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/
Announcement: I updated the essay “Painting and desires – part 3”
Like I already pointed out in the essay “Animals of misfortune”, chapter 74 is a new version of chapter 40, for there are similarities in the topics (responsibility and jealousy) and the situation. The main leads are on a date again. However, I didn’t examine a particular scene in details: the walk on the street. Hence this will be in the center of this analysis and by contrasting the two scenes, the manhwaphiles will discover the protagonists’ state of mind reflecting the evolution of their relationship.
After leaving the physician’s, the lord is strolling in front of the painter
(chapter 74), exactly like in the past.
(Chapter 40) On the surface, it looks like a repetition. Yet, the first contrast are the steps. While in chapter 40, lord walks away and the painter remains immobile first, in chapter 74 the young man is following the lord step by step. This illustrates the progression of their relationship. Yoon Seungho is like his guide and the commoner just follows him, full of trust.
Moreover, in the two scenes, we have a prank
(chapter 40)
(chapter 74). However, the trigger for the joke is diverse. In chapter 40, he got jealous, while in chapter 74 he was curios. And this comparison between the two pranks led me to realize that the red dot on the forehead had another signification. In my first interpretation about the chapter 40, I exposed that the red dot on the forehead was the symbol of marriage, the bride would wear such a sign. However, if you recall that Yoon Seungho described the painter as a fool
, the red dot is also a reference to the Third eye, the chakra. In other words, when the lord put the red point, he hoped that the painter would experience an awakening. By meditating, he would introspect himself and get new insight. That way, he would no longer be foolish. And exactly like the main lead wished, it truly happened. Through the lord’s critical thinking triggered by rhetorical questions
, Baek Na-Kyum realized that he was indeed hoping for more, although he claimed the opposite during the conversation.
(Chapter 40) That’s why after pondering, the artist visited his teacher and expressed his wish for the first time that he would like Jung In-Hun to become responsible for him, like the former had promised. As you can see, the red dot and the questions did cause an Awakening. But it was a brutal waking up, as the painter discovered how the learned sir truly viewed him: a prostitute and nothing more.
But why did the lord play this prank
, not recognizing that his gesture was totally ambiguous? According to him, he was just hoping that the painter would meditate, while in his unconscious, he was already claiming the artist as his “wife”. The reason for this prank was that he got jealous and annoyed, when he saw the artist smiling by simply thinking that the scholar would pass the exam soon.
Imagine, the commoner was walking right behind him, yet Baek Na-Kyum was not mentally and emotionally present. His thoughts were directed at the scholar. This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho resented his lover. In the aristocrat’s mind, this signified that the painter was not even enjoying his time with him. He preferred thinking about the learned sir than talking or looking at his lover. In other words, he was standing behind the lord absentminded. And the lord sensed it, hence he looked behind
. How did he notice it? It is because the artist didn’t keep asking about the date.
There was a silence after the question. And when he saw the blushing accompanied with a huge genuine smile, Yoon Seungho was hurt that he couldn’t help criticizing his lover.
Note that with such a comment, the noble is not interested in initiating a conversation, he already knows what the low-born is thinking. And if you contrast this to the scene in episode 74, you’ll detect a huge difference. Although the artist is absentminded as well, he is already meditating about his lover
and his relationship. The lord’s back
(chapter 74) is the trigger for him to ponder. And this shows the noble’s increasing influence on Baek Na-Kyum. Meditating is definitely the lord’s favorite occupation so far. In addition, this shows how much the aristocrat means to him. All his thoughts are now directed at Yoon Seungho. Therefore we have to imagine this. While Baek Na-Kyum is walking, the lord notices that he is just walking lost in his thoughts. Hence he throws him the hat as a joke. On the one side, he definitely wants him to be present mentally and emotionally, like in the past. On the other hand, note that unlike in the past, there’s no reproach, in truth he desires to discover what the artist is thinking.
This is one of the biggest wishes Yoon Seungho has ever had:
(chapter 49) The lord always felt the need to share what was in their mind. Now, I can truly grasp why it’s a dream for Yoon Seungho. Remember when I described how the lord lived for so many years in the darkness. He only knew that he existed through his mind and thoughts. But during this whole time, he could never communicate his thoughts to anyone, he felt terribly lonely. This explicates why he had such a huge desire to communicate with the painter. He felt closeness in their soul, which he could detect in the art. As you can see, although the noble detected that his lover was lost in his thoughts, he no longer reprimands him. In fact, he voices curiosity. Moreover, he is no longer claiming that Baek Na-Kyum is transparent contrary to chapter 40. There’s a reason for that. The artist has changed so much as well. He is indeed applying his lover’s philosophy: introspection and meditation. And this leads me to the next observation. There is a huge difference between these two scenes: the chronology.
| Chapter 40 | Chapter 74 |
| criticism | no reproach |
| Prank | Introspection |
| Questions: why? | Prank |
| Introspection | Open question |
This meditation at the beginning displays the artist’s maturity. However, if you pay attention to Baek Na-Kyum’s thoughts, you’ll notice that he is not meditating about himself, but about his lover.
(Chapter 74) He recalls all his actions, and he notes the lord’s selflessness and humbleness.
And this truly exposes that now the roles have been switched. The so-called foolish one is Yoon Seungho, but the latter has long forgotten his own words. On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum is the one wishing more, he is definitely not content with a kiss from time to time, while Yoon Seungho is thinking like the artist in the past:
(chapter 74) versus
(chapter 40). What caught my attention is the significance of hope. Yoon Seungho is definitely no longer hoping for a love confession, which makes me think that in chapter 58, he wasn’t entirely honest
. He still had that dream, this explicates why he mentioned Jihwa. He envisioned that the artist would get jealous. But the artist remained silent. Then he confessed twice (“I adore you” and
) in order to push the protagonist to reply to his confession. He definitely dreamed that if he confessed, the painter would feel pressured to return the affection. That’s why the painter was trapped under the noble and the latter was grabbing the painter’s hand.
(Chapter 58) His gestures illustrated the pressure made on the artist. But the master never got a reply. Thus it elucidates why the noble got infuriated after the painter’s disappearance. He might have admitted his defeat, nevertheless he hoped for a confession, as a new form of allegiance. That way, Baek Na-Kyum was obliged by his words. However, in chapter 74, the only desire the noble has is to exchange their thoughts. He has truly given up on his dream. When in chapter 49 the master voiced this wish for the first time, he was lowering his expectations. That’s why I believe that this indicates that Yoon Seungho is no longer hoping for more. He is so in love, and the past Yoon Seungho would call him: a fool!
However, there’s a huge difference between episode 40 and 74. Contrary to the actual Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was acting under the influence of his unconscious and he wasn’t aware of this. That’s why he never realized the signification of the gesture with the red dot. He had no idea that he was already in love and he was longing for the painter’s confession. On the other hand, the painter is already aware that he has developed some feelings for Yoon Seungho. He even admitted to his noona that he would think a lot about the noble
(chapter 68), which is a similar attitude to the past Yoon Seungho. The latter was confusing the heart with the mind, however the low-born has been just afraid of admitting his affection.
Striking is that in his reflection, Baek Na-Kyum senses that he’s hoping for more.
(Chapter 74) The repetition of “nothing more” is an evidence for the painter’s longing for more. There’s no doubt that his wish is physical intimacy, because for the artist sex is a synonym for love. Consequently, he stands up during the night in order to look at the lord’s bedchamber from far away or he is awake
, (chapter 74) when the noble visits his study. All this exposes that he is longing for the lord’s warmth. A simple kiss is enough to make the painter blush, but not enough to satisfy his “thirst” for affection.
When the lord plays the prank with the hat, Baek Na-Kyum’s attention returns to his lord standing in front of him. When he sees the noble smiling and showing curiosity
, he is definitely moved. From my point of view, he is slowly realizing his true affection for Yoon Seungho.
That’s why his eyes are bigger than before, like in this panel.
(Chapter 74) He is literally glowing. He is enjoying this moment with the noble, hence he stares at him so intensively. And this represents the biggest contrast to the chapter 40. Back then he didn’t truly enjoy the walk with the master. He was either embarrassed or thinking about the scholar. At the end, he was even called “a fool”.
From my perspective, this scene
(chapter 74) marks a turning point in the painter’s love life. He is on the verge of accepting his feelings, for the noble. That’s why we have the color of the rainbows, a sign for hope. He has made up his mind for three reasons. First, he has just admitted that the lord has changed. This signifies that he recognizes that Yoon Seungho is trustworthy. Secondly, he views the noble’s huge and genuine smile. I believe that this was one of the triggers for Baek Na-Kyum to face his love. Let’s not forget that in the past, the commoner was definitely affected by the scholar’s smile
. (Chapter 7) Secondly, as the lord is the mirror of the artist and the former once expressed the wish to see the painter’s smile
(chapter 63), I deduce that Baek Na-Kyum has a similar mentality. As long as he can make someone happy, he is really touched and thankful. The manhwaphiles should reminisce that the painter has always felt as a burden and had abandonment issues. But there’s another important reason for Baek Na-Kyum to be so affected by Yoon Seungho. For the first time, someone is wishing to know his thoughts.
(Chapter 74) Imagine, in the past the scholar reprimanded him
(chapter 10) or silenced him with a caress
. Heena noona had a similar atttitude, she never asked for his opinion, when she sent him away.
(Chapter 46) The painter is realizing that the only one who is treating with great respect is the noble. First, the lord eats his meals with the artist in his room, giving the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is the host and the lord his guest. Secondly, the lord allows him to speak freely. Thus the painter is so moved to the point that he is about to recognize his affection for Yoon Seungho. But then he remembers Heena’s words:
(chapter 74) he would be a fool, if he followed his instinct and heart. This leads me to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum restrains himself in the last moment and doesn’t reveal his true thoughts. When he recalls his sister’s warning, I interpret that he is refusing to have a leap of faith. However, he is not recognizing that he has already changed. He might deny his attachment to the master, yet the tailor is not blind:
(chapter 74) Baek Na-Kyum’s behavior is acting like a man in love. This change of behavior is the sign of his slow transformation, but he doesn’t realize it. This explicates why he doesn’t pay attention to his surroundings and shows no embarrassment. He no longer cares for reputation or appearances. What truly matters for him is Yoon Seungho, the foolish one who is not asking for more. Besides, since the chapter 40 was about responsibility, it implies that Baek Na-Kyum is not willing to become responsible for Yoon Seungho, still too afraid of getting hurt. He has been a fool in love in the past with Jung In-Hun, he fears to re-experience it.
Another divergence is that this time, the lord is declaring the commoner as his wife consciously, that’s why he chose such a headgear, which is reserved for women. Contrary to the past, this significant gesture is noticed by the tailor, that’s why we see him whispering.
(Chapter 74) There’s no ambiguity that he will mention it to the other shop owners, creating some new gossips. However, I don’t think, town folks will condemn the lord, because he has definitely changed. After the disappearance, there was no scandal any longer and the aristocrat didn’t organize any sex party. He had settled down for good. Consequently if the artist disappears for a second time, I doubt that the tailor will believe in his escape. He saw how they flirted in front of his shop.
However, as you can imagine, I believe that “their blossoming romance” can be interrupted. We have Min monitoring their moves and after watching them from afar,
his envy and jealousy will reach a new peak. In this scene, he was sensing that his chances to get Baek Na-Kyum were diminishing. He could definitely sense that the relationship between the protagonists had changed. Baek Na-Kyum was not keeping his distance from Yoon Seungho. He even accepted the hat without protesting, while in the past he rejected the lord and remained distant to him.
(Chapter 54) And in the first version, it came to my mind that we could have a new version of this scene
due to the Joker’s arm and hand.
In chapter 52, the lord was protecting the painter with his arm and hand, which became true in chapter 76.
The lord’s hug gave Baek Na-Kyum a certain comfort and safety. The existential fear could slowly disappear.
Due to the last terrible experience, the noble is slowly realizing that he needs to pay better attention to his surroundings and enemies. As a fool in love, he must recognize that he is behaving the same way than Baek Na-Kyum in chapter 40:
(chapter 40) After the fake abduction, he had not investigated the matter, though the painter had mentioned one detail:
(Chapter 76) For him, the incident had been resolved, but he never imagined that in reality, he had not solved the problem at all. The real mastermind was Min. Hence after the last tragedy, he is tasked to investigate the circumstances which led to the bloodbath in the shaman‘s house.
