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/ I used again the following website for heroism: https://www.verywellmind.com/characteristics-of-heroism-2795943
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In the first part, after defining heroism, I exposed the hypocrisy of Jung In-Hun and Kim. On the surface, their action made them look like heroes, whereas in reality, they were only selfish cowards. They faked kindness and even used the painter as an excuse to make others suffer. However, what caught my attention is the resemblance of the following panel 
(chapter 68) to the situation in chapter 53, where the vicious domestic Deok-Jae got beaten for hurting Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 53) This made me realize that chapter 68 was a new version of chapter 53 and 54. Therefore I would like to compare these two scenes for two reasons. First, the contrast will help us to judge better the protagonists’ actions.
Striking is that both scenes contain many common denominators:
- a violent noble (in both case Yoon Seungho!)
- a commoner is victim of a beating (Heena noona versus Deok-Jae)
- Prostitution (the brothel –
- The painter is a witness of that scene
- Another noble, the second witness, decides not to intervene (Jung In-Hun versus Min)
(chapter 53) - A noble’s love for Baek Na-Kyum (Jung In-Hun
(chapter 68) versus Yoon Seungho) - A heroic act
- The painter’s reluctance to accept the protagonist’s love:
(chapter 54) 
(chapter 53) versus 
(chapter 68)
In chapter 53, the lord caught the vicious servant hurting the artist. That’s the reason why he became violent, he desired to protect his loved one who was getting abused. Consequently, he was wounded, when he witnessed this. His action corresponds to the first condition of heroism (Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need). Then when he started punching Deok-Jae, he never expected anything from the artist, a reward or a hug. He was just acing on his emotions, he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Baek Na-Kyum insulted and treated like a whore, thereby the second condition for heroism was met: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain. Since he interfered himself, using his own body to stop the perpetrator from employing verbal and physical violence, I come to the observation that Yoon Seungho was willing to risk his safety, fulfilling the last condition of heroism: Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions. Back then, the noble was indeed celebrated as a hero, yet if you pay attention to the reactions of certain readers, they are now calling Kim a hero. It was, as if Seungho’s past action had never existed. From one extreme (hero), he turns into a villain due to the second sex marathon and his attitude towards the painter in chapter 66. But if you pay attention to Heena noona’s description, (chapter 68), you’ll notice that here the kisaeng was not the victim, though it looked like it. In reality, the so-called violent and arrogant noble had been forced to go to the gibang. He was just a teenager. This means that Heena was lying here. And the lord’s behavior in chapter 53 proved her words wrong. He showed mercy, when asked by the painter. He never thought of himself in that moment. This confirms that the noona was lying in the study, and she was well aware of that. She definitely knew that the main lead had been the victim of physical abuse. Here, he was dragged by a black guard.
At the same time, during that night Baek Na-Kyum never saw Yoon Seungho as hero, because he only saw the violence used against Deok-Jae. He only felt concern for the jealous servant, he didn’t want the man to die by Yoon Seungho’s hands. 
(chapter 53) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t recognize the lord’s love in the end. The violence had blinded him, exactly like Heena noona had been blinded by her own prejudices. She was lumping the teenager Yoon Seungho under the same comb than the nobles. However, I would like to point out that her testimony represented a distorted memory. Why? It is because that way, she was justifying her inaction. Here, the person threatened and abused was not the noona, but the child Seungho recognizable with his hanbok. Under this approach, the manhwaphiles can grasp why she is not mentioning the helping hand in that scene, the black guard. (chapter 68) This is important, because in chapter 53, it was the commoner Deok-Jae who had acted like Heena’s description: (chapter 53) He had been insulting the painter and showed no mercy. Through this contrast, the readers can detect the kisaeng’s manipulations. It becomes even more obvious, when you add this scene from season 3. 
(chapter 99) We don’t just see nobles frequenting the kisaeng house, but also commoners! Heena’s statement gives the impression that only nobles are going there. This exposes Heena’s biased perception. To sum up, the kisaeng and the painter were blinded, though the latter had been influenced by the noona’s doctrines. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was in denial in the end and saw the lord’s love as a lie. Furthermore, this signifies that the artist experienced the opposite from what Heena noona is describing to Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 68). In truth, the artist mistook love for fear. Note that in each confession, the low-born expresses a certain fear, while in truth his heart is already racing for Yoon Seungho out of desire and affection. In chapter 41, he explains that his heart is pounding due to fear
and in chapter 49, he chose to reject the lord’s hug as a genuine embrace and decided to just admit his physical attraction. 
