Protected: Painter Of The Night: Stockholm Syndrome (second version)

February 23, 2021January 12, 2023 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: A man consumed by lust

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

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

Feel free to make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33 That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining manhwas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My reddit-instagram-tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.

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

February 10, 2021September 12, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

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

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

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

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

Heroism is characterized by:²

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Long term effects of emotional manipulation:

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

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

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

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

Painter Of The Night: Absence

January 24, 2021June 23, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 11 Comments

The chapter 67 caught me by surprise, because it proved me wrong in one aspect: Lee Jihwa is not like Baek Na-Kyum, in the sense that he is no orphan. The red-haired aristocrat has a father, an old-bearded man. (chapter 67) My first thought was: “Where were you all this time?”

I couldn’t help myself laughing, when Yoon Seungho barged into Lee’s mansion in chapter 67, because I immediately connected it to chapter 3, when the protagonist visited his childhood friend early in the morning. Back then, he barged with an erected phallus (chapter 3) and had sex with Jihwa at the pavilion, where both were not quiet at all. The red-haired noble kept even moaning. (chapter 3) Their intercourse was noticeable, but at no moment father Lee interrupted them. And now, the erected phallus was switched to a sword, and unlike in chapter 3, where the second lead was eager to meet his sex partner, the master chose to hide behind a windscreen. (chapter 67) However, this time father Lee intervened. Why all of the sudden? For the first time, his son caused a real trouble, because someone entered his house with a sword: a huge scandal! Furthermore, he must have realized that his son’s life was in danger, hence he had to intervene. The domestics couldn’t deal with such a powerful noble. And now, you understand why I couldn’t restrain myself from smiling, because the father Lee’s reproach sounded so hypocrite. (chapter 67) Where was he, when Yoon Seungho had sex at the pavilion? Why didn’t he intervene, especially if he sees the main lead as responsible for his son’s debauchery?

Because of this question, I was reminded of the song called “Papaoutai” from Stromae, a French speaking singer from Belgium. I am posting the video with the english subtitles.

In this song, the singer outlines the importance of fathers for children. However, he does it by criticizing their absence (Papaoutai = Papa où tu es?/ Papa, where are you?). Although this represents his main message, he also questions the role played by fathers in our modern societies. He points out that’s easy to become a father biologically, but being a father symbolizes responsibilities. He explains it, men don’t become fathers naturally, since it is a work process: “nobody knows how to make Papas” / Mister “know-it-all” would’ve inherited it, is that it? Does it come from sucking our thumbs, or what”. Moreover, for him many fathers don’t take their role seriously (“Genitors or genius, tell us who gives birth to irresponsibles”). The author exposes that a father needs to think a lot about his role as father. As a conclusion, the singer would like men to become more responsible for raising their children.

And it is time to return our attention to Painter Of The Night. Byeonduck utilizes her work to show the importance of fathers in sons’ life, as she exposes different types of negative behavior of fathers.

First, we have Father Lee. He only appeared after 66 episodes. His absence had given the impression that he was inexistent and Jihwa was an orphan. We could describe father Lee as ghost. And now, you understand why I chose such a title: Absence. What does it mean for children, when their father is not by their side?

Absence of parents is a synonym for parental neglect. What is child neglect exactly? There are 6 different types of child neglect:

Physical Neglect or Deprivation of Needs Neglect
Medical Neglect
Educational Neglect
Emotional Neglect
Supervisory Neglect
Environmental Neglect from https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/six-types-of-neglect

Many people think that this situation only happens in families with a low income, because it is related to physical and supervisory neglect which is more visible. However reality is different. We find neglected children in wealthy families. How so? The affluent children live in comfort, but they are often starved of love and affection (Emotional Neglect). This happens, when parents are too busy to spend time with their children. Therefore they hire personal to take care of their children or send them to boarding school. As you can imagine, Lee Jihwa is a child suffering from supervisory, emotional and educational neglect.

Since Father Lee relies on his servants to take care of his son, they are not qualified or responsible enough to care for him (supervisory neglect). Due to their lower status, they are not allowed to teach him or reprimand him. That’s why in chapter 9, only the servant asked Jihwa where he was going so early at dawn. Jihwa had not to justify his departure to his father. Then in chapter 41, one domestic finds the young man sleeping on the street, while looking for him. (chapter 41) He spent the whole night drinking and his father never asked about his whereabouts. He never showed any concern, as he has his staff to take care of him. In other words, he put the whole responsibility on the domestics. After confessing to Yoon Seungho in public, no servant shows up and takes care of him indicating that neither father Lee nor the staff heard about the scandal. Nameless was the one who was asked by the inn owner, if he could take care of the young noble. (chapter 59) He even gave him a dry robe and a home for the night. Since the servant only showed up the next morning in chapter 41 and he didn’t even appear during the night in chapter 59, it illustrates that the staff is more attached to the mansion than to the impulsive noble himself in truth.

