Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/ghost_nocturne https://www.lezhin.com/ko/comic/night_song But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link, if you are interested in other manhwas: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/ And these are the links to the other analyses about The Ghost’s Nocturne: 1. The Mysterious Jae Shin 2. The fragile but powerful prince 3. Devoted curses
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Because the Ghost’s Nocturne’s first season has just ended, I felt the need to examine this terrific manhwa again. In addition, it was necessary, as I had developed certain theories like for example Jae Shin and Queen Han Chae-Hee were both the children of a god and a human. Though the side stories in English have not been released it yet, one chapter confirmed my theory. But actually, this thesis was already proven correct much earlier. You’re probably going to ask when exactly, right?
1. Fate, water and nails
The author left all the clues in chapter 31. 😯 The most conclusive evidence is that Jae Shin has a fate 
(chapter 31) which stands in opposition to the gods and Jae Shin’s brothers. Yeomra and his sons have no fate, for they all have one task: to lead the deceased to the afterlife and judge them so that they can be reincarnated. 
(chapter 31) But since the main lead has a fate, I deduce that his “life” is connected to death and as such it is not eternal. Under this new perspective, you comprehend why I added the coffin ⚰️ as emoji in the title. Fate insinuates mortality. Observe that he changed from a little boy to a grown-up. 
(chapter 15) However, his transformation took centuries and this can be explained with his father’s immortality. The proof for his long life are his nails. 
(chapter 31) It must have taken him centuries to have them long. Besides, I can imagine that there exists no time in the afterlife, because immortality is a synonym for eternity. For the brothers are immortals, they have no real notion of time. Hence they employed the idiom “it feels like it was only yesterday”. Nonetheless, Jae Shin definitely chose to keep his nails long in order to distinguish himself from humans. That’s the reason why he was introduced with long nails. 
(chapter 5) This is no coincidence that his hand is connected to magic and supernatural powers. But imagine he chose to lose his long nails after being kissed from Lee Nok. 
(chapter 22) It happened, when the puppy got adopted. The Crown Prince started considering the cute dog as his family, the moment he decided to give him a name. We could say that this was like an adoption. 
(chapter 22) Though Jae Shin disliked the name, his heart melted, as soon as he got embraced by his lover. 
(chapter 22) Therefore it is not surprising that he returned the kiss to The Crown prince. 
(chapter 22) This is important, because through this scene, the manhwaphiles could observe two important changes. Jae Shin discovered that he could make the Crown Prince happy, he could be his source of comfort and joy. Under this new light, it becomes understandable why Jae Shin had a different perception of the mortal world after that scene. His heart had started beating for Lee Nok. 
(chapter 22) Thus he chose to renounce his long nails on one hand. 
(chapter 22) What took him years or probably centuries to grow vanished within a few seconds. The loss of his long nails is the sign that Jae Shin is slowly turning into a human.
But there is more to it. Striking is that when the protagonist confided to his puppy his thoughts about the main lead 
(chapter 31), Jae Shin desired to know more what his lover thought about him. 
.(chapter 31) He was left unsatisfied. He desired to know how much he meant to him. This reflects Jae Shin’s gradual interest and growing affection towards the main lead. As you can see, Lee Nok is slowly opening up his heart and mind to the puppy Jae Shin, and it is the same for the Ghost prince. The gentle and caring Crown prince’s words can only affect the protagonist.
Then I suddenly realized that this was the place where both had met for the first time. 
(chapter 1) The pavilion has a huge significance not only in this story, but in manhwas in general. First, the pond with the pavilion is the symbol for the humble and dedicated scholar. Why? It is related to the lotus, which is strongly intertwined with Confucianism and Buddhism.
“In both Confucianism and Buddhism, the lotus flower is seen as a symbol of honest poverty and virtue associated with an aloofness. Poverty and virtue come from the fact that lotus flowers grow in muddy and dirty waters, yet it still has such beauty.” Quoted from https://www.korea.net/TalkTalkKorea/Spanish/community/community/CMN0000004263#:~:text=In%20both%20Confucianism%20and%20Buddhism,it%20still%20has%20such%20beauty.
Consequently, the plant came to represent the upright and faithful scholar. This new meaning was based on Chinese wordplay—lotus (lian) and uprightness (lian) which are homonyms. This explicates why during Joseon period, Korean neo-Confucian scholars loved having quadrangular ponds with lotus flowers in their propriety. This is not surprising that the Crown Prince has a huge pond, as he serves as the role model of all the scholars. Hence he was tasked by his own father to preside the next civil service examination. 
(chapter 32) And what do these two scenes have 
(chapter 22)
(chapter 31) in common? Water!! Look at the colors the artist C.-R. Jade utilized for Jae Shin’s fall from the building. Blue and green… an allusion to water. Besides, I had already pointed out that water served as a connection between the two worlds. This means that Yeomra’s beloved son was following his destiny. Exactly like the father had predicted. 
(chapter 3) This is no coincidence that Yeomra met the other deities at a pavilion in the end. The ruler of the Underworld is aware that nothing can be changed. Not even the meddling of ghosts or evil spirits or a god can affect Jae Shin’s destiny which is to become a human. In the past, he gave up on his humanity, for he had to witness the loss of his mother. The latter wouldn’t remember him after her death and reincarnation. This must have pained Jae Shin, since it was, as if he had never existed. Only his immortal brothers and father knew about his existence. The irony is that the protagonist has no idea that his decisions are all predetermined. He has the impression that he is making his own decisions. This panel reflects the contradiction perfectly. (chapter 22) He thinks, he made the decision on his own (meet the prince), yet he chooses his fate, to follow the flow of “water” and as such destiny.