Since the lord had always been brutal, Baek Na-Kyum could never truly distinguish the cause for his heart pounding. And with this observation, it becomes obvious that the low-born was never in love with his teacher romantically, as he had never felt any heart racing for him. From my point of view, Heena noona was the one who mistook affection for fear. That’s the reason why she never saw the noble’s hypocrisy and cowardice. According to my latest theory, she is suffering from sex phobia [For more read the essay “Arrogant, filthy and lying nobles 🏯”]. But I am also suspecting that pride could have played a role as well.
But there was another hero during that night, Baek Na-Kyum, the low noble’s reflection. 
(chapter 53) He protected Deok-Jae from the noble’s violence (condition 1: Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need)), risked his own life (condition 3) and never receive any reward or gratefulness, in fact he never expected anything from the vicious man and the main lead. (condition 2: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain). He even embraced the noble and his hug was totally genuine which the main lead sensed. (chapter 53) Because the former was strong, brave, courageous, convicted, determined, morally integer, helpful, selfless, ready for self-sacrifice and honest, the powerful aristocrat could only be moved by his action. This explains why Yoon Seungho chose to remove the headband from the low-born, the latter had acted like a noble person, he was a source of inspiration. 
(chapter 53) And with this new approach, I believe that when Min mocked the lord by calling Baek Na-Kyum a low-born 
(chapter 54), the main lead punched Black Heart, because he was actually protecting the painter’s name and honor. He no longer felt embarrassed to love such a person, Baek Na-Kyum was a true hero in his eyes. And now you understand why Yoon Seungho felt truly rejected, when Baek Na-Kyum called the lord’s love a lie. Sure, he asked for an explanation before
(chapter 54), yet since the lord was acting under the influence of his heart, he couldn’t voice his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, before reaching the study, he had been denying his feelings too. 
(chapter 53) The painter’s question was pushing the lord to admit his affection. However, because he had been in denial, the painter mirrored his attitude. (chapter 54) He claimed that this was not true. He had many reasons to think so. The noble had kept his distance from him for one week. Secondly, the lord’s hesitation and silence could only reinforce this interpretation. (chapter 54) Yoon Seungho was left speechless, because he was cornered. Since the artist was denying his protective actions, then he had no reason not to offer him to his guests. He felt rejected, especially when he saw the painter’s gaze: he could only glimpse “fear and denial” and not love. (chapter 54) He had thought that Baek Na-Kyum had hugged him out of concern and affection, yet he saw that he had misjudged the situation. And now, you understand why after that night, Yoon Seungho decided to confess with the expectation that the low-born would leave. He was able to grasp why Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting him. He feared him and Yoon Seungho had almost hurt him, he was not a real hero, like Baek Na-Kyum. In his eyes, he was actually the opposite: a violent beast hurting others. Therefore in his mind, if he confessed, the artist would get scared and run away. Yet, this didn’t happen which caught him by surprise.
Consequently, we have to imagine that during that night at the physician’s home, Yoon Seungho chose to confess properly, but the readers never got to hear his real confession. And here, I would like to thank Luzy one more time. She was the one who caught this detail: 
(chapter 68) When did the noble say that he adores Baek Na-Kyum? And remember that we have a flashback of that night from Yoon Seungho’s perspective: 
And this panel 
(chapter 62) made me realize that this could be the moment the lord chose to declare that he adores the painter. In this picture, the manhwaphiles have the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is whispering something to the lord, yet there’s no speech bulb and not even a moan. And since the painter is a reflection of the aristocrat, then this signifies that Yoon Seungho could have been whispering these words “I adore you”, especially after getting fully embraced by the low-born. Moreover, he experienced the heart pounding of Baek Na-Kyum 
(chapter 62) so that he felt compelled to reveal his adoration. However, despite the confession, Baek Na-Kyum was still in denial. And now, you can better grasp why Yoon Seungho was enraged afterwards and felt betrayed. He had confessed properly this time, and the commoner abandoned him for real, or better said, that’s what he envisioned. We have another evidence that Yoon Seungho declared not only his defeat, but his deep affection: 
(chapter 62) As you can observe, Yoon Seungho is also connecting love to fear, but in a different way. He was always afraid of admitting his love out of fear to be abandoned. And when he did it, the artist left him behind in his eyes. His nightmare came true, until he discovered that he had misjudged the whole situation. This repetition of misunderstanding proves me that chapter 68 is a reflection of the scene in the study from episode 53-54.
