to force Baek Na-Kyum to remain by his side. This is the only power he has over the commoner in his eyes. He is no longer expecting to be loved by the painter. Simultaneously, he is also revealing his true position: he is no longer free, dependent on the low-born.

4. Sex and power

Nevertheless, you can sense his powerlessness despite the use of his physical strength during this night, which the manhwaworms can detect in the following panel: The reason for his frailty is that in reality he is longing for something else. He wanted to obtain the painter’s love, hence he desired to be gazed with admiration and to see a smile on the painter’s face. However, he has no hope any longer. Just like I wrote it before, a confession from the painter was just a dream that would never come true. And his “escape” confirmed his doubts. Their magical night was just an illusion, and he became a victim of deception. The more he made positive experiences, the more he doubted his senses and reality. But the cause for this lack of trust and confidence is his self-hatred, which I had already pointed out. And now, I understand why he chose to impersonate the scholar. That way, he could feel love for the first time. By replacing the scholar, he could drop his self-hatred, for he was someone else. However, he got caught in his own trap. After this first experience, he longed for more and hoped for a renewal. But he imagined that by having sex would be enough, and realized the falseness of his belief. He imagined that his wealth and power would impress the artist, but he was proven wrong. His self-hatred is the reason why he is blind and deaf in the end. He has the feeling, he is not lovable. Yet, like he states, he was never able to receive a smile from Baek Na-Kyum. This shows that he would have treasured a smile from the low-born, revealing that despite owning the artist’s body, he has no control over Baek Na-Kyum’s heart and mind in the end. The tragedy is that he didn’t witness that his confession made the painter blush. He was definitely moved and happy. The rich main character’s impotence in front of the artist explains why he is using his sexual potency to submit the commoner. This is no coincidence why the lord is particularly rough in chapter 63. He is trying to compensate his impotence by using sexual power. Many readers could sense that this chapter was a new version of chapter 25, the rape at the pavilion.

However, this time, it is different for many reasons. First, the artist didn’t reject the lord, unlike in chapter 25. Here, the lord is reminding the artist, how he behaved during that night. He scratched his face and pushed him away. He even confessed that he loved the scholar Jung In-Hun. This panel reveals that the lord could never forget that night. He still remembers the rejection, which left a deep wound reinforcing his self-hatred. Yet, since the lord is wearing his mask of deception, we shouldn’t take the last sentence as face-value. If you recall that night at the pavilion, you could see, how mad, sad and pained the lord was for the rejection and how much he disliked the situation. He did feel remorse for his action later. That’s why I see this comment as a proof that he is surprised by the lack of resistance from the artist. He was expecting a different reaction.

The second difference I noticed is the following. Since the painter declared that they had just a sexual relationship, the master is using this aspect to torment the painter. Because they are just two naked bodies and he is a lord, he can treat the partner as a toy. He has the right to do so. It was, as if Baek Na-Kyum was getting punished for his lack of honesty in chapter 49 due to his fear. His lack of trust caused the lord to mistrust the painter either. This is the second wound Yoon Seungho is confessing. The lord imagined in chapter 25 that if they had sex again, then the artist would come to accept him and even love him. Back then, the lord had no idea, what he was expecting exactly. He couldn’t tell that he was looking for love. In his mind, he was longing for admiration in the gaze, for a smile and for a blushing face. He had the hope that he could get, what he desired, if they renew their Wedding night. Here we have the opposite. He is so convinced that he is not loved and will never obtain the painter’s heart, although this time, Baek Na-Kyum is truly loving him. Yet both incidents unveil the lord’s major flaw. The lord is again too dwelled in his own thoughts to perceive reality. He has lived for too long as a spirit in his mind that he is not able to see the truth in front of him.

The third divergence is that there’s actually a misunderstanding. While the painter is just asking the noble to stop, because he is exhausted and fears to show pleasure, the lord has the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is rejecting him totally, begging him to let him go forever. That’s the reason why the noble replies later that

5. “Never”

And now, you can understand what my next point will be: the word “never”. Striking is that this idiom is constantly present in Yoon Seungho’s mind. Here, it is implied due to the utilization of the different tenses (simple past – present). When he rejected his childhood friend, there was an allusion to never too (“not the slightest chance of ever”). And in chapter 63, it appears twice. This unveils the lord’s true mind. He will never be loved. However, while revealing his true thoughts, he expresses a positive emotion for the first time. He felt joy due to the painter’s words This is a huge step for the lord, which doesn’t escape Baek Na-Kyum’s notice. The painter is indeed surprised and moved in my opinion, although he doesn’t have the time to reply to this admission. The fact that the painter is looking at Seungho’s eyes without any fear or disgust indicates for me that Baek Na-Kyum is slowly grasping the noble’s state of mind. For the first time, he is discovering the lord’s insecurities and wounds. In the past, it was different, since the artist was himself blind and deaf due to Jung In-Hun’s abandonment and betrayal. He also avoided his lover’s gaze and didn’t pay attention to his words (chapter 49) Besides, during their rough sexual encounter, the painter’s mind is neither polluted by the scholar’s doctrines nor influenced by his negative emotional state. Even the idiom “never once” outlines the lord’s despair and pain. I believe that the artist is able to sense that the noble was in a similar situation than himself. Besides, let’s not forget that the artist heard about the main lead’s past from the doctor.