But since he is becoming more and more human thanks to Lee Nok, it is not astonishing that he decided to remain in the human world during Chilseok. The reason is simple. What distinguishes humans from gods is pain! Thus Yeomra and the other gods from the afterlife are connected to punishment. 
(chapter 1) This helps them to be impartial and as such just, for they can’t suffer. This means that the protagonist was accepting torment and pain for the Crown Prince’s sake. 
(chapter 31) Naturally, he denied his growing attachment in front of his brothers, yet he couldn’t fool them. Interesting is that the ghost prince justified his choice by imagining that during that night his sex partner would be harassed by many ghosts. 
(chapter 31) However, the reality was the exact opposite. 
(chapter 31) The ghosts wouldn’t approach him. Thus I deduce that Chilseok is only affecting Jae Shin and not the other spirits. But why?
2. Chilseok and Jae Shin
In order to get an answer, it was necessary to investigate the signification of Chilseok. And guess what I discovered, these festivities are connected to a forbidden love story. 😮
“On opposite sides of the universe lived Jiknyeo, a young woman who was very good at weaving clothes and Gyeonwu, a young handsome herder of cattle. Jiknyeo was the daughter of the heavenly King and she was so beautiful that she was loved by all of the angels in heaven. One day as Jiknyeo was weaving, she looked out of the window and caught a glimpse of Gyeonwu who was living across the Milky Way. The two soon fell in love and with the blessing of the King they were united to marry and live together. The young couple were so in love that Jiknyeo stopped weaving clothes and no longer would Gyeonwu herd the sheep and cows. This upset the King very much and he decided that they should live apart from each other, separated by the Milky Way.
Only once a year were the couple permitted to meet each other, on the seventh day of the seventh month. On July 7th each year, although Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu were excited to meet each other, they couldn’t cross the Milky Way. The crows and magpies of the universe saw the despair of the young couple and would come together to make a bridge so that they could meet and hug. After spending a short time together, the couple would realize that it would be another year before they could meet again and they would both cry. It is these tears which symbolizes the start of the monsoon season.” Quoted from https://asiasociety.org/korea/chilseok-traditional-korean-valentine%E2%80%99s-day
As the manhwalovers can imagine, as soon as I read this, I couldn’t help myself suspecting that Ananas had chosen this “impossible love story” as a source of inspiration for The Ghost’s Nocturne. Since we have a forced separation and two different kind of people, I think that in her manhwa, the legend about Chilseok is actually based on the love story between Yeomra and Jae Shin’s mother. I don’t think that the god of the Afterworld could leave his palace so easily and for a long time. And now you comprehend why Jae Shin was suffering so much during that night. 
(chapter 32) 
(chapter 32) It is related to his origins and as such birth. However, he is not the only one suffering from Chilseok. Queen Han Chae-Hee is going through the same painful experience. 
(chapter 34) However, contrary to the Crown Prince, she can not choose, for she is now attached to the palace. This can only reinforce my thesis that she is exactly like Jae-Shin, the child of a god and a human. Because the authors created similar panels (chapter 32) 
(chapter 34), it becomes really obvious that these two figures are completing each other. Why? It is related to Taoism philosophy: the harmony of yin (red-black-female) and yang (blue-white-male). Consequently, I deduce that the Queen and the ghost prince were actually destined to be together, but someone intervened. This means, he didn’t believe in fate.
3. The blind man and his words
If you have already read my essay “Devoted curses”, you are already aware that for me, the blind man is a god from the afterlife. 
(chapter 30) And now, I can prove this theory. First of all, I detected the presence of Yeomra’s palace in this picture. 
(chapter 1) The shape of the building is the same. This means that the speaker had already been there. Only agents and other people connected to the afterworld can appear there. In addition, no human can remember the palace once reincarnated. Then, the pupil of his eyes reflected 
(chapter 30) the red spider lily, the flower from the afterlife. That’s the reason why Jae Shin has red spider lilies as earrings in the cover. This eye we are here seeing is the man’s third eye which looks like a wart. 
(chapter 30) I had already speculated that the vicious Queen had received her eyes from her father. 
(chapter 8) Hence he is blind now. Moreover, I couldn’t restrain myself from associating this red eye (chapter 30) to Sauron’s in Lord of The Rings From Tolkien.
This monarch was not originally evil, but due to his greed and ambitions, he got corrupted and became the symbol for tyranny and evil. He became a monster, and later even an evil spirit. However despite everything Sauron got defeated and this twice. Each time when he believed to have won, he was caught by surprise and as such by misfortune. He always lost his power due to the loss of a ring. It was, as if the spirit was trying to fight against his destiny, overlooking that his power was not natural, but based on a small item, a ring. And I feel that the blind man is acting the same way, trying to defy destiny. I would like to point out that his question (chapter 30) implied a certain surprise, he was left in the dark how the Crown Prince was able to meet the ghost prince. Let’s not forget that the protagonist lives in seclusion in the palace, and all his moves are monitored. Besides, when he leaves the palace, he is always followed by guards and his childhood friend. In other words, the man was wondering how it was possible that these two men could meet. He has no idea that Jae Shin was turned into a little white dog. 
(chapter 1) The word creature is really ambiguous, it can refer to an animal or to a human.