But now, if you pay attention to the chapter 68, you’ll observe that Baek Na-Kyum is still scared to admit his love for Yoon Seungho. He is definitely not brave here. That’s the reason why Byeonduck drew the commoner without eyes. He is refusing to face his own feelings.
(chapter 68) First, he uses the scholar as his legitimation for his stay at the mansion. 
(chapter 68) Then when Heena noona pressures more the painter, the latter gives other justifications, like f. ex. the lord treats him well 
(chapter 68). Surprising is that he is actually mentioning others to legitimate his stay: the scholar, the master of the mansion 
(chapter 68) and “everyone” 
(chapter 68). But Heena noona can’t accept these excuses and forces him to confess his affection. However, even when he admits his feelings, he gives the impression that he is doing it against his will. (chapter 68) He portrays the main lead in a negative light 
(chapter 68) and observe that he is using the truth for his allegations. Yet, in my opinion, he is doing the same thing than Kim in the end. He is trying to put the whole responsibility on the lonely aristocrat. But what is the truth? Yoon Seungho might have dragged and mistreated the painter, but he also protected him and treated him with care, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum mentioned it first (“the lord is very good to me”). However, if the manhwaphiles look carefully at the artist’s second justification (chapter 68), they will notice that the commoner is just talking about the living conditions (a roof above his head and his art supplies). He doesn’t explain exactly how the main lead treated him well:
- when he was sick, a physician was called and Yoon Seungho paid for the expensive medicine,
- when the painter was sad and was longing for warmth and a hug, he tried to give him comfort,
- when he was hurt with the spoiled rice, he looked at his injury himself,
- he chose to eat with him and even gave his own meal to the painter,
- he bought Baek Na-Kyum warm clothes for the winter,
- and despite the huge betrayal and his agony, he made himself a bed for the painter and put some fire in the storage room,
(chapter 62) 
(chapter 61)
This truly shows that truth and reality are far more complex than anything. Hence prejudices are not helping either. A commoner can also be violent and jealous, just like a noble can be tender and protective. Furthermore, reducing people to words like “rapist” or “psychopath” or “monster” or “racist” are not reflecting, how people truly are. A person shouldn’t be reduced to one action. Besides, like I explained, Kim and other people played a huge role in the lord’s brutal behavior. He made bad decisions, because people employed their knowledge about his weaknesses to trigger reactions in him. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Yoon Seungho is innocent. My point is that the share of responsibility can’t be placed on only one person. And Baek Na-Kyum might have been a hero in chapter 53, yet in chapter 68 he can’t be considered as a hero. He was not willing to assume any responsibility for his feelings. He was still scared, too afraid of embracing such a powerful person. As a conclusion, Baek Na-Kyum is still not accepting his love for Yoon Seungho, but Heena noona was not able to convince him to leave the property either. That’s why at the end, she could only portray the main lead as a bad omen.
For me, Heena noona was replacing the vicious servant. Yet instead of abuse, she legitimated her intervention out of concern and love. In other words, she embodies the positive reflection of Deok-Jae. However she failed too in her tentative to convince the son and brother to follow her. And since the painter refuses to leave the study, there exists only one person who can make him leave the mansion: Yoon Seungho.
- Due to Kim’s words, Yoon Seungho is determined to allow Baek Na-Kyum to leave the property. He is giving up on his resolution:
(chapter 63) - This time, he won’t question Heena noona’s intervention contrary to chapter 53 (“Who do you think you are to put hands on him?”). He won’t chase her away, like he announced it so loudly in chapter 68.
- Kim manipulated Yoon Seungho by bringing up the past, therefore he mentioned his father. The manhwaphiles should remember that the latter had imprisoned the teenager
(chapter 57), therefore Kim desired to push him to make the opposite decision. Since his father kept him captive, then Yoon Seungho should renounce on Baek Na-Kyum, because he doesn’t want to be like his own father. Kim knows Yoon Seungho’s good heart and wishes to utilize it to his own benefit.
That’s the reason why I believe that once Kim was caught in the act, Kim chose to use the painter not only to justify his disobedience
(chapter 68), but also to push Yoon Seungho to accept the painter’s departure. This explicates why Yoon Seungho didn’t enter the study and waited for the kisaeng’s departure. 