6. The significance of the shed scene

In the first version, I had voiced that the painter wouldn’t react, like the lord had anticipated and I was proven correct. When he got the opportunity to leave the mansion, Baek Na-Kyum refused to follow his sister. In my opinion, their interaction in the shed was the reason for his stay, while every one imagined that this would be the cause for his departure. Imagine the irony. Kim, Min and Heena all saw the wrecked Baek Na-Kyum, therefore they could only see it as mistreatment. Nonetheless, the painter heard, saw and sensed the lord’s despair and affection during this intercourse. Besides, observe that in the following picture, Baek Na-Kyum is neither avoiding nor fearing the aristocrat’s gaze. I couldn’t help myself connecting this to the scene in chapter 52, where the artist was wondering about the lord’s impenetrable gaze and his indifferent expression. By showing himself entirely, with his self-hatred and longing for love, the artist was sensitive enough to comprehend the lord’s state of mind. That’s why I see here another difference to the scene in chapter 25. This time, there is a real conversation, even if there’s a misunderstanding from Yoon Seungho. The lord is communicating his thoughts and emotions, although the conversation doesn’t start right away. In fact, the chronology differs. First, they have rough sex, but the moment the painter whispers Lord Seungho, the latter decides to turn around the artist and face him. This is the first time that Baek Na–Kyum calls him like that in his presence. This did catch his notice. Then when he detects the painter’s blush, he starts talking but this time, this is no longer a dialog of the deaf. This time, the lord is listening more to the artist’s words, exactly like I had anticipated. When the picture of a blushing Baek Na-Kyum was briefly released, I couldn’t restrain myself from associating this picture to the scene in chapter 35, where the lord decided to give it another try, after witnessing the painter’s blushing. After hearing “Lord Seungho” and seeing his red face, the lord is opening up, however his doubts and self-hatred are too deeply rooted in the aristocrat to have a huge revelation. He can’t believe that the painter is in love with him…. especially after the lord made him cry so much. That’s why at the end, he prefers relying on his status as master to claim the painter. His deep lack of confidence is strongly intertwined with the idea of happiness. He has the impression, he will never be able to make someone happy. The importance of the artist’s smile in his life illuminates two aspects:

  1. Yoon Seungho had no goal in his life before meeting the low-born. He was just living as a ghost. After their Wedding night, the noble hoped that he would become the source of happiness for someone. Making his partner happy would become his goal.
  2. He saw no meaning in his life. He was just the source of misery, shame and hatred. If he is able to make someone smile, then his life has a sense. That’s why he can start living properly.

As a first conclusion, the chapter 63 announced the coming breakthrough and this interpretation is proven correct. The painter was able to get a glimpse of Seungho’s true thoughts and emotions and accept it. He was no longer in denial about his lover’s adoration. After this night, he was more struggling with his own feelings. Exactly like I had predicted, this final transformation was accompanied with a tragedy and with huge pain. Yoon Seungho had to admit that his self-hatred led him to commit wrongdoings towards his loved one. Hence he was forced to give up on his title. He could no longer be a noble, as he had behaved like a “savage”. On the other hand, the painter had proven his “nobility” by remaining faithful and loyal despite the harsh treatment. Baek Na-Kyum’s empathy, endurance and courage pushed the lord to get rid of the terrible reflection the aristocrat had about himself. As the painter’s servant, Yoon Seungho is less pressured and he has the artist as role model.

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: Fire and darkness : Valet Kim – part 2 (second version)

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/

In the first part, I pointed out that the butler Kim was acting more and more on his own, leaving his role as servant behind. In other words, as time passed on, he was behaving more and more like Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho’s guardian. Striking is that guardian has two significations:

1. a warden –

2. “Guardian” means the person who, under court order, is the guardian of the person of the child or the public or private agency with whom the child has been placed by a court. This means that the guardian is responsible for the well-being of the child.