This is not surprising that in chapter 67, the servant does his best to protect his master. Despite his rude behavior in chapter 50 (chapter 50), he is even willing to risk his life . (chapter 67) He simply follows his master’s request, as he feels, that’s his duty and lord Lee could ask for his accountability. (chapter 67) Amazing, when you compare it to Kim’s behavior. We could say that the staff does feel responsible for their young master to a certain extent. Why? I believe, they all know that father Lee doesn’t pay attention to his young son and they are now responsible for him. On the other hand, their care is limited, because they are domestics to the mansion. They are not obliged to give him the emotional comfort and the education he needs. As long as there’s no real scandal, then everything is fine in father Lee and the staff’s mind. Remember that in chapter 45, the town folks described the second lead as the “mistress”, showing that even they had noticed the lord’s movements, whereas father Lee has no knowledge about it. (chapter 45) That’s how isolated the father is cut off from reality and world. This is not surprising that his son resembles him, he also lives in his own world.

But what are the consequences of emotional neglect? I would like to quote a passage from a website in French (translated)

It can also be so because a lack of love and human contact hinders its development. In some cases, neglect traps the child in sensory isolation, slowly and continuously undermining his or her mind to the point where there is little desire to connect with others and explore the world. Thus, parental neglect is a terrible absence. http://educationsante.be/article/la-negligence-parentale-est-une-terrible-absence/

Remember how I had described the red-haired noble, before Nameless helped him to become more responsible: I compared him to a blind and deaf person , which corresponds to the expression “sensory isolation”. Back then, I had imagined that he had been abused as well. I was wrong, since it was just neglect which I had already detected. However, the consequences of such a severe neglect are as terrible as abuse. Consequently, abuse and neglect are often considered the same.

Now, I will list how neglect affects the child’s personality (I won’t add to each characteristic a picture):

Extremely low tolerance for frustration (chapter 13) (chapter 13); aggression (chapter 17)
Sense of entitlement (chapter 51)
Lack of appropriate guilt (chapter 59) In chapter 56, Jihwa sent a fake letter reminding Yoon Seungho of his trauma, yet he acts as if the other is to blame and shows no remorse. That’s why many children suffering from emotional neglect have problems with rules and laws.
Lack of coping skills: Jihwa is unable to accept any rejection or criticism. We could observe this in chapter 5, when the lord sent him away. He didn’t pay attention to the reason why Yoon Seungho couldn’t focus on him.
Boredom (chapter 9)
Lack of purpose: This explicates why Jihwa was so obsessed to obtain his friend’s love. Since he has been neglected by his own father, the main lead became his “surrogate” father, who gave him attention because he criticized him and even punished him.
Blaming others (chapter 57)
Reduced empathy
Poor planning skills: When he enters Yoon Seungho’s mansion in chapter 17, he is not able to hide his frustration and starts assaulting the painter so that he creates a ruckus. That’s how Jihwa is caught. As for the kidnapping and murder, he left the whole responsibility on the commoner. He never paid attention to his actions and whereabouts. He believed the criminal and that was it. Sure, Nameless didn’t take advantage from Jihwa, but this shows that he relies too much on others. This is not surprising that the second lead listens to Min’s words and manipulation (chapter 67), although he had lied to him in the past.
Difficulties with competition: this explains why he uses tricks to act behind the painter’s back.
Problems withstanding peer pressure quoted from https://www.paracelsus-recovery.com/blog/affluent-neglect/
depression
Anxiety (chapter 67)
Low self-esteem
substance misuse (chapter 50)
shunning emotional closeness or intimacy: That’s why Jihwa kept waiting for the main lead’s confession. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/childhood-emotional-neglect#symptoms-in-children

The effects of neglect are such that it leaves sequels on so many levels: socially, emotionally, intellectually and psychologically. Children exposed to neglect are at a greater risk of developing conduct disorders and of participating in delinquent behavior, which is visible in the red-haired figure: he trespasses proprieties, ruins a painting, he even had the painter kidnapped. Due to his scheme, the vicious servant Deok-Jae was killed. Then their knowledge and cognitive capacities are diminished, which is also perceptible in the young man. The latter is not able to recognize evil at all, hence he can’t detect hypocrisy and manipulations. And this leads me to the following observation: Byeonduck chose the monkey as an animal for Jihwa. The manhwaphiles can see the singe in the windscreen. (red circle). Because of the character’s previous deafness and blindness, I immediately connected it to the wise 3 monkeys:

The Three Wise Monkeys Royalty Free Cliparts, Vectors, And Stock Illustration. Image 35588575.

In Asia, the monkeys are considered as wise, because they represent proper behavior. Confucius says:

“Look not at what is contrary to propriety, listen not what is contrary to propriety and finally speak not what is contrary to propriety.”

In other words, the 3 monkeys serve as role model. One should behave properly by avoiding any form of evil. Since Min is the Joker, also visible in the windscreen (yellow circle), it explains why Jihwa has become such a bully in the end. Min became his role model replacing the father. Consequently, the red-haired aristocrat can’t recognize evil. That’s why Lee Jihwa appeared as a spoiled child with a delinquent behavior in the end. Byeonduck is displaying the extreme consequences of a father’s the absence. And this leads me to the next question: what is the role of a father in the end?

