Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwas. Doctor Frost – Jinx But be aware that the last manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed manhwas Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, and the previous essay about Jinx “Tragicomic loss of innocence“ (locked)
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1. The origins of this essay
Since the beginning, people have been wondering about Joo Jaekyung’s past and family and this interest keeps increasing, the more the champion interacts with Kim Dan. Why? It is because Jinx lovers are sensing the tyrant’s transformation.
(chapter 1) Slowly, he is getting tamed and as such he is becoming a social being! Right now, he has become much more considerate towards the physical therapist.
(chapter 25) Note that he is standing in the ring, but he is smiling. And this change can only push the manhwaphiles to question about Joo Jaekyung’s raising and past. His metamorphosis is referring to the famous debate “nature versus nurture” in psychology.
“The expression “nature vs. nurture” describes the question of how much a person’s characteristics are formed by either “nature” or “nurture.” “Nature” means innate biological factors (namely genetics), while “nurture” can refer to upbringing or life experience more generally. […]
A person’s biological nature can affect a person’s experience of the environment. For example, a person with a genetic disposition toward a particular trait, such as aggressiveness, may be more likely to have particular life experiences (including, perhaps, receiving negative reactions from parents or others). Or, a person who grows up with an inclination toward warmth and sociability may seek out and elicit more positive social responses from peers. These life experiences could, in turn, reinforce an individual’s initial tendencies. Nurture or life experience more generally may also modify the effects of nature—for example, by expanding or limiting the extent to which a naturally bright child receives encouragement, access to quality education, and opportunities for achievement.” Quoted from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nature-vs-nurture#:~:text=The%20expression%20%E2%80%9Cnature%20vs.,or%20life%20experience%20more%20generally.
This shows that Joo Jaekyung’s environment played a huge role in his mental and emotional development. Because of Kim Dan, it becomes obvious that the boxer has a big heart. In addition, he had no loved one by his side. He has definitely trust and abandonment issues. In other words, he had not opened up his heart to anyone else before. But does it mean that he has always been on his own till his fateful meeting with the doctor? No, I don’t think so. Why? First, he trusts the coaches Park Namwook and Jeong Yosep
(chapter 5) and the doctor Cheolmin.
(chapter 14) He listens to them, hence he calls them all “hyung”. But here is the question. How did he come to meet them and even trust them? Imagine that he is still keeping his distance from other fighters, yet he is the unofficial owner of Black Team. He can determine the salary and the transferring. This displays that his mistrust is not just a matter of time. Consequently, my hypothesis is that someone introduced the hyungs to him. Here, I feel the need to remind my inquisitive readers that I had found many clues in the name Joo Jaekyung [For more read “The bright calamity“] which had triggered many new ideas. One of them was that the protagonist could be in verity the real heir of that chaebol family, because Joo can have the following significations: master/owner/host and helmet/descendants!! I had also voiced the possibility that he might have lost his parents due to a terrible incident (crime). With this, we would have the explanation of the abandonment issues and the absence of motherly affection. If this theory is true, then it means that he would be an orphan. Therefore he needed to have a guardian. Yes… exactly like Kim Dan. He was raised by someone else. And don’t forget that Kim Dan is his fated partner, thereby they share some common denominators. Therefore in my eyes, the only difference would be that the doctor was abandoned by his parents on purpose which would not be the case for the famous MMA-fighter. And now, it is time to reveal my theory concerning Joo Jaekyung’s past. Actually, I had made this discovery much sooner, and even planned to present it in the essay “The bright calamity”. Yet, as the latter had become so long, I decided to postpone it! I was waiting for the right time, until I couldn’t help myself announcing on Twitter the discovery of a clue in episode 5, when @jaekyungxdan wondered about the athlete’s childhood. Thus people got intrigued about my new finding and theory.
2. “I just tried a little something new”
Do you recognize this quote? Joo Jaekyung mentioned it in the car after his match in chapter 5. And now, if you take a closer look at the illustration
, you will identify that two images are from episode 5.
(chapter 5)
For me, it is a very important episode. So what do these panels have in common? The main lead’s cellphone. In fact, the latter exposes a lot about the athlete’s private life.😮 We have the best example from Kim Dan.
(chapter 16)
(chapter 16)
(chapter 16) The minions saw the amount and came to the conclusion that Kim Dan was selling his body.
And now, it is time to study the emperor’s recent calls more closely.
(chapter 05) According to me, the mysterious doctor from episode 13 is Cheolmin hyung. Consequently, I had only one name left: Seo Gichan. Who is this man? Because I had made a connection between the names and personality, I immediately started reading the information about his name. Yes, the website giving significations to Korean names has become my little something. Moreover, observe that Seo Gichan appeared first! For me, the order is exposing the importance of a person in Joo Jaekyung’s life. This explains why Kim Dan was only called 8 times after talking to the faceless man. I have the impression that this man had reassured the young fighter. Since Cheolmin hyung is connected to the club, it is comprehensible why the main lead called Kim Dan 23 times after his conversation. He had dropped the idea of finding a lover through the club!! And now, I would like to outline another relevant detail. When did we see the champion using his cellphone?
(chapter 1)
(chapter 2)
(chapter 19) They are all related to sex and as such prostitution. So when he called the MFC match manager, it is related to his jinx. Hence the champion got upset. I could even include this scene as well.
(chapter 17) The champion paid off the doctor’s debts, thinking that he was freeing him from “prostitution”.
(chapter 18) And guess what? The name “Gi” can signify “prostitute” or “flesh, muscle”.
(chapter 5) A coincidence? I don’t think so. Hence I came to the conclusion that this man is responsible for the athlete’s negative perception of sex. The latter is connected to prostitution. How so? Gi can also mean “man of sixty or seventy“. This means, he is an older man! That’s how I deduced that Seo Gichan has been the champion’s guardian! The negative version of Kim Dan’s halmoni!
(chapter 22) He is the reason why the champion became a fighter, just like Kim Dan became a physical therapist for his grandmother. This explicates why the athlete knew how to talk prettily to an elderly and how to assist the sick grandmother
(chapter 21). Joo Jaekyung is used to this. But there’s more to his name. However, before exposing more about his name and his personality, I would like to examine this panel again.
(chapter 5) When the protagonist is starring at his cellphone, there’s a fighter standing behind him. For me, this image represents a metaphor. There exists a shadow in the athlete’s life. Yet the champion is not detecting the colleague’s presence, too blinded by his frustration and anger. He had never been ignored and as such rejected before!! Nevertheless, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that the main lead had called Seo Gichan and Cheolmin hyung before! This exposes the increasing obsession of the athlete for the main lead. Kim Dan is Joo Jaekyung’s shadow, but when I selected this title, I was naturally thinking of Seo Gichan! He is the one who had been influencing the athlete’s life so far. However, for me, the last image represents the transition. Kim Dan is little by little taking over the old man’s place. Yes, we are actually assisting to the champion’s spiritual and mental emancipation. He’s maturing into a real adult by rediscovering his inner child. Thus on one hand, he is taking care of the doctor and the halmoni, on the other hand, he plays more and more pranks.
(chapter 24)
3. Seo Gichan: the ghost in Joo Jaekyung’s life
How can I be so sure that he’s been acting as the athlete’s guardian? First, Seo can signify “son-in-law” or “husband“, an indication that he is like family to the main lead. Furthermore, his name is related to food: potato, yam (sweet potato) and millet/broomcorn millet. It was, as though the man had been making sure that Joo Jaekyung would eat properly. This would explain why Joo Jaekyung is eating on a regular basis.
(chapter 13)
(chapter 18) As a child, he was encouraged to drink his glass of milk and not to drink these sweet yoghurts.
(chapter 21) They were definitely judged as unhealthy, for they contain a lot of sugar. It is no coincidence that Seo can mean “order, discipline and age”. This man was definitely strict. Hence the main lead never experienced a caress and a warm hug from his guardian.
However, since the elderly man is not wearing the same name than the fighter, this means that they are not directly related. Hence Joo Jaekyung had never tasted a family meal!!
(chapter 22)
(chapter 22) Seo Gichan must have never cooked for the athlete, he simply hired a nutritionist!
(chapter 22) However, I doubt that Seo Gichan is living like the athlete. I am suspecting that he enjoys good meals. Why? It’s because Chan can mean “meal, eat, food, delicacies“!! Moreover, Seo can refer to hungry. Hence I don’t think that he is as slim and fragile as the halmoni, quite the opposite! Why? First, his name Gi can signify “rhinoceros” or “piebald horse“, an indication that he must be robust. Additionally, this ghost is linked to “west”, “dawn” and willow, which reminded me of Park Namwook. The latter is represented by “morning sun, rising, mountain cherry and camphor tree“!! How does the coach look like?
(chapter 7) Quite chubby! Thus we can assume that he resembles to the coach and the emperor is taking after his mentor to a certain extent.
Moreover, we know the halmoni’s face, but we don’t know her name… and it is the opposite for Seo Gichan! This is not random for me. We all read his name, yet we haven’t seen him in person. He has a similar role than the halmoni in the champion’s life.
(chapter 22) Is he actually real?
I have to admit that after reading all the different meanings of Seo Gichan, I came to the following conclusion: he is one of the villains of Jinx! First, Seo means “daybreak, dawn“, while Joo Jaekyung fears the night and is suffering from somniphobia. This contrast could only raise my suspicion. On the other hand, this would explain why he would trust this man and rely on him. At the same time, the faceless man could feign ignorance about the main lead’s suffering.
What caught my attention is that his name always embodies opposite notions. Seo stands for loyalty (oath, vow, swear), for forgiveness and generosity (to forgive, to give, have mercy, to assist, to give, to live), while Seo is also connected to scheme, stratagem, to weed, to dig, to hoe, to die. In addition, Gi can embody plot, to deceive, to cheat, to abandon, relinquish, discard, exile, banish and scuttle! Then Seo can allude to weird, odd, strange, divergent or WISE. This is another contradiction. How is it possible? For me, this mysterious man is a hypocrite, but Joo Jaekyung has not detected it yet. While Seo can signify “perch”, “rest of birds”, “to dwell“, “relax“, Gi can represent “bridle, halter and restrain“! I perceive that the elderly gave Joo Jaekyung a fake home, where the latter was restrained and manipulated. Seo was the willow where the dragon could rest
, the reality was to divert his attention. Under this new aspect, you can grasp my illustration. In addition, Seo can also signify “to narrate, chat, express and relieve”, a sign that he has been manipulating the athlete filling his head with prejudices. Hence Gi can also mean “to ridicule“.
This ghost is definitely selfish and greedy, for his name is connected to the following notions: “wish, want, hope, hungry, oneself, self, her/his/its, sixth in order, numerous, to hoe” (in Australian, it means eat eagerly) and “to store, to compile, to gather”. Due to the words “craft, skill, wise, chess, chess piece, stratagem, plot”, I deduce that he must be very intelligent and even cunning. Nonetheless, I can not be sure 100%, but since Seo can represent villa, office and bureau, I have the impression that he is running the chaebol company in Joo Jaekyung’s name. By becoming a fighter, Joo Jaekyung has not the time to deal with business. Further, the name Chan can represent “to carry on, to inherit“, while it can also mean “to exile, banish and scuttle“. In other words, he took over the young man’s place. Hence Joo Jaekyung lives in a recent and modern penthouse and not in the family villa.
But how did I come to this hypothesis?
Look once again at the illustration on the left side on the bottom. What do these little images (plow, winnow basket, millet, yam) have in common? They are all related to agriculture and farming. Besides, Gi can also signify woodworking chisel, hoe, tool/utensil and finally “headland“. In agriculture, headland is the area at each end of a planted field. Hence I came to the following deduction: Seo Gichan comes from the countryside, from the peasantry. As soon as I made this connection, I couldn’t help myself thinking of Potato
(chapter 23) For me, their path will cross, especially since Potato is a reflection of Kim Dan. The former could view the physical therapist as a source of danger for his idol. But let’s return our attention to my interpretation. Seo Gichan comes from a humble background, but he could raise socially, the exact opposite of the grandmother’s destiny. This is not surprising that Gi can signify “rise, raise and get up“. Hence he was not rich and powerful from the start. So how could he come close to a chaebol heir? It is because he was his guardian. He must have gained the chaebol family’s trust. Thus he could indoctrinate his pupil telling him that poor people are to blame for their misery. In other words, Seo Gichan must have sold himself as a self-made man which would explain why Joo Jaekyung is such a hardworking athlete and he is not living on his wealth. I have the feeling that in reality, he is more like Heo Manwook, the loan shark. He took advantage of the situation. (“Gi”: machine, opportunity”)
Because he is not related to the champion directly, it becomes comprehensible why the penthouse contains no direct reference to Seo Gichan. However, I believe that he did leave a trace there, though it is not obvious. It is the painting:
(chapter 18) In the analysis “The bright calamity”, I had elaborated that this painting was reflecting the protagonist’s name and as such his personality. But we know that Joo Jaekyung has no knowledge about culture:
(chapter 19) For me, the painting reflects not only the champion, but also the mysterious man. Why? His name can also signify “book, divination, lucky, auspicious, oath and libation cup“, hence I included the bowl from episode 9 in the illustration. All these idioms belong to the semantic field of religion and faith, thus we have the church in the picture. And that’s how it dawned on me why Joo Jaekyung came to choose abstinence and is refusing to drink alcohol with his fellows. It is because he is drinking with his “master Seo”, his priest!! Besides, Gi can refer to “base, basic, foundation“. He is the owner of the champion’s past (Gi= to record, note and remember“). Thus he could distort the champion’s past memories and childhood. Under this new light, it occurred to me that Seo Gichan is the cause for the champion’s false belief:
(chapter 18) How so? It is because Seo Gichan must have presented himself as his lucky charm (“Seo: lucky, auspicious, propitious; Chan: libation cup, praise, compliment, brilliant, glorious“). And this leads me to the following observation, Gi 麒 can also mean mythical male unicorn. As soon as I found this, I looked into it and discovered Qilin.