The irony is that in the first version, I used this word “guardian” to describe the butler, though I had the second meaning in my mind. For me, it was a synonym for surrogate father. But after chapter 65, my perception about valet Kim changed dramatically. Yet, the more I examined the manhwa, the more I could already discover new symbolisms related to the butler. I only realized in chapter 62 the true role played by valet Kim in the manhwa. In this terrible but terrific episode, two panels stroke my attention making me recognize, Kim would play a huge part in the noble’s liberation from his prison. To sum up, he would contribute to his release. Nonetheless contrary to the first version, the butler would free him against his will. How did I come up to this idea of the release? Observe the following panels:

What do they have in common? Yes, Kim is linked to doors, but more precisely to open doors. And now, if the manhwalovers recall all the episodes, where the valet appeared, they will confirm this observation. First, it starts with the episode 7 . Then in chapter 11, he is seen in three different panels, standing next to an open door. And notice that in the second drawing above, he even opens the door in order to bring the meal to the painter’s study, where his master wishes to eat. And this picture announces his future role as doorman, because he is the one, who opens the door in chapter 16. In my essay about Deok-Jae, I had explained, how the latter had used the valet to stop Seungho from having sex with the painter. The jealous servant had manipulated the butler letting him think that the lord was alone and had asked for him. Since Byeonduck liked the tweet where I mentioned his involvement, I saw it as a confirmation for my theory. However, during that incident, the loyal butler hid his identity in order to escape a possible punishment. His master could have punished him for opening the door without his consent and order. Hence he ran away. Simultaneously, the valet hoped that with the open door, the painter would be able to escape, and no servant would get punished except Baek Na-Kyum who had run away from him. He chose anonymity to cover up his wrongdoing. In this moment, he had become the invisible hand, which I noted as well, when I examined his involvement during the night of the rape. Note that Kim was the one, who allowed the painter to run away, yet he hid his participation again, as he was never present in the panels. Then I could add this panel from episode 56 , episode and episode 67: He kept opening the door.

But in order to prove my theory that Kim is a porter and as such Yoon Seungho’s jailer who will be forced to release him, I’ll bring up more pictures. But I won’t respect the chronology of Painter Of the Night, because I will need to examine certain scenes necessary for my interpretation. We can sense the connection between Kim and the door opening in chapter 37, where he attempts to stop Yoon Seung-Won from opening the master’s door . And this is no coincidence that the butler didn’t want the door to be opened. Since the lord was no longer acting like an obedient child , the valet recognized that he needed to keep Baek Na-Kyum by his master’s side so that the latter would become obedient again. This meant that the butler desired to offer the low-born as a plaything to his lord. That’s why the artist was drugged and had to be imprisoned next to Yoon Seungho. Then in chapter 17, Byeonduck created such a panel: In this scene, the butler kept the protagonist’s door closed. He acted, as if he had opened the door, while in reality he had never delivered his master the food. In this scene, the butler was indeed acting like a prison warden. And this observation led me to the following conclusion: the butler is only connected to door opening in the presence of Baek Na-Kyum. Therefore in episode 44 he waits by Baek Na-Kyum’s side in front of the open door. In this scene, the butler hoped that he would run away and abandon his master. He imagined that after the betrayal and abandonment from the scholar, the artist would be so heartbroken, that he would desert the mansion. Remember the noble’s words in that chapter: Why should he stay, if the learned sir had betrayed him?

During the second season, Byeonduck even used this function more obviously. In chapter 45, he is seen twice on the threshold of a building. And note, in the second panel he enters the mansion by pushing the door. And in this episode, the butler’s actions were related to the artist. Therefore I am presenting this theory. Kim would like the low-born to disappear from the mansion in the end, consequently the open door is a visualization of this mindset. That’s why we had this panel in chapter 67: Baek Na-Kyum’s presence in the mansion caused more trouble for the valet. He was indeed the artist’s warden. However, for the painter’s fate mirrors the master’s, this signifies that Kim played a similar function towards his master. He was his guardian, and as such his jailer. Moreover, I had connected the painter to the door which implicates that the noble would be associated to the door as well. And this means that little by little, Yoon Seungho’s position was affected. He would no longer be connected to the window, but to the door opening. This explicates why the open door is more and more related to the wealthy main lead.

But in order to be able to leave his prison, the protagonist had to not only remove the butler from his side, but also to open the door himself. And if you pay attention to the lord’s position to the door in the second season, you’ll remember certainly these panels:

  • : the noble opened himself the door and note that during that incident, Kim was not present!! This scene was important, as it already announced the lord’s liberation. This explicates why the second season ends in the town: He is now free just like the artist. The mansion is no longer a prison, but a home. This stood in opposition to the end of the first season, as it symbolized that the painter was trapped too. Since Yoon Seungho couldn’t leave the mansion, the painter became a prisoner as well.
  • Chapter 47: The door was open, but the readers never see him opening the door. He remained in the bedchamber too.
  • Chapter 48: He went to the painter’s study on his own, indicating that he was moving now more freely. Let’s not forget that during the first season, he often was accompanied by Kim (chapter 20 , chapter 22 the hunt , chapter 25 ). He was keeping an eye on his prisoner while faking he was there as his protector.
  • In chapter 50, the manhwaworms viewed him on the threshold of the scholar’s room. Here, the artist was not present, but he was the main topic of the discussion. What caught my attention is that the door was wide open, yet the lord was standing far away from the door. The readers didn’t even see him opening the door. Furthermore Kim’s position changed gradually, because he came closer to his lord and even entered the room. And the switch of position reflected his change of attitude. In the last picture, he was giving his lord an advice. He was no longer acting as the submissive and obedient servant, but as his advisor, which annoyed Yoon Seungho. Hence the lord has to remind him of his true position: he is just a domestic and not an advisor, a place reserved to a noble. But despite his scolding, the noble did listen to his “loyal butler”. With his words, he persuaded his master to keep his distance from the artist. Out of pity, the noble should resign. And now you comprehend why the noble had a relapse after this conversation. The butler was able to keep him in his cage. That’s why we never see him leave the room, a symbol for his cage. And this interpretation reinforces my theory that Kim was indeed responsible for Yoon Seungho’s Stockholm Syndrome. The chapter 50 truly showed that despite his social position, the butler saw himself superior to his master. He was not just the lord’s right-hand, but his heart and his mind. He got closer to his master and even gave his opinion, though he had not been asked. He had in reality usurped his position. To sum up, behind his submissive attitude, he behaved the exact opposite.
  • And now, if you compare the scene from chapter 50 with the pictures from chapter 62, you’ll detect the progression: The butler was outside of the shed, entered the room, while the noble was standing in front of the threshold. His face was in the darkness, because he was misled by Kim’s words. Triggered by the idiom “I do not believe”, the main lead was encouraged to think that he had been betrayed and abandoned by the artist, for belief and knowledge stands in opposition. However, their position mirrored the noble’s liberation. His mind was still trapped in the cage, but his body was slowly moving towards the door. Besides, let’s not forget that in that scene again, the noble had also opened the door, but the manhwaphiles couldn’t witness it one more time.
  • And the manhwaphiles can grasp the signification of the incident in chapter 64: The noble was actually overcoming his trauma. He opened the door which was strongly connected to his rape from his childhood. (chapter 65) Back then, the butler had not opened the door symbolizing that the domestic was covering up the crime. He only opened the door after the incident and made sure that this secret would remain in the room. (chapter 65). Consequently, he had to blame the victim and make him feel guilty. By reliving his trauma and exposed to his biggest fear, the lord was able to move on. This explicates why he had sex with Baek Na-Kyum in the open afterwards. This was strongly connected to his huge guilt caused by the butler’s manipulations after the first rape. He needed to show that there was nothing wrong and he shouldn’t feel guilty. Yet, there’s no ambiguity that this action was done unconsciously. While the painter was using the closed door to hide his sexuality and homosexuality, the closed door for Yoon Seungho represented the noble’s trauma: the first rape which marked his road to hell. This elucidates why the butler is associated to the darkness which is perceptible in the following panels: (chapter 33) (chapter 37) (chapter 62) (chapter 65) His face or body is always standing in the shadow. This explicates why he often works in the shadow. This is an evidence that the butler is related to darkness.
  • But the final liberation from his jailer happened in episode 68: This is no coincidence that the noble was even seen opening the door. The butler was able to escape a punishment from his lord with his words (pity for the painter and his terrible portrait resembling his father), yet at the end the butler ends up in the backyard. Note the absence of the door, a sign of his loss of power. He has to lie low, as the main lead is no longer trusting him. This picture represents the butler’s position. He kept his master captive, but the moment the latter liberated himself, the butler could no longer rule the courtyard. That’s why he lives in the backyard which was already announced in chapter 65. Out of fear for his life, he prefers living in a secluded area. Yet, this doesn’t mean that this is the end for Kim… the noble has not discovered his multiple betrayals yet. Remember that the lord has not even recovered from his amnesia.

However, this essay is also referring to light. Striking is that the butler is linked to light as well. How is it possible? In chapter 20, Kim was the only witness of their “Wedding night” and strangely, he was standing next to the open door with a light. And his connection to fire is even shown in another scene. (chapter 36) The domestic is not only related to the open door, but also to light. Light is often associated to knowledge and wisdom, hence the philosophical movement in 18th Century in Europe is called “Enlightenment”. The philosophes and scientists desired to transform their society and government into better ones, bringing technological progress, knowledge, especially liberty and equality to people. They wanted to free the people’s mind from obscurantism imposed by absolute monarchy and Church. On the other hand, you’ll notice that Kim’s light is covered by glass or paper. (chapter 25) This is important, for it symbolizes that the butler is not only possessing knowledge, but also he is not sharing it. Moreover, the readers shouldn’t forget that Church in Middle-Age was the owner of knowledge. Only clergy could write and read. Universities were in the hands of clergymen. Besides, in many religions, candles are used for prayers. I can’t help myself thinking about Karl Marx’s quote: “Religion is the opium of the people“. Therefore I come to the following conclusion. Kim is also a priest, but he embodies the Church from Middle-Age. Since I am a teacher in European History, my readers can understand why I am drawing parallels between the butler and Christian Church from Middle-Age.