(Chapter 102) He knows the perpetrator, he is himself the murderer, but what he doesn’t know is how it came to this. The painter’s question is actually inciting the main lead to investigate the matter, and as such to discover the helping hands. Lee Jihwa blamed Min, and the latter reproached the red-haired master. But the Joker asked him this:
(chapter 102) How come that Black Heart had the learned sir’s glasses? He has now to prove his reliability and trustworthiness towards his partner. He should become more proactive, if he wants to protect his loved one better. My final conclusion is that in chapter 74, we don’t have one fool in love, but two!
The painter has unfortunately forgotten Min’s confession in chapter 52.
If he hadn’t thought too much about Yoon Seungho due to the separation and been surprised by Min, he would have realized that his life was in danger. Both protagonists are so in love that they don’t realize that their special relationship represents a threat to others, especially to people who stand for social norms and traditions. Simultaneously, their scandalous relationship is a source of envy for others, as Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho were able to break free from the shackles of social customs and hierarchical society. The couple becomes a symbol of liberty and true love … no wonder why The Joker is so envious. Because both were two fools in love, they couldn’t detect the enemies around them and the existence of the plot. On the other hand, the last tragedy brought back the two lovers to reality. They needed to pay more attention to their surroundings.
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(chapter 55), therefore he imagined that the painter would run away, too shocked by the obscurity of his inner world. And this signifies that until chapter 55, the lord’s soul and body were trapped in the darkness. Now, you might come to the conclusion that he was in a similar situation than Jihwa. Because the latter was figuratively deaf and blind, he had the impression to live trapped in a dark room, separated from the outside world.
However, this is just a false perception. Jihwa was still in possession of his body, he could feel through his hands. Consequently, he could detect the presence of others. There’s no doubt that he felt lonely and was also lacking for warmth, however the protagonist was in the worst possible situation. He had been literally swallowed by the darkness.
(chapter 74) He could feel nothing at all. Even his own mind was trapped in the darkness reinforced by his huge guilt triggered by father Yoon. Remember when I wrote that his body was covered by an armor, this referred to his loss of sensation. Imagine yourself in this situation: everything around you is dark and cold and you can feel nothing at all. No wonder why the lord came to believe that he was just a ghost. This is definitely the negative version of Blaise Pascal’s philosophy: cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am). Yoon Seungho could only recognize his existence through his thoughts. And the chapter 74 was terrible for two reasons: it unveils to the manwhaphiles how the lord became a ghost. We see him disappearing in this blackness step by step:
(chapter 74) He can no longer yell for help and use his leg in order to defend himself, which contrasts to the beginning of his nightmare.
(chapter 74)
(chapter 74), this displays that the noble is losing the control of his body which can be explained with the usage of drugs. But he is still feeling the touch.
(chapter 74), but at the same time, it indicates the loss of sensation. This panel symbolizes that he is no longer possessing his body at all. All he has left are his eyes.
(chapter 1)
They were the reason why he could see glimpses of light in the darkness of his world. And since he became trapped in the blackness due to hands of scholars and officials, it is not surprising why Baek Na-Kyum’s hands are healing him. Therefore, when the painter touched his chest with his hand
(chapter 73), he purified his heart. This explicates why in chapter 74, the noble is no longer interested in sex. The hand liberated his heart and allowed him to express his affection differently. At the same time, the loving gaze in the painter is the reason why the lord feels warmth in the end. All he ever wanted was to see light, but he truly discovered it through the painter’s embrace.
(chapter 21) That’s why even in the darkness of the room, he could only be moved. Therefore he was focused on the painter’s body in the first place. The warmth made him realize the existence of light next to his body.
(chapter 2) that he was handsome and attractive. That’s why he could experience his sexual emancipation afterwards. A part of his self-hatred disappeared. However, in order to liberate the lord entirely from his darkness, he needed to drop his fathers’ doctrines, which represented the biggest problem. His healing process got delayed due to Kim’s interventions and the painter’s own indoctrination. Striking is that Baek Na-Kyum was entirely healed by the lord, even before the latter has properly recovered from his own traumas. This clearly outlines his selflessness in the end.
(chapter 38) I doubt that in chapter 38 and 59, he saw images. Due to the darkness of his inner world, he came to repress the horror he was exposed to. Thus it is not surprising that Yoon Seungho is not sleeping next to the painter, even after that night.
(chapter 74) He still has this fear that Baek Na-Kyum might get affected by the blackness of his unconscious. At the same time, when he is facing the sleeping artist, it gives him comfort. Remember that the low-born is the glass prism of Yoon Seungho, hence his peaceful sleep helps the lord to relax. Note that he is lying in a fetal position, an indication of the return of his innocence. There’s no doubt that the visits in the painter’s study during the night
(chapter 74) help the lord to relax and move on from his insomnia. Since he is now seeing light and feeling warmth thanks to the painter’s presence, he no longer feels the need for physical intimacy. Hence the lord can’t restrain himself showering Baek Na-Kyum with affection and care. However Yoon Seungho is not realizing that thanks to the artist, he is finally able to show his true self: a phoenix who got burnt by selfish and greedy people. This explicates why Yoon Seungho still perceives himself as a bad omen, because he can still see the blackness in himself. On the other side, this truly exposes the ravages caused by the traumatic experiences. From a sensitive, gentle, selfless and intelligent man, he became the opposite, reflecting the real image of the ones who destroyed him.
(chapter 28) And in this panel
(chapter 74) Slowly, the lord is getting rid of the blackness. He is turning his light to the Earth, the painter, mistaking his lover for a sun. Their blossoming love will definitely bring the artist to improve his talent and creativity. But it will have the same effect on the noble. The longer Yoon Seungho is spending his time with Baek Na-Kyum, the better the lord can perceive the colors and light. Through art, the noble will rediscover his lost passion: painting and even poetry. And in my opinion, in order to reconnect to painting, the lord needs to sense the colors for real. The painting in his nightmare was made of black ink and nothing more.
(chapter 74)
(chapter 69) Moreover, the new headgear, reserved for women, is a sign that Baek Na-Kyum is accepting his marriage officially.
(chapter 71) He was as strong as a god, when he entered his obscure world. No wonder why the noble is so humble and thankful towards his lover. He brought him back to life, hence his life can only revolve around the painter from now on. The sun will never sense his own light and warmth, unless it witnesses how the nature on Earth is blossoming. It needs the existence of another planet to realize the existence of its own heat. 

(chapter 73) Here, the relevant word is “enter”, an equivalent for invade.
(chapter 73) Mess is a synonym for chaos and wreck.
(chapter 73) In the third panel, Yoon Seungho is implying that the painter just has to call him Seungho-Ya, and he will stop immediately. Strictly speaking, he is referring to the saying: your wish is my command.
(chapter 73) Strangely, the word “bow” has two significations: a ribbon or a weapon.
(chapter 73) In the fifth image, Yoon Seungho actually means seduction, yet he utilized the idiom “provocation”. Finally, we have Yoon Seungho’s favorite expression “fret”. During this night, he keeps mentioning it in connection to the painter:
(chapter 72)
(chapter 73) I have to confess that in this situation, I can’t help myself associating this idiom to an anxious animal trying to escape. Now, I would like to sum up all the expressions the main lead employed: enter, mess, word as a synonym for command, bow, provoke and fret. As you can observe, they are all connected to war and conquest. However, since the lord dropped his armor for good, I believe that the aristocrat is thinking about something else: hunting, which coincides with his second hobby.
(chapter 41) Baek Na-Kyum is his prey, and the lord is trying to catch his heart through sex. However, Yoon Seungho’s attitude is not consciously done, he is not aware that he is speaking like a hunter. More astonishing is that the painter’s vocabulary mirrors his lover’s:
(chapter 73) The word spot is a synonym for target and prey.
(chapter 73) the target is wounded (“it hurts”) and tied up. Even Yoon Seungho’s words are referring to a wound, as if the animal was bleeding to death
(chapter 73) , as it keeps leaking
(chapter 73) But the lord is known as an impatient man, which seems to be confirmed here. However, in reality it took him many months to be gazed and even accepted. Now that Yoon Seungho is seeing how affected the artist is with his words, caresses and kisses, he is so happy that he calls his lover
(chapter 73) revealing that they have no longer a lord-servant relationship. This exposes how much the main lead wishes to be intimate with the artist. Therefore, he can’t simply wait contradicting himself.
(chapter 73) His actions prove that he is definitely in a hurry.
where I had already pointed out that the noble was deluding himself by calling the artist an easy conquest. Back then, this comment made me so laugh, because chapter 42 clearly outlined that it wasn’t even easy due to the lord’s grimace during the intercourse.
(chapter 42) And observe that this chapter confirms my interpretation. First, the noble has a similar facial expression
exposing that he has to work hard in order to please his lover. He is still clinching his jaw, however the manhwaphiles can detect two huge differences: the mouth is more open and he is now blushing. This shows how much this hunt is touching his heart. And the comparison makes me realize that Yoon Seungho’s final sexual emancipation could be symbolized, when he moans his lover’s name while having an orgasm. That’s why we have the lord calling the painter so affectionately (Na-Kyum-Ah) before the second round.
(chapter 73) showing that he was serious with his saying: Your wish is my command. In addition, he wanted to demonstrate that he hadn’t forgotten his promise: not to scare him.
and a breather.
(chapter 73) The noble and Baek Na-Kyum’s desires stand in opposition to the artist’s weakened physical condition. The latter can’t physically keep up, hence he faints at the end.
(chapter 73) The prey has definitely been wounded by this special hunt. However, Yoon Seungho did achieve something really important. The blushing painter cried out of excitement during his final climax.
(chapter 73) Yet, I doubt that this will be noticed by the aristocrat. He is definitely too shocked by the incident. His lover fainted. In my eyes, there is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho will panic again. He has three reasons for that:
(chapter 32) He felt so remorseful and was so worried that he ran away, too scared to face the painter and assume his responsibilities. However, he made sure that a physician was fetched. This terrible experience explicates why the lord panicked in chapter 50. He envisioned for one moment that he had overdone it again. 
The noble had such huge pangs of conscience that he couldn’t forget the painter’s poor condition. Hence he desired to verify if he had recovered in the bathroom.
(chapter 72) He was worried, but the painter reassured him. In truth, the heavy breathing was caused by a climax, which the artist tried to hide from his lover. Therefore, there’s no doubt that after this chapter, the noble will question his behavior again. As a hunter, he overestimated the strength of his “prey”. Moreover he will realize that Baek Na-Kyum’s words contributed to this incident. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho was following the artist’s request.
(chapter 73) This time, the painter’s exhaustion occurred due to both protagonists. That’s why Yoon Seungho will realize that he has to become more responsible and can’t just give the whole responsibility to Baek Na-Kyum. He should have paid more attention to the artist’s health and physical condition. And Kim took advantage of the situation. Thus from that night on, the lord kept his distance from his lover. From my point of view, the valet used these expressions against the main lead. He had been targeting the artist, turning him into a prey, hence the painter could not refused. Kim’s MO has always been to mix cause and consequences. Besides, since he heard such words, he could only have a negative impression. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the valet is a pessimistic person due to “fortunetelling”. [For more read the essay “Fortunetelling”] As you can see, due to this incident the main lead learned another important lesson: consent. Therefore the lord said this later
(chapter 75)
(chapter 79) In the second case, he made sure that both were on the same page. He had felt coerced. Through this fainting, the main lead became more careful and responsible for both of them. The problem is that he was still influenced by his past experience: sex is like a battle… which was now transformed into a hunt.
. (chapter 15) Secondly, Yoon Seungho repeats similar expressions:
(chapter 14) And this is how I made the connection with this love session, as I was paying attention to the words.
(chapter 14) It didn’t happen, because he was selfless… no, this was the consequence of Jihwa’s attitude who did nothing to “seduce” his friend. He refused to kiss him
(chapter 14), but like he explained, his visit was because he was giving in to Yoon Seungho’s ways. But we have to question ourselves: who wanted whom here? The second lead did visit his friend, as he was seeking his company for sex. He could have refused, as his friend never forced him, but he did not. Moreover, the lord made it clear that Jihwa was just coming for sex and nothing more, yet the childhood friend never denied it.
, he never allowed him to see his weak side. In addition, Jihwa’s words were full of criticisms.