Finally, his meddling can be perceived, when he used prejudices to sow the seeds of doubt in Lee Nok. He described Jae Shin, as if he was like any other ghost. He compared him to a terrible beast. 
(chapter 34) His warning was to push the Crown Prince to reject Jae Shin and put his distance from him. The irony is that his words were actually describing himself. He appeared the most human, as he was weak and blind, yet his intention is not well-meant. Bringing the couple apart signifies that Lee Nok is left unprotected. He can become the target of humans and ghosts. Striking is that the artist Jade employed black and red as colors, when the main lead remembered his words. This is no coincidence, as the old man (chapter 30) is also connected to red and black. I would even add to fire which contrasts to water. (chapter 22) As you can perceive, he is fighting against the flow of life and as such against fate. He stands for the opposite principle of Yeomra’s 
(chapter 31)
4. Fate or choice?
But why are they thinking so differently? From my perspective, their different vision originates from their own perception about humans. Don’t forget that Yeomra’s role is to judge the deceased, and if my theory is correct about the blind man (4th god), then he also judges and sentences them. While the other chose to see the positive side in humans, the other came to view them as weak, greedy and bad, hence they are punished. Besides, if the man is truly a god sentencing people, it is quite easy to envision how his power turned him into an arrogant and greedy god. As a deity he could only feel superior to the mortals. This would explain why he would start meddling in mortal affairs.
But there is more to it. My title for this analysis contains an oxymoron. Fate is an antonym for choice, for the former denies the existence of free will.
In philosophy, determinism denies the existence of real freedom, as their point is that humans will make decisions based on their surrounding and their past experiences. They are influenced by their subconscious as well. Besides, by denying the existence of free will, some could come to deny their responsibility for their choices and actions. Like for example they only did it because they had been manipulated or had no other choice (like for example obeying an order). However, since people don’t reflect deeply about the reasons for their choices, they have the impression that they are free to make such a decision. And this declaration leads me to the following observation. Jae Shin is in this exact situation. He has no idea about his fate, only his brothers and Yeomra are aware of it. Thus the god and his sons spoke about his destiny in his absence. (chapter 31) Jae Shin believes that it was his own choice to lose his long nails or to stay with Lee Nok during Chilseok.
But let’s return our attention to this picture. (chapter 30) By letting us see his inner thoughts, the manhwalovers could see the real blindness of the white-haired man. How so? It is because his eyes are only focusing on death and Yeomra’s kingdom. To conclude, his battle is totally futile. Why? It is because he doesn’t know that the main lead is slowly winning Lee Nok’s heart by being a puppy. (chapter 22) In his mind, Jae Shin is still living as a prince among the mortal world. Naturally, his words did affect the Crown Prince, as he could see with his own eyes the change in Jae Shin’s behavior and gaze. 
(chapter 34) Thus he was reminded of the old man’s advice. 
(chapter 34) In other words, he was trying to manipulate Lee Nok. He wanted to ensure that the Crown Prince wouldn’t fall in love with the Ghost prince. But in my eyes, the blind man is not recognizing that his intervention was in the end planned. Why? It is because Jae Shin’s transformation into a human is not complete. He is still selfish. 
(chapter 32) and in denial about his own attachment. By creating a riff between the couple, he pushes the Crown Prince to come even closer to the cute puppy Jae Shin and reveal the intervention from the blind man and confess more about his emotions. Thus the main lead’s wish would come true. (chapter 31)
5. The spirits and ghosts
Because the blind man tried to instigate fear in the main lead, it becomes obvious that in this story, humans are getting manipulated and as such deceived. Right from the start, the manhwalovers could witness the importance of tricks and lies in The Ghost’s Nocturne. Yet, this doesn’t end here. The existence of ghosts is the evidence of the intervention from supernatural beings. It is the way ghosts are created. Deceased who have given up on their name become ghosts and are forced to linger in the mortal world, until they vanish. 
(chapter 31) In fact, even if they don’t vanish, they can get eaten by evil spirits. 
(chapter 15) But how are ghosts born? It is because an evil spirit appears shortly after their death, and offer a tempting deal: 
(chapter 31) But this means that the evil spirit has to be informed of the death of a mortal, because it needs to arrive before the appearance of the agents from the afterworld. This explicates why the deceased didn’t respond to the 3 summons from the messenger and guard of the afterworld. 
(chapter 31) As you can see, someone is leaking information to these spirits. Because Jae Shin had an access to it before, I am assuming that Queen Han Chae-Hee is somehow linked to this. In my eyes, it must be her father. Moreover, the brothers divulge that this could only happen, when these mortals were about to experience something important in their life: like marriage or probably emancipation of a slave. 
(chapter 31) Thus I come to the following deduction. Someone is aware of their passage to the other world, hence the puppet master can create a situation where the future deceased is about to have his wish almost fulfilled. Yet their dream gets ruined, for they die. Hence the evil spirit appears and can tempt them with a cheap trick. That’s how they got tricked. As you can detect, everything is pointing out that someone is manipulating the book of names. 
(chapter 1) Nonetheless, no one detected the fraud so far, for the ghost’s brother mentions that this has rarely happened. 
(chapter 31) Even Jae Shin had never heard of this trick. The irony is that the statement from the immortal brother implied that this was just a coincidence. Chance stands in opposition to fate. However, the presence of the 3 ghosts next to Lee Nok divulges the existence of a trick!! 