“The function of the father is to separate the child from the mother. He must intervene between the mother and the child to allow the child to develop his identity outside the maternal symbiosis” from https://www.psycho-ressources.com/bibli/fonction-pere.html

And now, the manhwaphiles comprehend why the red-haired noble has such a low self-esteem. (chapter 67) This is is visible in this panel. The character can’t even stand. Min, the Joker and surrogate father, treats Jihwa as his servant and punishes him, because he had not followed his order. Jihwa has not entirely developed his identity, since he has always lived in his own limited world. A father has not only to provide security and comfort, he helps the child to learn self-control and boundaries. A father is associated to rules and should teach his child how to channel aggressivity. In other words, he serves as a role model for the child. But with the absence of a father, this is impossible. And since the domestics belong to the lower social class, Lee Jihwa always had the upper hand and could do anything: his father never appeared, when Jihwa was destroying his room with his sword in chapter 21. Besides, father Lee never paid attention to the friends his son had. He blames Yoon Seungho for his son’s debauchery, yet at no moment he intervened in the past. The main lead is correct to blame the father and put his son in a different light. (chapter 67) And now, the readers can understand the role Nameless is slowly taking over: he will be the father and lover teaching him how to recognize evil and even think critically. We saw Jihwa rejecting Min’s advice (chapter 67), but it was short-lived due to Yoon Seungho’s appearance. We have to assume that Yoon Seungho played the role of the father after the former had been abandoned by his own father. However, he could never assume this function properly, as he was suffering himself and couldn’t give him the emotional and educational comfort Jihwa needed. Let’s not forget that the protagonist chose to ignore his own feelings, to even numb them. Hence it was impossible for them to connect emotionally.

After discerning Father Lee’s behavior, I could easily portray father Yoon, who stands in opposition to father Lee. He is a controlling father using his sons as his pawns and tools for his own career. Here, I gathered the characteristics for a controlling parent:

Interfering in nearly every aspect of the child’s life.
Criticizing any choice a child tries to make independently.
High, truly unattainable standards.
Conditional love.
Rigid (and unrealistic) rules.
Lack of empathy and respect.
Unreasonably harsh punishment. 8.
Lack of appreciation for the child’s individuality.
Expecting the child to act like a parent.
Manipulation through gifts.
Playing on guilt and/or shame. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/signs-of-controlling-parents-and-how-to-cope-as-adult

This explicates why Yoon Seungho had been longing to see admiration and love in his father’s gaze, always hoping that at some point he would get it. The existence of the rules I elaborated is a proof of this abusive parent. And now, you understand why Father Yoon described his eldest son as ill, suffering from wayward yang. (chapter 57) “wayward” is a synonym for rebellious indicating that Yoon Seungho had started questioning his father’s behavior and words. Simultaneously, I believe that the father judged his son’s behavior as too childish, thus he said that he had been suffering from an illness for a long time. The adolescence represents an important step in the child’s development. That’s the moment when a teenager decides to take his distance from his father in order to find his own identity. Since the main lead was described as intelligent, it was normal that the main character would decide to make his own decision and could sense his father’s flaws. Consequently father Yoon could only see the critical remarks as a sign of insubordination. This is not surprising that he blamed his son, when something happened due to Jihwa. (chapter 67) Since Father Lee never paid attention to his own son’s behavior, the former was more than pleased to hear that Yoon Seungho was responsible for an incident. Father Lee was following the rule:

But unlike before, this is the Western interpretation: he acts as if he doesn’t see evil or hear evil. He will never talk badly about his son. That way, he escapes any responsibility for his son’s failures. But like Confucius wrote:

“The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them”.

From my point of view, father Lee will pay a huge price for his negligence due to his son. I saw in the chapter 67 a confirmation that Jihwa will cause a huge tragedy which ends with a terrible punishment. It is getting more probable that Jihwa will lose his title as noble (chapter 67) and it is even possible that he gets a scar or a tattoo. (chapter 67) This scene was important as it represented a new version of chapter 18. This time, the lord aimed at Jihwa’s face and the servant was not harmed. The main lead put the whole responsibility on the former friend.

But since I had described the role played by the servants in the Lee mansion, it is also important to take a look at the domestic’s function, when father Yoon was the master of the house. What caught my attention is that father Yoon has been also represented like a ghost, very similar to father Lee. However, while the latter represents lack of interests for the son, the other stands in opposition to this. He is everywhere due to his servants. All of them were asked to pay attention to his children and their behavior. In other words, he is also absent. The domestics must have reported him everything. And now, you can understand why Yoon Seungho kept his distance from his staff as the lord of the mansion. He didn’t want to be observed by them, that’s why he relied more on Kim in the end. With his help, he could maintain a certain gap and escape their “monitoring”. There is another evidence for this theory: remember that Yoon Seungho asked his servants through Kim to pay a closer look at Baek Na-Kyum, but they didn’t take his request very seriously. Hence the painter could escape the mansion in chapter 29. And you all know that the artist is reliving the noble’s past. This explicates why Yoon Seungho targeted the amateur spy in chapter 18, he was reminded of his own past. He could only get furious.