(chapter 69) Don’t forget that in episode 68, we have Yoon Seungho getting dragged against his will. (chapter 68) Since in chapter 53/54, the lord showed his love by using violence in order to protect the painter, the latter couldn’t detect and accept the lord’s feelings. Thus it becomes comprehensible why the author selected passivity and silence for Yoon Seungho in chapter 68/69. He was doing the opposite from the night in episode 53/54! This is important, because that way, he let Baek Na-Kyum make a choice. That way, it was visible that the painter was willing to remain by his side. (chapter 68) At the same time, with this move, the main lead had cornered the artist. The latter could no longer use the lord as an excuse for his stay. By offering the painter the opportunity to leave, Yoon Seungho acts like a “hero” again. He helps Heena noona in the need (her desire to protect her adoptive son), he is expecting no reward, since he is giving up on the love of his life. Finally, he is risking his own life, because the moment he pushes the low-born away, it means that Yoon Seungho is giving up on his life. He has no longer a purpose to keep living. The artist was the only reason why he didn’t lose totally his sanity during that night (chapter 62-64). He reveals his selflessness in the purest form. However in season 2, it was not detectable, only through the mind’s eye. Yet, this interpretation was proven correct at the end of season 3. Once Yoon Seungho believed that his lover had died, he risked everything for his lover: his name and wealth. He no longer cared, for he had lost his reason to live. 
(chapter 102) So was he acting like a hero here?
- Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an individual, a group, or a community
- Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain
- Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions
Yes, because he saved the painter’s life. Don’t forget that he was alone against three. If he had spared them… they could have testified against him. Secondly, Min could have broken his promise once Yoon Seungho had showed mercy. 
(chapter 102) Black Heart had already stated this before: 
(chapter 102) Yoon Seungho had already stabbed lord Jang, therefore he could be punished for this action, even if he spared the aristocrats. In reality, there was only one solution for Yoon Seungho now: to kill them all. Why? Like mentioned above, Min would have backstabbed him. Moreover once arrested, the main lead wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would have ended in Min’s hands. Nonetheless, the lord was not acting rationally during this night. He was guided by his emotions exactly like in chapter 53/54. The only difference is that he was acting like a cold-blooded killer. The rage and pain were only palpable in his gaze. 
(chapter 102) The irony is that the Joker had reproached this to the main figure in chapter 53: 
(chapter 53) He had been a killjoy, for he had showed mercy! As you can see, Black Heart’s words came back to bite him. 
(chapter 102) He didn’t stop, because Min asked him to. The gods were showing to Min the cruel reality: violence is not a game! And the painter’s soul and heart got spared during that night. Since he was unconscious, he never saw the bloodbath. The goddess showed mercy to the pure artist. He was rewarded for his bravery and good heart. He had remained loyal to his lover. He never believed in the manipulations of the schemers or gave in to the perpetrators. He resisted till the end to the point that he risked his own life too. Just like his lover, he was a hero. 
(chapter 102) And this brings me to the following observation: Heena described the nobles as violent and arrogant liars, but she occulted the reasons why a lord would employ violence and deceptions. Yoon Seungho didn’t become ruthless, because he likes brutality. He was forced to, and it is the same with the lie! There is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will have to lie concerning the bloodbath. It will be a new version of this scene: 
(chapter 11) He lied in order to protect the learned sir! He took even responsibility for the crime. Both have to lie in order to protect each other.
This is important, because lie also stood in the center of that fateful night. 
(chapter 53) (chapter 54) From my point of view, the lord’s rescue in chapter 53 left a deep impression on the painter. This is no coincidence that during the kidnapping. Baek Na-Kyum screamed for Yoon Seungho’s help. 
(chapter 60) He was hoping for his arrival. He was already considering him as his lord and knight in shining armor. And at the end of season 3, the painter hoped the same! 
(chapter 99) Yoon Seungho was his hero and protector. It is because the painter had perceived the noble’s true personality. He was humble, generous, but more importantly, he was a man of honor. He would keep his promises!
As you can see, their courage reflected the deepness of their mutual affection. In other words, fear and love can be compatible! Out of fear for the loved one, they will do anything. This stands in opposition to the kisaeng’s statement: (chapter 68) This new perception reinforces my judgement about Heena. During that night, the kisaeng was definitely no hero. (chapter 68)
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(chapter 11)
(chapter 53) The gaze, the mirror of his soul, reveals his shock and agony. The hand hurt the loved one, although it was meant to defend him. At the same time, by putting the painter in the center of the drawing, the author enhances the painter’s bravery.