This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho was behaving in a similar way. He was reflecting the second lead’s behavior. In my eyes, Jihwa treated his friend like a real sex toy who was there to pleasure him, hence the fellatio is done to prepare the penetration. That’s why there’s no real exchange, the lord is very passive as well during the blowjob. He feels nothing at all
. When the sex session started, he seemed to be in a hurry too
(chapter 15) However, Jihwa never truly invested his energy and effort to woo his childhood friend’s heart. This is no longer surprising why the second lead felt so lonely, even during their intimate time. Yet the irony was that the head-kisaeng was treated like a tool for Jihwa’s pleasure, and the latter never realized that.
, he even recognizes that praising him too much could encourage Yoon Seungho to become more passionate, hence he diminishes his praise afterwards.
(chapter 72) Baek Na-Kyum’s words and reactions are the reason why the lord is so affected. But unlike in chapter 14, the painter asks for his lover’s help showing that making love implies the involvement of two persons and not just one. Like I had written in a previous analysis, the lord is discovering that giving pleasure to his lover is also receiving. Hence he blushes and becomes more passionate.
However, there’s another reason why the painter is associated to butterflies. It is because the protagonist used an expression with “butterflies”. It all starts in chapter 34, when the low-born witnesses Yoon Seungho’s return which makes the artist’s heart race so much.
Just after facing Yoon Seungho in his bedroom with an almost kiss
, he rushes to his study. Once arrived there, he wonders why his heart is racing so much and why he feels something in his stomach:
(chapter 35). What caught my attention is that we have a similar scene in chapter 72: the painter is also questioning the origin of his physical reaction:
. However, there’s a huge contrast between these two situations. First, the painter employs a different expression. It feels more real and precise than “butterflies”. From my perspective, it reflects the artist’s loss of innocence, or better said, his gained maturity. Moreover, due to his sexual experiences, he has a better understanding of his own body. Secondly, the fear has totally vanished, exposing that Yoon Seungho has truly achieved his goal. Finally, the other difference is that this time he is facing the lord himself.
Back then, he only pondered about it after leaving the lord’s bedchamber. He was sitting behind the door. And if you recall the whole scene, you’ll notice that the artist’s heart started pounding, the moment the lord entered the bedroom. Moreover, the aristocrat removed his clothes so that the artist could see his back and later his chest. Consequently, I come to the deduction that the artist was so moved by the lord’s presence that his body was reacting immediately. This shows that both protagonists are affecting each other. One gets a huge erection, and the other feels butterflies inside. But more importantly, for the first time, the artist’s conscious was sensing his own body and the sexual attraction towards Yoon Seungho. Another parallel between these two scenes is the presence of the almost kiss:
(chapter 72). In chapter 34, he must have observed how the painter reacted, he was definitely blushing, because he repeats these gestures during their wedding night. Strangely is that when the lord approaches his mouth in chapter 72, the readers don’t witness any “butterflies”, as we can’t hear the painter’s thoughts. However, there’s no doubt that Baek Na-Kyum is excited due to the presence of his reddening and the sweat, very similar to chapter 34. Yet, I believe that the commoner doesn’t realize it yet, because all his energy is concentrated on his mouth. He has to whisper Seungho-Ya.
First, the manhwaphiles can observe the absence of the lord’s face and penis. Then when the lord came closer,
Baek Na-Kyum could only see the master’s face. Then the painter was able to view the lord’s phallus,
, the chest and the face were hidden by the low-born’s body. It was, as if Yoon Seungho had been cut in parts, and Baek Na-Kyum was exposed to them. In other words, Yoon Seungho showed him parts of his body and not his whole body. The artist should accept them. However, like the noble pointed out, the artist was physically reacting to him:
But since the artist was looking at the noble through the mirror, he never got to face the lord’s body in his entity. And imagine that back then, the artist was already aroused by the master’s parts. This signifies that the butterflies in chapter 72 are much stronger.
that just the thought and sensation of the penetration was strong enough to have him climaxed. Note that the artist’s exclamation (“oh”) is a signal that he is already feeling an immense pleasure that he can’t control, as he said the same word during his first anal orgasm
As a conclusion, the moment Baek Na-Kyum saw the lord’s body with his erected phallus, his sexual desires had reached a new peak.
This divergence is comprehensible, as the lord had to find a stratagem to be accepted by the artist. The use of the mirror was a calculated move, which he had already announced the night before. Moreover, he had been hurt and enraged by the commoner’s escape, hence he couldn’t show the same affection. Finally, he had no idea about his own emotions.
, the commoner was either not looking at him or sitting in a such a position that he couldn’t see the lord in his entirety.
Then during their love session at the physician’s, the lord was so closed to the painter that the latter was not capable to look at his lover. Moreover, he was still avoiding the aristocrat’s gaze and face.
, then later Baek Na-Kyum was no longer facing the noble:
(chapter 64). Moreover, when he was able to look at the lord, he was hoping for a kiss, a sign of tenderness, which was refused. Moreover, his mind and body were still influenced by fear.
, hence the lover couldn’t view the whole body and the erected phallus. He could only sense the erection through his foot.
. Once arrived in the bedchamber, the noble was busy making amends, hence he was on his knees. That’s why I believe that we are now witnessing a major turning point in Baek Na-Kyum’s life. From my point of view, with such an experience, the artist will recognize that his affection for his lover is much stronger than he has even imagined. I can’t help myself connecting this scene to the first wet dream the painter had. He was already so attracted to Yoon Seungho that he wished to replace Jihwa and imagined, he was lying under the lord’s body.
Just the view and the thought of the noble’s body aroused him so much that he had to remove himself from his trance, the moment he sensed an orgasm coming. This outlines how strong his sexual desires were. But now, it is different, because he is now excited by the lord’s gaze full of warmth and love.
And imagine what this signifies for the painter. He is able to make someone smile… to make someone happy, which he didn’t see in chapter 49. We shouldn’t forget that the painter had always felt excluded and had abandonment issues. In other words, he saw himself as a burden, but this can only change, if his life gets a new meaning. His presence, orgasms and smiles can make Yoon Seungho smile and happy, this can only give strength and joy to Baek Na-Kyum. Let’s not forget that Yoon Seungho is a reflection of the painter, just like the latter is a mirror for the lord. 
(Chapter 71) As you can envision, I am now examining each picture very carefully, hence when I saw this image, I couldn’t help myself associating it to the painter’s abduction. First, the painterofthenight-lovers will certainly remember the scene of the lord’s panic, when he left the room and saw the footprints on the ground misleading him to think that the painter had run away.
(Chapter 60) In this picture, the manhwaphiles can even hear Nameless’ explication why the lord would jump to the wrong conclusion. The expression “on his own two feet” was actually visualized by the imprints left on the snow. We know for sure that Nameless knocked out the painter before carrying him away. He carried him the same way than he did with Lee Jihwa:
(Chapter 59) What caught my attention is that the space between the footsteps on the wood
(Chapter 59) This image caught my attention for two reasons. Thanks to the analysis “The five candles”, I realized the true meaning of the pictures with landscapes. They expose the actual situation, therefore the beholder should study them under the following elements: moon or sun, air, water, earth and fire. So in this picture, you can detect the absence of the moon symbolizing the lord’s illness. He is too weak to look after his lover. Striking is that the earth element is predominant here, as the tree branches standing next to the buildings are almost touching the sky. So since the snow is falling, it indicates the presence of water and note that water is almost everywhere: in the sky, on the trees, on the ground and on the rooftops. The only element missing is fire. Yet if the manhwalovers examine the image more closely, they will detect the presence of a light hanging on the side of the restroom. However, the candle surrounded by glass is not lit. To sum up my observations, this panel exposes the predominance of water and earth and the presence of a lamp with glass. In other words, this image symbolizes butler Kim, the new version of chapter 58
. First, let’s not forget that Kim is often seen carrying a bucket of water
(chapter 33)
(chapter 56). Secondly, he is also linked to the lantern with a glass
(chapter 20)
(chapter 36) But more importantly is that in the image from chapter 59, there is no light,
(Chapter 59) Note that the painter is standing in front of the bathroom. He has just cleaned himself and note that the lamp is in the background. How is this a proof? If the painter had run away, he wouldn’t have gone to the restroom… he would have left the room right away, just like the footprints are indicating.
(chapter 59) But since the artist was silent right away, as the Joker knocked him out immediately, the physician could have jumped to the conclusion that Baek Na-Kyum met an acquaintance. So when the vanishing of the painter was discovered, the doctor assumed that the artist had followed the person he met during that night. Honestly, I can’t blame the doctor for his “passivity”, if my assumption is correct. Due to the lord’s agitated state of mind, the doctor could only realize it afterwards. With this new discovery, it becomes more comprehensible why the physician hesitated the next morning. He didn’t know what he should do.
(Chapter 63) If he revealed what he had heard, then he imagined that he could bring the person who had „helped“ Baek Na-Kyum to escape into trouble. Observe the presence of the drop of sweat on his face. He was definitely uncomfortable. If he testified, then he could reveal the presence of a conspiracy. Nonetheless, I believe that he had jumped to the wrong conclusion: desertion. And with this new discovery, you can understand why the butler was so worried. He had no idea what the doctor had noticed. Imagine, the valet got caught by his own method (spying behind doors), however in the physician’s case, the latter was not doing out of malevolence. He just happened to become a witness, but he had assumed something else. That’s the reason why Kim was so worried, he had seen no one, yet the doctor had observed something. Kim never imagined that such a small detail (noise) could become a threat for him. This explicates why he chose to visit the doctor during the night.
(Chapter 64) He needed to ensure that the doctor remains silent. Many manhwaphiles will certainly recall how Kim threatened the doctor…
(chapter 65) Back then, I had assumed that out of cowardice, he had not intervened due to Kim’s harsh words. Nonetheless, I came to a different interpretation. After recognizing how Byeonduck is tricking the readers, she gives the impression of a continuity, I believe that during that night, the butler visited two different physicians. According to my theory, there exist 3 different doctors. For more, please read the analysis “The mysterious doctor“. How did this idea come up? Simply by paying attention to the BEARD!!
(Chapter 57) Note that the beard of this physician is covering the cheek and is straight.
(Chapter 63) But now compare it to the physician’s beard in episode 65:
(Chapter 65) and from my point of view, he used pity to discover what the physician knew. Remember how he had used compassion the night before (chapter 57). Besides, if you contrast both statements, you will detect a contradiction. “This could be a matter of life or death“ implies that it was about saving someone, while in the second image, it is about killing someone: the other doctor! In my eyes, the valet must have begged the physician
(chapter 57) to remain silent. If he revealed that he had discovered the presence of someone, then the other could get into trouble. In my opinion, the butler must have suggested that Baek Na-Kyum had tried to escape, because the lord had been abusing him. Don‘t forget that he had been treating the artist for his wrist. Then he must have seen the lord panicking too.
(Chapter 60) But now, the manhwaphiles are probably wondering why he went to the other physician then. It was related to the lord’s behavior in the shed. He was acting like a sex-maniac.
(Chapter 55) This doctor had reprimanded the butler and had been prescribing a tonic. So he visited the physician and used this opportunity to put the whole blame on the poor doctor.
(Chapter 65) The man never saw anything, Kim just described to him how the main lead had been behaving! Yes, he was acting like Yoon Chang-Hyeon who had gone to the doctor and described the son’s illness.
(Chapter 57)
(chapter 61)
(chapter 62)
(chapter 64) He needed to confirm his death. But since the lord was having sex the whole night, the butler had to make sure to bury the truth. If the artist had fainted, then the valet would have fetched the other doctor, the one who imagined that Baek Na-Kyum had escaped. And now, you comprehend why the man hesitated to question the painter after his return:
(chapter 74) He was wondering why the artist would look so fine, as he had attempted to escape before. Another evidence for this theory is the following rule: a reflection within the same season. Since the doctor had been puzzled by Yoon Seungho‘s illness, I am deducing that he had the exact opposite disposition concerning the artist. He imagined what the artist had done. He had jumped to the wrong conclusion due to the injured wrist. Besides, he was “aware“ of the lord‘s mood swings.
(Chapter 71) Consequently, he was not investigating the real circumstances of the abduction. But he has another reason for neglecting this aspect: he knows the culprit’s identity, unaware that unveiling the mastermind’s identity is far from enough. Real justice is to uncover truth. However, at the end of season 2, the wealthy noble was more like a teenager in love. That’s the reason why he was making a huge mistake.
(chapter 85) He was already content if the artist would look at him, the moment you recall his first confession:
(chapter 55). Hence in chapter 71, he’s blushing and happy, for Baek Na-Kyum is definitely starring at him with such a curiosity and desire.