These were the functions from Church in Middle-Age:

  • a protective and social role: Charity towards the poor (chapter 68), care of the sick (chapter 33) (chapter 57), channelling the violence of the “bellatores” (those who fight) thanks to the Peace of God and the Truce of God. Remember how he stopped his master from killing Jung In-Hun in chapter 27 by sending the white-bearded domestic.
  • judicial role: ecclesiastical justice. This means that the clergy could order the arrest of heretics, but for that the religious institution needed the intervention of the local lord. That’s why we have this scene: (chapter 65) The lord is the butler’s sword. While the butler was judging the physician, Yoon Seungho was presented as the executioner of the sentence. Besides, the Church could also exercise seigneurial justice on its lands. Therefore the manhwaphiles could witness how the valet gave a punishment to Deok-Jae: clean up the mess. (chapter 47) Both sentences had a common denominator: hypocrisy, because in the first case, the butler was covering up his own participation and in the second case, the vicious servant didn’t feel remorse after that sentence.

Economic role: the Church became rich thanks to its levies (the tithe), donations, and the role of landlord that it held on its lands, while preaching humbleness and selflessness. You could detect the butler’s power and wealth, as he could dress up like a noble (chapter 45) (chapter 57) and even walk around without his master’s authorization.

Cultural role: The Latin language was preserved by the Church. The Church taught through libraries and scriptoria. And knowledge is power, that’s why Kim keeps preaching this philosophy: . Ignorance is a blessing for him, since he could manipulate his master and the staff, a similar attitude of The Church from Middle-Age.

Political role: the power of the king is sacred. The threats of excommunication displayed the power of the Church on the political life and on Kings. In The Holy Roman Empire (Germany), Henry IV. got excommunicated by the Pope Gregory VII in 1066 which marked the beginning of Investiture Controversy. I won’t go into details, but this battle between the German Emperor and The Pope was important, as it was to determine which authorities was higher: The temporal authorities (King/Emperor) or the religious institution (The Pope). In the long run, the Church could only lose its power. It started with the Renaissance and the invention of letterpress printing which allowed people to have access to books and as such to knowledge. But the increasing loss of power of The Church reached a new peak with the new philosophical current Enlightenment. And if you pay attention to the protagonist, you could perceive a parallel between the fear of excommunication in Middle-Age and Yoon Seungho’s abandonment issues.

And this comparison made me realize this. Kim is also a priest, but he should be more associated to the Middle-Age and as such obscurantism. This explicates why he is alone and dislikes sex and homosexuality. That’s the reason why why he is single reminding us of the vow of chastity and his video was in black and in white: a combination of darkness and light. Besides, as a priest, it explicates why he is a reinforcer of traditions and social norms. Just like the Church in Middle-Age, he knows a lot but he keeps it to himself. He only reveals certain elements, when it serves his own interests. From my point of view, his “knowledge” is used for deception. The light is a diversion, he only revealed semi-truths or he was paltering, meaning that he delayed to expose the truth to his master. We had the perfect example in chapter 50. When he explained the content of the conversation in the library, he created the impression that the painter had not chosen his master. He has not run away, as he was wounded. The truth is that he had indeed selected Yoon Seungho as his master. He had remained by his side, though the door was wide open. Kim never exposed the event at the door in chapter 44 and the escape in chapter 46. He couldn’t divulge this, since this would represent a confession of his crimes: encouraging the artist to leave the mansion or not following his master’s order properly. That’s why I see here another confirmation that Kim’s knowledge and light is a symbol for his manipulations. Furthermore, the lamp doesn’t ooze warmth, a sign that there’s no genuine affection between the domestic and the main leads.