However, there’s another huge difference in the role played by Father Yoon’s servants. Since they only had to report to him, that means that they didn’t need to take any responsibility, as the lord was the one who made all the decisions afterwards. And now, you understand why Kim rejects any form of responsibility by saying (chapter 65). Father Yoon put a lot of trust in valet Kim in the end, as he relied on his information. This is another evidence for me that Kim is responsible for the main lead’s suffering. Since father Yoon was relying on Kim’s eyes and ears, his perception got changed and this in a negative way. That’s how he became blind. He contributed to the terror ruling at the mansion, but since Kim was kind and caring, Yoon Seungho believed this illusion, while Kim was his biggest spy. I am quite sure that he played a major role, when Yoon Seungho got separated from Lee Jihwa and received his reeducation therapy. For me, there’s no doubt that his responsibility kept getting bigger, when he saw the main lead getting raped, and he decided to close the door and ignore the incident. He just needed to say that this was not his business. Another possibility is that he could justify his choice by saying that it was done for the main lead’s best interest. Let’s not forget that Kim was the one who presented the physician to father Yoon. (chapter 57) There’s no doubt that father Yoon put all his trust in Kim. This explicates why Kim acts, as if he had the authority to give orders. (chapter 67) He must have developed this habit, because father Yoon gave him some power. Observe that he sometimes dresses like a noble (chapter 57) due to the hat and the robe. What caught my attention is that he acts behind his lord’s back, when the latter is absent. (chapter 68) Besides, since this story is based on the principe that history keeps repeating itself, then Yoon Seungho is making the same mistake like his father. However, Yoon Seungho will realize it thanks to the painter and the head-maid. Father Yoon put all his trust in his valet, unable to recognize evil in his butler. Just a reminder:

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” from Edmund Burke

This is not just about silence and passivity, it is also about responsibility. Note that in chapter 67, Kim voices that he has been given the permission (chapter 67), so he is not assuming anything in case something happens. And in front of Heena noona and Baek Na-Kyum, he has the same attitude: (chapter 67) if Heena noona gets caught, then they can’t put the blame on him. He will feign ignorance. He has no idea how she entered the mansion. He is also applying the saying from the three monkeys:

He didn’t see or hear anything. He won’t tattle too. Nonetheless, he is acting only like that, when it concerns Yoon Seungho. It is a different story, when it comes to father Yoon. That’s why Kim still keeps thinking about his previous master. (chapter 57) By examining Kim again, I have to admit that I suddenly had this question: who gave the painting to Yoon Seung-Won? Did the valet act on the lord’s order? (chapter 37) Or did he decide to act on his own? Let’s not forget that during that evening, the valet had been reprimanded by Yoon Seung-Won for lying to him. It is possible that the valet chose to give the painting in order to put the blame on Yoon Seungho, as he feared that the young master could report his lie and behavior to father Yoon. The latter might not be present at the mansion, but there’s no doubt that he asked his trusted servant to keep an eye on his eldest son, whom he considered as a troublemaker. This would explain why the main lead keeps taking the medicine. And now, you can grasp why Kim is more loyal to father Yoon than his actual master. The latter gives him more freedom, yet he expects from him more responsibility. Under the ruling of father Yoon, the butler could avoid any trouble by tattling on the young master Yoon Seungho or by faking ignorance, when it was necessary. Since father Yoon put all his trust in the valet, he was not able to see evil or hear evil in the end. Kim framed innocents or he feigned ignorance. As a conclusion, Father Yoon was put in the same situation than father Lee due to Kim’s actions.

As a final conclusion, Byeonduck’s work exposes the huge importance of a father in a child’s development. Unfortunately many people still think that mothers are much more important than fathers. This explicates why in many countries, mothers receive more often custody of their child than fathers. Yet, the judges seldom question the mother’s abilities. The irony is that mothers are not per se good mothers, exactly like Stromae described it in his song, although he only talked about fathers: “Mister “know-it-all” would’ve inherited it, is that it? Does it come from sucking our thumbs, or what”. This applies to mothers as well. Being a parent means work, dedication and affection. There’s nothing intuitive.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: The power of … (second version)

January 10, 2021October 7, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Silence (fourth version) 🤐

January 2, 2021August 18, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 13 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The way to hell is paved with good intentions.

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

Painter Of The Night: Valet Kim: a dog 🐶 , a matchmaker or a father? (third version)

December 30, 2020July 4, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 8 Comments

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

As painful as the chapter 64 was, it revealed a lot about Kim’s personality and his relationship with Yoon Seungho. Therefore I decided to focus on the butler. On the other hand, this is not the first analysis I wrote about him. So far, I had described him as the helping hand and the best man. Then in other essays, I had compared him to a dog, to a matchmaker or even to a surrogate father. But who is he really, and more precisely, what is the true nature of his relationship with the lord?