Moreover, the painter talks to him, has even accepted his advances. That’s why he is no longer paying attention to the circumstances that led him to think that the painter had run away on his own feet. As for Kim, he was running out of time, because at any moment, Baek Na-Kyum could mention his visit to the restroom or meeting the Jester. Consequently, the former had to use any trick to remove the artist. Hence he encouraged the kisaeng Heena to take away her brother.
(Chapter 67)
(chapter 100) Here, they revealed that the main lead had gone down on his knees, the moment he had seen the traces of fresh blood. Then note that in the shaman’s house, the lord had left a bloody foot print
(chapter 102), yet in the snow it was no longer visible.
(Chapter 102) Someone had erased the traces by putting mattresses on the soil. However, while the lord was walking through the mountain, he was definitely leaving a bloody trail behind
(chapter 102), a sign that someone had been helping him. And this can only be KIM!! And the last chapter from season 3 seems to confirm my initial investigation: The butler had erased the traces from the abduction. He knew about the kidnapping and helped Lee Jihwa and the Joker. 

Back then, the identity of the “bride” was unknown. However, there were two witnesses: the wandering merchant and the servant Deok-Jae.
(chapter 45) The former mentioned this event to others so that a rumor started among the town folks. They were all wondering if Yoon Seungho was engaged due to the bridal carry. Since no marriage had happened, but simultaneously he showed great care in that person, they definitely perceived that the latter in his arm meant a lot to the master. They could judge that the noble was in love. At the same time, they were pleased, because they had realized that the black sheep of the Yoons seemed to have calmed down. Many painterofthenight-lovers couldn’t help smiling, when the entertainer praised the fiancée for her good sexual technics,
(chapter 45) because the truth was that Yoon Seungho was so dissatisfied with the painter’s tricks.
(chapter 45) And with such a contrast, it becomes obvious how strong and deep the noble’s affection for the artist already was. While the commoner’s comment diminished Yoon Seungho’s love for Baek Na-Kyum, as it was reduced to sensuality and seduction, the lord’s attitude clearly displayed that Yoon Seungho was expecting something else, but he had no idea what exactly. Striking is that the low-born was also clueless that the aristocrat had carried him like that, for he had fallen asleep. The fact that the wealthy man used his own hanbok to carry the commoner to the bathroom illustrated how caring Yoon Seungho was, but no one told him about this. Furthermore, this gesture outlined that the protagonist was taking great of the painter’s body. He shouldn’t get cold and he should get cleaned immediately, underlining that the first sex marathon had left a huge trauma on him. This incident (the bridal carry) was never mentioned within the mansion for two reasons. The domestic Deok-Jae had no interest in telling it to others, as he was filled with jealousy and still hoped that Baek Na-KYum would lose the lord’s favor. As for Kim, when he discovered that the incident had reached the ears of the inhabitants, he seized the opportunity to hide the fiancée’s identity in order to limit the damages. On the surface, it looked like he was protecting the couple’s interest, whereas in reality he feared a scandal. But more importantly, he wanted, just like Deok-Jae, this situation to be just temporary. Therefore he could only reduce the painter’s status: he was neither a bride nor a fiancée, at best a favored servant.
(chapter 45) That way, if the low-born was to disappear, no one would connect Baek Na-Kyum to the bridal carry. All the men were convinced that it was a woman due to the smooth legs.
(chapter 45) Since the painter had been kept in the dark about the noble’s action, he couldn’t realize the noble’s feelings. The only person pointing out the master’s affection for the commoner was the head-maid.
(chapter 46) Since she had been kept in the dark by Deok-Jae and Kim about the bridal carry, she had to mention another conversation to prove her observation. Yet it was definitely less convincing, as it was more related to comfort and respect.
(chapter 66) The manhwalovers will notice the progression. First, the identity of the “bride” is no longer hidden. This time, the lord’s attention is more focused on the head, as his hand covers the painter’s head. In other words, he pays less attention to the artist’s body. The latter is just wearing a shirt and nothing more. The reason for this divergence is simple. Baek Na-Kyum had just a flashback, a panic attack indicating that his spirit or mind was troubled. Yoon Seungho had recognized that the painter was injured mentally. Just like in the past, there’s a witness, but this time, it is the noble Min. Why only one witness? If you compare it to the first scene, you’ll note that Black Heart replaces the merchant and the servant Deok-Jae. The Joker is lusting after the low-born due to the smooth legs (a new version of this panel:
chapter 45) and he is definitely jealous of the main lead, similar to Deok-Jae. This made me realize why The Joker revealed Jihwa’s abduction right after. Imagine, if people got aware of this incident, then The Joker wouldn’t be able to taste the artist. Every one would know about Baek Na-Kyum and his importance to Yoon Seungho. He was no longer a low-born, but the lord’s official wife and partner. If he were to disappear, no one would be able to escape punishment. Therefore he needed to separate the couple… since the artist was in a poor condition
(chapter 66). He could only assume that the painter wished to disappear, for he had been abducted and Yoon Seungho had failed to protect him. Later, Kim could report to him what Yoon Seungho had done to the painter in the shed, so that Min’s belief that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the mansion could only increased. Both imagined that the commoner would desert the lord’s mansion. Both hoped that Baek Na-Kyum would reject the “marriage”, although he was already chosen as the lord’s bride. As you can observe, the bridal carry plays a huge importance, it definitely symbolizes marriage, even if it is between two men. And this led me to the theory that Min had already envisioned the next scheme. The conspirators had no time… especially if other servants noticed the bridal carry too. Let’s not forget that before Min stood in front of the master’s bedchamber, other domestics were standing there: Kim, the maid and another servant.
(chapter 66) It is definitely possible that they looked at their lord’s action from faraway. If so, this would signify that the news about Baek Na-Kyum as the lord’s bride has finally reached the ears of the staff.
(chapter 71) This signifies that now the artist is well aware of the signification of that action. That’s why he is definitely moved. He is blushing and letting his head rest on the protagonist’s shoulder.
(chapter 71) He stares at the lord’s shoulder so intensively in order to confirm that this is real. More striking is that the painter’s nose is on the lord’s shirt implying that the commoner is smelling the lord’s fragrance. Furthermore, the painter senses the warmth from the master’s body, just like he hears Yoon Seungho’s footsteps on the wooden floor. To sum up, Baek Na-Kyum is using all his senses that he is not dreaming. Gradually, he is accepting it as reality, hence he can only blush.
(chapter 71) to this one:
(chapter 33). Back then, the butler was worried that Baek Na-Kyum would reveal his complicity in the escape. However, this time Kim is concerned for another reason: the painter is no longer a favored servant, but now the bride and as such Yoon Seungho’s official partner. But if the readers compare the two previous bridal carries, they’ll remember that there were more than just one testifier… although in the second case, it was just implied. Thus I think that there could be another witness. In the first version of this essay, I had imagined that the Joker could have been present:
In chapter 44, he saw how the painter walked to the study. Secondly, he was present during the second love session:
. (chapter 60) However, I was wrong here. Then it occurred to me that if there was a second witness, then it could have been the new version of Deok-Jae. He had been following the guest
(chapter 66), when Min entered the propriety. And according to social norms, he should have followed the noble. So he could have seen the painter’s legs from a certain distance. And this also would explicate why the domestic had such eyes, when he approached the bedchamber in season 3.
(chapter 80) He was interested in the painter. And there is another evidence that there are always two witnesses of that bridal carry, the love session in the gibang.
(chapter 96) The noona was joined shortly after by Min who could now hear their love session.
(chapter 96)
(chapter 65) This means that the painter was now the official partner of the protagonist. Nonetheless, the lord tied his bride so that the latter wouldn’t leave. The bridal carry was connected to forced marriage.
Before the love session, though their intimacy began in delay. Note that the bride was the one who determined, when they should be intimate. However, they got interrupted. Then the consumption was quite painful, though the painter had masturbated before and as such prepared himself.
(chapter 81) For me, this is an allusion to Yoon Seungho’s rape in his youth.
This happened after the sexual assault. The lord was acting like in chapter 66. He was full of regret and tenderness. We could say that he was acting like a knight protecting his bride. Here, again the bridal carry is intertwined with death and pain. Don’t forget his words in the bath:
and kisses.
(chapter 77) and clean up his mess… no wonder why Yoon Seungho came to resent the man. He left the young master totally unprotected, exposed to all forms of abuse. And the man might have wondered why Yoon Seungho was so difficult to tame… Therefore he could never entirely trust the main lead. Consequently I view the gesture as the symbol of bravery, care, responsibility and strength. From my point of view, the main lead must have recognized that he was “married” much too young to the pedophile. During his conversation with Bongyong, the lord indicated that age mattered. He still had time.
(chapter 78) They shouldn’t get married too young, and in my opinion, he was speaking out of experience.
(chapter 68)
(chapter 70). The learned sir acted like a father and with the recollection of the piggyback, Baek Na-Kyum recognized the true value of this carry. He was never loved, like the commoner desired, the young man just viewed him as a child. He was innocent and pure and couldn’t realize the true nature of the scholar’s feelings: trivial and fleeting emotions, which turned into indifference, when the artist became an adult. That’s the reason why the artist is no longer upset… he judges this event in a different light. Back then, he was only a child for Jung In-Hun. This scene represents Baek Na-Kyum’s loss of innocence. He is now a mature man who makes decisions on his own. He is no longer idealizing Jung In-Hun, and the bridal carry reflects this maturity.
Thus expect new bridal carries in season 4, but some of them will be connected to death, pain and sorrow. 😥
You certainly remember that the number 2 is associated to woman, while 3 represent a man. What does it mean? 2 + 3 = 5. Five symbolizes a marriage. This explicates why The Pythagoreans thought of five as the marriage between heaven and earth.
(chapter 21) The earth is symbolized by the house and the ground, while heaven (air) is embodied by the rain and the thunder. During this night, the painter and the lord discovered love and sensuality. Yet their wedding was not completed for two reasons. Remember that the main characters possess all the elements: the painter is associated to Earth and water, while the lord is related to fire and air. Yet, if you pay attention to the image above, you’ll notice that one element is missing: fire. The “painterofthenightphiles” can now realize why this night stood under the sign of illusion. Something was missing, real warmth and love. Yoon Seungho had not even realized his own feelings. Besides, let’s not forget that the noble was quite rough during that night. He only became really tender, after he had witnessed the painter’s tears, tears of happiness.
(chapter 21) The real reason for the “failure” is that one was drunk, while the other was impersonating the scholar. Both were not true to themselves. That’s why they couldn’t start a real relationship.
(chapter 71)
(chapter 20) With such an approach, the noble couldn’t truly object, his mouth was shut with a kiss. Anyway, this time Yoon Seungho gives him space and time to ponder about this. What caught my attention is that the artist bites his lip
(chapter 71) while pondering. This gesture is important, as it has two significations: the painter is wondering if this situation is real. He doesn’t even trust his own senses which is totally normal, after living for so long with the loss of his body and senses. Secondly, it exposes his last inner struggle. Should he follow his instincts? Striking is that the low-born’s conscious is the one who makes the final decision. His critical thinking and free mind allow him to perceive the truth. First, he was never in love with the scholar.
(chapter 71) I consider this picture as a proof of my interpretation. The kisaeng approached Baek Na-Kyum because of the teacher, who kept using the boy in order to enter kisaeng house. Observe that “chosen out of desperation” stands below the words from the sister, exposing that he sensed that her choice was motivated by something else, or better said, by someone else. The sister influenced the artist to believe that he was in love with Jung In-Hun so that she could maintain her closeness to the scholar. At the same time, the teacher acted, as if he was honorable, so that the kisaeng had the impression that the artist would never truly outlive his sexuality. For her, it was the perfect solution. The low noble wouldn’t fall into sodomy, but maintain a platonic relationship with the boy, allowing her to remain by his side. However, this illusion only lasted, until the painter had to leave the kisaeng house. That’s why he was cornered in the end.
(chapter 71) And this situation (being cornered) reoccurred, when he moved in Yoon Seungho’s mansion. It was the same again… Jung In-Hun pressuring him, until he revealed his true thoughts: jealousy and contempt. For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum is detecting genuine affection and it comes from Yoon Seungho and nobody else!!
(chapter 71) First, we have the lord, then later the painter,
(chapter 71) as the latter has to look up. Finally, we have the groom bringing his own bride to the nuptial bedchamber:
(chapter 71) Since this night represents the union between a noble and a commoner, the social status are switched indicating that they are now both lord and low-born simultaneously.