(chapter 31) 3 is never a hazard. Furthermore I would like to outline that their faces are actually exposing the passage of time. The bride was turned recently into a ghost, and the one appearing as a skeleton should be the first one vanishing. Remember that their time in the mortal world is limited. This explicates why the bride tried to send Jae Shin to Yeom. She initially hoped that her rival would get eaten by this vengeful spirit.
What caught my attention is that the ghost lost all his memories, as soon as she accepted the offer from the evil spirit and gave up on her name. (chapter 31) Anyone reading my essays about Painter Of The Night (especially the one entitled Truth and memories) is aware of the strong connection between name and memories. Without memories, a person loses his or her own identity. Thus people suffering from amnesia or dementia have problems to identify people or even recognize themselves. They feel lost. However, names are important in this story, as humans’ life are determined in the book of names.
All this new information made me realize how different Yeom is!! 
(chapter 08) She never lost her name and her memories which makes her very similar to a human. In addition, she almost kept a human appearance. But there is more to it. 
(chapter 13) When she chose her destiny, to be buried alive out of desire for revenge, she wasn’t entirely sure what she would become. The modal verb “might” implies the existence of a doubt about her true nature. In my eyes, she is no real malevolent spirit, for she is telling the truth to Jae Shin. She is giving him good advices. But there is another reason why she is no evil spirit in the end. It is because she is the positive reflection of this evil spirit!! 
(chapter 34)
Observe that this shadow has no name, no form and shows no empathy. In fact, this shadow appears ruthless and selfish and highly manipulative. (chapter 31) Thus he is able to create ghosts, whereas Yeom’s role is to eat them. 
(chapter 08) In my eyes, she was created to create a balance in the human world, yet the shaman has the impression that it was her own choice. But it is true? How come that it took her 10 years before she met the monk? 
(chapter 13) Was it a coincidence? I don’t think so. My reasoning is that this evil spirit (chapter 34) is connected to Yeom’s fate and as such to Han Chae-Hee. Finally, I would like to outline that when the poor shaman was buried alive, her eyes were not covered. (chapter 13) However, as a spirit, her gaze is covered, the exact opposite way! 
(chapter 13) From my perspective, the intention behind this was that she could use her mind’s eye. In other words, she should be able to recognize the truth. This explicates why she didn’t eat Jae Shin. 
(chapter 8) I would even say that this former shaman is not blinded by revenge. She is even clear-minded and very intelligent. (chapter 13) She is already aware that someone has been altering the book of names for quite some time. Thus for me, Yeom is the nemesis of this dark shadow and the blind man. And this observation brings me to my final part: Queen Han Chae-Hee.
5. The queen and the evil spirit
Since I consider her as the negative pendant of Jae Shin, I could only come to the deduction that her path is leading her in the opposite direction. Instead of becoming more human, she is gradually losing her humanity. I would even say that she is getting closer and closer to become a ghost, and as such an evil spirit. This explicates why she had no problem to have the shaman’s family killed. 
(chapter 13) She refused to listen to the shaman’s advice, for she saw her disposition to see ghosts as a positive aspect. 
(chapter 8) I detected that she is only relying on her eyes and not on her heart. Her behavior diverges so much from the Crown Prince’s statement: (chapter 31) he would listen to his heart to judge the mysterious Jae Shin who seems different from the other ghosts.
While the queen had the impression that her decisions were self-made, I have my doubt here. Why? IT is because I believe that she received her eyes from her father. (chapter 8) Hence she acts like a judge all the time. She sentenced the shaman to lose her family, then she abused a maid for a mistake 
(chapter 21), and the moment she got reprimanded, she made sure that Queen Yoon got sentenced to die by poison. 
(chapter 21) For me, her behavior reminds me of the eyes of a god used to punish humans. And what was the consequence of her action? She created the spirit Yeom indirectly. However, the moment the vengeful spirit Yeom was born, there is no ambiguity that she needed help from the afterworld or better said from the huge evil spirit!! But who is it exactly?
I have to admit that I am not sure about his true identity. Striking is that the queen never dared to look at the spirit directly. She used a mirror! It was, as if she was protecting her gaze from the evil spirit. (chapter 34) Her attitude contrasts so much to Lee Nok’s who still looked at Jae Shin. (chapter 34) It was, as if the dark shadow could swallow the “witch”, the queen, if she were to gaze at him directly. One thing is sure. This evil spirit is eyeing at Lee Nok. The Crown Prince stands in the center of this story. On the one side, we have Yeom, Jae Shin and his brothers working together helping Lee Nok, on the other side, Queen Han Chae-Hee is working together with this evil spirit and the blind man. 
(chapter 34) I don’t think that the white-haired man is the same character than the black shadow, for the latter has no face and no eye. But what does the black shadow want from Lee Nok? It could be that he wished to devour the Crown Prince. 
(chapter 34) In other words, he wants him to be his companion. It is also possible that this shadow would like to recover his name, as the brother outlined this possibility (chapter 31) But for that, his biggest wish has to be fulfilled..
(chapter 31). He was once a powerful person. Another possibility is that the evil shadow is there to ruin Jae Shin’s destiny. Why? It is because as long as Lee Nok is the prince’s destined partner, Queen Han Chae-Hee is still in danger. Remember that the rule is the balance between yin and yang, and as such harmony between death and life. However, by manipulating the book of names, the “schemers” disrupted the equilibrium in both worlds. While Jae Shin’s role is to bring back the balance between these two worlds, Han Chae-Hee has the opposite function: creating havoc. But her father is in denial about this. He feels legitimated to protect his child. But the more the villain and her supporters fight against the flow of water and as such destiny, the more they are doomed to fail. This means that they will suffer the most in the end.