“qilin, Wade-Giles ch’i-lin, in Chinese mythology, the unicorn whose rare appearance often coincides with the imminent birth or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. (The name is a combination of the two characters qi “male,” and lin, “female.”) A qilin has a single horn on its forehead, a yellow belly, a multicoloured back, the body of a deer, and the tail of an ox. Gentle of disposition, it never walks on verdant grass or eats living vegetation.” Quoted from https://www.britannica.com/topic/qilin
This discovery could only reinforce my hypothesis that the protagonist is the real heir, the true ruler, but he has been fooled by this old man. The latter presented himself as a qilin, thus the dragon felt a connection with his spiritual guide. He had the impression, they were similar and as such close. Both are creatures of water (Gi: Yi River), and to fire and as such light (bright, brilliant, summer heat, hot weather). No wonder why the protagonist would trust Seo Gichan so much. However, the reality is that the elderly man stopped Joo Jaekyung from turning into a dragon by keeping him by the coast. Headland has another signification: it is also a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea. Under this aspect, my avid readers can grasp why I selected the yellow and blue picture in the illustration.
It is an allusion to the coast and ocean, to fire and to water, but also to border, as Gi can mean “flag, border, breakwater, jetty and boundary“. In my eyes, Seo Gichan is the red flag. But the fake qiling used “cotton wadding, the perch and willow” to stop Joo Jaekyng from flying over the ocean and find his yeouiju! He wanted him to remain an imoogi! [For more, read the essay “Tattooed identity”]
So while Seo Gichan poses as qilin, in reality he is just a rat, mouse and rhinoceros. As you all know, the rat symbolizes betrayal, greed, but intelligence. The mouse inspires no danger, and it is known for its gentle and nurturing nature. No reason to mistrust him. As for the rhinoceros, it is also connected to the positive features:
- strong,
- reliable,
- private,
- protective,
- wisdom,
- loyal
However, in the theater play “Rhinoceros” written by Ionesco, this animal embodies different notions: brutality, intolerance, blindness, indoctrination and dictatorship! Interesting is that Seo Gichan is connected to “gas, vapor and steam” which was used in Doctor Frost as a metaphor for hatred, indoctrination and manipulation as well! 
(Doctor Frost, 175) And that’s how I realized another divergence between the halmoni and Seo Gichan. Kim Dan’s grandmother might have played a role in Kim Dan’s suffering, but it was not done on purpose. She had trouble herself, the main culprits were the parents. Moreover, though both (Seo Gichan and the grandmother) wanted the main leads to remain “boys” and “children”, the grandmother was more focused on the past because of her imminent death, while I am quite certain that Seo Gichan is more thinking of the future! He wishes to take over the inheritance, though he must be quite old. In other words, he is not realizing his own immortality. That’s the reason why I believe that he will be the biggest enemy of our beloved couple, for Kim Dan represents a threat to his power. Gi means “afraid, careful, abnormal, unbalanced, lopsided“, hence I am suspecting that he will use tricks to get rid of the physical therapist.
While Seo Gichan is connected to “valuable stone, fine jade, virtuous/refined thoroughbred horse, irregular pearl, delicacies, addicted of/fond of“, I deduce that he is living in luxury and comfort and this thanks to the protagonist. He is living happily, whereas his pupil is still suffering from a trauma. The reason is that he can feign ignorance, for Joo Jaekyung can have everything. Gichan might have suggested “fighting” in order to help the protagonist to overcome his issues, his “violence”, well aware that in reality, he needed a therapy. This “fragile peace” could be maintained, until Kim Dan entered his life. To conclude, the “guardian” had a reason to ignore the champion’s suffering. Hence his life was trapped in the winter: his true nature was dormant like in the painting. The tree is not blooming.
(Chapter 18), for the sun Seo is ruling elsewhere, probably in the villa and the company. If you recall the description of the fighter’s name, the latter can symbolize gem and pearl. So the two characters are both jade and pearls, though Gi is referring to “irregular pearl“. This exposes that this ghost has less value than the true gem.
And because Seo Gichan can symbolize “deceive, cheat, discard, exile, banish“, I could only come to the conclusion that he will use tricks to separate the couple: Randy Booker, Heo Manwook, the green haired uke, probably Hwang Yoon-Gu (though it can be only temporary), the perverted hospital director (if he is not Seo Gichan), and Kim Miseon, like for example an arranged marriage. But the dragon is not alone!! How so? After discovering the Qilin, I searched for mythical Chinese creatures. And this is what I found:
“In ancient Chinese astronomy, the sky ecliptic was divided into four sections. Each of these sections contained seven mansions, and together they formed the 28 Mansions. The 28 Mansions may be considered to be equivalent to the zodiacal constellations in Western astronomy, although they reflect the movement of the Moon through a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a tropical year. This enabled the ancient Chinese to mark the travelling positions of the Sun and the Moon, as well as to determine the time and seasons. Each section of the sky is assigned to a mythological creature, collectively known as the Four Symbols. These creatures are the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Vermillion Bird of the South. Apart from their astronomical significance, each of the Four Symbols is surrounded by various mythological associations.
The Azure Dragon is the mythological creature in the East, as it is said that when the seven mansions in that area (Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket) are joined up, they form the shape of a dragon. The Azure Dragon corresponds to the season of spring. […]
The mythological creature in the West is the White Tiger, and its seven mansions are the Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak and Three Stars. The White Tiger corresponds to the season of autumn. The White Tiger’s element is metal, and it was held to be the God of War. […]
In the North, the mythological creature in the Black Tortoise, and its seven mansions are the Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment and Wall. The Black Tortoise corresponds to the season of winter. The element of the Black Tortoise is water, and this mythological creature is commonly associated with longevity and wisdom (just as these virtues are traditionally attributed to ordinary tortoises in Chinese mythology).
The mythological creature in the South is the Vermillion Bird, and its seven mansions are the Well, Ghosts, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings and Chariot. The Vermillion Bird corresponds to the season of summer. Interestingly, the Vermillion Bird has been considered to be identical to the phoenix. The phoenix is traditionally associated with fire, and this is also the case with the Vermillion Bird. As a mythological creature, the phoenix is considered as a symbol of good luck. Quoted from https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/four-mythological-symbols-china-001792
Thus I came to associate the following characters to these mythical creatures:
- Azure dragon: Joo Jaekyung
- Vermilion bird: Kim Dan. By living with Joo Jaekyung, the duck is taking over the vermilion red (life) from his lover. This means that for the transformation to be complete, the athlete has to bring his partner to the ocean, to the beach.
- Black Tortoise: Hwang Yoon-Gu (his name can refer to tortoise).
White Tiger: Park Namwook 
And now, you are wondering why I didn’t pick up Jeong Yosep as the tiger. It is because the Black tortoise is always accompanied with a snake on its back and I am expecting that Potato and Yosep represent the second couple in Jinx. The coach is rather a discreet person, quite the opposite of Namwook. Besides, the latter considers Team Black as his gym.
(chapter 22) Moreover, the White tiger is the king of terrestrial beings which coincides with the manager’s function. Namwook is the representative of Team Black.
(chapter 7) Thus I believe that together, they will be able to free Joo Jaekyung from his suffering and his mental prison changing his destiny. In reality, the main lead was destined to greatness.
Okay, all this was based on an analysis of the name Seo Gichan, so there is no guarantee that it is the truth. But so far, many of my assumptions were confirmed later. Now, it would be great, if you could give your thoughts after reading this.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.






(chapter 15) Thus he licked his lips after kissing the doctor. I had already outlined it before, but back then I had not truly grasped the athlete’s mentality. Until that scene, he viewed sex as work! This means that in the locker room, he started connecting sex to food! The kiss was the trigger for this change of mind. Thus Kim Dan had the impression that Joo Jaekyung was devouring him!
(chapter 15) It is no coincidence that at the end, the champion even bit his neck
(chapter 15) As you can see, the words and the gestures were all connected to the lexical field eating. Striking is that the latter has for synonym “consumption”. Anyone is aware of the strong association between sexuality and consumption. To conclude, this sex session is the moment the athlete’s perception about sex changed. For him, sex became a synonym for food and the doctor was his dessert. Hence I couldn’t help myself associating him with the cookie monster from Muppet show! 😂 The only difference is that in reality, Joo Jaekyung is more lusting after candies than cookies. Nonetheless, he has not realizing yet that he is longing for intimacy and affection.
(chapter 15) he tried to stop his partner and even to push him away. Besides, it looks like he was trying to scratch Joo Jaekyung. Then he had voiced his dissatisfaction with his own mouth:
(chapter 15) IT was, as if it was disgusting. Then he had used his hands to cover his mouth.
(chapter 15) The champion could only notice Kim Dan’s displeasure about the kiss. He was refusing to be kissed. But after the kiss, they were still facing each other. However, since the physical therapist had put an end to the smooching, Joo Jaekyung had only one option left: the renewal of the penetration. However, he didn’t change his partner’s position.
(chapter 15) Because of the doctor’s negative attitude, Joo Jaekyung could only become rude in this image. He had still listened to the doctor’s request, but the latter kept protesting and arguing with him.
(chapter 15) However, they have a deal and in his mind, Kim Dan could not object to the intercourse. Hence Joo Jaekyung silenced him with such a remark. What caught my attention is that after tasting the sweetness from the doctor’s lips and tongue, the champion was no longer satisfied with a simple thrusting.
(chapter 15) Here, I would like the beholder to pay attention to the athlete’s hand on the locker. He is clinching his fist, a sign that he isn’t relaxed and rather frustrated. This shows that there was something missing, and Joo Jaekyung sensed it unconsciously. In verity, he was longing for the candy kiss. And now, the manhwalovers can understand why with his hand, he reinitiated the kiss
(chapter 15) However, this time, he was paying attention to Kim Dan’s reactions. Therefore he didn’t close his eyes and observed his reactions. The doctor was reciprocating the smooching. The evidences for this interpretation are the doctor’s hands (no scratching, they are now on the side), his tongue and finally his blushing.
(chapter 15) Joo Jaekyung could only get greedier after such a reception… he acted like the cookie monster which Kim Dan also sensed. However, the latter didn’t consider it as a real kiss.
(chapter 15) He had the impression that he had become the beast’s lunch.
(chapter 15) The thoughts of the protagonist implies that he was slowly getting aroused. And now, it is important to recall the champion’s response to this view.
(chapter 15) He thrusted a few times, but he had a climax shortly after. This means that this view linked to the kiss
(chapter 20) The champion is not done yet, because his hunger is not satisfied. Yes, for me, the doctor could end this by kissing him. He would be done with him, for he would have had his midnight snack. 😂 But before giving more details about this prediction, I would like to return to the question my follower had. Why is there no kiss again?
(chapter 15) Here, his words were quite ambiguous. Was he referring to the sex session itself, for Kim Dan had not been informed about the fighter’s true intention either? Or was he referring to the kiss? Don’t forget that the doctor talked about emotional preparation, and the kiss symbolizes affection and intimacy the best. And now, you comprehend why Joo Jaekyung pouted like a child after hearing the main lead’s wish:
(chapter 15) It was, as if he was deprived of his sweet. I believe that’s how the sportsman understood the message. And now, you comprehend why Joo Jaekyung came to consider Kim Dan as his meal.
(chapter 18) This is no coincidence that he licked his lips in this scene again.
(chapter 18) Because the physical therapist was somehow rejecting any kiss and as such any intimacy, Joo Jaekyung couldn’t initiate a new kiss. At the same time, the readers can grasp why the couple was no longer facing each other. Due to the physical therapist’s request and attitude, Joo Jaekyung was no longer obliged to face him. That’s the reason why the couple had sex in the dog position on the table again. After all these new discoveries, it actually confirms my previous interpretation. We should see this sex session as a substitute for a kiss. Like I had written before, it was, as though the champion was kissing his wife before going to work!! 😂 In the end, I consider this manhwa as very funny, but the jokes are subtile.
(chapter 18), in reality he was longing for a candy kiss. This signifies that as long as Kim Dan doesn’t take the initiative, the athlete won’t change his attitude. Moreover, why do you think that the boxer said this to his companion in the bedroom?
(chapter 20) He is longing for the candy kiss, but he can’t voice it. So far, their deal is about sex. This shows that he has somehow internalized the doctor’s request. Moreover, the protagonist’s ejaculation had caused him immense pleasure, but the champion couldn’t taste the sperm. It was on the mirror. As you can see, I see a strong connection between the physician’s pleasure and the champion’s satiety. The latter is slowly learning that he can achieve his goal (having a good fuck) without putting too much strength in the end. That’s the reason why he bought the toy.