(chapter 71) This image illustrates how the artist decided to listen to his heart. That’s why the readers can hear the artist’s heartbeat. His heart is racing so much that he blushed. Moreover, he can identify that the racing is not caused by fear, but by the lord’s affection. In other words, because Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum chose each other, they are now married.
(chapter 71), he is caressing it. He is not focused on ejaculation like in chapter 36.
(chapter 36) That’s why he doesn’t use his hand here, only his mouth. It was as if he was kissing the penis. He is taking his time, his ultimate goal is to procure pleasure, hence we have a lot of panels with the master’s tongue on the phallus. That’s why later the lord interrogates if he liked his anal licking.
(chapter 71) Everything is done to give pleasure to the painter: the kisses and the caresses. Yoon Seungho desires to give his love to the painter
(chapter 71) Note that the painter is stroking the lord’s chest, while they both kiss each other. And this is not surprising that at the end, both protagonists close their eyes while kissing.
(chapter 71) Both trust each other, they are no longer insecure, as they saw, heard and sensed the affection through the gestures and words. Yoon Seungho could only be happy to see that the artist was blushing due to him. Moreover, the low-born had several ejaculations without any penetration, exposing that this was not just a physical reaction. What caught my attention is the appearance of the master’s blushing. First, it started with the ear in chapter 70
(chapter 70) and the redness has now reached his temple and cheek. Therefore I deduce that the manhwaphiles will witness the lord’s real blushing. As a conclusion, this wonderful night will help the lord to heal completely. By changing his approach, he obtained exactly what he desired the most: to be chosen. His dream came a reality.
(chapter 71) The man, Baek Na-Kyum, chose his bride, Yoon Seungho… since the latter is linked to the number 2, while the other is associated to manhood due to the number 3. And this final image announces the final step to their marriage. The wedding will be now completed, and red as the color of Asian wedding ceremony is present. First, we have the painter’s red shirt and later the blushing on both faces. 
(chapter 69) But there’s more to it. In my opinion, the physical touch, in the form of caress and embrace, played a huge role in the painter’s traumatic past too. However, before starting to explain this element, I need to elaborate how it came to this.
(chapter 70) Then thanks to my readers @_Winnie_L_ and @
(chapter 67) Thus we have two possibilities. Either the head-kisaeng is someone else and Heena noona took over her role, or Heena noona became the head-kisaeng, but she never claimed Baek Na-Kyum as her son. Thus the painter ended up with a ghost mother. On the one hand, Heena noona acted like a sister in front of him and she requested from him to be called “noona”, on the other hand, she behaved like a mother towards Baek Na-Kyum. Observe that Heena is the only one with a name. The only difference is that the head-kisaeng relied on the kisaengs to raise the low-born, whereas the noble Lee employed his domestics. This explicates why Heena noona started acting like a mother. But this caused her to struggle due to her young age. She was so overwhelmed with this task, that she had to rely on the scholar. And there is a reason why the kisaeng trusted the low noble so much. She was not just blinded by her own feelings
(chapter 68). Her decision was influenced by her past experiences and fears. The head-kisaeng judged the learned sir as a good and responsible man. And how could he win her trust? Since the story is constructed like a kaleidoscope, this means, we must have a new version of this during the first season. In my opinion, the scene with the worker is the repetition from the past.
(chapter 29) First, observe that the young girl is sitting on the teacher’s lap and the learned sir is holding a book. So if someone saw this from far away, the beholder would think that the scholar is reading the book to the child. It even gives the impression that he is actually teaching the young girl to read. But note that in this scene, the low noble is in reality talking to the commoner. For the young girl, it means that she is forced to sit and do nothing. That’s why she turns her her head to the learned sir wondering what he is expecting from her.
(chapter 29) What is she supposed to do? Observe that he replies to her interrogating expression with a smile, yet he doesn’t give her any instruction. I would say, he treats her like a doll. And now, replace the young girl with Baek Na-Kyum, and the latter has to sit there for a while. You can easily grasp why the painter could only fall asleep.
(chapter 70) In front of the kisaengs, the scholar created the illusion that he was teaching, while in truth he just saw it as a diversion. This explicates why he utilized this idiom to Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 6) Diversion has two meanings:
(chapter 29) And now the scene at the kisaeng house can only be perceived in a new light.
(chapter 68) Jung In-Hun must have come to an agreement with a rich noble and made a deal with him. The presence of the painter was no coincidence, and it diverted attention from the real target of abuse: Yoon Seungho, who got dragged away. The painter and the other noona thought that Heena had been the victim of violence from a noble, but she was not. She served as diversion. Too blinded by her prejudices and own fears, the young woman wasn’t able to perceive the true nature of the learned sir. While she saw the scholar as a hero, because he hugged the painter and took him away from this terrible place, she never questioned the scholar’s attitude. If he had been a true hero, he would have rescued her and not abandoned her. She never got aware of his betrayal. In other words, the scholar helped to create a secret. This explicates why the learned sir is well aware of the nobles’ fear. In his eyes, they all have something to hide.
(chapter 1) Here, the witness was lying, as he was distorting the past, the painter wouldn’t draw erotic pictures constantly. The head-kisaeng didn’t take care of her son and during the day, the noonas were all resting so that the painter was on his own. This panel illustrates the painter’s isolation and loneliness. At the same time, I envision that the scholar visited the kisaeng house during the night so that he could approach the noonas, explicating why the boy would doze off too. Moreover, painting was a way for the painter to cope his loneliness and his loss of senses. As a conclusion, the painter was not only suffering from abandonment issues, but also from neglect which made him more and more dependable on Heena noona and the learned sir.
(chapter 70) , in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by water and rice fields. While some might view these panels as quite idyllic, I interpret these as the opposite: Baek Na-Kyum had no roots and no roof over his head. He couldn’t even find a refuge, which reminds us of the scene in the first chapter:
(chapter 1) This picture exposes the painter’s lack of attachment. He has no home, no wall to protect him… there’s only emptiness surrounding him, which contrasts so much to Yoon Seungho’s situation, who lived in a prison. Hence I understand now why Baek Na-Kyum is determined to remain by Yoon Seungho’s side.
(chapter 68) For the first time, he has a room for himself, and even if he is pushed away, he can express his sadness and seek comfort in his room:
(chapter 41) and
(chapter 52). Note that each time, he was unhappy, he was requested not to cry
(chapter 26)
(chapter 68: he is sent away due to his tears)
(chapter 70) If you pay attention, you’ll notice the only one allowing the painter to voice his wound and to shed his tears is indeed Yoon Seungho. Each time, he desires to know the cause for Baek Na-Kyum’s tears.
(chapter 1) The difference is even palpable in chapter 26:
He left him some space and time to cry, hence when he returned, he didn’t say: don’t cry. He just makes this comment
(chapter 26). And like I underlined it before, the lord is always focused on the reason for the artist’s tears. This led to the confrontation: who is responsible for his heartache?
(chapter 26) Sure, in the bathroom, Yoon Seungho is still very rude, however he never employs the negation. Nonetheless, the low-born could never perceive this divergence, as the nuance is not so obvious. This explicates why in chapter 41, the artist misjudged the noble’s intervention. When the latter wanted to see his face and as such his tears
, (chapter 41) the former refused to do so, because he anticipated that the lord would ask the same thing: stop crying. However, the master wanted to know the cause for his agony, which is totally different. This scene is really important, because it shows another issue. Baek Na-Kyum was never allowed to cry. His tears were associated to annoyance and burden. That’s why he desired to be left alone in the end. He feared that if the lord saw his tears, he would be requested to stop crying. And this fear of letting his tears coming up explains why the painter hid his eyes with his arm during the physical abuse.
(chapter 34) Under this new approach, we understand better
(chapter 68) why the lord chose to retreat. Here, the master saw the commoner’s tears with his mind’s eye and realized that he needed to give him some space and time again. But more importantly, he never entered the room, giving him some privacy. He learnt an important lesson here: solitude doesn’t stand in opposition to distance and abandonment. In this scene, Heena noona never requests from the painter to stop crying, she just wipes his tears with her hand and caresses her brother’s cheeks.
(chapter 68) What the noona didn’t realize is that the main lead’s decision to respect the low-born’s needs (crying and not entering his room) was the reason why Baek Na-Kyum selected him in the end. There’s no doubt that the lord was associated to home for good, because he is the first one who allowed him to cry and to have a room, where he could seek refuge after getting hurt. Under this new light, the readers can better grasp why Baek Na-Kyum is healed now.
, (chapter 46) when the latter was sent away, But she didn’t hug her brother. Why? It was to stop him from protesting.
(chapter 94) Here, the infant hugged his noona, but she didn’t return his gesture. Moreover, she hadn’t stopped the laughing nobles as well. Furthermore,
(chapter 66) It was the first time that Baek Na-Kyum got embraced by his noona. And all this, thanks to Yoon Seungho. In my opinion, the kisaeng got really scared and concerned for her brother. And there’s a reason for this lack of worry. She relied too much on Jung In-Hun. Her false perception is particularly visible, when she claims
. (chapter 68) Why does she expect this? From my point of view, her words imply, she must have helped the learned sir in the past: one thing is sure. She was not entirely honest with her donsaeng here, as the manhwaphiles can detect the drop of sweat. But more importantly, we have to question ourselves if the gibang was not used in the past to spread rumors about the Yoons again, and Jung In-Hun could heard something. I am even envisioning that she must have reported conversations to him, a new version of chapter 24:
Remember that in that scene the painter doesn’t comprehend the meaning behind this order. If this theory is true, then she never saw the consequences of her action, similar to her brother in chapter 24. If she truly did it, she must have justified this, because the learned sir needed it, she was responsible for him.
(chapter 68) For me, her real “admiration” was for the learned sir, therefore it becomes understandable why she wasn’t bothered, if Jung In-Hun asked for her help in exchange for taking care of Baek Na-Kyum. According to my theory, the learned sir had brought himself the baby to the gibang, this means that in chapter 46, he could only accept the kisaeng’s request. He had no other choice, for in Heena’s eyes, they were somehow related. From my point of view, Heena noona hoped that Jung In-Hun would even assist her and help her to leave the gibang. But this never happened. In my opinion, there exists another reason why the painter was sent to the learned sir. And it is related to Yoon Seungho, the erotic paintings and the pedophile.
(chapter 97) In exchange for her services, she had to bring Baek Na-Kyum to Min, the noona would be able to escape the gibang.
(chapter 44) 
(chapter 24) With my new interpretation, you can comprehend why he did this. He tried to use the same method from the past: he knew that physical touch would make the artist submissive. And the climax was reached in chapter 29 with the fake embrace and the betrayal:
(chapter 29) From that moment, it went down again. We returned to patting
(chapter 35) and strokes
(chapter 35) and finish with this final touch of the painter’s cheek:
(chapter 38) And the physical interaction reflects the learned sir’s loss of power. Despite his attempts, he was not able to obtain the artist’s submission like in the past. That’s the reason why he could only resent the artist. We have to remember that the low noble really detested this physical intimacy, hence he would tighten his jaw or grind his teeth.
(chapter 24) Note that in many panels, we never see the scholar’s facial expressions, but there is no ambiguity that he could never truly hide his disdain. But the painter was still blinded by his “admiration” for Jung In-Hun. However, after the argument at the library, the painter lost his sight and hearing again. He was too wounded by the final blow.
(chapter 46) Then the readers witness the return of the artist’s 5th sense (touching) in chapter 49.
That’s the reason why the noble could finally get the painter’s attention afterwards. For me, the touching has always been the most important sense in his life, which explains why Heena and Jung In-Hun had such control over the low-born. Then in chapter 52, we assist to the revival of the artist’s sight:
(chapter 52) And now you comprehend why Heena and Jung In-Hun were defeated. The hug in chapter 66 helped him to satisfy an important need: he was truly embraced while getting comforted. 
Back then, he recalled the repressed physical abuse. However, his conscious dismissed it again. However, this time it is different. The painter in possession of his whole body is reminded of the scholar due to Heena noona’s farewell. The closure he got by bidding her farewell triggered a long repressed memory too. The learned sir was the one who consoled him in the past. And while he recalls that night, the adult Baek Na-Kyum realizes that the scholar’s care was not fake in the past. He would keep him company and talk to him, he was his companion of the night. However, for me, this scene outlines his superficiality and indifference. He diverts his attention so that he wouldn’t feel sad any longer. But it was, as if he was ignoring his sadness, for he wouldn’t talk about the incident.
(chapter 70 Then he makes the following reproach: he was lazy.