And now, it is time to close this essay. I would like to outline that the moment the old man intervened and tried to manipulate the Crown prince, (chapter 30), Jae Shin’s brothers appeared. 
(chapter 30) This is not random, it follows the rule of the yin and yang! Once more confirming that the author applied the Taoism’s principle. Moreover, when the queen makes the following promise to the evil spiritat the end of the first season (chapter 34), she appears cold and ruthless. I would even add that she seems to be a coward, as she uses others. On the other hand, Jae Shin appeared to be brave, for he chose to stay in the human world. Secondly, he revealed his vulnerability and attachment to Lee Nok. He grabbed his hand 
(chapter 34) and begged his lover to stay by his side. 
(chapter 34) Red is the symbol not only for love and passion, but also for life, while black oozes coldness, power and control. (chapter 34) But more importantly, the black and white predominance in this panel makes me think of death! Note that in this scene, the queen seems to be cornered, as if she had no choice, for she is getting pressured. Under this new light, my avid readers can comprehend why I selected the title “Choose your fate!” None of the characters is in reality free. Why? They are simply following their destiny, though in their life, they are all making choices.
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The lord was definitely expressing his joy and excitement. For the first time he truly desired that the night would be long to enjoy this moment where he was accepted. Unfortunately, the night ended so abruptly due to the painter’s exhaustion. 
The power of the climax and the sex marathon from the previous night were too much for his frail body. Knowing that the artist liked his bed, the lord let his lover rest in the bed and chose to sleep far away from him. 
And the readers should wonder why, especially after witnessing how in chapter 38, they lied next to each other. 
Back then, he didn’t put the painter on the bed, but covered him with his beautiful hanbok. Since he abhors his own mattress, he believed that the artist would judge his bed the same way after the terrible night (the assault and the interrupted gangrape). However, he didn’t stay by the artist’s side unlike in chapter 38. For the lord, the night after the eviction of the nobles must have been very long. That’s why there are bottles of wine next to him. He sat there drinking in order to kill time. The readers have to envision that he was sitting the whole night without being able to open the window or the door, as Baek Na-Kyum was not sleeping under a real cover. He was scared that the pure man would catch a cold. Moreover, I believe that he kept watching over his lover out of fear that the artist might have a nightmare to the terrible event from the previous night. This explicates why in chapter 74, he went to rest in the next room in front of the opened window. 
He knew that the commoner would sleep peacefully. However, the chapter 74 gave us the final clues why Yoon Seungho has always had nightly activities in the past and why he avoids his bed. Remember how Jihwa in his love confession underlined the connection between the sexual activities and the importance of the nightmares
(chapter 57) which exposes that the nightly torment is related to his phobia of the bed and to his insomnia. I come to the conclusion that his nightly activities helped him to get through the night, because he couldn’t even lie down in his bed. They helped him to kill time. This is what Jihwa even witnessed. 
The beholder views how the main lead pushes his friend away with his arm. Why? One might say that as soon as he sleeps, he has a nightmare. However, as you can imagine, there’s more to it.
That’s why the lord has to sleep in the cold, outside the cover 
Here, he could barely speak.
. This gives us the answer to why the artist had such a disheveled hair the next morning in chapter 38: 
On the one hand, the headband represents a hindrance for the lord, on the other hand it was removed even before he spent the night with Yoon Seungho. From my point of view, touching the artist’s hair has a calming effect indicating that the lord truly needed Baek Na-Kyum’s assistance that night. The night spent by the painter’s side helped him to go through the night, therefore he felt more refreshed the next morning. However, he must have had a panic attack, hence he left the bed before the painter woke up. I believe, the artist’s regular and deep breathing has a calming effect for Yoon Seungho. Therefore in chapter 74, he lied down next to Baek Na-Kyum 
and looked at his face. Like I pointed out the last time, the noble is in a fetal position which is a clue that he is relaxing. The panic attack vanished so quickly thanks to Baek Na-Kyum. Now, you understand why the lord is visiting the artist from time to time during the night. 
That’s when he has a panic attack and the sleeping face of his lover with his normal breathing helps him to recover quickly. He doesn’t want to trouble his lover. We could even say that when the main lead kisses the artist, it is to express his gratitude. Thanks to him, the night doesn’t seem so long now. That’s why he can smile more often 
and becomes cheerful again. 
, I could make a connection with the bed. 