In order to answer this question, it is important to gather all the info we have about him. Valet Kim is the servant who served the main lead since the latter was a young teenager. This means, he saw the sensitive and intelligent boy growing up into adulthood. (chapter 57) And if we look at the picture, the manhwaphiles can detect that Kim seemed to have the teenager’s trust. This is visible thanks to the domestic and Yoon Seungho’s gestures. They are talking to each other in a very natural way. We can conclude that they were close, especially if I include this panel in my examination. (chapter 57) The way the boy is looking up at Kim indicates that the main character is quite attached to him. And because of this scene, the manhwaworms could sense the domestic’s qualities: care, trust, affection and loyalty. But what many readers failed to realize is that servant Kim is actually following father Yoon in reality. This means that the elder master trusts this domestic. The latter is even the one who introduced the physician to the lord of the mansion. (chapter 57) That’s why I come to the conclusion that the butler Kim was in fact loyal to the elder master and not to Yoon Seungho. He might have had an affection for the teenager, yet in truth he serves the head of the family. And notice that valet Kim is still giving the expensive medicine to the protagonist, although this was ordered by father Yoon. (chapter 57) But more importantly, the manhwaphiles should question themselves about the nature of this medicine. It is a drug to mess up with the main lead’s health? And this clue reveals that Kim is not working for Yoon Seungho. One might argue that Kim is just following father Yoon’s orders, but the latter lives so far away, hence the eldest master has no control to threaten the butler. Hence Kim could have stopped feeding the medicine, especially after knowing how father Yoon treated the son. In other words, it looks like his loyalty to father Yoon is still intact. This is palpable in two occasions. (chapter 35) In this scene, the valet gives an order to his master and not an advice, since he employs the verb “must”. Why? Because he thinks, the letter was sent by the elder master. And Yoon Seung-Won knew that Kim was loyal to their father. Hence when he sent the letter, he used his father’s name and authority, but in order to maintain the illusion that father Yoon was the author, the brother also requested that valet Kim would bring back himself the reply. The deceitful brother used not only the butler’s fidelity to his advantage, but also gave the impression that father Yoon cared somehow for the black sheep. It was, as if the elder master was trying to rekindle with his older son. The readers can sense more his loyalty to the elder master, if they compare his reaction, when Yoon Seungho received the fake letter from lord Song.(chapter 56) Here, the domestic got scared, by just hearing the name. Nevertheless, he gave his master the advice to postpone the meeting due to his health. Yet, observe how he hides his discomfort and fear to his master by suggesting to postpone the meeting which exposes that he is hiding his true emotions. He justifies his advice by faking concern for his lord. Hence the lord can only have the impression, he is protecting his interest. Striking is that since we saw him scared, we have the impression that he is brave enough to propose not to the follow the invitation. My initial impression was to think that he got afraid of the name lord Song due to the lord’s traumatic past and he feared for his master’s mental health condition. However, the moment the valet realizes that the noble is on his way to meet this aristocrat, he gets so scared that he leaves the mansion immediately. So he doesn’t want them to meet. (chapter 56) Then in chapter 57, the butler expresses his worries concerning father Yoon. He doesn’t want the elder master to hear the news about Jihwa’s public confession, as the servant is well aware of father Yoon’s mentality. (chapter 57) He seems concerned for Yoon Seungho again. He knows that the head of the family hates homosexuality. He witnessed how the father separated Jihwa from Yoon Seungho with the excuse of an illness. He was present, when the teenager was imprisoned in the mansion. (chapter 57) One might question his loyalty to father Yoon, since the butler chose to remain by Yoon Seungho’s side after the topknot incident. However, I could respond that the valet saw it as his duty to keep an eye on the elder son on behalf of the head of the family. From my point of view, valet Kim decided to follow Yoon Seungho for other reasons than true loyalty to the protagonist. In the past, I used to think that he felt guilty for the main lead’s suffering. But I had to review my judgement. If he truly felt remorse, then he should have treated the eldest son differently in the mansion. Yet, he let him become a head-kisaeng. Moreover, the guilty conscience only resurfaces the moment he is confronted with a situation reminding him of his wrongdoing. (chapter 65) This shows that he has been successfully repressing it. In truth, he did it out of selfishness, while faking affection and loyalty to the Yoons. The readers shouldn’t forget that the head of the family decided to leave the main domain and live in the countryside. Therefore he abandoned the mansion to his eldest son. By remaining by Yoon Seungho’s side, butler Kim was ensured to have a quiet life. The man was a wreck, hence he couldn’t manage the mansion. (chapter 57) Furthermore, as an infamous hell-raiser, no powerful noble would be interested in him. When the purge occurred, the son had become the sacrifice and scapegoat, hence he was forced to remain at the property. And now, you can grasp where the butler’s loyalty lies. He is faithful to the mansion and property, and not to Yoon Seungho or father Yoon in reality. This explicates why he lies to Seung-Won and tries to stop him from entering the lord’s chamber. As Seung-Won is only the second son, he is not considered as the lord of mansion, while father Yoon is the senior and is supposed to be the head of the family. Because he is bound to the domain Yoon, he is definitely acting more like a dog than like a matchmaker or a father. He is able to find his owner very quickly, as if he was following his scent. (chapter 57) He barks like one, when he yells at Deok-Jae. (chapter 47) He is also sent to fetch the painter, when the latter is somehow “abducted” by the scholar. (chapter 24) But the most conclusive evidence for this association is his rapport to the door. He is always shown next to an opened door or even often stands on the door threshold. (chapter 64) (chapter 45) Since dog owners often put the sign “beware of the dog” on their door, you understand why I see it as an evidence that the valet is more as a dog than anything else. The butler is the guardian of the mansion, watching out for the owner’s safety. However, here we should comprehend it in a figurative sense. On the surface, the butler is looking out for the reputation of the Yoons, while in truth he is just focused on living a peaceful life far from trouble. (chapter 65) That’s why in chapter 45, he let the false rumors circulate in town, because his relationship to a commoner is not revealed. This would cause a real scandal. On the surface, it looks like Kim cared for his lord and as such for the Yoons. (chapter 64) The dog is not only a symbol for loyalty, but also it represents obedience and secrecy. He knows what is happening in the mansion, but he won’t let it transpire to the outside world. Therefore I deduce that valet Kim is quite similar to Jihwa. He knows the main lead’s whole past and tragedy, but he doesn’t truly feel sorry for the main character, for if he revealed the truth, because it would expose his culpability. (chapter 12) Simultaneously, he uses his knowledge to his own advantage, similar to Jihwa, although the latter was manipulated by Kim’s lies. And if you take into consideration the role played by the dog in different mythologies, you’ll note that they all have something in common: they are guardians of the realm of death, like for example Anubis (Egyptian) or Cerberus (Greek). And since I interpreted the mansion as Yoon Seungho’s prison and compared the master to a zombie, until he met the painter, the manhwalovers can now understand the butler’s real function. He is actually the guardian of the realm of death for the lord. To sum up, he is contributing to the lord’s misery and loneliness, as he keeps him bound to the domain and family. Moreover, the gentle valet is aware of his true role, as he has internalized the social norms. As a domestic, he is supposed to serve his master with respect and obedience, which he does on the surface. However, the reality is different, as he lies to him on multiple occasions. Hence he needs to act in the shadow. Why? The real goal of the butler is to live a peaceful life without any big responsibility. As a guardian of the kingdom of death, Kim is the one who allows people to remain by Yoon Seungho’s side or not, but since the painter is affecting the noble’s life, Kim can only perceive the painter as his enemy and source of danger. Yoon Seungho might decide one day that he would like to leave the property and join the capital.