(chapter 70) The learned sir will always be a part of his life, as he belongs to the past. As you can see, in this scene, Baek Na-Kyum was moving on. Therefore I interpret this scene as a real breakthrough. The painter is no longer under the influence of the scholar. The latter can not longer manipulate him like in the past [though now I believe that he is dead], and this revelation was triggered by Heena noona and her embraces. But at the same time, he is not rejecting or resenting the man. And this interpretation becomes even more visible in season 3:
(chapter 94) His heart and mind are now in peace. He is no longer suffering from a guilty conscience. And this truly exposes that the artist’s abandonment issues were created by Heena.
before kissing him.
(chapter 70) He has the right to speak, while Heena noona and Jung In-Hun used the embrace and caress as a way to render Baek Na-Kyum mute. And since the affection through physical touch was a way to win the painter’s heart, there is no doubt that Yoon Seungho is on his way to win his heart. Now, the painter is finally looking at him and the scholar’s influence has been finally erased. Baek Na-Kyum is now totally over Jung In-Hun, as he has now only view him as a companion and friend, and nothing more. He is no longer his idol. In other words, the low-born has finally found closure. In episode 70, his heart is free.
(chapter 23) Ignorance is a blessing for him, because it allows him to let his master to be in the dark. That’s why the master relied on the valet all this time. Kim was his eyes and ears, therefore certain rumors didn’t reach the noble’s ears.
(chapter 18) On the other hand, the butler let him know about this gossip.
(chapter 22) Since Yoon Seungho perceives himself as cultured, because he reads so much, he could only laugh about this rumor. However, he never realized the origin of these gossips. The valet utilized the rumors in order to deceive everyone, including the main lead. That’s why Kim could only judge “ignorance as a blessing”, because it helped him to manipulate the staff, the town folks and the nobles. He had an interest to create a bad image about Yoon Seungho. This helped him to keep the main character in isolation and in the dark. Moreover, it reinforced the lord’s dependency on his assistant. In order to corroborate my interpretation, I will use a panel reflecting the true nature of their relationship:
(chapter 11) Observe that the valet is not portrayed with eyes. This is not just an indication of the butler’s lie. The valet’s eyes became the master’s. This signifies that the words and the vision of the valet became the noble’s reality. At the same time, the noble’s mouth is closed and his hands are not present either. Note, he is getting dressed by his own valet. As a conclusion, he is entirely relying on Kim. He has no mouth, no hand, no ear and no eye. Everything belongs to the butler. This single picture exposes the butler’s true powers. The lord was totally deprived of all his senses and his own body, a real puppet. And this interpretation leads me to the following question: Who killed the servant in chapter 1? In my eyes, the noble was just the executioner, while the butler was the judge. Why do I see it like that? First, note that in the scene, the main lead has no eye
(chapter 1) and he doesn’t want to know about the painter’s reasons for not painting any longer. I know, some readers might reject this idea, but I would like them to remember that we see the butler acting like a judge in front of the doctor, that’s why the commoner begs the valet (“Are you trying to have me killed”).
(chapter 1) and the butler didn’t need to be by his side, as he had a real control over the lord’s hands, eyes and ears. Now you understand why Kim really treasures ignorance. Simultaneously, the valet values knowledge, as it procures him power.
(chapter 50) This idiom doesn’t only imply to ignore your feelings, but also to deny the existence of your heart. If the noble has no emotions, then he can be the perfect puppet. This explicates why Yoon Seungho had a relapse after this conversation. Despite his warning, the master did listen to the butler’s advice.
(chapter 65) That’s why there is no sincere apology.
(chapter 65)
(chapter 65). He prioritizes his own life. He is not interested in people’s passion and well-being. He doesn’t care about people’s motivations. The latter just become relevant, the moment they affect his life. He needs to know about people’s behavior and thoughts for his manipulations in order to protect his quiet life.
(chapter 65) therefore any incident must be covered up. At the same time, it implies as well that everything must be done in the shadow. That’s why without any spectator, he removes the snowman embodying the painter. The final panel contain all the butler’s doctrines. He will erase everything related to the past, acting as if nothing happened. It doesn’t matter, if someone gets destroyed in the end, because on the surface, it will look like he just cleared a way. He gives the impression that he helped the persons concerned, not taking into consideration how his actions and decisions will affect others. If someone has to pay the price for this, then so be it, as long as it doesn’t disturb his life. From my point of view, this scene is full of symbolism. From my perspective, he is ruthless and even willing to dirty his hand to a certain extent, since he is using a broom. However, this gesture exposes too that he is not directly soiling his hands. This is the reason why he is never directly involved with people’s wrongdoings. He will just push others to commit wrongdoings with remarks. They have to act according to his own thoughts and benefit. This interpretation is not exaggerated, if you compare this scene with Deok-Jae’s misdeed in chapter 46. The vicious servant used his own feet to ruin the artist’s creation
or he pushed the painter with his own shoulder.
(chapter 46) At the same time, with this new approach, it helps to understand why the butler’s evilness was never caught. He could always feign ignorance with such a behavior and was never directly involved.
, 17, 59). He also allowed the vicious servant Deok-Jae to betray Yoon Seungho and plan a murder
(chapter 51). He hoped that Heena noona would take the painter away
(chapter 68) and he is now expecting that Min organizes a second abduction while framing others: Nameless, Heena noona and Jihwa.
(chapter 62) Here, the noble stated that he adored the painter). This means that the light and warmth had finally reached the lord’s heart, which is also mirrored by the light in the panel. But the problem is that after the low-born’s disappearance, the master had the impression, he had been betrayed and abandoned. Hence he became enraged and blinded by his own wound. This is a sign that he definitely took it to heart. Moreover, we shouldn’t forget that despite the incident at the barn, the noble was not even able to stick to the rule, treating the artist like a sex toy. In the end, Yoon Seungho brought him to his own bed, indicating that he considered him as his partner. To sum up, the noble was still not honest to himself exposing the valet’s influence.
. Then another scandal appeared, when the lord punished the staff for not following his order (chapter 30).
As you can see, the uproar remained within the mansion in season 1. This is the reason why the noble retreated in chapter 30, when he was pressured by the other aristocrats.
(chapter 33) Here, he was definitely avoiding any scandal. He was running away, although he tried to deceive the nobles by declaring that the painter would belong to him. And during the second season, the readers can observe a progression, the scandal and uproar is now reaching the town (chapter 64)
. Thereby the climax was reached in chapter 67, when Yoon Seungho visited the Lees’ mansion. For the first time, he was confronting a noble and didn’t fear to cause a scandal, when he showed up with a sword and didn’t even remove his shoes.
(chapter 67)
(chapter 70) And this confession could be used against the lord later, hence after that night, Yoon Seungho kept his distance from his lover. Thus he said this to his lover in chapter 75
and later asked if the painter was truly resisting. Slowly, he had internalized that consent was central:
(chapter 33) and let Kim take the burden. Yet the more time passed on, the more the noble took his responsibility. He protected him from the maids and decided to buy him better clothes. This is no coincidence that in chapter 40, he implied to the painter that the latter could now rely on him. This progression is visible, when he took care of the painter in chapter 55. He covered him
(chapter 55) and watched over him during the night. But this principle will be truly abandoned, the moment the lord apologizes properly, and this expectation was proven correct, as the real apology took place in season 3.
(chapter 71) The problem is that in the bathroom, he chose the wrong words. Hence the painter could only misunderstand him and pushed his hand away. While the manhwaphiles could witness his huge pangs of conscience, the painter never did. He was either unconscious (chapter 32)
(chapter 49). And little by little, the lord learned how to apologize to his lover. In season 3, he admitted his wrongdoing right away.
(chapter 82) Then later he tried to redeem himself.
(chapter 84) Note that here, he was doing everything himself. He was no longer relying on Kim. Hence in the first version, I had voiced that the lord would apologize to Baek Na-Kyum, after the second abduction had been solved. And this expectation became a reality. The lord felt definitely huge pangs of conscience.
(chapter 23), because he liked keeping people in the dark as well. We had a perfect example with the deal between Jung In-Hun, the painter and the protagonist. First, Yoon Seungho gave the scholar the impression that the former was just an uncultured fool, whereas in truth the low noble was the one deceived, because Yoon Seungho was giving him just an empty promise. At the same time, the rich noble lied to the painter, when he claimed that Jung In-Hun had come to see him.
(chapter 7) However, it backfired on Yoon Seungho the moment the latter saw the painter’s reactions. He would run to his former teacher immediately, leaving the main character behind. Then he smiled to Jung In-Hun
(chapter 7) and blushed in his presence. That’s the moment Yoon Seungho’s heart was moved, justifying the words in chapter 63:
(chapter 7) Note that at the end of the chapter, he treated the painter as a real guest. He invited him to his bedchamber officially.
(chapter 8) And observe that the noble was here smiling, he was already imitating the artist. This explicated too why not only his moves in this chapter were contradicting each other, but also Kim was introduced here for the first time. And note that from that moment, the lord never tried to trick the painter afterwards. Like I have already pointed out, the incident at the pavilion was definitely organized by the butler. And with this example, the manhwaphiles can see that the lord was applying the 6th rule as well, but dropped it due to the low-born’s reaction. This is not surprising why this manipulation ended up causing more and more pain. Yoon Seungho had brought him upon himself, revealing how the first doctrine “ignorance is not a blessing“. With this new observation, I perceive the episode 7 as a first major turning point. The lord was dropping the 6th rule (to utilize others in order to achieve his goal). However, this doesn’t mean that he abandoned the first doctrine. Quite the opposite… it took him a long time to realize why he couldn’t achieve his goal. In my opinion, the master started changing in chapter 67. Contrary to chapter 33
, Yoon Seungho couldn’t bear to hear how people would talk behind his back: a sodomizer and a beast who corrupted Lee Jihwa and others.
(chapter 67). Note that for the first time, the lord decided to defend himself
, correct people’s perception about him, which he never did before (chapter 18, 22, 57
). This coincides the return of the lord’s hearing and speech abilities. In chapter 67, he is using his own ears and mouth, he is no longer relying on the butler’s help. What the lord imagined to perceive as help was just an illusion. However, I believe that the lord decided to drop the first principle in chapter 68
(chapter 70). And note that when the painter confessed, he externalized his fear. 
. However, the huge difference is that Yoon Seungho’s mind’s eye is no longer focused on himself, but on the painter. This explicates, why the master decided to retrieve and to give him space. Without seeing his face, he could sense that there was affection, because the painter was crying. The readers should recall that the painter’s tears have always had a huge impact on the noble, because they healed his eyes, hand and heart. The manhwaworms can comprehend why the lord chose to let the painter determine his own fate. The presence of tears and the painter’s voice were able to remove the lord’s veil on his eyes and ears for good. I would like to remind the manhwaphiles that in chapter 68, Kim tried to destroy the lord’s own judgement by recurring to gaslighting and distorting the past. [For more explications, read this essay:
(chapter 69) although he is sitting in his bedchamber. Imagine, he is no longer relying on the butler’s information contrary to chapter 56:
(chapter 56) With this new approach, the readers can understand why the aristocrat can make such a comment in chapter 70:
. Therefore I deduce that the butler can no longer control the lord’s body, since he is no longer required to be his eyes, ears and hands. However, this doesn’t mean that Kim is truly defeated. He still controls the staff, especially the male domestics. Here, I would like to make a little disgression. In my opinion, the butler played a huge role in the first abduction. How come that the servants were so sure that the painter had run away?
(chapter 61) They were not present, since both protagonists were at the physician’s. From my point of view, Kim must have manipulated the servants… he just needed to imply that Baek Na-Kyum had escaped, while in front of Yoon Seungho, he would say the opposite later due to the commoner’s return:
(chapter 62) There’s no doubt that with the painter’s appearance, he could use the incident to obtain more support from the servants. The painter had caused trouble again, he was responsible for their misery. But since he truly exposed his true nature to the main lead (abusing his authority, criticizing and judging his master), he can no longer appear in front of him. Right now, he has to lie low, hence he needs other people to be his eyes and ears. This explains why the servant is portrayed without eyes either
(chapter 70). The absence of the eyes is an indication that they belong to Kim, just like the lantern indicates that the domestic is acting on the valet’s order. And in season 3, we can observe a similar situation. This time, they faked obedience
(chapter 99), while they badmouthed their master.