This picture comes from Gyeongbokgung palace and note how the colors of the bed and seats are similar to the one from the protagonist’s. Besides, I am sure that people have already watched sageuks, historical korean dramas, where the king is dressed with a red hanbok adorned with golden embroidery, where you can see a dragon like this one: 
(chapter 57). In this scene, the noble attempted to kill himself. Striking is that he had just lost his hair revealing that this had happened after the public humiliation with the topknot. I come to the conclusion that the bed itself triggered his anxiety and has so far represented a source of his panic attacks. Back then, it was so strong that he desired to end his own agony. Moreover, observe how the valet is forcing him to remain on the bed. The manhwaphiles certainly recall how I described that this picture actually illustrated the lord’s captivity. He was treated like a prisoner. Now that we know that his phobia of the bed is linked to sexual abuse and to the king, you can comprehend why Yoon Seungho desired to end his life here. As soon as he saw the bed, he was reminded of his time with the king and the sexual abuse. There’s no ambiguity that the main lead was held captive in the palace. Since the butler stopped him from committing suicide, the manhwaphiles had the impression that Kim truly cared for his master. On the other hand, for we are aware of the signification of the bed and its colors, the manhwaphiles should question why the master has such a bed. First, in this manhwa, nothing is random. For the lord was not in the capacity to choose his bed, someone had to pick the bed. As you can imagine, the butler made the choice and from my point of view, he did it on purpose. He made sure that the lord would always be reminded of his traumatic past. That way, he would remain trapped in the past. In my opinion, he must have accompanied the young master to the palace. Therefore he knew that the poor man was traumatized and chose to take advantage of it. Note that when the physician visited the painter’s study, he noticed that Baek Na-Kyum was lying on a bed reserved for nobles. 
Even the physician thought, it was Yoon Seungho’s bed which shows that technically the lord could have had such a bed. But no, the yellow-red bed was never changed. Since Yoon Seungho was mentally sick, I doubt that he could choose his own bed after returning from the palace. As for father Yoon, when he went into exile, I don’t think that he left his own mattress and cover behind. Moreover, if you pay attention to father Yoon’s bedchamber
, you’ll detect that the father prefers blue due to the bed and the background. That’s the reason why his sons were both dressed in blue: 
(chapter 57) 
(chapter 55)
Kim made sure that Yoon Seungho would go down that road. Yoon Seungho is even wondering why he started living like that. This truly exposes that he never made the decision consciously. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the red and yellow bed represents the source of his misery, making sure that he never relaxes.
the cover is turned over. Yoon Seungho never did it even with Baek Na-Kyum. 
(chapter 31) and (chapter 73) 
, so he had defeat his opponent and enemy, forcing him to surrender. However, when the latter didn’t fight him back and showed no sign of resistance
, he was bothered. Deep down, he felt that he still hadn’t truly won the war. Strangely is that the painter started conquering the yellow-red bed to the point that in chapter 72 the low-born preferred making love on the bed.
Hence the lord followed his request. Since here, he was making love to Baek Na-Kyum, his mind was not focusing on the bed. All his attention was directed to his lover, hence he could lie down for the first time. That’s why I come to the deduction that the lord should buy a new bed or put the painter’s bed in his bedchamber. The lord will only be able to overcome his nocturn panic attacks, when he has the painter by his side. But more importantly, he should talk about it to Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would definitely give him the comfort and reassurance that he is safe next to him. However, as long as Kim is working at the mansion, I fear, the bedchamber will never be a safe place. 
However, there’s another reason why the painter is associated to butterflies. It is because the protagonist used an expression with “butterflies”. It all starts in chapter 34, when the low-born witnesses Yoon Seungho’s return which makes the artist’s heart race so much. 
Just after facing Yoon Seungho in his bedroom with an almost kiss
, he rushes to his study. Once arrived there, he wonders why his heart is racing so much and why he feels something in his stomach: 
(chapter 35). What caught my attention is that we have a similar scene in chapter 72: the painter is also questioning the origin of his physical reaction: 
. However, there’s a huge contrast between these two situations. First, the painter employs a different expression. It feels more real and precise than “butterflies”. From my perspective, it reflects the artist’s loss of innocence, or better said, his gained maturity. Moreover, due to his sexual experiences, he has a better understanding of his own body. Secondly, the fear has totally vanished, exposing that Yoon Seungho has truly achieved his goal. Finally, the other difference is that this time he is facing the lord himself. 
Back then, he only pondered about it after leaving the lord’s bedchamber. He was sitting behind the door. And if you recall the whole scene, you’ll notice that the artist’s heart started pounding, the moment the lord entered the bedroom. Moreover, the aristocrat removed his clothes so that the artist could see his back and later his chest. Consequently, I come to the deduction that the artist was so moved by the lord’s presence that his body was reacting immediately. This shows that both protagonists are affecting each other. One gets a huge erection, and the other feels butterflies inside. But more importantly, for the first time, the artist’s conscious was sensing his own body and the sexual attraction towards Yoon Seungho. Another parallel between these two scenes is the presence of the almost kiss: 
(chapter 72). In chapter 34, he must have observed how the painter reacted, he was definitely blushing, because he repeats these gestures during their wedding night. Strangely is that when the lord approaches his mouth in chapter 72, the readers don’t witness any “butterflies”, as we can’t hear the painter’s thoughts. However, there’s no doubt that Baek Na-Kyum is excited due to the presence of his reddening and the sweat, very similar to chapter 34. Yet, I believe that the commoner doesn’t realize it yet, because all his energy is concentrated on his mouth. He has to whisper Seungho-Ya. 
First, the manhwaphiles can observe the absence of the lord’s face and penis. Then when the lord came closer, 
Baek Na-Kyum could only see the master’s face. Then the painter was able to view the lord’s phallus, 
, the chest and the face were hidden by the low-born’s body. It was, as if Yoon Seungho had been cut in parts, and Baek Na-Kyum was exposed to them. In other words, Yoon Seungho showed him parts of his body and not his whole body. The artist should accept them. However, like the noble pointed out, the artist was physically reacting to him: 
But since the artist was looking at the noble through the mirror, he never got to face the lord’s body in his entity. And imagine that back then, the artist was already aroused by the master’s parts. This signifies that the butterflies in chapter 72 are much stronger. 
that just the thought and sensation of the penetration was strong enough to have him climaxed. Note that the artist’s exclamation (“oh”) is a signal that he is already feeling an immense pleasure that he can’t control, as he said the same word during his first anal orgasm 
As a conclusion, the moment Baek Na-Kyum saw the lord’s body with his erected phallus, his sexual desires had reached a new peak. 