(chapter 12) Here, I feel the need to expose the sportsman’s lie. The fuck buddies could never have brought such an object, because the champion’s partners are all bottoms. I doubt that they would use it for themselves. What would be the point in the end? Besides, the protagonist already has an anaconda. However, since he viewed sex as a job (it was to get rid of his jinx), I have the impression that he could never truly satisfy the bottoms. This would explain why the champion would constantly switch partners and thought that if he used such a toy, he could provoke pleasure. However, all the ukes rejected the toy!! Why? They all got scared (“nobody was up for trying it”). Who would be crazy to try it? Funny is that he gave the toy to the doctor, as if the latter would have to use it, thus the latter asked the question: “How do you use it?”. As you can see, through his words, the main lead gave the impression that this tool was for the bottom, hence one of them left it here. It was to hide his true desire. This truly exposes that the champion had never learned how to have sex properly. It was about power, strength and as such fortune! But by meeting the doctor, an innocent virgin, the champion could change his sexual behavior. We could say, he discovered a new world. Hence the kiss plays a central role.
(chapter 20) the color of the characters’ skin reminds us of a candy and the kiss mark. The main lead is grabbing the doctor’s buttocks, like he is taking a meal. As you can see, everything seems to pointing out that a candy kiss should occur very soon. It is important, because the moment it happens, it signifies that the doctor is giving up on the dog position. He has to face his partner, and as such to face reality. He would accept to become intimate with Joo Jaekyung. However, after the scene in the bathroom, the young man was still in denial. He was still avoiding reality. Therefore he chose to face the bed, and he was passive again… waiting for the time that the champion would finally stop.
(chapter 20) So if he wants to take the call from the hospital, he needs to become proactive and satisfy his partner in a short time. And the candy kiss would do the trick… Besides, I would like the manhwalovers to recall Kim Dan’s words in front of the mirror:
(chapter 16) These words expose that in this scene he had already envisioned the possibility to return such a smooching! And because we have a connection between the mirror and the locker, a different form of a mirror, it is now necessary to reexamine the doctor’s confession in the bathroom.
(chapter 16) Naturally, everyone interpreted this word like this. He had never been kissed on the mouth, for he never had any girlfriend or boyfriend before. But I would like my attentive readers to keep in their mind my previous theory. Joo Jaekyung had never been affectionate and tender, because he had never received any affection and attention from his mother. IT is very important to kiss a baby and a child, and this for 3 reasons:
(chapter 5), but I don’t think, we should jump to the conclusion that because she embraced him, she kissed him. Here, note that she used Kim Dan to protect herself from the loan sharks. She was not kissing him, she was talking to the threatening men. Moreover, I detected a certain physical distance between the woman and her grandson.
(chapter 19) The phone was between them. In addition, they were simply sitting next to each other. Then at the hospital, the doctor never hugged his grandmother. He would strike her shoulder
(chapter 07) or take her hand
(chapter 7) As for Peter Pan, she would just caress his face.
(chapter 5) Besides, if you compare all the images I quoted above, you will notice the physical gap between them. Why? It is because the grandmother knows deep down that Kim Dan is a man, and as such he is connected to the “dirty old creeps”.
(chapter 20) Thus I deduce that she must have hugged the boy, as long as he was a child. However, when he became a teenager, it was no longer possible. Such a change could only increase Kim Dan’s abandonment issues, pushing him to become more attentive towards his grandmother. This reinforced his dependency on her. Therefore it is not surprising that he never developed any dream on his own. Here, I feel the need to remind my avid essayphiles that I am not wishing her death. Quite the opposite. Why? She has to realize before her death that she was also responsible for her own misery and her grandchild’s.
(chapter 12) Therefore it is not surprising that he was in bad shape either. The smooching could have helped him to relax. In my eyes, the halmoni as a mother was too busy focusing on herself (her disillusion, bitterness, Peter Pan Syndrome) that she didn’t feel the need to kiss her own child (a son). So his son was never shown affection, hence when he became a father, he did the same. He didn’t kiss his son. Finally, we never see the halmoni kissing the main lead. So his words in the bathroom would reflect reality: Joo Jaekyung was the first to kiss him!
(chapter 20) But when he saw the doctor on the verge of getting raped (though he has no idea about the true nature of the crime yet), he imagined that the poor man was now selling himself. Consequently, I judge the fighter as a very responsible man despite his actions and words. In fact, he is the opposite of the halmoni, who lets her relative take care of everything. But if something doesn’t go the way she wishes, she will surely feel disregarded and betrayed.
(chapter 16) The latter was now part of his life, and he was recognizing his generosity. He was no longer judging him simply as a spoiled rich child. Since the doctor is older than the athlete and he is associated to sweet, I couldn’t restrain myself thinking of the idiom: “Sugar daddy”. 😂 Mingwa was giving a new definition to this expression. And this observation led me to the following prediction: Kim Dan will initiate a kiss.
(chapter 1) Note that he had remained silent, while the other was talking over the phone.
(chapter 1) The telephone call was not perceived as an interruption, which stands in contradiction to this scene.
(chapter 20) Secondly, observe how the sex partner had reacted.
(chapter 2) His behavior is very similar to the physician’s in the locker room. Both are sticking their tongue out while looking at their counterpart. The first big differences are that the blushing and gaze diverge.
(chapter 15) However, the champion had a different response to the green-haired partner.
(chapter 2) In addition, the vocabulary and situation in both chapters are quite similar:
(chapter 20) The hole sucks like a baby. Another common denominator is the phallus in both scenes.
(chapter 20) He had a climax, because Kim Dan had liked the kiss. Then in the bathroom he had come too, but after the doctor’s orgasm. In other words, the protagonist can only feel satisfy, when it is natural! The expression technique is an allusion to a job, but what did the main lead say to the main lead at the table?
(chapter 13) He doesn’t care about technique with Kim Dan. Why? The young man’s inexperience makes Joo Jaekyung realize that the situation is not artificial. The young man’s reactions are more genuine, and it is not an act. That’s the reason why I am more than ever convinced that the young man can solve this tricky situation with an easy trick: a candy kiss. This doesn’t require technique, simply sincerity and dedication.
(chapter 2) He had never kissed anyone among his partners. The doctor had already implied that kisses and embraces were inexistent in the champion’s world.
(chapter 13) But the kisses changed everything, they affected their relationship, deepening the fighter’s attachment towards the physician. Therefore it is no coincidence that he crossed the line during that evening.
(chapter 17) He had already done it with the kiss. Thus I deduce that it is only a matter of time, until the champion announces to others that he is dating the doctor. And if the doctor decides to kiss him during that night, this would seal the deal. They would be together from that instant on. Keep in mind that so far, the doctor had been the one rejecting their closeness and intimacy, for he didn’t desire emotions to be involved.
Joo Jaekyung is devouring his sweet! The cookie monster is receiving his candy kiss! 😉

(chapter 11) Yes, the protagonist was wearing pajamas with a Teddy bear on it. This signifies that Kim Dan is connected to this toy. But what does it mean exactly?
(chapter 11), the pure boy was waiting for her in bed, and more precisely under the cover. That’s the reason why you can detect the presence of the bed cover.
(chapter 5) Note that the main lead is mentioning his grandmother’s pain. This divulges that back then, he had sensed her agony. Deep down, he knew that she needed his presence, support and affection.
(chapter 11) This explicates his joy, when she returned. From my point of view, these two people must have shared the same bed. Thus they could give each other comfort, protection and a sense of belonging. And I have an evidence for this interpretation. Remember what the drunken physical therapist did in his bedroom. He imagined that his grandmother had returned home
(chapter 10), thus he grabbed the champion’s leg, the moment he sensed that the shadow would leave him alone!
(chapter 10) As you can see, Kim Dan was holding his leg like a Teddy Bear. Besides, the physical therapist had complained about loneliness before. He was missing “his Teddy Bear”, his halmoni.
(chapter 10) Finally, observe that Kim Dan asked Joo Jaekyung to take him. It was, as if he desired to share the bed with the sportsman. Hence you comprehend why the celebrity had to bring the drunken doctor to his penthouse. How could he remain by his side in such a desolate home? He had listened to his plea: he wouldn’t be left alone! When the young man woke up, he was indeed not alone. The champion had even observed his reactions before approaching him.
(chapter 10) It was, as if the champion had acted like a Teddy Bear watching over his “owner”. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why Kim Dan is so devoted to his grandmother, and even would risk his life for her.
(chapter 16) He knows that he is her source of joy, her “protector” and pillar. He is her guardian of the shadows of the night. However, since he is just a human, he can not stop her death.
(chapter 5) This explicates why he didn’t return to her side after hearing the last diagnosis from the doctor. His role is to console and protect her, hence she is not allowed to be confronted with cruel reality. Kim Dan can not let her know his worries and pain, for the role of the Teddy Bear is to “wipe the tear‘s owner with the soft fur”.
(Chapter 05)
(chapter 04)
(chapter 04) Kim Dan would wrap himself in a cover and even bury his head under the cover. This caught my notice, as sleeping position exposes people‘s personality. The cocoon position displays Kim Dan’s need for protection.
(chapter 10) In other words, Kim Dan didn’t desire to face reality. This explains why he thinks of the past so fondly.
(chapter 10)
(chapter 13) I would like to outline that at no moment, the wounded main lead switched his sleeping position. But what does this observation indicate?
(Chapter 10) Striking is that when he heard the words from the protagonist, the author selected this image: Kim Dan was covering his head!! This is not random, it implies that the young man was not facing „reality“.
(chapter 4) I doubt that he treated the previous uke the same way. The fighter will give the doctor a sense of belonging, protection and compassion, just like the doctor will have the same function for the athlete. The latter will no longer feel alone, because despite his money, Joo Jaekyung has no one by his side in such a huge flat.
(chapter 6)
(chapter 17)
(chapter 1), and can be even dangerous, especially due to his huge paws. His punches are deadly, for the animal can be ruthless.
(chapter 15) On the other hand, despite his enormous force, it thrives on fruit and honey. This indicates that this animal likes sweetness. And what does the word “Dan” mean in Korean? “Sweet”!! Exactly like our physical therapist. This explicates why Joo Jaekyung is getting more and more obsessed with the doctor, and the kiss can only reinforce his possessiveness: he has already tasted the sweetness from Kim Dan‘s lips.
(chapter 17)
(chapter 17) However, when he carried his sex partner like that, he made sure to protect him from “cruel reality”. He covered his face with the hoody. Consequently, I conclude that Kim Dan has already tamed a huge bear, hence his fists are so powerful. He lives isolated in his penthouse, but deep down he is longing for companionship.

(chapter 17) In Kim Dan’s house, he always had a poker face, even when he got insulted or threatened. He kept his composure all the time which stands in opposition to his attitude, when he faced Randy Booker.
(chapter 14) Just before his fight, he had a face like thunder. Why did Joo Jaekyung react so vehemently, when he faced the professional fighter, while he looked so detached and distant in episode 17? Moreover, observe that the English translator employed the same comparison than Randy Booker
(chapter 14), when Heo Manwook humiliated the athlete: baby.
(chapter 17) In the Korean version, the idiom is more like “punk” or “nerd jerk”. Nevertheless, why did the fighter remain composed despite being looked down? Besides, it seemed like the athlete was facing the same situation, yet his behavior diverges so much. Why?
(chapter 17) Moreover, it forced Heo Manwook to explain his action:
(chapter 17) This means that the champion’s previous questions (What are you doing?”; “Who the hell are you?”) got answered with his arrogant and selfish attitude. To sum up, he diverted the bullies’ attention from Kim Dan. At the same time, because of his indifference and poker face
(chapter 17) Striking is that even after knowing everything, Joo Jaekyung acted, as if he didn’t care about Kim Dan and his debts.
(chapter 17) This shows that Joo Jaekyung’s actions and words were not random at all. No one should suspect about the existence of their deal, his sex partner for his jinx. In the thugs’ eyes, the athlete was appearing as Kim Dan’s boss. He was selfish and uncaring. Thus certain readers judged the protagonist as a heartless jerk again. However, in order to perceive someone’s personality correctly, it is important to question the intentions and motivations behind people’s actions. Like I have already mentioned in a different essay:
(Doctor Frost, chapter 216) Why?
(chapter 17), and not before. Notice that he discovered the existence of the loan much earlier, yet he chose to ignore this. Why didn’t he pay it before? In my eyes, it is because he had anticipated and even planned the fight! He let his opponent reveal his weaknesses:
(chapter 17) The loan shark would never plan how to fight. He would use the knife and the bottle, when they are under pressure. Striking is that during this revelation, Joo Jaekyung chose to hide his gaze… he had perceived his opponent. They were not trained as fighters. The covered gaze is an indication that he understood that the more he ignored the thugs, the more the usurer would get angry. His pride could only be hurt with such an attitude. Consequently, I come to the conclusion that this fight was no coincidence. The main figure had acted exactly like in the ring: provoke his enemy
(chapter 15) so that the latter would lower his guard and make a mistake. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung was so rational and expressionless, while the moneylender would get more and more mad
(chapter 17) Heo Manwook was to blame for this. Thus I believe that when he said this to the villain, he was hiding the manipulation. That’s why he was not smiling like in the ring.
(chapter 15) His poker face served one purpose: to hide the existence of his strategy and his true thoughts. His counterpart should never discover that he had been incited to start the fight. We could say that this was Heo’s karma, for the latter would always use fake excuses to justify his brutality towards Kim Dan.
(chapter 17) While waiting for Kim Dan, the champion got angry, thus he yelled at his hyung Park Namwook. He complained to his manager about his tight schedule, for he thought that he could postpone the med check. However, Park Namwook told him that he couldn’t not do, as he pleases. Nevertheless, the moment his hyung described Kim Dan as dedicated and diligent
(chapter 17), for he spent the whole night studying his files, the young fighter was no longer arguing.