(chapter 23) Note that here the lord is taking away the apple from the painter. He’s eating his frugal meal. Furthermore he stands above him and his gestures clearly indicate that he has been following and observing the artist before eating his fruit. Here, he appears as selfish and self-centered. He takes without asking. This stands so much in opposition to the shared meal in chapter 47. 
(chapter 47) This time, the roles are switched, the aristocrat is willing to renounce to his own meal. Besides, he is also giving up on his own seat to Baek Na-Kyum. In other words, the latter is now the one standing above the aristocrat because it was as if he had become the master, since he is sitting on the lord’s seat. Even the noble reminds him to remain seated so that he can keep eating. This contrast emphasizes so much the powerful protagonist’s huge transformation. He is selfless, benevolent and really caring. 
(chapter 47) Now, there is a direct contact between them. One might argue that this is related to their sex sessions, which is true. However, let’s not forget that the unconscious is voicing itself through the hands, hence despite the experienced intimacy, his unconscious is still unsatisfied. Therefore in chapter 47, the hand feels the need to touch his mouth. Sure, someone might say that he wants to ensure that the painter is not hurt. However, he could have used his eyes and just look at the mouth. That’s the reason why I feel that the gesture was revealing something else. The hand is expecting something from the mouth! Deep down, the lord is wishing to hear something from the painter but nothing has happened so far. At the same time, observe that the lord is smoking right after. It was as if this gesture (caressing the low-born’s mouth) had bothered him so much that his mind decided to control the hand again. Consequently he starts smoking. He needs to act as if he was indifferent. This explains why right after his mouth is revealing the thoughts of the mind: 
. The smoke is helping him to calm down and control his emotions, yet the mouth can no longer mask the influence of the unconscious because of the choice of words. As you can detect, the use of the smoke is no longer effective. Notice that “hurt, “embrace” belong to the vocabulary field of emotions. So the mouth is not truly rationale. As a conclusion, the mouth is revealing little by little the truth. Furthermore, the hand displays a certain longing: the lord’s unconscious is expecting to hear something from the painter’s mouth. What is it exactly? 
(chapter 11)
(chapter 12)
(chapter 26)
(chapter 31)
(episode 48)
his mind didn’t allow his mouth to become emotional and confess his love to the painter. 
But the painter’s mouth is telling the brutal truth. The lord has never confessed to him hence it is a lie that Yoon Seungho loves him. At some point, the Queen gets defeated by Snow White, however I am not expecting the same ending here. The lord will be forced to confess. He has to be reveal his true emotions if he wants to hear a love confession from the artist. We shouldn’t forget that the artist works as a mirror. The moment Yoon Seungho declares his affection to the painter, the latter will reciprocate his feelings because he will mirror his emotions. 
(chapter 25) and in that bathroom. Each time, he spoke, his sincerity hurt the lord. With his words, the artist confronted Yoon Seungho with reality. The lord could no longer lie to the painter and to himself: the love confession was addressed to someone else and he knew that. I could even say that the slap in chapter 11 was a violent reaction because with the ruined paintings and with his words (refusal of working for him), he had rejected Yoon Seungho which the unconscious could not accept. Hence the constant rejection was always very painful for the lord, the painter’s mouth kept wounding his heart, the unconscious, since the conscious was denying the existence of any feeling. Baek Na-Kyum’s mouth is the mirror of the truth. The lord’s conscious has to accept the crude honesty: he is in love with Baek Na-Kyum. As long as he continues denying it, his unconscious and heart will always be wounded by the painter’s mouth. That’s why he needs to stop denying this. Simultaneously, this explains why the artist’s mouth has a calming effect in chapter 53 
. For the first time, the painter’s mouth is showing concern and care. There is no rejection, the artist’s voice and words let transpire feelings which the unconscious has been longing for a very long time. That’s why in that moment, the lord can’t help touching the painter’s cheek and white head-band. The unconscious has finally received something it had been longing: acceptance and warmth. But this is just a brief victory as the moment is ruined by Min’s appearance. However, through this examination, it became obvious that Yoon Seungho needed to confess first. And this observation was proven correct. Yoon Seungho admitted his attachment to the painter in chapter 55. 