And now, you are wondering why I believe that the butler feels guilty, but don’t forget that his bad conscience is not the real reason for staying by Yoon Seungho’s side. In my opinion, he is the one who abandoned the main lead, as he didn’t protect him from father Yoon and from the rape. Like I mentioned it above, the teenager trusted his butler and showed him his affection, therefore he must have considered him as his surrogate father. Yet the moment the former needed his help, the latter chose to do nothing and remained loyal to father Yoon. The young man must have felt abandoned and betrayed. How do I come to this conclusion? First, his attitude in chapter 64 shows him in a negative light. Out of fear and shock, he runs away and leaves the painter to a terrible fate. (chapter 64) This is not the first time that the butler had a similar reaction. In chapter 26, he tries to calm down the painter asking him to stop crying, and when the latter criticizes him, the domestic decides to leave the bathroom with the excuse that he needs to fetch him new clothes. (chapter 26) (chapter 26) He is leaving the artist behind, as he doesn’t want to be confronted with his wrongdoing: his passivity and cowardice. Then when he meets the protagonist in the main way, he sees his cold and distant gaze. So he knows that his master is in a bad mental condition, yet out of fear, he still leaves the artist behind, well aware that something bad could happen. That’s why he chose to intervene in the shadow (like for example, sending a servant to the scholar) so that I am now convinced that he even witnessed what happened to Yoon Seungho, but chose to close the door. There’s a reason for this assumption. First, he is connected to an opened door. Secondly, there’s this incident with the door in chapter 16. (chapter 16) The butler chose to open it in secret, because he desired to remain anonymous, so that his loyalty wouldn’t be questioned. As soon as it was opened, he ran away without looking back, fearing to see what was happening. That’s the butler’s trauma in the end. Back then, he chose to remain passive and close the door leaving his young master behind. But Yoon Seungho caught his terrified expression, which he can never forget, that’s why he pointed it out to the painter. (chapter 64) (chapter 64) He resented valet Kim for his betrayal and abandonment. That’s why I believe, in that scene, Yoon Seungho is using the same words than his rapist from back then. (chapter 64) In this scene he is reliving his own traumatic past, the first rape. And after it had occurred the first time, the valet must have told him this: (chapter 23) This idiom exposes his attitude, he will act, as if he knew nothing. And since I revealed that father Yoon trusted Kim and the latter was loyal to him, I am now quite persuaded that father Yoon is responsible for the sexual abuse of his son first. Striking is that my theory was confirmed in chapter 65 and 74. However, the valet acted, as if nothing happened, while the teenager was blamed for letting the servant see the rape. (chapter 65) It is even worse than I had anticipated, because he was even asked for assistance, but the valet turned a blind eye. The advice (“ignorance is a blessing”) expressed by the butler exposes his complicity. The valet became the willing helper of a rapist. In his eyes, he couldn’t stop it, as he was just a domestic. (chapter 65) Since Kim never revealed the secret of the “so-called conversion therapy” leading to the sexual abuse, father Yoon trusted his loyal servant. That’s the reason why he accepted to leave Kim behind. He knew that he would do anything to maintain the reputation of the Yoons. Furthermore, this trauma explains why the master keeps having sex outside the storage room. He is well aware that the servant will never remain there, hence he asks him in a cynical way if he wants to become a peeper. (chapter 64) Now, I can understand why Yoon Seungho has such abandonment issues. For him, valet Kim was his father, as the latter was nice and caring for him. Yet during the rape, he did nothing, as he was just a servant. And now, you understand why he feels that he has been backstabbed by his two fathers, why the main lead is using his position to keep a boundary between himself and Kim and why he is using his right as lord to keep the painter by his side. He has internalized that being a lord can protect him from pain and vulnerability. In his delirious fit, he believes that he can get what he wants. Back then, he was just a young master and not the lord of the mansion, and Kim was just a domestic. After coming to this perception, I see the chapter 64 in a different way. The chapter 64 exposes the valet’s cowardice, culpability and selfishness, hence I judge the lord’s behavior in a different light. The monster is the result of the betrayal and abandonment from two fathers, and both decided to avoid reality and see the consequences of their choices. Notice that father Yoon ran away just like the valet. But the chapter 64 could mark a turning point in Kim’s life in my opinion, as he sees the consequences of his silence. That’s why the valet decides to accept the new situation: (chapter 65) Baek Na-Kyum is now the lord’s companion, while in the past he used to plot against him. In that moment, the valet recognized that ignorance is not a blessing, because this doesn’t erase the event. Observe that Kim has a similar approach than Jihwa again. Since the painter returned to Yoon Seungho’s side, the noble has now the feeling that nothing happened. For the first time, Kim sees the true face of his master (chapter 64), and the former contributed to this due to his passivity. Now, he is facing reality, seeing the consequences of his inaction. However, the butler’s resignation doesn’t is short-lived. It even looks like the butler didn’t learn his lesson, he chose to turn an blind eye to that terrible night finding fake excuses, (chapter 65) even blaming the physician for remaining silent. And since Byeonduck has this approach that only pain can lead to changes, we have to imagine that Kim will have to suffer this time.