(chapter 17) His raised eyebrow indicates his interest and surprise. We could say that his hyung’s words had such an influence on Joo Jaekyung that the latter decided to trust him. Hence he obeyed his coach and went to the main lead’s home. Though he was annoyed and questioned his hyung’s statement, he still wondered about the reason for his absence.
(chapter 1) This shows that the raised eye-brow is exposing the athlete’s thoughts and emotions: he is intrigued and captivated. I would even add that it indicates that the champion is pondering! And now, pay attention to his facial expression, when he faced the broken bottle:
(chapter 17) As the manhwaphiles can detect, the athlete fooled everyone in this chapter. Due to his poker face and his cold shoulder, Heo Namwook and his minions never recognized that they had been provoked. At the same time, the raised eye-brow is betraying the athlete.
(chapter 15) This explicates why the sportsman makes all sort of facial expressions due to the doctor: anger
(chapter 5)m then pleasure
pleasure (chapter 12), sulking
(chapter 15) Because of Kim Dan, he can lose or regain his countenance. And what is the opposite of indifference? Compassion, sympathy, interest and respect!! This is no coincidence that the more the athlete interacts with the main lead, the more he exposes his generosity and consideration. That’s the reason why I come to the deduction that the more the athlete shows emotions on his face, the higher the risk is that his opponents will discover the champion’s secret: his attraction and attachment to Kim Dan and as such his weakness.
(chapter 2) the uke from episode 2 who knows about the protagonist’s superstition: He has every reason to resent the couple. Joo Jaekyung not only insulted and injured him, but also he never considered him as a serious partner. On the other hand, the doctor was able to get close to the athlete to the point that the latter would suggest that Kim Dan moves in his place! It is only a matter of time, until it takes place. This means that in the future, the manhwaphiles will witness how Joo Jaekyung loses his countenance because of his attachment to the protagonist. He will become a fury outside the ring 

of season 4 for this essay, though my focus is the past, and more precisely Yoon Seungho’s suffering. It is because the darkness surrounding the protagonist not only refers to his tragic youth, but also it reflects the situation of the manhwalovers. The latter are still in the dark concerning his torment. His terrible secrets have not been totally unveiled. So far, the author allowed the readers to see glimpses of his past, like f. ex. the gangrape or the suicide of his mother. But these were just small pieces of the puzzle, thus it is still impossible to have a complete picture of his martyrdom. There are many reasons for this. The main victim never testified about his suffering, he refused to open up to Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 84) Then many witnesses vanished
(chapter 86) or the ones alive preferred telling lies in order to hide their own wrongdoings or are simply in denial about their own culpability. Finally, the victim, the perpetrators and accomplices had no idea about the whole truth. They only know or knew certain facts, because many of them were deceived as well. What exactly happened to Yoon Seungho? How could this take place, though he belonged to one of the most powerful noble families? Now, you are probably expecting that I will give you answers to all these questions, and recreate the past. But I have to admit that it is not possible, for I don’t know the whole chronology. Consequently, I added “shadowy” in the title. To conclude, my real intention is more to offer new pieces from the riddle than create a whole new “story”. The main source for this new insight is the painter’s fate which is a reflection from the noble’s past and torment. This means that Byeonduck left traces in season 1, 2 and 3! That’s how I discovered that he had been abandoned and betrayed by everyone, kidnapped, treated as a male kisaeng, robbed, abused, raped and even gangraped at least twice, tortured and finally drugged! But like mentioned above, it is difficult to give the proper order and the persons truly involved in the crimes. On the other hand, what I can guarantee is that Yoon Seungho’s nightmare is linked to conspiracies. I came to this conclusion, because if you compare all the seasons, you will detect the presence of plots. There exists at least 3 main plots in each season, though there definitely exist more. The conspiracies are all connected to incidents.
(chapter 9), so that the latter visited Lee Jihwa to arouse his jealousy. It was to push him to commit a crime so that Baek Na-Kyum would be removed from the main lead’s side. As you can see, there were 3 people involved, though the readers only saw the result.
(chapter 12) They had the impression that the red-haired master had acted on his own. However, he had been manipulated, incited to commit a crime. But my point is not to diminish his wrongdoing, rather to expose the involvement of the schemers. Hence at the end of season 1, the author unveiled their true role and as such their identities.
(chapter 43) However, observe that when Lee Jihwa went to the pavilion, the noble with the mole had other guests. 2 nobles left the place, as they refused to participate in a murder.
(chapter 43) Funny is that they are now witnesses of Min’s crime. This can have repercussions in season 4. Black Heart had been the one who had suggested the assassination to Lee Jihwa. And the aristocrats were still there, when he had made this proposition.
(chapter 19) And this is related to Kim and the gibang. Yet, the butler ruined Black Heart’s plan. To conclude, we have two main plotters in season 1, but the butler’s bad intentions were not detected, for Yoon Seungho’s bad actions were more eye-catching. People had the impression that the valet was defending the artist’s best interest. From my point of view, the number of persons involved in the plot kept increasing, as they needed more and more accomplices. The reason is that their plans didn’t work out like expected. At the end of season 3, Min involved the kisaengs in the gibang, while Kim asked the assistance of the staff, the maids
(chapter 91) and the servants
(chapter 97). Thus I deduce that in the past, the same must have happened. Many people were involved in the downfall of Yoon Seungho and his family. But who was the real target in the end? It is difficult to say with 100% certainty.
(chapter 8) Thus in season 2, he came to this resolution:
(chapter 56) He had planned to rape him before having him eliminated. This shows his inner conflict. From my point of view, the painter’s death is connected to the incident in the gibang.
(chapter 1) Baek Na-Kyum was a witness of Min’s wrongdoing, just like the painter was a witness and victim of his crimes in the shrine. (chapter 99) One thing is sure: Min was full of greed and jealousy. He was determined to harm and ruin Yoon Seungho. Hence I come to the deduction that the real target of the conspiracy in the past was Yoon Chang-Hyeon. And his son was used against him.
(chapter 16) This doesn’t look like a crime. However, it is one! It was done on purpose, to separate the couple. Someone had intervened in order to interrupt this session, and as such someone had been spying on them. Deok-Jae only revealed his spying activity from chapter 16 in season 2:
(chapter 53) Yet, the one opening the door had been Kim. This gesture can be considered as trespassing and invasion of privacy, the new version of this scene.
(chapter 16) But instead of revealing the truth, the butler sided with Lee Jihwa, and allowed him to trespass the propriety again. In my eyes, the butler thought
(chapter 17) that Yoon Seungho would come to perceive the painter as a man consumed by lust. He imagined that he would caught them fooling around. As you can see, this ruckus was also a plot, though it doesn’t look like one. Why would the maids gossip in the courtyard?
(chapter 18) From my point of view, the valet expected that the lord would fear people’s gaze and a scandal. Thus he would send away the painter to protect his “reputation”, but the opposite happened. Under this perspective, the manhwalovers can grasp why it is difficult to calculate accurately the number of plots and accomplices. Besides, some were naïve pawns, others not. And since I examined the first season more closely, it is necessary to analyze the vanishing of Jung In-Hun. His disappearance is strongly intertwined with Yoon Seungho’s secret. How so? The learned sir was determined to find the lord’s vulnerability and as such secret.
(chapter 88) Thus many readers jumped to the conclusion that the learned sir had already switched sides and was plotting against the main lead. They had his following words in their mind:
(chapter 29) Thus many concluded that he had participated in the prank, faking his death. On the other hand, the manhwalovers believed to have seen Heena’s death!
(chapter 99) However, observe that we never saw her corpse. She was still alive in this panel. I had already pointed out that her murder was actually faked. Her mouth was not covered, hence she could have screamed, but she remained silent (blank speech bubble). Secondly, she never moved her legs… contrary to Yoon Seungho’s behavior in the gibang.
(chapter 68) That’s the reason why I came to the conclusion that
(chapter 37) who is the king in my eyes. [For more read the essay “
(chapter 37) Since Baek Na-Kyum was wearing a hanbok, Yoon Seung-Won thought that the person hidden under the hanbok was no commoner! Thus he called him a fellow. However, this motive is quite thin! Yet, two new details caught my attention. His visit to the “fake shaman” and his request. Notice what he told the man:
(chapter 86) However, in reality, he was relying on the king’s help and intervention. And this confession to the “fake shaman” represents the learned sir’s karma. He had asked the painter to act like a spy
(chapter 24), not realizing that he could be spied himself! He didn’t grasp that he exposed his weakness to the commoner: the civil service examination. Thus the man had constantly drops of sweat
on his face and interrogated Jung In-Hun.
(chapter 29) The girl was there to create a certain closeness. He was acting like Kim, asking why! But the stupid and arrogant learned sir thought that because the man was a commoner, he was ignorant and could be manipulated like the painter!
(chapter 29) He thought that the low-born would buy his lie here… but in my eyes, it was the opposite. He had already perceived the learned sir’s true nature. But he acted, as if he was agreeing. In other words, the scholar fell into his own trap. He envisioned that the man was “powerless”, but he overlooked his connections. The manhwalovers can see the contradiction, for he had approached the man due to his connections! .As you can see, I am more than ever convinced that the scholar has long been murdered. He was betrayed, exactly like he had planned to abandon Yoon Seungho! The pedophile must have heard from the servant about Jung’s plan, as he had confided it to the worker!!
(chapter 37) But this doesn’t end here.
(chapter 37) Yoon Chang-Hyeon was portrayed as a traitor! The “fake servant” implied with his statement that there was a conspiracy, and the patriarch was involved. But in exchange to save his own skin, he had tattled on the others! He was trying to insinuate that if Jung In-Hun interacted more with the Yoons, his reputation could get tainted. He could get suspected of “treason” too, or he could get betrayed too. While the man met the learned sir during the day, the brother went to the villa in a hurry during the night.
(chapter 36) Hence he chose a different approach: filial duty. And the brother’s observation could only corroborate the pedophile’s perception. The scholar was Yoon Seungho’s lover, but he was also a backstabber. But let’s return our attention to the “mysterious lord Song”‘s statement: Yoon Chang-Hyeon is a denunciator, not a man of honor.
(Chapter 67) Lee Jihwa had not only been denunciated, but he had been confronted by his friend! And the traitor was right by his side. As you can see, chapter 67 was a reflection from episode 37!! These two episodes have another common denominator: the betrayer had made the following suggestion.
(chapter 67) In exchange for his “survival”, he should help Black Heart and allow him to act on his behalf. This was the new plan. That’s how he started impersonating Lee Jihwa. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that in the past, the impersonation must have happened, but it took place in the beginning. Secondly, I am assuming that a traitor must have suggested to Yoon Chang-Hyeon to leave the mansion and abandon his son behind!
(chapter 27) And who is it? For me, it is Kim acting on the pedophile’s behalf. Striking is that in episode 27, the learned sir escaped death thanks to the intervention of the old bearded domestic and Baek Na-Kyum. Thus it came to my mind that the pedophile could even claim that he had eliminated the learned sir, because Yoon Seungho had attempted himself to kill him in the past. He had acted on his behalf. And what do have all these chapters have in common? SPYING and tattling! In episode 27, the servant unveiled a part of the past,
(chapter 27) Someone had tattled on the Yoons in the past, but the patriarch was turned into the traitor himself which the young main lead came to believe. Thus Yoon Seungho could say this to his father:
(chapter 86) However, I am suspecting that this is not true, someone else tattled on the powerful family and made a false accusation! As you can imagine, I am inclined to think that father Lee must have been behind this! Why? It is because he can no longer do it! Thus in season 3, he approached the patriarch Yoon.
(chapter 82) If the lord Seungho had truly committed a crime, he should have reported it to the authorities. The stupid Yoon Chang-Hyeon never wondered why the elder Lee visited him during the night and asked for his assistance. Furthermore, the elder Lee had been allowed to enter the bedchamber and see the huge drawing which could have been perceived as a sign of treason. He was eyeing at the throne.
(chapter 82) Note that the aristocrat mentioned “punishment” in this context. So maybe, he denunciated the patriarch so that the whole family would get punished. Father Lee was definitely played in this scene, hence I believe that someone had already anticipated his reactions. He would seek revenge. But this doesn’t end here. I had connected “rash departure” to “treason and spying”. And now, observe what Yoon Seungho said to his butler
(chapter 50) He had sent Jung In-Hun away in order to get rid of him! However, because of the expression “I thought”, I am quite certain that this idea had been suggested to him by the valet! I would like to underline that in this episode, the valet was acting as a tattler!
(chapter 50) But in order to hide his own crime, he portrayed it as a rumor (It may not be accurate”). This truly underlines the butler’s MO. He used information and turned it as gossips to hide his spying activities. The shadow… Simultaneously, he turned gossips into a verity!! This is no coincidence that in season 3, the same method was employed. Yoon Seungho was supposed to have murdered the scholar and Deok-Jae! My avid readers can sense the leitmotiv in all these episodes. RUMORS are turned into a reality, and as such a CRIME! Even here…
(chapter 37)
(chapter 86) But since our beloved man started living in the bedchamber, this became a reality. That’s the other reason why Yoon Seungho was encouraged to live in debauchery and not to take the civil service examination. But this only occurred, the moment the lord returned living in the mansion and not before!! Secondly, I realized that this statement about Yoon Chang-Hyeon will become a reality for the “fake servant” himself.
(chapter 94) This means that he acted as a traitor, tattling on his own relative. Finally, observe that once confronted with brutal reality, the father did run away.