One might argue that in chapter 25, Kim is associated to a closed door, hence this would refute my theory. However, if you look carefully, the nice servant is actually opening the door, visible thanks to the sound. In fact, this image mirrors Kim’s actual situation and disposition. He tried to bury the truth, and it ended in a disaster. Here, he was running away, because he didn’t want to face his guilt. At the same time, this image reflected his role in the manhwa: He was the jailer and the invisible hand, which would pull the strings in the shadow, helped the painter from the shadow for his own interests and not for Baek Na-Kyum’s sake. That’s why I judge the chapters 62-63-64 as a new version of that fateful night in the first season (25-26-27-28). This significates that Kim contributed to Yoon Seungho’s release with his actions. Let’s not forget that in chapter 29, he remained silent and was sweating, because in his mind, the scholar and the painter were now on the run. They acted, as if they had no idea. And this situation occurred again in chapter 64: He feigned ignorance and blindness, nonetheless the truth is that he recognized the nature of the incident. He was reminded of the past. That’s the reason why the butler’s memory resurfaced in the next morning. The only difference to the first season is that during the sex marathon the liberation was not physical, but mental. The noble was freeing himself from the shackles from his past.

However, the most significant connection to the open door occurred in chapter 35. Here, he opened not only the door, but also the windows. Furthermore, he even let the door open while tidying his master’s room. Whereas this scene didn’t seem to have a huge signification, it became a different meaning now, when we associated the valet to a warden. Due to Kim’s actions, the lord witnessed the intimate interaction between the scholar and the artist in the courtyard. By opening the window, the lord was confronted with a certain reality. Despite the sex marathon, he hadn’t won the painter’s heart, as the latter was still affected by Jung In-Hun’s gestures and words. But Kim did it on purpose: the so-called light and knowledge created the illusion that the painter was unfaithful. In fact, Seungho could never witness the low-born’s several disappointments. Due to Kim’s intervention, the lord became so jealous and infuriated, that he grabbed his sword, ready to kill the artist. In my mind, the lord was also suicidal here. However, nothing happened back then, as the artist didn’t leave the mansion. Like lord Seungho pointed out, if he had stepped out, he would have killed him. This scene had another signification: the lord was slowly getting closer to the mansion’s door. And since the valet was by his side, he saw his master’s jealousy and insecurities. The latter was again on the verge to become mad and suicidal. The domestic recognized, how desperate and dangerous the aristocrat was during that morning and hoped, the noble would kill Baek Na-Kyum with his own hands. This situation happened again in chapter 61: However, this time the lord’s murdering tendency was triggered by the servants’ statement: he had run away. The assistant had in reality manipulated the staff. He had learned that he could no longer feign ignorance like in the past (chapter 29). Hence he used belief for his scheme. That’s why I believe that in chapter 62, the butler chose to influence his master directly , for the first attempt to manipulate him through his domestics had already failed. The lord hadn’t killed the artist, but brought him back to the mansion. At the same time, it becomes comprehensible why Kim is also associated to light, for belief is a synonym for religion. With “belief”, he is able to manipulate people, therefore Jihwa keeps repeating “I know”. He believes that he possesses knowledge, while in truth he knows nothing, for he can not understand the main lead’s suffering.

And now imagine, the protagonist had the impression that the artist had left his side, although this time he had confessed for real. Since the artist was no longer refusing his advances and even called his name during the night, he came to the conclusion, that the artist must have faked everything, which is even worse than before. And now, the manhwaphiles can comprehend why I came to the idea that the valet would be linked to the opening of the door. Notice that during the last two chapters, he entered the room and spoke to his master. (chapter 61) (chapter 62). In the last picture, he was even siding to the artist, since he was kneeling next to Baek Na-Kyum. Not only his words, but also his position seemed to reflect his thoughts. But this was a subterfuge. It looked like he was defending the artist, while in reality, he was encouraging his master to “believe” his “fears”. No wonder why the lord was infuriated. Deep down, he sensed that he was pushed to punish the painter for his betrayal and abandonment. The aristocrat threatened him with a terrible punishment. He might lose his tongue, if he kept encouraging his mistrust towards Baek Na-Kyum. In my opinion, the butler feared that his involvement in the abduction could be revealed. Remember my observation that the butler covered up NAmeless’ traces. This is not surprising that the butler kept looking at the door and visited his lord later. (chapter 61) The reason for his visit was the painter’s reaction. This time, the domestic could observe the artist was still alive, but more importantly he could move freely in the shed. For me, although it appears like Kim was showing concern for the low-born, the reality was that he was worried about his own safety and survival. Baek Na-Kyum could reveal how he got abducted and the noble might question his butler’s whereabouts and actions.

In the first version, I had predicted Kim’s intervention which turned out to be true and false at the same time. He approached the barn, but he didn’t help the poor commoner. This night revealed his true personality: his hypocrisy and cowardice. Exactly like I had envisaged, he had been a witness of the noble’s first rape, but he chose to forget this event. If he didn’t take it to heart, he wouldn’t feel terribly guilty. In that chapter he truly acted like a prison guardian, and we could say that in truth the light was only following him and not the main leads. Under this new aspect, the manhwaphiles can grasp why Jung In-Hun and Kim are so similar. Both are like priests using social injustice and social norms to their own advantages. That’s why they were seen together in chapter 7: Both represented the darkness of the mind. The readers will certainly recall that the scholar is not attempting to teach the commoners and Baek Na-Kyum properly. And this leads me to the final conclusion: Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho are in reality the light and fire (chapter 57) (chapter 62), this explicates why the lord could find the door and open it.