(chapter 98) Because the lord feared to lose his lover, he didn’t pay attention to the domestic’s insult:
(chapter 98) But the insult was the proof that they never treated the painter as a part of the household. He was just a spoiled brat.
and gives orders
. He is truly rude. We could say that he treats the low-born like a servant, as though he wanted him to feel so little. Kim’s strategy was to remind the painter of his position: he is just a servant, a new version of chapter 52. Remember that Kim’s intention from the start of the second season was always to diminish the artist’s status: he is just a temporally favored servant, nothing more. Striking is that the domestic never says that the lord gave him the order to bring the painter. He uses here a passive sentence “you are to attend to him” which is important. That way, the servant can hide the identity of the person who requested this. And since the lord was looking at the intruder in a rather cold way, I believe that he didn’t expect Baek Na-Kyum.
However, when the door was closed loudly, the lord must have realized that this must have been Kim’s action. The lord didn’t mind, for it looked like the butler was helping him to improve his relationship with the painter. This interpretation was also confirmed in season 3. Yoon Seungho showed no desire to investigate the matter of “Jung In-Hun” or Deok-Jae’s death, for he was too much focusing on his lover. He kept saying that this was not of his concern.
(chapter 98) However, he was totally wrong here. That’s the reason why the abduction could even take place. Because of the last incident, the main lead is forced to recognize that he needs to investigate the matter, as everything or everyone can affect his life. This is important, because that’s the only way for Yoon Seungho to recognize the butler’s wrongdoings. He encouraged him not to pay attention on others so that he wouldn’t detect his wrongdoings. Thanks this rule, Kim could live freely. 
(chapter 70) Under this new light, it becomes understandable why Kim decided to betray his master and rekindle with Yoon Chang-Hyeon. The punishment was the signal for the valet to switch the alliance.
(chapter 102) From that moment on, the light had now reached the mind. He could drop his self-loathing finally which was the foundation of Kim’s principle. It was okay to cry. These were tears of happiness and relief… He had been able to rescue his lover. This means that Yoon Seungho did everything what the butler rejects: the embrace as a way to console and apologize and the tears as a sign of regret and happiness. But why does the valet abhor them? It is because he could never admit his own mistakes and as such he could never beg for forgiveness.
(doctor Frost, chapter 211)
(chapter 50) Here, the butler never cried, he just showed pity and sympathy towards Baek Na-Kyum, however he was not speaking from the heart.
). Optimism is a choice (chapter 68/69: the lord recognized that he still had some chance, though he was very scared). Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice (chapter 69
This would announce the butler’s complete loss of power. At the same time, it would signify that the lord is showing that he trusts Baek Na-Kyum and is using his hair to woo the painter. And this could definitely correspond to the master’s attitude: his will to open up. Simultaneously, he could express the following wish: he would like to comb his lover’s hair himself encouraging him to have a topknot.
He is not only playful, but also flirtatious. Note how he puts the headband on the main lead giving him a seductive allure.
At the same time, he acts like an innocent teenager who keeps asking questions: 
Yet, the topic is actually about sex, which contrasts so much to purity and innocence. It was, as if Yoon Seungho was behaving like a teenager discovering sexuality for the first time.
While talking, he can’t even help himself smiling. Striking is that his joke and words are used to woo the painter. He keeps getting closer and closer to Baek Na-Kyum, so that his head approaches the painter’s, before his hand starts touching his leg.
As you can detect, the scene in episode 16 is a combination of seduction and frivolity. He is so happy to be by the painter’s side, hence he is talkative. He desires to have a real conversation with the painter. On the other hand, since the topic of the conversation is revolving around sexuality, it explains why Yoon Seungho is tempting the painter. And we have a similar situation in chapter 70. Therefore there exist so many similarities between these two episodes, which I will now list:
(chapter 16) versus
(chapter 70)
(chapter 70)
and
(chapter 16) versus
the removal from his hand and
(chapter 70)
(chapter 16) versus
(chapter 16)
(chapter 70)
And here, we can detect the first huge difference between these two episodes. Because the artist is no longer denying his homosexuality, and as such he has finally dropped the scholar’s doctrines, he is able to perceive the aristocrat’s true personality. He is indeed moved,
when he sees Yoon Seungho smiling after playing his prank. He blushes so much that he feels the need to hide his face,
, when he hears the main lead calling his sister a wench. He requests respect from the lord. He is confident in his words and behavior. He even gives further explications.
(chapter 26). Yet back then both were driven by negative emotions (anger and sadness) due to their wounds. However, this time it is different. They are both calm and very careful. The two are determined to treat each other with respect.
(Chapter 70) In other words, the bathroom is the place where the main leads can be honest to themselves, hence they are genuine to their counterpart. This is no coincidence that the painter was indeed touched, when he reminisced the lord cleaning him.
(chapter 59) In this place, there is no rule or social class separating them, they are equal. In the washroom, there’s only purity symbolized by water. I would conclude that they are truly naked physically and mentally. That’s why they can only be honest to themselves and in front of each other.
, when the painter retorts that he should mention her differently. His facial expression oozes naivety and shock. He didn’t pay attention to the idiom (“wench”), as all his thoughts were revolving about the painter’s happiness. He just desired to know if he had succeeded:
(chapter 66). The artist has no idea that Yoon Seungho is referring to the flashback.
(chapter 66) Nonetheless, due to his mistake, Baek Na-Kyum retrieves his hand. The reality is that Yoon Seungho was attempting to show his concern and his remorse. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong diction, thereby his thoughts were not expressed properly. Moreover, I would like the readers to keep in mind that the lord has never apologized before. First, as a noble, he was never asked to apologize to a commoner. Secondly, it is related to his own trauma. The main lead associates the apology
to fakeness and hypocrisy due to the butler, who keeps repeating these words
(chapter 25)
(Chapter 11) This explicates that he misjudged the painter’s apology in chapter 62. Moreover, exactly like in episode 11, the painter had selected silence over giving a proper explanation. As you can see, silence was another reason why the couple had such huge issues in the past. It generated doubts and increased insecurities. However, in chapter 70, silence is barely present.
(Chapter 70) Both are communicating verbally in all sincerity. In other words, this panel 

quoted from
I believe that for the first time, the low-born is able to detect a new side from the aristocrat. Imagine that the artist could not only make the noble laugh, but also smile. That’s why the painter can no longer reject the lord, as his fear is slowly disintegrating. Note that he doesn’t reject the kiss from the aristocrat.
, because the butler had warned the artist not to irritate the main lead. According to him, he was in a bad mood, which was untrue.
(Chapter 36) With this joke, he wanted to initiate a conversation, but unfortunately he saw the erection. Yet, the valet’s trick didn’t work completely either. Note that during that night, there was no sexual intercourse, just a fellatio. We shouldn’t forget that during that day, the painter was still feverish which the noble had noticed. So envision what would have happened, if the lord had engaged a second sex marathon. Therefore, I believe that in chapter 70, the valet is hoping that the noble will behave like the previous night
(chapter 38)
(chapter 50): caresses, embrace and kisses, the symbol of harmony, love and sincerity.
(chapter 47) by saying that he had just made a prank. But now, you will wonder where there was a prank in chapter 46, 56 and 66.
(Chapter 56) He knew that this would hurt the noble, yet note that he felt no remorse and blamed his childhood friend. However, like I pointed out, he was impersonating a person. If asked, the childhood friend would have used a similar excuse. That’s why Yoon Seungho answers in a quite similar way: he calls him “lord song”. However, he pushes him.
(chapter 66) , he implied with his words that Jihwa played just a prank, since the painter returned alive. Yoon Seungho shouldn’t just get angry, because it was just a joke. As you can observe, all the misdeeds are reduced to a joke. It was, as though they had done nothing wrong. However, the intention is definitely different: the perpetrators intended to hurt the protagonists. And this is not surprising that the chapter 36 contains both pranks: Kim drugged the painter against his will, while the joke from the noble was harmless. And in my opinion, the episode 70 contains both pranks as well. Kim was the one who sent the painter to the aristocrat. Why do I believe this? The reason is quite simple: the servant leading the painter to the bathroom is portrayed with no eye
(chapter 36). And remember that this chapter is a new version of chapter 36. In that episode, the valet was the one who brought the artist to the lord’s chamber. Moreover, the way the door is shut clearly exposes a certain violence.
(Chapter 70) Besides, the domestic is also urging the painter to join the bathroom. From my point of view, the domestic wants to make sure that the artist arrives, before the lord leaves the bathroom. Moreover, the lord’s expression in beginning is not quite welcoming
(chapter 34) in order to incite the latter to have sex with the commoner. Imagine, he had just regained consciousness, therefore this trick could have cost the artist’s life. And we shouldn’t forget, the butler witnessed the second sex marathon. He even viewed the flashback from the painter. Therefore in my opinion, the butler is hoping with his “prank” that the lord will act like the previous night. Furthermore, I would like to point out the presence of domestics in chapter 16 and 36. We have Deok-Jae who spied on the couple and manipulated the butler to open the door
[theory confirmed by the author herself]. Then during that evening (chapter 36-37), Kim tried to stop Yoon Seungwon from entering the room.
(Chapter 37) Hence this means, he was paying attention to what was happening in the bedchamber. What caught my attention are the following panels:
(chapter 69) Since Kim got caught disobeying his master, he needs to lie low. On the other hand, he needs to be updated. That’s why he is now using other servants as his spies. There’s no ambiguity that the servants, manipulated by the butler, must resent the low-born. He caused them another trouble. But the reality is that these tricks are no jokes but crimes. That’s why I feel that after the second abduction, there will be a purge among the staff. The ones who followed the butler’s instructions will definitely suffer.
(Chapter 69) 

caught my attention. Striking is that neither the noble nor the painter cared too much about that gesture. The artist was too shocked due to the huge scandal, and the main lead had the impression, he just wanted to taste the artist out of curiosity and interest. So there was no deep meaning in the caress, yet this gesture was witnessed by the scholar Jung In-Hun.
(Chapter 18) And this not only shocked him, but more importantly, it really made him jealous.
Imagine, he was upset, because the painter had been the recipient of a caress from the powerful noble. Yet, he didn’t feel repulsed, just displeased and resentful But if he was jealous, then it signifies that he desired to have received this mark of attention. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion, Jung In-Hun would have even accepted the noble’s advances, if it meant that he would get some benefit from it. And this interpretation is even confirmed, when you compare it with its reflection in chapter 35.
(Chapter 35) In other words, although the caress from Yoon Seungho was anodyne, his gentleness was genuine, whereas it is the opposite with the teacher’s stroke. Moreover, if you compare the vocabulary field, you’ll notice the contrast: duty/work versus entertainment. And although the low noble is aware that Baek Na-Kyum has been very ill, he just sends him back to his “work”. He makes sure that the artist doesn’t fall for the lord’s generosity. He should remember that this is just work, and not entertainment. Moreover, the teacher reminds the painter of his promise: he is his servant. As the manhwaphiles can detect, in chapter 19, Jung In-Hun was already jealous of the painter, because he was receiving the lord’s attention and affection. But this was just a caress, therefore envision how he must have felt, when he heard this from the painter:
(chapter 35) He must have realized that he was on the verge of losing the artist’s favors. That’s why he reminded the painter of his “loyalty” and “promise”. In chapter 35, Yoon Seungho was the one jealous, hence imagine the resent and jealousy Jung In-Hun must have felt in chapter 19. Yoon Seungho had even cut ties with another aristocrat due to the low-born. But unlike the scholar, Yoon Seungho’s jealousy was much more intensive to the point he would have killed the artist, if he had set a foot outside the mansion, though I doubt that he would have done it for real.
But why are these characters jealous?
(Chapter 19) In truth, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter. He wanted to be the one getting closer to the powerful aristocrat, and would do anything in exchange for his own interests. Simultaneously, he needed the artist to remain obedient and loyal, so that he wouldn’t become a rival. And now, if we examine the protagonist’s jealousy in chapter 35 with this definition, we recognize that it is related to the sex marathon. Yoon Seungho had envisaged that after that event, the painter had finally accepted him as his partner, and their relationship had changed. Besides, after his return, Baek Na-Kyum had been in his bed and had never reproached the sexual encounter leading to his illness. Therefore, he had envisaged that the commoner was slowly accepting him.