(chapter 87) The white bearded man’s words became a reality. However, since the fake servant, the mysterious lord Song, judges the elder master Yoon as a troublemaker and hypocrite, there is no ambiguity that the elder master Yoon will get into trouble. Since he did it in the past, he can only get suspected in the present.
(chapter 86) But the worst would be that the painter is blamed for his assassination. He did it out of resent! But this would expose the true thoughts of the schemers, the pedophile and Kim. That’s how they act, when they feel offended and bothered.
For me, the younger brother’s biggest wrongdoings are spying, tattling and badmouthing. And the best evidence for this interpretation is this situation:
(chapter 44) He had given the ruined painting to his father, putting the blame on his brother, well aware that the latter would get angry. He was observing his father’s reaction.
(chapter 44) Yet, there is a difference to the past. Here, he had been fooled! He truly believed that this was his brother’s doing, whereas in truth the butler had been the one who had fooled him.
(chapter 38) And this is important, because when the letter was given to the brother, Jung In-Hun witnessed the wrongdoing from the butler!!
(chapter 38) And now, you know why the learned sir had to die!! He had caught the valet in the act. He had betrayed Yoon Seungho, though he didn’t realize it. The learned sir tried to discover the content of the letter, and as such was prying on his sponsor’s weakness.
(chapter 38) Hence I come to the conclusion that KIM played a huge role in the learned sir’s death as well. I would even say that he was the one who pushed the others to have the scholar and the painter killed. Both knew about the butler’s tricks without realizing his significance.
(chapter 37) Hence I deduce that as the story progressed, the role of the butler started changing. Now, I see him as a the main plotter, while all the others are now his pawns. We could say that the valet has gradually followed the pedophile’s path. However, there is no ambiguity that it was not the same in the past!
(chapter 83) How can he be the same than the one from episode 37? The change of his hair color could be explained by a huge shock. But this is rather thin as a justification. Besides, now I am more inclined to think that these are two different persons, and that the main culprit is the one from episode 37. Why? It is because he smoked and utilized the same expression: “strange”.
(chapter 37) An idiom that Yoon Seungho constantly utilized: chapter 16, chapter 21
, chapter 50, chapter 71
(chapter 71). This means that he couldn’t understand, for he has a different way of thinking. This outlines his narrow-mindedness and his tendency to plan everything. He doesn’t like surprises.
(chapter 69) Hence I started wondering if the mysterious man with the beard was not impersonating someone, for example “lord Song” and in reality he was just a merchant. Why merchant? It is related to the shungas and the hanboks. The king can not be involved in trading directly. However, this is what Yoon Seungho told to the learned sir:
(chapter 22) Nevertheless, the main lead could have never been involved in commerce, for he lived as a prisoner for many years. And this is what was said about the ruler:
(chapter 76) He is not so wealthy. How come? Yoon Seungho’s fortune must have a different origin.
(chapter 102) Min had never predicted that the young master would run to his friend and denunciate him to Yoon Seungho. However, since Black Heart had employed the assistance of servants
(chapter 101) , the kisaengs
(chapter 95)
(chapter 96), the officer
(chapter 98), No-Name, the doctor with the drugs and butler Kim, this signifies that behind the name Lee Jihwa stand many people! As you can see, the name “lord Song” doesn’t refer to one person, but many… My theory is that No-Name is the true owner of the title, but that’s how he ended up losing his home and his name! That’s the reason why I believe that in this image
(chapter 71)
chapter 87) and
episode 92. The schemers in the past had definitely played with illusions and tricks. Thus I am expecting that it is now the pedophile’s turn to get fooled.
(chapter 82)
(chapter 36) Here, the painter was forced to take an aphrodisiac under the pretense of his health. This action was repeated in season 2
(chapter 54) and 3.
(chapter 100) The nobles made him smoke opium or drink the aphrodisiac. The purpose of such drugs is to obtain the painter’s submission and control his mind and reactions. Striking is that each time, the perpetrators were “punished”. Kim was insulted and his plan didn’t work out.
(chapter 37) As for the young lords, they were evicted like commoners and later the others were even killed. As you can see, each time the poison was employed, there was a retaliation.
(chapter 47)
(chapter 47) If the painter had not eaten with the lord, the latter would have never noticed the incident. However, he believed the maids’ words.
(chapter 47) Hence he never investigated the matter. But this prank represented a serious issue. This could have been judged as an attempt against the owner of the mansion.
(chapter 47) And now look at this panel:
(chapter 83) Yoon Seungho had refused to take the drug! The bowl reminded me of the one from chapter 47! Finally, the butler had tried to give his master the drug in season 3
(chapter 77), but the latter had again rejected it and this twice.
(chapter 77) Kim calls the drug “medicinal tea”, truly an euphemism. It is also possible that the real target of the poisoning was Yoon Seungho, but since he was protected by the gods, someone ended up taking the “drug”. Because he was wearing a purple hanbok, the investigator mistook his identity, a royal member. Hence the Yoons were suspected of treason. Don’t forget that during this party, there was a kisaeng by their side.
(chapter 56), he came to adopt this title in order to hide his identity and actions. Byeonduck explained in her notes that Baek Na-Kyum had no idea about Min’s name. And this is the same for Yoon Seungho. The pedophile could continue hiding behind “lord Song”, as the latter was blamed for everything. The pedophile could divert attention from his own tricks. That’s the reason why he would never write any letter to Yoon Seungho under this name. This means that at the end, the main culprit, the king, will be perceived as the main responsible for Yoon Seungho’s torment, similar to Min’s situation, just before got killed. Though many other people were involved, Yoon Seungho was able to judge the joker’s actions correctly, he was the main mastermind behind the plots. This explicates why the gods made Yoon Seungho forget the old bearded men’s face.
(chapter 44) This was a blessing in disguise. The moment the main lead faces the king, Yoon Seungho will be able perceive the truth. The king was behind his torment, and the butler had been his helping hand all along, the professional spy planted in his family. However, I don’t think that the monarch will admit his crimes and apologize for his wrongdoings. He will need a scapegoat, and this can only be the butler, the only one who knows the truth! 

(chapter 102) The painter had confessed too late, for the schemers were already pulling the strings in the shadow. To conclude, the main leads’ self-deceptions were connected to love and time. The importance of self-manipulation leads me to the next observation. All the antagonists and villains were liars, because they were also deceiving themselves. They refused to admit their own fears and flaws, therefore they chose to commit a wrongdoing and manipulate others in order to hide their true thoughts. This means that not only the crime was covered up with a deception, but also the manipulation was hidden by another lie. This means that the list of their sins increased. Therefore it is not surprising that the gods chose to confront the liars with the verity, as they kept refusing to admit their sins. Now, it is time to focus on the antagonists and villains’ manipulations and the scenes where they were facing the mirror of truth. However, the readers are probably wondering where the mirror of truth is. The answer is simple. The mirrors of truth are not only the two main figures, but also Kim and Min, though they are their negative reflections. Remember that in Snow White, the item led the evil Queen to her doom, for the latter refused to accept reality. At the same time, the mirror of truth was not entirely honest either, for it never explained the definition of “Beauty”. In other words, it lied by “omission”. I realized that I can not examine all the antagonists and villains in one text, as I am so detail-oriented. Consequently, I selected Lee Jihwa and Yoon Chang-Hyeon first, for both characters’ lies are strongly intertwined.
(chapter 77) However, since he had been caught by the valet, he was facing the butler’s visage. And what did he see in his facial expressions? Shock and horror!! That’s how Lee Jihwa realized the gravity of his sin and chose to blame his friend. Thus I imagine that he must have blushed again and this time out of shame and embarrassment. It is very possible that in that moment, he must have copied the valet’s facial expressions before leaving Yoon Seungho behind and lying to the butler. Why do I think so? It is because the butler had made such an expression in front of the barn, when he had been caught.
(chapter 64) And what did the main lead say?
(chapter 64) Since the painter seems to have forgotten it, I deduce that it was the reverse for Lee Jihwa which explains why he felt so guilty in the end. As for the butler, when he had barged in the study, he had committed a wrongdoing himself. He should have asked for the main lead’s permission, but he did not. Consequently, he decided to believe in Lee Jihwa’s deception. One hand washes the other. He was covering up the guest’s sin, while the latter was doing the same thing for the domestic, though I doubt that Lee Jihwa truly realized it. Simultaneously, Kim had the perfect justification to hide the violation of social norms. He had caught the main lead red-handed, hence no one would question his own action. As you already know, I associate the butler to Pilatus, therefore he is connected to the bucket.
(chapter 13) However, in my eyes, this doesn’t represent the biggest confrontation with the mirror of truth. For me, it is the altercation in episode 17, for it took place in the same place than the aristocrat’s crime. When the red-haired master looked at the picture, he was suspecting that the painter had seduced his friend due to the insinuations by the staff. And his fear reached the peak, when he saw the painter’s reaction:
(chapter 17) As you can see, in this episode, the gods were recreating the same situation: a servant had witnessed how the two men “were fooling around”
(chapter 16), though this was definitely not the case!! And this is exactly like in the past, Yoon Seungho was totally pure and innocent. And what was Lee Jihwa’s reaction? A slap!
(chapter 17) This is what Yoon Seungho had experienced in the past. Yoon Chang-Hyeon had definitely abused him.
(chapter 57) Thus the main lead’s cheek was bruised. Then exactly like in the past, Lee Jihwa accused someone else of committing a crime. In the past, it was his friend, in the present it was Baek Na-Kyum. Both were portrayed as immoral seducers.
(chapter 17) These words were exposing the verity about the past. Lee Jihwa was admitting in front of the painter that his friend would never act like that, and as such he had not attempted to woo him in the past. Striking is that in front of the painter, the red-haired master was misinterpreting the incident. Why? It is because he was influenced by his past experiences. Since he had lied twice, he jumped to the wrong conclusion that it was the same in the present. And back then, he had even achieved to fool Kim. Therefore he couldn’t allow himself to be fooled like the butler. That’s the reason why he couldn’t imagine that someone was innocent.
(chapter 17) He was a liar in the past, so it must be the same for the painter. Yet, this was the negative reflection from the past. Thus his karma was to get caught by his childhood friend. Striking is that this time, he was put in his friend’s place. He was turning his back to the door. Moreover, due to his anger, he didn’t hear Yoon Seungho’s steps and the opening of the door!
(chapter 17) But the childhood friend refused to face reality in that moment, and as such to admit his guilt and responsibility. Why? It is because he had committed another crime in the past. This is related to the bedchamber incident.
(chapter 83) However, here he had been caught by his father, hence I believe that this confrontation represents mainly the elders’ punishment. As for Lee Jihwa, despite the humiliation and abandonment in chapter 18, he refused to give up on his friend.
(chapter 18) One might say that he was motivated by love, yet I think that it is related to his denial about his sexual orientation. And this coincides with his lack of honesty. He had not confessed his own sins and lies yet. Therefore
(chapter 36) he presented himself as a pitiful creature, as he was sharing the protagonist’s suffering due to his knowledge. However, this was not empathy, just sympathy. The person only feeling sympathy will always put a distance between himself and the counterpart. There‘s a “I“ and “you“, but no „we“. The person might come to pity the other, yet he won‘t intervene and help. He will just understand and that‘s it.
(chapter 36) This panel is the evidence for this interpretation. Lee Jihwa never used the personal pronoun “we”, even during the abduction.
(chapter 59) [For more information about sympathy read the essay “Sympathy for the devil”] Hence the gods let him meet the mirror of truth a second time:
(chapter 43) Based on this panel, Lee Jihwa had more or less barged in the study, but his presence was detected too late! One detail caught my attention in this picture, the presence of the light reflected on the door. Hence I assume that the main lead detected the presence of a witness because of the light!!
(chapter 43) Let’s not forget that the room was dark, when they were having sex.
(chapter 42) He was still looking at his lover’s face, when he perceived the change of the light. Hence he turned his head in direction of the light reflected on the door. My friend Luzaly brought my attention to this detail. The couple was turning their back to the door before.
(chapter 42) The form of the light reflected on the door doesn’t come from behind the gate
(chapter 97) And now, you comprehend why I came to the deduction that Lee Jihwa had witnessed the love session not from this door,
(chapter 41) However, in the next episode, Byeonduck showed us a slight change.
(chapter 42) The door was now close. This means that the butler had intervened at some point. This was the negative reflection from episode 20.
(chapter 20) This time, the main lead had not requested for more privacy, for he had not detected the presence of his right-hand. And this leads me to the following conclusion. Since this is not the door
(chapter 43) I am even suspecting that he didn’t view this scene at all, because logically, the light should be coming from the other side!! But on the other side, there is no door!!
(chapter 49) But there is the window…. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho never investigated the matter with the “door”. It had never been opened in the first place. But how could Lee Jihwa imagine such a scene?
(chapter 57) However, here it is necessary to remind the readers of my previous character’s examination. I had described Lee Jihwa as trapped in a dark room, because he had lost his auditory and visual sense due to his guilt!! This was the price to pay for his sins. He had imagined to see the friend’s smile and he had lied to the butler. And since in episode 17, his visual senses were triggered (the painting, the painter’s facial expressions), I deduce that in chapter 42/43, this time Lee Jihwa was confronted with the mirror of truth through words. Through the window, he could hear the moaning of the couple, hence he couldn’t see the painter’s sadness. Moreover, this is what the painter said:
(chapter 42). It sounded like he was indeed seducing the main lead. As for the embrace, he couldn’t hear it, but someone had heard the longing from the painter.