But he couldn’t open the painter’s study in chapter 68 for one simple reason. Baek Na-Kyum had to do it himself too. Yoon Seungho had liberated himself thanks to his lover. The painter had to make the same experience. By opening the door and not following his sister, he was making the following statement to the protagonist: he was no prisoner, he had chosen Yoon Seungho as his master. Moreover, he was accepting his homosexuality and his relationship with the main lead.

On the other hand, the butler’s retreat in the backyard doesn’t mean a complete defeat for the domestic. He still represents a source of danger for the two protagonists. That’s why I have the feeling that he could collaborate with the scholar, for I believe that their desires will be aligned. First, Yoon Seungho could abandon the learned sir so that Min approaches the scholar. Since Kim’s biggest wish is to remove the painter from his master’s side, he will work again for Black Heart.

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.

Painter Of The Night: Animals and predictions

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.

This is not an analysis but again a new prediction. There’s a reason why I suddenly came up with this idea. It all started with a tweet created by @YourMorbidMoot where the wolf symbolizing Yoon Seungho is tamed by Baek Na-Kyum, the innocent rabbit. When I saw this very cute story, it made me smile because it illustrates the taming of the main protagonist.

Simultaneously, I couldn’t help myself thinking about my essay called “Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum as animals” [https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/painter-of-the-night-yoon-seungho-and-baek-na-kyum-as-animals/] where I had explained that for me, the eagle and the lamb would represent much better Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum respectively. The readers must know that as soon as I wrote the essay mentioned above, I started associating the characters with animals. The weirdest thing is that I couldn’t restrain myself noticing that the nobles were always represented by birds (or flying animals), while the commoners like Baek Na-Kyum, Deok-Jae or valet Kim were rather domestic animals. With this expression, I mean these animals are part of a mansion. This is what I had found so far:

Yoon SeunghoEagle
Jung In-HunPeacock (snake-chameleon)
MinMagpie – crow (snake)
Father Yoon„Dragon“ (snake)
Lee JihwaPheasant – crane
Yoon Seung-WonDuck
Baek Na-KyumLamb
Valet KimDog
Deok-JaeRat (greedy, materialistic, rats out his master)

This is not surprising that the dog symbolizes valet Kim, as he is loyal, strong, caring but also protective and defensive. He follows his master everywhere and is able to find him very quickly, like in the chapter 57. Let’s not forget how he yelled at Deok-Jae for his so-called prank. It was as if he was barking at the vicious domestic.

But then, I realized that I had actually made a mistake. Yoon Seungho was indeed a bird, not an eagle. In fact, he was a phoenix, hence we see him wearing this robe during that fateful night. The next morning, he is no longer wearing it. He gave his robe to the painter as cover. It definitely marks the moment of his “death” and announces his rebirth. It has not occurred yet, since he is still feverish but we should consider it as a part of his rebirth: he rises from the ashes. It becomes clear that the rebirth of a phoenix is related to fire and you all know the expressions “to burn a fever” or “to burn out a fever”. As you can observe, fever is indeed linked to fire. That’s why I came to the realization that Yoon Seungho is in reality a phoenix which would explain why father Yoon was so jealous of his son. How can a dragon exist next to a phoenix? Both are mystical animals, yet let me remind my readers that father Yoon has only the eyes of a dragon, he’s not a real dragon. Nonetheless, my association to a bird for Yoon Seungho was actually correct , it’s just the choice of the bird was wrong.

Then I had explained that Jihwa considered himself as a crane and thought, he would bring good fortune to Yoon Seungho, hence he dressed up with such beautiful clothes. However, my perception was that he was misjudging himself, he was just a gold pheasant. That’s why I feared for his life after reading the first season. Since the start of the new season, I had to review my prediction and now I believe that he will get terribly hurt. My thoughts were that he would either lose his title or get a scar… due to a big injury. I came to this belief after recognizing that this character is very similar to Baek Na-Kyum. Since the latter got raped in the first season, I am anticipating that the noble will suffer a lot as well. It will take him a while before he becomes a true crane and that’s only because of his fateful encounter with Nameless. But as Jihwa is the mirror of Baek Na-Kyum, this means that the painter is actually a crane too. And this is definitely no coincidence that in the chapter 45, Baek Na-Kyum is covered with a cloth where the pattern contains cranes. That’s why I came to the conclusion, Baek Na-Kyum is actually a crane but due to his social status, he was a lamb. I have to admit that in the manhwa “Serene Bird” which is very similar to “Painter Of The night”, the pure and innocent Yoo Chung is called a crane by the seme which can only reinforce my interpretation. Baek Na-Kyum is the one who will bring good fortune, freedom, honor, royalty, happiness, balance, grace, prestige and love to our protagonist Yoon Seungho.