This divergence is comprehensible, as the lord had to find a stratagem to be accepted by the artist. The use of the mirror was a calculated move, which he had already announced the night before. Moreover, he had been hurt and enraged by the commoner’s escape, hence he couldn’t show the same affection. Finally, he had no idea about his own emotions.
, the commoner was either not looking at him or sitting in a such a position that he couldn’t see the lord in his entirety. 
Then during their love session at the physician’s, the lord was so closed to the painter that the latter was not capable to look at his lover. Moreover, he was still avoiding the aristocrat’s gaze and face. 
The lord was also diminished, hence he was in the incapacity to stand up like that too. Besides, Yoon Seungho was afraid of a possible rejection. And during the second sex marathon, the lord was dressed
, then later Baek Na-Kyum was no longer facing the noble: 
(chapter 64). Moreover, when he was able to look at the lord, he was hoping for a kiss, a sign of tenderness, which was refused. Moreover, his mind and body were still influenced by fear. 
, hence the lover couldn’t view the whole body and the erected phallus. He could only sense the erection through his foot. 
. Once arrived in the bedchamber, the noble was busy making amends, hence he was on his knees. That’s why I believe that we are now witnessing a major turning point in Baek Na-Kyum’s life. From my point of view, with such an experience, the artist will recognize that his affection for his lover is much stronger than he has even imagined. I can’t help myself connecting this scene to the first wet dream the painter had. He was already so attracted to Yoon Seungho that he wished to replace Jihwa and imagined, he was lying under the lord’s body. 
Just the view and the thought of the noble’s body aroused him so much that he had to remove himself from his trance, the moment he sensed an orgasm coming. This outlines how strong his sexual desires were. But now, it is different, because he is now excited by the lord’s gaze full of warmth and love. 
And imagine what this signifies for the painter. He is able to make someone smile… to make someone happy, which he didn’t see in chapter 49. We shouldn’t forget that the painter had always felt excluded and had abandonment issues. In other words, he saw himself as a burden, but this can only change, if his life gets a new meaning. His presence, orgasms and smiles can make Yoon Seungho smile and happy, this can only give strength and joy to Baek Na-Kyum. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho is a reflection of the painter, just like the latter is a mirror for the lord. 
Then he closes the main gate in front of Baek Na-Kyum who is deeply disappointed and hurt.
(chapter 37)
(chapter 46)
(chapter 69)
are mirrored in the lord’s confession from chapter 56. 
Therefore, we could say that he was present in the farewell as well, because the scholar kept referring the moon to the innocent boy. Since I have already pointed that in each departing two people got involved, this means that their relationship is strongly intertwined with other bonds. Relatives or acquaintances affect the farewell.
That’s why he gave him an order “you ought to head back in” and the painter couldn’t argue. Moreover, the learned sir asked him to keep his promise, he needed him to work for him.
What caught my attention is the silence from the painter. At no moment, he can speak and bid farewell, and this is understandable due to the noble’s remarks. Although the commoner wasn’t the one leaving, he had the impression that he was abandoned. This explicates why the artist was wounded by this departure. 
Striking is that this scene was observed by the main lead and his butler. While the noble felt himself betrayed and abandoned, he was indeed relieved in the end that Baek Na-Kyum had remained by his side. Consequently, the first departure was marked by disappointment and heartache from the protagonists. Both felt helpless, as they had no saying in this. 
is an indication that he believed that his personal visitation had been successful. By pressuring his brother, he had finally been able to get the reply he desired. But the reality must have hit him hard later, because in the end, he just got a ruined painting of sodomy. And this explicates why the father ended up receiving the paper from his younger son. 
In other words, Seungwon decided to get revenge on the humiliation. Besides, I also think that he hoped that with such a gesture, father Yoon would make the decision to pay his rebellious son a visit and have him punished for his lack of respect. But what Yoon Seungwon seemed to overlook is that when he barged into his brother’s mansion, he showed no real respect either. 
Imagine, he even desired to open the door of Yoon Seungho’s bedchamber. Hence, it is not surprising that the eldest brother didn’t follow his brother to the main gate. He didn’t feel obliged to pay his respect to Yoon Seungwon. To sum up, in this farewell, both characters were quite rude to each other, and Yoon Seungho showed no leniency towards the younger master, as the latter had violated the social norms first. This animosity was even encouraged by the valet’s intervention. And let’s not forget that in that scene, Yoon Seungho chose the painter over his brother. He asked him to remain by his side, because he was too upset and wounded by Yoon Seungwon’s sudden appearance and selfish request. 
There’s no doubt that this must have indeed disappointed Yoon Seungwon. His father still chose to focus his attention to Yoon Seungho instead of him, hence he kept looking at the closed door. Yet before leaving he blamed his oldest brother for his father’s lack of concern and respect. Striking is that the main lead was not present, yet through his mention, the brother gave the impression that Yoon Seungho was still part of the family despite the incident with the topknot and the long separation. Yet, Yoon Seungwon felt bothered that his own father didn’t even pay attention to customs. He didn’t send off like a respectful and dutiful father either.