(chapter 43) The gods were punishing Lee Jihwa for his lie: his friend’s smile!! But I have more evidences for this theory. First, it is important to pay attention to Min’s words, when he manipulated Lee Jihwa. First, he portrayed the painter in a pejorative light with the idiom “indecent life”.
(chapter 43) Moreover, the noble employed the personal pronoun “we”, which is not typical for the selfish and hypocrite villain. This means that he was repeating Kim’s words. Then he added how the couple would have sex in the barn
(chapter 43) (“vulgar roll in the hay”), but this was not true. However, this is what had happened in the past with Lee Jihwa. The latter would have sex with his childhood friend in the storage room. This explicates why Lee Jihwa came to believe in Black Heart’s words and manipulations. With such a description, he was reminded of his own past!! Therefore it is not surprising that Lee Jihwa had such a vision.
(chapter 43) Moreover, since this night was a reflection of the first Wedding night, this means that the author left a clue there. And now, look at this…
(chapter 21) The windows!! As you can see, the door is not the only place to spy or interrupt intimacy. Secondly, we should have reflections of the spying through the window in season 2.
(
Chapter 49) In this episode, the light in the study had suddenly vanished, and this is what we had before:
(Chapter 70) I had already suspected back then, that someone was listening to their conversation, and with this new discovery, Lee Jihwa hearing the love session from the window, this interpretation gets reinforced. Furthermore, in chapter 96, the main lead had explained the opening of the door with this: 
(chapter 96). This signifies that in the past, the lord had explained the sudden opening of a window and the vanishing of the candle light with the wind during the night of chapter 49.
(chapter 36) The reality is that he couldn’t cut ties with his friend. He had lied in the past, therefore he got manipulated in the present. And since he was confronted with his auditory and visual senses in season 1, he was put in a similar situation in season 2. However, there was a slight change, now the red-haired master was confronted with a real crime: murder!!
The darkness of the room and the silence from Yoon Seungho and the painter were referring to the master’s loss of senses and his guilt. Deep down, the young master knew that the assassination was not right. And note that the aristocrat had this nightmare in his own bedroom confirming that the room is the symbol for the subconscious. Finally, in season 3, Lee Jihwa got confronted with another uncomfortable truth: his friend’s sexual abuse. Lee Jihwa had acted, as if this stolen kiss was nothing. However, due to his silence, he let his friend get raped. And he knew about this, but he chose to close an eye to this. First, Lee Jihwa refused to share his friend with the painter
(chapter 5) Therefore it is no coincidence that in the shaman’s house, he was put in the same position than Yoon Seungho. He couldn’t select his partner
(chapter 100), he had to rape Baek Na-Kyum. This is no coincidence that the Joker was standing in front of the door. He was pushing the young man to face his repressed memories and lies. That’s the reason why exactly like in the pavilion (chapter 43), Black Heart coerced the antagonist. He used words to manipulate the second lead, but there is a huge difference. The shaman’s house was representing the young noble’s unconscious and as such his true personality, while it was not the case in the pavilion. The room in chapter 43 was more embodying the Joker’s unconscious. Why? It is because Lee Jihwa was speaking the truth in that scene.
(chapter 43) He reproached Black Heart to have deceived him. On the other hand, the scene in the shaman’s house corroborates my interpretation that Lee Jihwa had not seen the embrace from chapter 42, for Black Heart was voicing the butler’s thoughts and emotions.
(chapter 100) This shows that during the night of chapter 42/43, the valet had intervened. Thus Min was acting, as if he was a victim in the recent past. He had been deceived by Lee Jihwa’s lies by omission or commission. This is what had happened in the past. Besides, I realized that when the man confessed the incident in the bedchamber
(chapter 83), Min couldn’t see the whole story. He had to rely on the second lead’s words. Just because we could observe the whole scene, this doesn’t mean that this was the case for the character. It is very likely that Lee Jihwa left details out, especially as he portrayed himself as a victim. Due to the narration, Min could have been misled. He could have envisioned that the childhood friend was living in the study and had dragged his friend to the bedchamber. Hence you comprehend why I consider it as another evidence that Lee Jihwa didn’t view the love session in the study from chapter 42 with his own eyes. He had to rely on his ears and naturally Kim played a role before Black Heart’s intervention. The servant hoped that Lee Jihwa would decide to do something…. in other words, he had been gradually manipulated by Kim and Min to hire an assassin. That way, he could be blamed for the murder of the scholar. He would become guilty by association. And the one pulling the strings behind the scene can only be the mysterious lord Song, for he can no longer interfere directly, though I am certain that he was not aware of the butler’s own meddling. Why? It is because in the past, Kim had never become proactive like that. Moreover, I think that even in the past, the man was not omniscient and omnipotent either. He over-estimated his own abilities, and didn’t recognize that he had been fooled himself either.
(chapter 100) This is no coincidence, for the sexual abuse is the reason why Yoon Seungho’s heart and soul got destroyed. This had the same effect than killing someone, especially if the person is so innocent and pure. Because he recognized the truth, he had the courage to abandon and betray Black Heart. That’s how he could redeem himself in the end.
(chapter 100) At the same time, this is not surprising that Lee Jihwa met his friend and admitted his wrongdoing. For the first time, he didn’t remain silent and chose to intervene!! I also believe that during that night, he apologized to the protagonist before vanishing. In other words, Lee Jihwa had to face 4 different mirrors of truth, until he was able to admit the verity. He was responsible for Yoon Seungho’s suffering. He had lied, therefore he got deceived, until he had no other choice to confess his guilt and sins.
(chapter 77) He would do anything to cure Yoon Seungho implying that he wouldn’t mind spending money for the main lead’s treatment. However, the truth was that he refused to send for the physician, when the young boy was sick after the straw mat beating.
(chapter 77) This means that he broke his promise. Striking is that the vow to the butler was introduced in connection to the patio!! When the readers hear this promise, this is what we see shortly after.
(chapter 77) Secondly, the elder master Yoon was seen shortly after there.
(chapter 77) That’s how I realized that the elder master was connected to this patio in front of the building. Thus Byeonduck showed us him in this place in the gibang
(chapter 87) Finally, there exists the flashbulb from Yoon Seungho’s memory:
(chapter 55) My avid readers will certainly recall how I had claimed that this scene was representing Lee Jihwa and father Lee. I am not changing my mind, but I would like to point out that this story is built like a kaleidoscope and as such, each image is actually a reflection. Thereby I come to the conclusion that in this panel, the young boy and the elder are in verity embodying 4 people: the boy is Lee Jihwa and Yoon Seung-Won, as for the elder, it is father Lee and the elder Yoon. Why? It is because the punishments were related to the Lees’ behavior and words. There is no ambiguity that elder Lee intervened to protect his son’s reputation. In other words, father Yoon was seen in the patio in chapter 55. Then when he visited the physician, he remained outside too contrary to the main leads.
(chapter 57) It was, as if the elder master had nothing to hide, for the domestic and the butler could hear him. However, the latter got deceived. There is no ambiguity that the valet and the young master trusted him. On the other hand, the valet was the one who introduced him to the physician, like we could see here.
(chapter 57) But what does it mean? First, it shows that Yoon Chang-Hyeon was never seen in the bedchamber!! In other words, his power was fake. This interpretation gets validated, when I use the confrontation between Heena and Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 65) In that very same place, the protagonist had been insulted and could do nothing, for neither Kim nor his staff intervened. And this perception reinforces my perception that the patriarch has always been delusional and arrogant, over-estimating his own power. Moreover, the lord was not honest either.
(chapter 65) This shows that the patio is connected to violence, hypocrisy, deceptions and offenses.
(chapter 7) Then in the study, Yoon Seungho confessed that his father had been dismissed from his post which contradicts the previous statement.
(chapter 80) But how did Yoon Chang-Hyeon obtain his office then? Then the expression “follow in his footsteps” caught my attention. That’s how I realized that the elder master never passed the civil service examination!! In truth, he failed terribly. How can I be so sure about this? First, the civil service examination consists of different tests. Secondly the idiom from Yoon Seungho indicates an gradual rise in the grandfather’s career which is not reflected in the lord’s confession to the messenger. Finally, in front of the mirror of truth, the father voiced the following wish:
(chapter 86) This means that he was using his own sons for his own career, though he claims that he is doing for the Yoons’ notoriety. In other words, the patriarch’s position was obtained through sexual favors. But since the king was the sponsor, there is no ambiguity that at some point, the elder master must have started dreaming even bigger, similar to the scholar:
(chapter 18) Hence I have the impression that he must have acted, as if he was the king’s relative. Hence he asked to be called by a certain title. This could only infuriate the mysterious lord Song, for the latter was hiding his sodomy and debauchery behind closed doors. No one was supposed to make a connection between him and the Yoons. However, I don’t think that the elder master Yoon had planned everything from the start. He had definitely been misguided, for in season 1 and 3, we could see that he was believing blindly what people would say to him. He never doubted his son’s words, when the latter said that Yoon Seungho had given him such a paper.
(chapter 53) But Yoon Chang-Hyeon refused to admit it, it went so far that he was denying his relationship with Yoon Seungho. He was just an animal.
(chapter 83) The reason why I am connecting it to episode 53 is because of The Joker’s smile which reminded me of lord Song’s evil smirk.
(chapter 87) He was paying the price for his lies about the cure. Furthermore, the manhwaphiles will realize that he is no longer seen in the patio.
(chapter 86) But when he arrived in the study, this is what he saw. This picture revealed his greed and ambition
(chapter 86), but he would never admit it. This is no coincidence that the open door is reflected with the shadow. He claimed to contribute to the lineage of the Yoons, but like mentioned above, he was only thinking about himself. This scene shows that he was eyeing for the throne, and this must have happened in the past too. That’s the reason why I believe that he did sell his son to a pedophile for his own greed and ambition, but he never admitted it. He used the family and traditions to hide his ruthlessness and selfishness. When the father was on the verge of leaving the study, he expressed his regret that he shouldn’t have saved his son.
(chapter 87) This was another self-deception. Without the main lead, the latter would have lost everything. Note that he is living comfortably in the house in Hanyang. So if the young master were to disappear, I doubt that the mysterious lord Song will allow the father to take over the mansion. His regret implied that he shouldn’t have sent for a doctor. This is important, because this signifies that he will be punished the same way, it will be even worse. No one will be by his side to protect him and to save him… no one will request for the physician’s assistance. Similar to the broken promise in the patio:
(chapter 77) Moreover, the father acted, as if he was decent and righteous
(chapter 87), while Yoon Seungho was compared to a monster!
(chapter 86) The outcome of his lie can only be that he will be perceived by people as a monster, as an immoral father who had no conscience at all. How do I come to this conclusion? First, the painter could see right through the father’s gaze.
(chapter 87) He was a cruel and resentful father. Moreover, the lord’s words always become a reality. Hence the father can only be condemned as the licentious and depraved degenerate.
(chapter 86), the black sheep! Furthermore the moment Yoon Chang-Hyeon loses the house in Hanyang, he has no place where he can hide himself from public gaze. He can only ended up as a powerless outcast. I am suspecting that since he longed to be admired and fawned, he could end up committing suicide, for he is unable to tolerate people’s rejection and insults. To conclude, the father refused to admit his guilt and wrongdoings till the end. Even cornered, he chose to avoid reality, preferring to trust father Lee and the butler’s lies. Why? It is because he envisioned that by removing the main lead, he could take over the mansion, and act, as if nothing had happened, as if Yoon Seungho had never existed. The gods will fulfil his wish so that he can be confronted with reality. Besides, note that the patriarch never stopped his son from kissing the painter, he even followed him to the seat.
(chapter 87) This shows that deep down, the man was not truly against sodomy and prostitution. The father resented the son, for he could only achieve “glory” through debauchery and sodomy. I believe that the elder master Yoon was thinking like this: “no matter what” the Yoons’ power and notoriety must increase. In the bedchamber, the man exposed his true personality, while in the patio he was just the fake image of a powerful, decent and righteous man. This explicates why it took the teenager so long to realize the father’s betrayal.
(chapter 82) He was just an empty shell, his knowledge, experiences and possessions were just an illusion.
(Chapter 5) Baek Na-Kyum was apologizing for his past behavior. He had insulted the main lead because of the poem. And his words sounded really similar to the butler’s in the library, for they both employed the same expressions: “That day” and “I spoke out of”.
(Chapter 77) Striking is that the painter employed the expression “hand”, while the valet talked about “turn”. Why did they do that? It is because when Kim was caught committing a crime, he turned his head!
(chapter 68) Thus in the library, the butler excused himself in front of the lord by using the following expression: “spoke out of turn”!! On the other hand, the painter had used his hand,
(chapter 4), therefore he described his wrongdoing with the following expression “out of hand”. In my eyes, his words indicate the interference of the butler. Furthermore, the two men had a drop of sweat, a sign that they were not truly honest.
(chapter 77) Both were apologizing, as they had wronged the noble. As you can imagine, the similarity in the excuse is no coincidence. The proof that both incidents are reflections is that they have another point in common. The wrongdoings of the low-borns had taken place in front of a gate. The butler had disobeyed his master
(chapter 68), and the painter had assaulted the lord by trying to retrieve the poetry.
(Chapter 4) Because both characters had violated social norms, showing disrespect towards a noble,
(Chapter 4) In other words, since Yoon Seungho had punished the butler due to the incidents in episode 67/68, I deduce that episodes 67/68 were reflections of episode 4/5 as well!! This corresponds to the rule 2 and 3.