The chapter 16 exposes that Kim was well aware of his master’s action and decided to intervene. One might question the valet’s motives. If he intervened, why did he help the painter in the end? This would contradict my earlier interpretation: the butler is a dog and as such, he is obedient to his master. However, let’s not forget that he is a guardian of the Yoons and their reputation. By separating the commoner from his master, he ensures that Yoon Seungho’s reputation doesn’t deteriorate much more. Kim hates uproars, as they represent a source of danger for his life. As you can detect, the butler is determined to protect the Yoons’ notoriety, but out of selfish reasons. The manhwaphiles should remember that in chapter 17, he asks the maids not to approach the study like that. He is determined to keep everything under cover. He disapproves the master’s actions, as they are going against social norms. As a noble, he shouldn’t have a sexual intercourse with a low-born. That’s why he let the boy desert the mansion after the rape. He didn’t do it for the artist, but for his master’s respectability, because if this was known, then the valet’s good life would be in danger. Kim has deeply internalized social norms, any deviation represent a threat to his peaceful live. Moreover, he would attract attention again. But when he witnessed the master’s despair and fury after the escape, where all the servants had to suffer the result of his decision, he chose a different strategy. Back then, I described him as his matchmaker. He tried to present his master in a better light so that the artist would have a change of heart and accept Yoon Seungho’s advances. However, now I have to admit that I have a different judgement. He was not a real matchmaker, he was trying to turn the painter into a favored servant so that the appearances would be maintained. He decided to use a similar strategy, the aphrodisiac as a first step. And with all these new discoveries, I come to the deduction that the butler was a real accomplice of father Yoon’s schemes. If they became close sexually, the painter would become a servant and take over his role as close assistant. That way, his presence in the lord’s bedchamber could be explained. That’s why he lets the painter attend the noble during his illness and even allows his presence, when the doctor is here. In other words, he would like to hide the scandalous relationship with the low-born under the pretense that he is just a favored servant.

Now, you can comprehend why the butler let Deok-Jae sell the expensive dresser . (chapter 45) First, it symbolized that the painter was more than just a favored favor. But more importantly, he never cared about the item, since (chapter 65) He knew that the noble wouldn’t pay attention to it, since it was broken. His passivity and silence explain why the servants could talk behind their master’s back and spread gossips, sell his things and even not follow his orders. (chapter 32) Kim has no real control over the staff, although he is the right-hand of the master. His indifference and his fear for responsibility explains his lack of authority. That’s why in chapter 63, he doesn’t even attempt to correct the maids talking badly about Baek Na-Kyum, although he already knows that there’s more to it. His silence should be considered as a sign of admission, reinforcing the servants to think badly of the painter. The painter is a liar and betrayer. I have to admit that Kim’s passivity really annoyed me in that scene. (chapter 63) He is indeed a hypocrite, a selfish person, (chapter 64) although he doesn’t look like one. No wonder why the lord felt so betrayed and abandoned, and hates hypocrisy the most. He stands in opposition to Jihwa in the end. While the one did nothing, the other acted too much out of selfishness.

Furthermore, with this perception, the manhwaphiles comprehend why the domestic never tried to convince the painter directly that he was not a prostitute. Since the latter was no longer refusing his lord, then in his eyes he had achieved his goal. There’s no huge difference between a favored servant and a prostitute. Both are not allowed to refuse the sexual advances from the partner. They have no rights, their pleasure doesn’t matter. That’s why he saw no need to reveal the conversation between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum. He only disclosed it, the moment he saw his master was able to get closer to the painter and the latter had overcome his heartbreak. Besides, this explains why he criticized the painter in chapter 52. He was not fulfilling his role as favored servant. (chapter 52) He was not the “wife”, the mistress of the house, just a servant. As you can observe, the butler is someone who abides to rules very strongly, he can’t accept a relationship between a low-born and a noble. That’s why I come to the conclusion that Valet Kim never understood the real needs of his master in the end. He never grasped that the noble was missing love and couldn’t cope with his betrayal in the end, because for him love is not important, only a peaceful life. And with this new approach, it becomes understandable why Yoon Seungho was never repulsed by the low-born. Since his childhood, he felt closeness to a commoner, and considered Kim as his father.