Here, he reminded him that he was living according to their father’s principles, showing that despite the abandonment and betrayal, he never dared to drop his father’s doctrines. From my point of view, the ruined painting was given by Kim on purpose, to incite the father to intervene. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that the “letter” was delivered 
but Jung In-Hun didn’t care. In his eyes, he was just a low-born, and the former didn’t need him at all. 
Striking is that the low noble paid his respect to his sponsor out of obligation and nothing more. As long as Yoon Seungho was useful, then the learned sir would have to be polite and respectful. That’s why he bowed in front of the wealthy aristocrat. In other words, the scholar’s bow is fake
More importantly is that in this fourth farewell, the artist didn’t get the opportunity to bid farewell properly to his former teacher too. Neither Jung In-Hun nor Kim had informed him about the time of his departure.
Striking is that in that chapter, the rich main lead was the only one who desired to make the painter happy, hence he suggested the low noble to depart properly from the low-born. What caught my attention is the opened door in front of the painter. 
Why was the door left open like that? The manhwaphiles should remember that in that scene, Kim was already aware of the discussion between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum at the library. And with this new approach, it becomes clear, Kim was hoping that the artist would leave the place, since he had been insulted and abandoned by his teacher. He had no reason to remain by Yoon Seungho’s side. Besides, we shouldn’t forget the noble’s words addressed to the learned sir: 
In other words, Kim was just waiting for the low-born’s departure, and in order to push the painter to leave the mansion, he made sure that he wouldn’t see Jung In-Hun leaving. This would reinforce the betrayal and abandonment issues the painter had felt due to the scholar’s attitude and words before. Moreover, we shouldn’t forget the parting between Jung In-Hun and his former pupil in chapter 35. 
In other words, he was showing her a huge respect and as such biding her farewell. He even acted as a real host, because he offered to send her off with a servant from his mansion in order to guarantee her safety. And if you keep in mind that he did nothing for his own brother, and the latter is a noble, while Heena noona is just a kisaeng, you’ll detect how much the lord has already changed. He is definitely determined to keep the artist by his side, hence he is aware that he needs to show him a different side from him. He definitely heard the painter’s confession, because in chapter 70 Yoon Seungho asked the low-born directly if he was afraid of him. 
And with this new approach, the main lead did succeed. Baek Na-Kyum was able to recognize the lord’s leniency and honorable attitude. And contrary to the scholar’s bow in chapter 44, the artist is sincerely showing his respect towards his master. 
She keeps questioning the lord’s authority and personality. However at no moment, the aristocrat doesn’t lose his temper. In fact, he even retreats, until the kisaeng’s brother intervenes to stop her. Another huge difference contrasting to the departure of chapter 35 and 44 is the change of attitude of both protagonists. While with the scholar, Baek Na-Kyum could say nothing and had to resign to his fate, in chapter 69 he is the one speaking. 
and smiles. 
For the first time, he feels that he is not left behind, but he can determine his fate. Imagine in the past, he used to be sent away by his noona and he couldn’t protest.
but the worst is that he even had to leave the kisaeng house and walked through the countryside.
In this adieu, the kisaeng’s words and the panel indicated that he was ordered to leave the kisaeng house without his noonas’ knowledge. With her rhetorical question, she forced the painter to resign to his fate. Besides, the readers can one more time notice that in this scene, the artist remained silent as well. As a conclusion, the painter’s abandonment issues are related to the fact that he was forced to leave and he couldn’t take his time to bid farewell properly. He was either caught by surprise (35, 44, 46) or simply too powerless (68
despite his own insecurities, the painter could only select him. For the first time, a person was willing to listen to the low-born’s voice. And the moment Yoon Seungho treated Heena noona with respect and even allowed the painter to bid farewell properly
, his behavior could only reinforce the painter’s choice. In other words, he gave the power to the painter to determine his fate and as such reinforced his certainty. For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum was able to send someone away and not the other way around. He could also choose his fate. Simultaneously, the painter helped the powerful aristocrat to witness with his own eyes that he was not left behind and was selected. Both helped each other to overcome their abandonment issues. And this explains why after the departure, Baek Na-Kyum remembers the past. Back then, he was hurt because he had been dragged again from his noona. The scholar tried to console him by saying that the moon was always by his side, 
but this couldn’t truly comfort the artist. And because in chapter 69, the painter experienced for the first time a real good farewell, he could only recall this incident. But unlike in the past, the moon appears differently. 
In my opinion, this scene is important, as it symbolizes that Baek Na-Kyum is finally able to perceive the lord. And for the first time, he looks at the satellite with a certain fascination. He stands still and doesn’t sense the coldness. For me, this panel announces that the painter has finally perceived the lord’s presence. I would even say that the picture implies that Baek Na-Kyum is slowly accepting the existence of Yoon Seungho in his life. Unlike in the past 
, he is not sad and not thinking too deeply as well. 
The lord is indeed replacing the scholar, the painter doesn’t need his comfort any longer. Why? Because unlike in the past, the powerful noble allowed him to part from his sister properly, which the teacher never did. Remember what I had denunciated in a former analysis: the scholar hid behind the boy in order to avoid any responsibility for the brutal incidents at the kisaeng house. In other words, the teacher is responsible for the low-born’s abandonment issues. What Jung In-Hun never imagined is that he was right about the moon
The missed goodbyes were the reasons why both main characters were deeply hurt in the past, both victims of circumstances due to the actions of selfish and ruthless people. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 