(chapter 4) Let’s not forget that just before the great entrance of Black Heart and the protagonist in chapter 67, this was what the author showed us:
(chapter 67) And now compare the building to this one from chapter 1:
(chapter 1) Under this light, my theory that Yoon Seungho was living with the Lees in the beginning of the story gets reinforced and even validated. In season 1, Yoon Seungho had sex with his friend in the pavilion so that the father and the staff could see the truth: the young master Jihwa was a sodomite. But since we saw Yoon Seungho in that building in episode 1, we jumped to the wrong conclusion that this was his house. But actually, from chapter 12 on, the author was showing us that we had been deceived. This was the lord’s house, and note that there is no building in the big courtyard contrary to the domain from chapter 67 and 1.
(Chapter 12) (For more read the essay “Lee Jihwa’s special relationship with Yoon Seungho”) Then in season 2, the main lead forced the elder Lee to hear what he had been denying all this time
(Chapter 67), while in chapter 3, he could only witness it from the patio. On the other hand, Yoon Seungho had been proactive during their sexual encounter, hence the father could only blame the main lead for his son’s debauchery. The intimacy in the pavilion was in verity hiding Yoon Seungho’s huge traumas. But due to Lee Jihwa’s confession in the inn, the red-haired master’s reputation got ruined in town and this must have definitely reached the father’s ears. Striking is that when Yoon Seungho confronted Lee Jihwa with his crime (abduction of a person from his household), the red-haired master ran away and hid behind the folding shield. Thus he never apologized to his friend. And it was the same with the elder Lee. The latter knew about his son’s wrongdoing, for he accused the intruder immediately.
(Chapter 67) As you can see, the absence of the excuse from the uke and his father outlines that chapter 67 is a reflection of episode 5 and 77. I detect a pattern, chapter 5 contains a superficial apology, chapter 67 no apology and chapter 77 a fake excuse again. Furthermore the manhwalovers can recognize that in the same episode (episode 5), the antagonist Jihwa had indeed wounded the painter with his insult too, a reflection of episode 4.
(Chapter 5) This confirms that chapter 5 is connected not only to episode 77, but also to chapter 67/68. We have the same elements: an incident linked to a door
(chapter 67), insults towards the main leads, a wrongdoing, the allusion to love
(chapter 67), a punishment, but also the absence or presence of an apology. But all of these episodes have other similarities: hypocrisy and arrogance. The Lees were looking down on Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho (chapter 5-67), while in episode 77, it was the butler who yelled and criticized the noble.
(chapter 77) By detecting a reflection between these chapters, I had a new revelation.
(chapter 5), while it was not the case. As you can see, anyone seeing the black guard leaving the owner’s study could have had the impression that the lord had written a letter. This means that this mistake must have taken place later again due to the rule 2! The manhwalovers could discover the deception in chapter 37/38!!
(chapter 56), Jihwa sent a forged letter
(chapter 56). Striking is that the butler was the one who received the paper before delivering it to his sick master. These two scenes (38-56) indicate that the valet is related to the correspondence. Moreover, he was seen delivering the message to Yoon Seungho in the courtyard.
(chapter 35)
(chapter 5) It was, as if he was not allowed to write any letter. So where did the table go? To the study!! What caught my attention is that after the first painting
(chapter 2), the table had been removed from the study, just like the papers.
(chapter 4) This was no coincidence. It had been sent to the lord’s bedroom, but after the lord had tasked the black guard, it was no longer there. This is the indication that someone was interfering with Yoon Seungho’s habit to take a brush. And this can only be Kim. As you can see, the appearance and the vanishing of the small table is the element which was reflected in chapter 1, 2,
3, 4 and 5. And now, look at the scene where Lee Jihwa met Min.
(chapter 67) The table had also disappeared. And when did it happen?
(chapter 21) The noble had ransacked his own room with his sword. And what did we see in that episode? A paper folded in a book.
(chapter 21) In other words, the First Wedding night is also a reflection from these chapters (4/5, 67/68, 77), for it contains the same elements:
(episode 19) and the importance of the table. According to me, the valet had put the expensive wine on the painter’s table on purpose. To conclude, I see a connection between episode 4/5, 19/20/21, 67/68 and 77.
(chapter 77) He can not trust his words, especially since he views the nobles as violent liars. Why? It is because there was this huge table. This is no coincidence that right after the valet betrayed the main lead and wrote a message to the patriarch. That’s how I had another revelation. The butler is symbolized by the table! Thus he was often seen with this small table
(chapter 11)
(chapter 17) To conclude, when the butler saw the black guard leaving the mansion, he believed that his master had sent words to someone! That’s the reason why he removed the table and returned it to the painter’s study.
(chapter 97) written by Yoon Seungho, but he envisioned that this was the Spring poem!
(chapter 97) We had the same situation. Black Heart had stolen the Spring poem, and the noonas had deceived the protagonists by faking admiration in front of an empty paper.
(chapter 93) Since the paper in episode 93 was empty, I could only come to the deduction that this paper contained words!!
(chapter 92) The latter’s work was a copy of Yoon Seungho’s poetry, the repetition from chapter 4. Hence you comprehend why I deduce that the paper in the annex was different from the Spring poem. So during that night, Yoon Seungho left a note to his lover, and that’s how the butler discovered that the artist could not read Chinese, for he saw his master writing in hangeul. But there exists another evidence for this interpretation. Baek Na-Kyum had wished this:
(chapter 97) The goddess was actually fulfilling his wish, when she reminded him of the Spring poem.
(chapter 97) If the lord had mentioned in the letter that they had found the corpse of Deok-Jae, the painter would have believed him. However, as you can envision it, the butler and Min were determined to generate a misunderstanding, to create the illusion that the scholar had died. Consequently, the servants deceived the main lead by omitting the existence of the paper. They had not delivered the message properly.
(chapter 4) His own poetry got stolen. But let’s return our attention to episode 5. Since the lord had given the poem to the black guard, this signifies that the lord no longer had the sijo. Therefore he had to write the poem again in order to mask the disappearance. In my opinion, he must have copied the original poetry for the artist in order to prove that he had not been lying. Hence the paper looked different. And this brings me back to the painter’s apology in the patio.
(chapter 04) That’s the reason why he had taken it in the first place.
(chapter 7) But where is the sijo now?
(chapter 65) Moreover, I believe that in chapter 65, he had collaborated with the noona. He had shown her the painting of Baek Na-Kyum, while in the study there was a blank paper. As you can see, in season 2, we had again this connection between a painting and blank paper. But let’s return our attention to chapter 5. The black guard was acting on the order of someone else, Yoon Seungho was not the one hiring him. The butler hates ruckus, his MO is to lie low and act in the shadow. If he had retrieved the paper, the man could report it to the master of the black guard. On the other hand, he could have asked the warden about his master’s request. He just needed to say that he desired to assist him, similar to this situation.
(chapter 82) Thus I conclude that when the lord returned the paper to Baek Na-Kyum
(chapter 7), Kim must have realized his error. He had mistaken the poem for a letter!! This explains why he repeated the trick with the younger master Seung-Won. But unfortunately for him, he was caught by the teacher who asked the painter about the letter the next morning.
(chapter 36), but the moment the latter interrupted the couple
(chapter 37), Yoon Seungho chose to hide it. But why is it important? It is because if the painter had mentioned the paper given to the younger master to Yoon Seungho, the latter could have noticed the valet’s meddling and wrongdoing. On the surface, it looked like Kim had written himself a letter to the younger master. In other words, in episode 37/38, the butler gave the impression that he was a spy, for he was acting without his master’s permission. He had even left the propriety, as he was standing outside in front of the gate. Don’t forget that during the meeting, the brother had mentioned that he had sent him many letters
(chapter 37), and there is no ambiguity that Kim had intervened. Here, the lord had said nothing, for he imagined that Kim had done it to protect him from his family.
(Chapter 4) But on his way out, he met Yoon Seungho who had just missed the painter’s departure. But there, he discovered that the main lead had stolen his poetry.
(chapter 5) He was looking at the gate and as such making sure that the artist’s departure would be noticed. By sending the low-born to the Lees’ mansion, Kim was encouraging the painter to commit a crime: trespassing! But the artist was fortunate, for he was not caught by the lord of the mansion, who preferred hiding due to the ruckus caused by his own son. 😉 As for Yoon Seungho, he came back to the mansion and saw the empty study. Kim just needed to say that the low-born had left to the Lees’ mansion. This is important, because this indicates that in chapter 4, the couple missed each other first! And this situation was repeated in season 3, precisely in chapter 98, when the lord returned from the bureau of investigation
(chapter 98)! The lord arrived just after the painter’s departure. And who was with the main lead? Kim. As you can see, the lord’s luck seems not to be on his side, for Baek Na-Kyum had just left the propriety. Once again… the lord was standing in front of the gate!! As for season 2, this time, it was Kim’s fate to miss his master. 
(chapter 56) The reason for this punishment is simple. He had sent away the artist to the study just before Yoon Seungho regained consciousness. The latter didn’t see that the artist had taken care of him during that night. Thus the butler’s karma was not to notice his master’s departure which stands in opposition to chapter 4 and 98. And note that all these chapters have the paper as common denominator. So imagine the butler’s surprise in episode 4, when he witnessed the artist’s return to the mansion followed by his master. He had sent away Baek Na-Kyum with the hope that the artist would desert the town for good, but no…
(chapter 23) The first similarity is the allusion to his bag. The butler was actually thinking that during the hunt, the painter would decide to run away. That’s the reason why he asked about his belonging, for in the past, he only wished to vanish after retrieving his tools. Naturally, the artist saw no harm in the butler’s question and answered truthfully. He must have narrated the argument in the courtyard about the poem. Yoon Seungho had kept the sijo, consequently the painter had used his hand to take it back and had by mistake removed the lord’s hat. Thus Kim must have told him that he just needed to apologize. But one might say that this is just a story imagined by me. The manhwaphiles never saw such a scene. But don’t forget the existence of the reflections. I have definitely an evidence for this theory. Since the butler had manipulated the painter in chapter 4 in order to get rid of this uninvited guest, his karma was to receive a new guest!!
(chapter 7) This is not what the valet truly desired at all. He wanted to live in peace. But now, he had three new people he had to serve: Jung In-Hun, the painter and his own master Yoon Seungho who had lived for quite some time in the Lees’ mansion. He had to work!! And note that in this episode 7, we have the following elements:



(chapter 93) It was a futile dream. When I had analyzed episode 93, I had explained that the speech from the main lead was influenced by the butler. As you can see, the lord’s narration
(chapter 6) There was a switch. That’s how I had this revelation. Heena is the missing link between the learned sir and the protagonist. And observe that in episode 93, we have the same elements again:
(chapter 93) This time, Heena is the one standing behind closed doors, while it was Yoon Seungho in chapter 77


(chapter 93) In chapter 99, the noonas still lied to him.
(chapter 93), which was also present in chapter 4/5, 7 and 67
/68 and finally 77
(chapter 1) [For more read the essay “Baek Na-Kyum’s origins”] There is no ambiguity that these words
(chapter 55) Who was lord Song’s contact person then? In the past, I used to think that he was the one receiving the letters. But now, I have a different opinion. I believe, it is Heena! Why? It is because Kim couldn’t identify lord Song’s writing. According to me, Yoon Seungho was sent to the gibang in order to entertain the mysterious “lord Song”. Thereby I am assuming that the kisaeng would receive a word from lord Song and have the main lead fetched from the mansion by the black guards. Heena and Yoon Chang-Hyeon are the only ones seen with black guards, I am excluding the main lead, as he was always more or less their prisoner. As you can see, there is a connection between the noona and the Yoons.
(chapter 68)
(chapter 69) and in season 3, the noona sent messages to her brother herself. In two different chapters
(chapter 91), she is related to papers.
(chapter 97) Logically, the noona in connection with the letter should be present in season 1. Secondly, when the woman appeared for the first time
(chapter 64), she was accompanied with 2 guards, which is quite similar to the lord’s situation in chapter 1. That’s the reason why I believe that she didn’t keep the learned sir’s poem. Her betrayal could have been noticed and this was the first time that Yoon Seungho was making such a request.
(chapter 56) This would follow rule 3. Then according to rule 2 of the kaleidoscope, elements from one episode will be constantly mirrored in the next chapters. And what did we have in episode 19? A larceny… the bottle of wine vanished. Then in episode 20, the lord stole the scholar’s identity, while he stole the painter’s virginity. Hence the lord apologized to the painter for his wrongdoings.
(chapter 21) And above I had already demonstrated the connection between the First Wedding Night and chapter 5 and 77! Here the lord was imitating the pedophile’s behavior, hence you comprehend why I think that lord Song was the recipient of the poem. I would like my readers to keep in their mind that the learned sir’s sijo was referring to a painful departure, the loss of a loved one and despair! The beholder could have the impression that the author was suicidal due to the mention of the well and the torment of the mind. Thus I am now assuming that the “mysterious lord Song” will consider the sijo as a farewell, the lord chose to commit suicide and his death was related to Jung In-Hun’s curtains. Why? It is because Heena wrote letters to her brother where she accused the main lead of killing the learned sir. Moreover, Yoon Seung-Won had definitely mistaken the painter for the learned sir.
(chapter 34), and shortly after the painter was sent to the tailor. But during that night, the pedophile and Yoon Seungho had missed each other due to Baek Na-Kyum. He was not dead. So when the painter received new clothes, it was the same for Yoon Seungho. Yet, the pedophile was gravely mistaken. Why? The sijo had been stolen, and as such it was never addressed to the pedophile. Furthermore, it is because the lord was suffering from memory loss. Moreover, I believe that the main lead is not aware of the true identity of his sexual abuser. In his mind, it is just lord Song. But this doesn’t end here.