But after the abandonment, Yoon Seungho had learnt a terrible lesson. Kim was just a domestic. This explains why there’s no intimacy and closeness in the present situation. Their actual conversations are very limited, the master gives orders or asks questions, but he never expresses his feelings or thoughts in front of the butler. He even hides his sadness and pain in front of him. (chapter 56) He trusts him to a certain extent, because the valet took care of him, while he was delirious. The domestic even stopped him from committing suicide. (chapter 57) Yet their relationship was never the same like in the past. For the lord, Kim decided to remain by his side out of loyalty and duty, nothing more. That’s why he is so adamant to remind the domestic of his actual position. (chapter 50) This explicates why Yoon Seungho can’t trust Kim’s words in the end. (chapter 62) In his eyes, he betrayed and abandoned him once, therefore it is definitely possible that he is lying. The longer the lord lives with the artist, the more he senses that Kim shouldn’t be trusted. This explicates why the lord’s relationship with the valet is deteriorating. In season 1, he never doubted Kim’s words, but now it has changed. The painter’s genuineness makes Yoon Seungho detect the butler’s fakeness and hypocrisy. And since the lord threatened him with the sword, I am envisaging that he will do it, the moment he feels that his loyal butler betrayed him.

That’s why I come to the conclusion that valet Kim didn’t consider Baek Na-Kyum as his new adoptive son and when he “defended” him, it was always because of social norms, because of the master’s rights and position . Notice that after Deok-Jae had played the “prank”, Kim criticized him and mentioned Yoon Seungho. His gesture could have affected the master. (chapter 47) This explicates why the vicious servant never got punished in the end. Baek Na-Kyum was not considered as Yoon Seungho’s official partner, he was just a favored servant. This explains why he has no protection either and he could get kidnapped so easily. There was a motive behind his nice gestures. He desired Baek Na-Kyum to feel comfortable, so that he wouldn’t become greedy and not ask for more rights. He noticed his talent, when he saw his painting in chapter 44, hence he realized that painting meant a lot to him. Therefore he bought materials for him. (chapter 45) The purpose of this action is simple. On the one hand, he gave the impression that he was protecting Yoon Seungho’s interest, on the other hand he was pushing the jealous servant to plot something so that Baek Na-Kyum would disappear. Kim was well aware of Jihwa’s visit in chapter 43. He knew that the second lead would do something out of jealousy. Kim needed the painter’s submissive attitude, as this could only affect his lord positively, turning the mansion into a golden cage. And while I envisaged that the shock Kim experienced during that night would make change his mind, (chapter 64) chapter 65 even destroyed this expectation. He remains the same, because his philosophy is: (chapter 65) Sure, he feels guilty again, as he tries to justify his silence and passivity with fake excuses. (chapter 65) Yet, his guilt is towards Baek Na-Kyum, that’s why he is reminded of the past and his own cowardice. However, since he has always run away from responsibility, his remorse was never strong to make him reflect on his own behavior. Back then, he didn’t help his young master and remained silent and now the story is repeating itself. By connecting both events, it becomes obvious that Kim hasn’t changed at all. There’s a reason for that. He never suffered himself, like both main leads did. And like I wrote, for the author, pain is the driving force that pushes people to change.

As you could observe, valet Kim has internalized the values of his time and his social status. He liked Yoon Seungho, but not to the extent of considering him as his adoptive son. For him, he was just a commoner and a servant of the Yoons. Therefore he saw it as an act of disobedience, if he had protected Yoon Seungho back then and defied the master of the mansion. One might argue that he couldn’t have stopped it due to his vulnerable status. Yet people shouldn’t forget that Kim chose to remain, not only passive but also silent. Moreover, father Yoon trusted him so this means that the valet was his eyes and ears. He could have act behind his back. The result was that he became an accomplice of the perpetrator. By covering up the scandal, he contributed to Yoon Seungho’s misery. He chose reputation over a young boy, who truly loved him. That’s why the noble feels so insecure, even a commoner was not willing to show his love for him. The latter preferred covering up the crime, as reputation and norms seemed to be more important than a person’s life. He wanted to stay out trouble. And now, it is too late, as there’s a scandal which Kim couldn’t prevent. As you can see, no one in this manhwa is free from mistakes and huge flaws. Many admire the valet Kim for his loyalty and his secrecy (acting behind the lord’s back), yet under this new perspective these actions leave a bitter taste, because they all contributed to the misery of the two protagonists. In fact, I realize that this was done on purpose. Kim deliberately chose to ruin their relationship. But even if you can’t perceive Kim’s evilness, let’s not forget this saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, which would also fit the butler’s character. He means it well, yet his choices are terrible, as he prioritized the wrong values. Furthermore, willing helpers play a huge role in a dictatorship. Their excuses can be fear and cowardice, but also their adherence to the wrong values. Moreover, this truly exposes that internalizing social norms blindly can not be right, because people need to question them in order to bring positive.

That’s how I judge this character now. For me, Kim is not a father, but a black dog, the guardian of the realm of death. Hence the lord couldn’t come back to life. With this new interpretation, his death seems more imminent. By dying, the butler contribute to the lord’s emancipation. The latter can finally leave the mansion, his prison. It was the place where he lived a hell.

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

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

December 23, 2020June 15, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 20 Comments

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

1. The signification of sex marathon

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

2. Comparison between the two sex marathons

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

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

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

3. The repercussions of this night of revelations

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

Then in the first version, I wrote this:

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

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

4. Betrayals, pain and sex

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Protected: Painter Of The Night: Baek Na-Kyum: a fiancée, a wife, a favored servant or a prostitute? – part 2 (third version)

July 26, 2020June 15, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Baek Na-Kyum: a fiancée, a wife, a favored servant or a prostitute? – part 1 (second version)

July 25, 2020September 3, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

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