(Chapter 52) In my opinion, he must be mocking the other noble. He feels that his fellow is just too stupid and naive. Yet Min is actually overlooking an important aspect. There is an explanation why the other aristocrats are calling the protagonist a lunatic. Yoon Seungho is indeed revolutionary as he rejects social hierarchy and as such criticizes nobility with its privileges. During the 18th Century, libertines were fighting for liberty and equity and this is not surprising that the French revolution began 1789. Remember what I told about libertines, sex was just one aspect in their life, they advocate reforms and changes in the tripartite society, in the rigid social hierarchy. That’s what Black Heart is overlooking, whereas the nobles sensed this aspect but were not able to define it. 
His retreat was not a defeat, he was just ignoring their opinion. Yoon Seungho just saw them as nobodies hence he had no reason to fight back for his reputation, since he never valued his notoriety. What Min perceived as a first victory was nothing in Yoon Seungho’s eyes.
(Chapter 33) Here, he was challenging the lord for the first time. Furthermore like I had already underlined before, the lord created this image of hell-raiser as a shield. Thanks to his bad notoriety, he could deceive people and protect himself. Ecstasy was never his goal unlike Min, since Yoon Seungho desired to divert people’s attention. And based on my theory he never took pleasure in sodomy, he rather forced himself to live up to his bad reputation. 
(Chapter 52) No noble imagined that the main lead had an interest in government posts. Admittedly, only the readers know the reason why he is sponsoring Jung In-Hun. It happened because of the painter. However, I detect another manipulation here because of the following picture: 
[chapter 11] The noble has always been honest in front of the painter hence his words outline how powerful the main lead is in reality. He already has connections in the government but he never made it public therefore aristocrats thought, he was indulging himself in lust. While he went to sex orgies, he did pay attention to what was happening at the capital, yet he never showed up there due to his trauma. I would even add that he even influenced the government, but always unofficially and indirectly so that people would never make any connection to him. His power seems to be quite important since he proclaims that he can ruin the teacher’s career. This can be also the explication why he even adjoins that he will never get caught with Jung In-Hun’s murder. 
(Chapter 11) He can use his connections in the worst case to cover his misdeed. Nonetheless, I sense that he is also referring to his reputation as a man consumed by lust. As a conclusion, Min has no idea how powerful the noble he is challenging truly is. His judgement is based on the nobles’ reports and hearsay. That’s why Black Heart believes Yoon Seungho is easy to understand, since the rumor is quite simple. To summarize, Min is just another arrogant and stupid fool, overestimating his own abilities and underestimating his opponent. Like one of my readers wrote, Black Heart confuses cunningness with intelligence. Yoon Seungho is not only ruthless but also very smart.
(chapter 52) But this doesn’t stop here. He even confesses Jihwa’s involvement.
(Chapter 52) How can I not judge him stupid? I guess, opium has already confused his mind and reduced his vigilance. He is indeed careless and thoughtless. Besides, in the picture above, I noticed another important detail. He started insulting Jihwa as sodomite. This word “sodomite” reflects his opinion about sodomy as such. He is no homosexual per se, he just uses sodomy to submit the other masters. He is indeed similar to Yoon Seungho in that aspect. Both perceive sex as war, however the powerful noble did it out of resent towards nobility, whereas the other wanted to establish himself as the new ruler among the local aristocracy. Black Heart desired to prove his superiority over the other lords. the main lead had a different goal, it was to tarnish and ruin the image of the nobility. One might argue that the outcome is the same… which is correct, yet due to this, Min jumped to the false conclusion. Min assumed that Yoon Seungho had the same intention. 
(Chapter 49), but due to the butler’s intervention, the protagonist decided to push the painter away. In his mind, it was the painter’s interest. The latter had just accepted the lord as his partner, as he felt obliged. But this was not entirely correct. Once the artist had admitted that he liked sex thanks to Yoon Seungho, this means that he had adopted this new philosophy. Furthermore the distance and separation helped the artist to realize that his lover had more meaning in his life than he had realized it before. Even in this chapter, the change is quite visible. 
(Chapter 52) The painter gets upset with the kiss but instead of letting his emotions take control of his thoughts, he ponders about the cause of these negative feelings. Why is he upset? 
(Chapter 52) Notice the appearance of Yoon Seungho’s hand. It is directly put under the noble’s chin. This gesture is not anodine. His intention appears clear to me. He is aiming at his chin in order to mold his mouth. But he can’t make it too obvious, hence he disguises it after that with a kiss. The kiss is to shut Min’s mouth.