(chapter 57) And who was behind this? Black Heart’s friend. But then it came to my mind that Black Heart had stolen the Spring poem… so he could have sent the paper to lord Song and the latter would have mistaken it as a letter from Yoon Seungho, the latter was reaching out to him. He was wishing him luck!! So imagine that when the man arrives in Jemulpo, he imagines that the main lead is waiting for him only to discover that Yoon Seungho vanished. He wished to die because of the loss of a loved one. And that’s how he will recall the poetry of the learned sir… the reflection of this night!!
(chapter 94) In episode 4, the lord had laughed about the sijo, but it was no longer the case in the kisaeng house. In my eyes, the pedophile will go through the same experience. Yes, the effect of the kaleidoscope. He will perceive the learned sir’s poetry under a different perspective. Only in that moment, he will realize the suicidal tone in the sijo. He will question how Yoon Seungho could become so desperate and suicidal so suddenly. And now, you comprehend why Heena was trembling in front of her brother
, and why she had planned to leave the gibang that night!! She was aware of the arrival of “lord Song”. She knows how cruel and ruthless he can be.
(chapter 101) Blood will flow… The proof for this expectation is that chapter 67, 77, 82 and 93 are all referring to punishment. Kim had been beaten in episode 77, while the kisaeng was imprisoned in the storage room. Moreover, we have the use of the sword in episode 21 and 67… and during these nights, the protagonists had made love to each other.
(chapter 82)
(chapter 67) Here, the lord had just insinuated that if something like that happened again, he would go to the authorities. However, since this threat was rather ambiguous, the patriarch Lee could only interpret it that way. The main lead would report the incident to the “mysterious lord Song”, alias the king. And father Lee knew that he could get into trouble. Furthermore, since these elders are all hypocrites and liars, there is no doubt that father Lee feared that the protagonist wouldn’t keep his words. That’s the reason why he approached the father. He hoped that Yoon Chang-Hyeon would intervene and impose his will onto his son. He would tame the main character. In other words, episode 82 is a reflection of chapter 4/5, 19/20/21, 67/68 and 77. The first common denominator is the allusion to letters. The messenger’s words revealed that Kim had contacted the elder Yoon, for he already knew his name, though the latter had never met the domestic. Secondly, the “letters” were delivered orally:
(chapter 82), and even in person: Father Lee and the emissary. Third, the elder Lee badmouthed Yoon Seungho by mentioning the incident from chapter 67, and refused the invitation of his host
(chapter 82). Finally, he called Baek Na-Kyum a peasant exactly like the main lead in front of the gate:
(chapter 82). But more important, the old bearded man expressed this fear: the loss of his family home!
(chapter 83) It vanished, and as such it was stolen. Did the mysterious lord Song take it away in order to force Yoon Seungho to paint? The older version of this scene:
(chapter 1) The paintings were illustrating that the pedophile was having sex with a minor.

(Chapter 83) But what was the vision telling to the main character? The problem with visions is that their message is never clear. It is up to the fortune-teller. The beholder can interpret the hallucination differently. Here, one might say that the blood let Yoon Seungho see that one servant, in our case Kim, was working against him with 2 nobles: Min and Jihwa. It was already predicting Min’s death, for the blood pond was touching the noble on the right, while the other nobleman with the hat is not connected to the blood. The red-haired master only lost his topknot a second time. This is no coincidence. The vision showed that Black Heart would die by the hand of 2 people, Yoon Seungho the child and Yoon Seungho the adult. Thus Byeonduck created such a panel:
(Chapter 102) The lord was in a dissociative state. In his rage, the main lead was brought back to his own past, when he was a victim of gangrape.
(Chapter 102) He was acting like in trance, the painter’s bloody face had opened the Pandora’s box.
(Chapter 101) Remember his confession in the bedchamber:
(Chapter 100) But if so, this means that the domestic will die, after his master abandoned him and ran away. Remember that the blood spurt is linked to the person without a hat.
(chapter 82)
(chapter 86) And if I consider that this vision is referring to Kim, then it already announces his doom. Another possibility of interpretation is to say that the boar embodies the king, which Yoon Seungho defeats by removing from his side Lee Jihwa and Min, both were used as tools to control and tame the main lead so that he would remain by the pedophile’s side. This means that the moment he executed Black Heart and cut off the friend’s topknot, he was finally able to escape from the ruler’s claws. And if the noblemen are referring to the elders, the message doesn’t change. The moment the main lead killed Min, he wounded the king so that the elders are affected, one more than the other. And Kim didn’t stop his young master, for the butler thought that with his suicide, he could finally free himself from his task of taking care of Yoon Seungho. With his suicide, Kim would be able to live in peace. He would no longer be tormented by the main lead’s suffering. In his mind, his suicide was the natural outcome of such a long suffering. As you can see, this hallucination can be interpreted so differently. And the more information we will get in season 4, the more precise the interpretation of this vision can become.
(Chapter 28) As you can see, blood and a mirror were used as objects for “fortune-telling“, though the main characters had no idea about their signification. While the painter rejected this “hallucination“, Yoon Seungho had the impression that it was real. Thus he turned around. He imagined that the two nobles were approaching him.
(Chapter 83) I have always said that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum are shamans, but they have no idea about their true identity. This means, none of them considers himself as a fortune-teller, though both have this gift. They have no one telling them about their skills, they can predict the future and even repel evil spirits.
(Chapter 92). Keep in mind that since the lord wrote a poem in season 3, this means that he must have done it in the past too, but this twice. In season 1, he wrote one, when he switched the paper, yet it must have occurred before, for we had two circles, which corresponds to two full moons. My friend Luzyla brought my attention that in the whole story, Byeonduck only drew one full moon, and this in chapter 1. This announced the beginning of a new circle!! The third one and observe that the moon was far away, very high up in the sky, while the night sky was very dark.
(chapter 102). Their trust and love had been tested, thus I am assuming that season 4 will be the beginning of the 4th circle, where the protagonist will face the main culprit for his suffering: the mysterious lord Song, the king.
(chapter 56), and it became a reality.
(Chapter 91) But the artist never accepted these visions, for he was rejecting sodomy and later he was in denial about his affection for the main lead. Yet this is no longer possible. The artist has already confessed and is determined to remain by the noble’s side, no matter what.
(chapter 74) Here again, we have an allusion to the bloodbath in the shaman‘s house, for the position of the hands reminds us of Black Heart’s reaction before the main lead stabbed him.
(Chapter 34) and
(Chapter 98) In the last one, he believed to see the scholar’s corpse. The artist had even an auditive hallucination.
(Chapter 98) This means that a similar situation will occur. Someone will repeat Jung In-Hun’s words.
(chapter 98) How could he be with the man who killed his family (for example Heena)?
(chapter 45) Yes, in chapter 45!! How did I come to this conclusion? The first clue is the black frame.
(chapter 45) Byeonduck always uses it in order to indicate that we are dealing with a memory or a dream. Secondly, in this scene we are supposed to see Baek Na-Kyum with his lover, both kissing tenderly, yet in the same chapter, the author let us see the reality of their interaction. 
(chapter 45) The painter was more acting like a robot, he was not able to procure pleasure to Yoon Seungho. He was not talented. As you can see, the introduction allowed us to see the dream of a fortune-teller concerning Yoon Seungho and the painter. But wait…
(chapter 45) Who is who here? In this image, the artist is lying on the bed, he is recognizable by his slender and smooth leg and his thin foot. The lord is on the top, the beholder can identify him with his bigger and rounder butt. However, in the second picture, their position is switched.
(chapter 45) But don’t forget that we are here dealing with a premonitory dream. In my opinion, the lock of hair is implying that Baek Na-Kyum will be wearing a topknot in the future, similar to this situation:
(chapter 87) This means that the person saw in this dream that Baek Na-Kyum would become the lord’s partner, and he would even be dressed like a noble (a topknot and white pants). Don’t forget that in season 2, he was still wearing grey pants and not white.
(chapter 46) And this vision came true in season 3:
(chapter 79) This is the same position, but from a different perspective.
(chapter 45), a rumor started that Yoon Seungho had a fiancée. Thus Kim chose to spread rumors in the village to kill the grapevines about the existence of Yoon Seungho‘s fiancée with another gossip. He used Jihwa and the incidents in the past… One might argue that it is not possible, because it looks like the rumor about the existence of Yoon Seungho’s sodomy existed before than the presence of a fiancée.

(chapter 45) The owner of the stand is sitting and he has a white scarf, but in the next panel, the person is standing, and has a red scarf.
(chapter 45) Moreover, the headcover on one player is much slightly darker. This is another indication that there could be a time jump between these two panels. But one might argue that the rumors about Yoon Seungho’s homosexuality were existing before the grapevines about the fiancée.
(chapter 45) But not necessarily. Imagine, the butler had such a dream, and his memory got triggered, when he heard the commoner talking about the incident with Bongyong for the first time. But don’t forget that the man is a traveling merchant, so in the butler’s mind, the trader would leave the town and as such he wouldn’t be able to mention this to others. But he never imagined that the man would meet his friend.
(chapter 45) In order to ensure that no one would take this rumor seriously, Kim made sure to spread the rumors about Lee Jihwa and Yoon Seungho’s sexuality.
(chapter 40) His joke with the red dot was not even noticed by the woman and seller of the mirror!! Both were totally indifferent. Though he had made a joke, his action had caused no wave. Besides, we should question why the man would say that even dogs would know about his homosexuality. This implies the intensity of the grapevines. It displays that someone was deliberately leaking this information to the outside. Furthermore, one witness is saying that Yoon Seungho‘s affairs used to stir up the village… when did it happen?
(chapter 45) Moreover, which affairs was he referring to? He has no idea about the masturbation in the tailor’s shop and the red dot on the painter’s face. As for Lee Jihwa’s humiliation, it was definitely not leaked to the outside as well. Besides, remember the comment from the red-haired master’s servant.
(chapter 41) Striking is that
(chapter 45) Here, Baek Na-Kyum had just returned to the mansion after his second desertion.
(chapter 52) The lord had kept his distance from the artist for one week, though I believe that he still came to see him
(chapter 51),
(chapter 51) for the painter’s scarf was put on the way Yoon Seungho did in the courtyard in chapter 69.
(chapter 69) And now, you comprehend why Kim criticized the painter in the courtyard. The lord would come to see him ensuring that he was well covered. The butler had every reason to view this dream
(chapter 45) Now, I have the proof for this interpretation. The guardian was on his way back to the gate, so why did the valet ask him to bring the items to the painter’s study? Actually, Kim could have done it himself, it is not so that his master was waiting for him or had been requesting his presence.
(chapter 45) Now, you are probably thinking that this essay has reached an end. But no… Why?
(chapter 87) What if the butler had been saying the truth? He had no idea what was going on inside the room of the kisaeng house. But as an outsider, he observed this. Nobles were going to and from lord Yoon’s chambers. The readers had the impression that the young master was getting raped in the bedchamber. Yet, like I had pointed out, this is definitely not true, for the teenager was dressed.
(chapter 87) We could detect the presence of a stock, this means that in the bedchamber, he was physically abused. And the butler could have jumped to the wrong conclusion, exactly like in this scene.
(chapter 17) This is an expression that he would often use. We could witness this cognitive distortion (should statement) in front of the shed.
(chapter 87, labelling)
(chapter 68) But here, like I pointed out before, he was excluding himself from this incident. Let’s not forget that he had been the one dragging him to the shed.
(chapter 57) He had been ill, since he was very young. But the physician mentioned the good notoriety about Yoon Seungho: he was intelligent. Striking is that Kim has never mentioned this. Either he is not aware of this, because he only met the protagonist after hearing the negative comment from the father, or as a person suffering from cognitive distortion, he is only remembering the negative aspects. I had already exposed that this was not related to sodomy, for sexuality was not relevant, when he was just a child. From my point of view, Yoon Chang-Hyeon saw in his son’s questioning and critical thinking a problem. He was not respecting the elders, and Kim is definitely a reinforcer of social norms. From my point of view, the drug administrated was not to treat him for sodomy, but in order to obtain his obedience. We were all assuming that the visit to the doctor must have occurred after the stolen kiss, but it could be the opposite. Why? It is because the physician revealed the valet’s second visit which occurred after the incident in the kisaeng house.
(chapter 57) And now, imagine this. What if the purpose of the drug was to make Yoon Seungho submissive? Thus the young boy was smiling, and doesn’t remember the stolen kiss. Striking is that cognitive distortion has an impact on memory, it can create distorted memories. And this would confirm my previous assumption that here, the butler was mixing two memories together.
(chapter 65) Since the butler has always been expecting the worst unconsciously, I am suspecting that he is the one who offered Yoon Seungho to the king! That way, he imagined that his master would be protected, unaware that he had never been forced to have sex before. There’s no ambiguity that his cognitive distortions led to Yoon Seungho’s suffering. Hence the father and the king will be quite surprised when they discover the verity. Kim badmouthed the main lead calling him a bird of misfortune, though lord Song views him differently, as he keeps sending him hanboks with cranes and phoenix, asymbol for good fortune.
(chapter 87) He was talking about himself here. For the valet, there’s only one solution: “Out of sight, out of mind!” Hence he hoped that the father would take away Yoon Seungho from the mansion. 