But based on my observations, if the painter is a crane, this means that he has to become a noble. For me, Baek Na-Kyum will turn into a crane thanks to Yoon Seungho’s aura and support. Therefore I came up with this idea. What if Yoon Seungho decides to ennoble the painter after the first attempted assassination? You might ask why. The reason is simple. There’s a first attempted assassination and the valet Kim becomes the victim, while he protects the artist. Let’s not forget that he is a dog, very protective and determined. But since he ‘s a low-born, no one can get punished. Yoon Seungho might have power but since this is a norm among nobles not to go after the nobles responsible for a commoner’s death, the protagonist can’t use officials in order to get justice. They might suffer some inconveniences but they won’t be punished harshly, like losing their title. However, this incident makes the main character realize that in order to protect his lover, he needs to elevate his social status.

But in order to make its possible, he uses Jung In-Hun, the noble he sponsored. Let’s not forget that he promised him a position in exchange for a favor. Imagine the humiliation for Jung In-Hun. He is indeed used by the powerful seme and has to confirm that Baek Na-Kyum is a noble in exchange for the sponsorship. We shouldn’t forget that the painter’s origins are unknown and the head gisaeng handed over the artist to the low noble, implying that the latter had become his official guardian. In other words, Jung In-Hun is forced to admit that the artist is a noble, even worse, he might be even related to him. The manhwalovers are well aware that no one knows about the painter’s origins, except the scholar. The servant who investigated the identity of the unknown creator has been killed. As for the women from the brothel, they would never reveal his true origins since they are well aware of the negative repercussions.

And that’s how the painter becomes a noble. But in order to appear and act like a noble, he needs to be educated, hence the seme becomes his real teacher. The artist starts wearing a topknot and is now treated like a real noble. Let’s not forget that in the chapter 38, the painter claimed in front of the staff, he was not a servant. Secondly, the scholar arrived at the mansion shortly after the painter’s occurrence. Third, when his study was always next to the lord’s chamber and he was sleeping in a bed reserved for a master. Even the doctor got confused because the painter was dressed like a low-born but he was sleeping in a nice bed, when he examined him for the first time.

Imagine how Jung In-Hun must feel, when he witnesses Baek Na-Kyum’s elevation of status and he becomes the helping hand. He must be infuriated. The question is if Jung In-Hun really gets his position like Yoon Seungho had once told him. It’s definitely possible that the lord decides to keep his promise under the condition that Jung In-Hun admits to be related or be a witness that Baek Na-Kyum is a noble. The jealous man can only resent the protagonist even more than before and decides to join hands with father Yoon. Both want to get revenge on the main lead for not acknowledging them as superior. That’s why they start working together and since the father used prostitution to have connections, he might use the same strategy but this time, Jung In-Hun is the pawn. I still maintain this idea that the low noble will experience a downfall (total loss of integrity), too blinded by his arrogance, desire of revenge and his worldview.

By turning the painter into a noble, Yoon Seungho ensures that his lover is protected, however I doubt that Min decides to give up on him. Besides, it’s definitely possible that this ennobling happens afterwards so that Min can’t escape a punishment. I think, everything will be more difficult for Min to get his hands on the painter after the attempted assassination. And this leads me to think that Min might join forces with father Yoon and Jung In-Hun.

Since we have a transformation of the main lead, the rebirth of a phoenix, it is definitely possible that the painter metamorphoses into a crane. He was a lamb and becomes a crane. With a title, the artist is now allowed to visit the Royal Academy. I also believe that we could also witness a transformation with Jihwa but first he will have to suffer a lot before losing completely his innocence and changing into a real man with a good heart.

Let’s take a look at the table again but this time, with the new discoveries:

Yoon SeunghoPhoenix
Jung In-HunPeacock
MinMagpie – crow
Father Yoon„Dragon“
Lee JihwaPheasant – crane
Baek Na-KyumCrane
Valet KimDog
 Nameless Wolf

As you can observe, I added Nameless and connected him to the wolf. This animal lives in a pack, where there’s a leader, the alpha. We know for sure that Nameless is not acting on his own, he has minions. The wolf has a very fearsome reputation, can be ruthless and brutal, just like Nameless. Simultaneously, a wolf can leave the pack for a while and act on his own. At the same time, a wolf is very loyal and protective which the criminal does, when it comes to Jihwa. A wolf can definitely be tamed too, yet it still keeps his dangerous aura.

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