Observe the lord’s hand is still grabbing the chin and his mouth is literally devouring Black Heart’s mouth. It was as if he was covering up Min’s mouth. He made sure that he would stop talking. Note Min’s expression. He never expected such a gesture, he thought that the lord wouldn’t retaliate like that, he would retreat. On the other hand, the main lead is not happy, he is actually furious. 
(chapter 46) What a difference! Min dared to challenge his host and this time, Yoon Seungho didn’t remain passive or retreat. He accepted the defy. This is what I take away from this scene. 
(Chapter 52) 
(chapter 43) but this signification is reinforced with this chapter. To summarize, Min treats everyone as pawns, including nobles. This outlines his arrogance. He considers himself as a puppet master, a great mastermind hence he is superior to everyone, including Yoon Seungho.
(Chapter 43) Therefore I believe Min defends the values perpetuated among the aristocracy: titles give lords the right to consider themselves superior to commoners and to treat the latter as bugs. Min is the representative of this mentality, for him low-born have no value and no right. They can be killed or be mistreated, this is the normality for him. And this mentality is faulty as Min is neglecting an important factor: commoners. They represent the majority and play a greater role in the masters’ life. The result is that he made a huge mistake because of this source of info. He just relied on his fellows, however I have always said that Yoon Seungho used rumors and has always acted in front of other nobles. In other words, Min has a false image about the main lead and there is no doubt about it.
(chapter 8) Furthermore, after having sex one time, he remained by the painter’s side observing his expressions and reactions. He understood what the painter meant to the protagonist.
(Chapter 9) However, his judgement is only partially correct as his perception is also influenced by the reports he received through his connections, like I wrote above. After the two challenges, Min could no longer approach the main lead hence he had to rely on other sources.
(Chapter 41) Min never took it seriously. He only saw it as an empty menace. The problem is that Min’s perception is mostly influenced by the rumors existing about Yoon Seungho. I doubt, he is aware that the main lead has shadow guards. I even suspect that he never heard Yoon Seungho’s thread made in front of the painter.
Therefore the seme was forced to take the man with him and pressured him until the painter gave in. He had to admit that painting was his way to survive. Notice that Yoon Seungho cornered him to concede this. 
(chapter 7) Notice that in order to force the painter to violate the scholar’s rules, the noble had to use stratagems that didn’t require a lot of strength in the beginning: some little menace and the blackmail. Yet, the manhwaphiles can detect that the thread keeps growing as well. The aristocrat already has to use his power (influence and money) in order to corner the painter (chapter 7) which shouldn’t be neglected. It did represent a lot: a roof and free food for the low noble. 
I am quite sure that the innocent protagonist hadn’t done it before due to the scholar’s preaching. So the chapter 9 marked another progression. Baek Na-Kyum disrespected the rule 3 for the first time on his own. He can’t admit to feel attracted to another man, to be recognized as a sodomite. That’s why the masturbation represented a compromise. Since he was alone, nobody would know about it. As you can detect, little by little Seungho is removing all the rules set by the low aristocrat. But the higher the rules are, the more Yoon Seungho needs to use force. 
(rule 2) Surprising is that due to his interaction with the main lead, Baek Na-Kyum had somehow started thinking on his own, using his own critical thinking therefore he reprimanded the rich master for his cruel behavior towards the servant who got killed. In that moment, Jung In-Hun had to put him back to his place. He admonished the painter harshly for his criticism. As a low-born, he was not allowed to make such comment. 
(chapter 10) From my point of view, the chapter 10 not only reveals the huge influence Jung In-Hun has on the painter, but also illustrates the growing influence of Seungho on the artist. The master’s words and actions did shake the rule 6. But it wasn’t enough to remove this wall hence Baek Na-Kyum accepted the low noble’s reproach and remained silence. 
(chapter 11) Compared to the past where he just pushed the low-born away, his gestures in the chapter 11 displays the increasing use of Seungho’s force. But the master felt remorse hence later the painter was only scratched by the master. Nonetheless, let’s not forget that Seungho had already set his eyes on the painter. He wanted to taste the artist. As a first conclusion, the lord had only removed the rule 1 and 2. At the end of the chapter 15, the noble is facing another hindrance, the rule 3: his denial of his homosexuality. Therefore the masturbation in the chapter 16 marks the first step in order to destroy the rule 3. Notice that the noble was annoyed, when the artist gave the false excuse that he was tired in order to avoid the noble. So he somehow “attacked” Baek Na-Kyum by hugging him and grabbed his penis. 