(Chapter 35) Moreover, he caresses his head
(chapter 35) after finally asking him about his interest. This scene made him realize that he needed to get to know Baek Na-Kyum better, and their relationship shouldn’t only be limited to sex. Hence he invited the painter to his bedchamber that night. In my opinion, he really hoped to initiate a conversation. That’s the reason why he was writing something, he hoped that Baek Na-Kyum would ask, but due to the aphrodisiac and the “warning” from Kim, the artist didn’t dare to speak. As a conclusion, we could say, Kim would have totally succeeded to ruin Yoon Seungho’s plan, if the brother hadn’t appeared that night. At the end, Baek Na-Kyum did earn the lord’s trust, he was able to sleep by the lord’s side.
(chapter 35)
Not only he is no longer listening to his parents, but also he becomes proactive. He gives his noona his own scarf, a sign that he is now old enough to take care of her.
(Chapter 69) He is no longer a child. In reality, this gesture has so much meaning. With this tender gesture, he desires to end the discussion. Notice that she keeps pressuring him
(chapter 68) and pushed her hand away, a huge shock for the kisaeng.
(Chapter 68) For her, the only explanation can be the negative influence of Yoon Seungho. And because she attempts to change the painter’s mind just before leaving, Baek Na-Kyum stops her by smiling. He is trying to reassure her that he is fine.
(Chapter 69) But she doesn’t trust her son’s judgement. She believes, she knows what is right for her son. Therefore, her last words exposes her true intentions. She won’t respect the artist’s choice.
(Chapter 69) She thinks of herself as her son’s savior, whereas in reality, she will jeopardize Baek Na-Kyum’s safety. There’s no doubt that she will be manipulated by Min and Kim. Due to his kind words, she has already judged him as a good man
(chapter 67), unaware that she is trusting a terrible servant who is determined to hurt her son. This reminds us of the chapter 35, where Jung In-Hun risked the painter’s life. I have to admit that after comparing the scene from episode 19 with 35, I had the impression that Jung In-Hun could have been demonstrating his affection in order to show off to the lord that the painter would only listen to him. Let’s not forget that in chapter 30, the teacher tried to sell off Baek Na-Kyum by telling Yoon Seungho that the artist would only obey to him. And in both cases, Jung In-Hun never recognized the real situation: he was putting his life in danger. And observe that we have many parallels in chapter 69 with chapter 30 as well. We have the painter’s intervention
(chapter 69), when he senses that Heena noona keeps challenging Yoon Seungho by refusing to recognize his benevolence and her wrongdoing. Here again, he speaks to the main lead in order to deescalate the situation. While in chapter 30, he feared the main lead,
(chapter 30) yet he desired to protect his learned sir, in episode 69 we have a reversed situation. The one menacing is the kisaeng, and not the lord. The latter steps back
, as he knows that he did something wrong to his lover. Baek Na-Kyum could have exposed his brutality. However, due to Yoon Seungho’s past action, Baek Na-Kyum has learned to fear the noble’s power and strength. Hence he intervenes, because he wishes to protect his noona.
(Chapter 69) Another similarity is the constant blushing of the painter, the lord’s action and words surprise him. Therefore there is this awkward moment, for both protagonists are trying to figure out the situation. The lord never expected a thank you from the low-born, especially after receiving such a mistreatment.
(chapter 69)
(chapter 69) He is not just affected by the main lead’s appearance, but also by his gestures. Baek Na-Kyum is finally able to see the kindness in Yoon Seungho. First, he did keep his promise to the artist. He restrained himself to punish the kisaeng. Secondly, he put himself the scarf around the low-born’s neck, which is quite extraordinary. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that Yoon Seungho is actually lowering himself by acting so, he prioritizes the commoner. This is not surprising that at the end, Baek Na-Kyum can’t help himself blushing.
(Chapter 69) Unlike in the past, Yoon Seungho is willing to trust the painter by his actions and words. Therefore he emphasizes this:
(Chapter 69) He notices the artist’s concern and attention towards his mother. This explicates why he allows the painter to follow the kisaeng to the front gate. However, as you can observe it, the painter is not realizing that the lord is paying attention to his facial expressions. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho is trying to make the painter smile, when he gives his consent.
(chapter 69) This explains why he asks him to follow his mother only to the front gate. That’s the limit of his trust. I would even add, he can’t bear Baek Na-Kyum out of sight. That’s how much he loves him. He needs to feel his presence close to him. And exactly like in chapter 35, the readers sense the importance of the door. While in episode 35, the gate was associated to life or death, now the door symbolizes trust. Within the building, he will put his faith in the artist’s words. Finally, we have another allusion to chapter 35: the reference to coldness.
(chapter 35)
And this parallel reinforces my perception about the valet. He is a hypocrite, because he incited the lord to go to the window, while claiming that it was cold. That’s why I perceive the chapter 69 as a good sign. Yoon Seungho is definitely willing to trust the painter. He let him make his own choice, and the moment Baek Na-Kyum expressed that he was not leaving the mansion
(chapter 69), the lord could only feel relieved. That’s why he had a softer gaze right after.
(Chapter 69) He was definitely happy that the commoner had chosen him. However, there’s still awkwardness between them, hence the noble can’t entirely trust him. And this lack of trust becomes a reality, when in chapter 80, the manhwaphiles witness that Yoon Seungho had threatened the kisaeng behind the painter’s back.
(Chapter 80) He had once again listened to the butler’s advice… How can I be so sure? It is because the real author of the threat was the butler and not the lord.
(chapter 69) Yoon Seungho will never order someone to eliminate a person. He will always use his own hands. We have many evidences for this: the hunt and the scenes with the sword.
(chapter 77) The young boy was looking at someone else. He would stop looking at him like that.
(chapter 57) The butler would lose his influence over the boy. Under this new light, you comprehend why he decided to betray father Yoon after the straw mat beating. The young boy was rejecting him and despising him.
(chapter 77) Yoon Seungho’s gaze was telling all his emotions and thoughts. That’s the reason why the butler isolated his master for so many years. And note that in chapter 69, he projected his own thoughts onto the painter again. Since the butler has always backstabbed, betrayed and abandoned Yoon Seungho, he imagined that the artist would have a change of heart too… like Kim always did in the past. Naturally, this is the negative version of a change of heart: not compassion and remorse, but resent and jealousy!!
(chapter 77) If the painter leaves the mansion, the butler will make sure to portray the painter in a negative light. But there’s one thing that Kim overlooked: Yoon Seungho’s ability to learn!! Remember that jealousy is there to make the partner realize that he needs to improve his behavior. Since he mistrusted the painter’s choice, he realized later that he needed to earn the artist’s trust first. Therefore he made the following promises:
(chapter 75) must have been an eye-opener for the wealthy aristocrat as well. How can he expect “loyalty and trust” from Baek Na-Kyum, if he is himself a fickle man by nature? With such words, the artist encouraged the lord to stop wavering and doubting his lover. He needed to show his love and trust first, before expecting it right away from the low-born. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho started courting Baek Na-Kyum. He needed to show his trust and love in order to obtain it. And in chapter 80, he finally succeeded it. Therefore the bride’s abduction is doomed to failure. Kim won’t be able to achieve his goal. However, there’s one thing that this incident will make the lord recognize that he trusted the wrong person. He should never have listened to the butler’s advice and threatened the kisaeng, because this meant that he was mistrusting his lover! 
(chapter 50) I tried to find answers by speculating. However, my assumptions were totally wrong due to the lack of information. Only time and new chapters helped me to understand the story much better. Thereby I could better anticipate its progression, and comprehend the reasons for the characters’ actions. Due to the constant examination, I made the following observations:
(chapter 55).
(chapter 16) Here, he was wondering how the painter was able to create the painting, while he didn’t seem to look at them the whole time. What caught my attention are two elements:
(chapter 49) The painter expressed his thoughts: he only saw the noble as a sex toy, the main lead was the one who should give pleasure to Baek Na-Kyum. Yet despite the hurt, Yoon Seungho was willing to accept this situation. They would no longer exchange their thoughts and emotions. He was already lowering his expectations. At the same time, he couldn’t help caring for the low-born. He caressed his cheek and kissed him gently at the end.
(chapter 50) And this scene reminded me of the main lead running to the scholar’s room in chapter 28/29
, after witnessing the artist’s desertion. There was a time jump as well. Therefore I came to the conclusion that the night in chapter 48-49-50 has the same importance than the night with the forced sex and fellatio. This explicates why the lord has a sword again. Back then, he took the weapon due to his jealousy, hence we can definitely conclude that he is angered again due to the return of his jealousy. So chapter 50 was not only a reflection of the episode 16, but also of the episode 28-29.
(chapter 50) What had triggered his fury and jealousy?
(chapter 21). The paper in the book is very similar to the poem in chapter 4. Remember the theory I exposed in the essay “hypotheses about the second season”: Yoon Seungho had not returned the original poem, but given the artist his own poetry. So if he didn’t give back the scholar’s poem, then what did he do with it? I doubt that he would have kept it, hence I deduce that he must have asked his assistant to throw it away, exactly like the painter in chapter 44. However, Kim must have read it and kept it, well aware that this could be of use later. From my point of view, the butler must have entrusted it to the teacher with the hope that he would leave the mansion. And I can imagine that when Jung In-Hun left his room, he didn’t take it with him. That’s why it ended up again in the butler’s hand. However, if the lord discovered that the poem had not be thrown away, he would have realized that Kim had disobeyed him. That’s why I came to rule out the first possibility.
, the readers should expect that this picture will be used twice during the second season. Because I already exposed that Heena noona recognized the painter’s presence due to the inauguration painting
(chapter 65), it is definitely possible that Kim planted the picture in such a way that Yoon Seungho’s jealousy would get triggered, a new version of the panel from episode 41. Let’s not forget that the aristocrat was not present, when Baek Na-Kyum decided to discard the drawing. Kim was quite clever with this move. As he knew that the noble had now just a purely physical relationship, he could only get infuriated, when he saw the picture. He had already sensed the painter’s admiration in the drawing: the image oozes pure adoration and spiritual admiration, something Yoon Seungho has always been longing. Hence the noble could only get wounded with this terrible experience. I can imagine that Kim could have praised the picture in front of his master (a new version of chapter 44
), then added that Baek Na-Kyum had trusted him with the picture to give to Jung In-Hun. Kim hoped with this intervention not only to separate the couple, but even to have the painter killed by the main lead, a new version of chapter 35.
But what he didn’t expect is that the noble would rush to the teacher’s room, and not to the study. However, his delay could be explained differently. He had been busy giving the sentence to Deok-Jae, the straw mat beating. And this leads me to the following observation: denunciation. In chapter 28, Deok-Jae covered up for Kim’s betrayal, for he hoped that Kim would come to protect him.
(chapter 51) The man believed the butler, because he had not covered up for him about the prank with the spoiled rice. Finally, I discovered that this expression “how strange” was used by someone else:
(chapter 37) It was the fake servant who had mentioned the purge! This means that someone had betrayed the Yoons, tattled on them! At the same time, the words from the old bearded man implied that the patriarch Yoon had been the denunciator. Thus he could expect the purge.
(Chapter 37) As a conclusion, the expression “how strange” is connected to denunciation and deception! I have two other evidences for this interpretation. Jihwa had also spoken like that, when he had heard from the amateur spy that his master had a change of heart! Here again, we have spying activities and denunciation.
(chapter 13) Finally, observe that in season 3, Baek Na-Kyum is portrayed and stigmatized as a traitor.
(chapter 91) The maid’s statement (“I’m surprised…”) truly exposes that the painter had such a reputation among the staff. The so-called treacherous nature of the painter served as a justification for Kim’s punishment. The butler’s kindness had been used against him. He had been sentenced to the straw mat beating, because he had allowed the noona to enter the mansion for the painter’s sake! In that scene, the maids had been tasked to leak a certain information to the couple: the existence of the kisaeng’s letters. That way, the painter could accuse his lover of his deception. He had kept away the letters from his noonas. However, the separation didn’t take place, because the painter didn’t hear the comment from the maid. He was no spy!
(chapter 91) But Yoon Seungho is one, for he is the surrogate son of the butler… who listens to conversations in the shadow!
(chapter 77) His presence was undetected in the courtyard, until Bongyong wounded the painter. Here, he came out of the shadow!
(chapter 78)
(chapter 50) That way, he could separate the couple. Due to their last sex session, he had discovered that the protagonists were getting closer to each other. He made sure to utilize Yoon Seungho’s hatred for prostitution. And keep in mind observations with the comment “How strange…”: we had spying, deception, contradiction and denunciation. The spiritual love stands in opposition to prostitution.
, whereas the butler didn’t consider him as a servant in chapter 23
, another evidence for the valet’s hypocrisy. 