(chapter 16) Let’s not forget that he didn’t ask for the commoner’s permission. That’s why the painter cried in that scene. The latter knew that he was violating the rule 3, yet the seme saw that Baek Na-Kyum was aroused and felt pleasure. 
(chapter 19), he was already on his guard waiting for a signal which appeared in the form of the stolen bottle. He seized the opportunity to meddle between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum. He needed to squash in between these two men. 
(chapter 21) In fact, he was attempting to deceive himself and the noble. During their night, Baek Na-Kyum was well aware that this could only remain a dream because if he admitted it as a reality, then this would signify that he was conceding his own sexual orientation and even his attraction to Yoon Seungho which he felt very early on (chapter 2, 6, 8-9, 13-16). Therefore I come to the conclusion that the artist somehow knew what happened during that night but chose to act as if the noble was Jung In-Hun. Later he repressed his memories and even ignored them so that he would act as if he was still following the teacher’s doctrines.
(chapter 21). 
(chapter 21) Yoon Seungho heard a love confession, got hugged and kissed tenderly and there was someone crying out of happiness because of him. For the first time, he saw that tears could be related to happiness and he could affect someone positively. That’s why he reacted by kissing the painter’s eye and tears. 
(chapter 21) Although he knew that it was just an illusion because Baek Na-Kyum had confessed to someone else, he hoped deep down that the painter would love him, if he remembered their night today. He tried to trigger his memory through different tricks (like here with the book) 
but he failed (chapter 23). Yet he showed a certain patience as he didn’t pressure the artist to paint their night immediately, he gave him time. He imagined that once Baek Na-Kyum remembered their night and painted it, it will become a reality, a proof that this was not an illusion. But because of the coercive persuasion, Baek Na-Kyum tried to repress his memory. He had to if he wanted to keep following the scholar’s rules. The painter chose to ignore the images he had since it meant that he hadn’t kept his vow. All this time, Yoon Seungho has no idea about the true nature of the relationship between Jung In-Hun and the low-born. First, he believes to see it as a crush, then he witnesses the depth of the painter’s feelings. This is important because from that moment, the main motivation for the lord will be love and no longer his libido. This will be his goal which will give him the necessary strength to remove the other rules: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
(chapter 25) The rape represented the ultimate use of violence which kept increasing from the start. But the noble failed as he was not able to remove the rule 4, 5 and 6. Yet he did achieve something which I’ve realized only now. For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum was admitting that he loved a man and he could no longer the excuse that he was under the influence of the alcohol. So at the pavilion, the artist violated the law 3 (being a homosexual) as he confessed his love for Jung In-Hun. 
(chapter 40)
chapter 1
(chapter 6), as he has been manipulated by the teacher Jung In-Hun that homosexuality is something filthy and immoral.
(chapter 34)
(chapter 26) even if Ian was sexually abused quite often as he spent many years at the Bardis before getting “rescued” by Mr. Raymond.
and the former is even willing to eat his lunch with him.
(chapter 11) Despite the difference, they both have to please their sponsor with their work. If there is disobedience, then there is also punishment: 
(chapter 13) The low-born was about to get the straw mat beating, until the lord changed his mind. However, just like Ian, the young man had been slapped and even pushed by his “sponsor” before. Ian’s suffering lasts much longer because he arrived at the house as a child and he was already a young man, when he was able to leave this hell created by Bardi. 
(chapter 41) He was jealous and annoyed, when he saw the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration so that he failed to see the talent and dedication in this different type of drawing. So there is a certain selfishness in the seme here but I am expecting that this will change. He could have noticed that the low-born’s talent is not just defined by sex and sodomy but his insecurities made him blind in that moment. Yet, this painting has been given to the loyal valet Kim so that it can get destroyed. But I feel that Kim might give it to his master or keep it. I have the feeling that this painting will play a bigger role in Baek Na-Kyum’s career later. 
(chapter 41)
(chapter 44) The drawing was detailed and totally different from the erotic pictures. So I am expecting that Yoon Seungho turns into a real sponsor and becomes more and more like Mr. Raymond. However, the latter will have to choose at some point between power or love. By taking care of Ian so well, he wanted him to open up but at the end, Raymond fell in love with the genius too. While one artist could incite arousal with his creations, the other could calm the resentful merchant. Strictly speaking, their art had a huge impact on the life of the two semes. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 