This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter  But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes.

In this essay, I’ll examine the issues and preoccupations the learned sir has during his stay at Yoon Seungho’s mansion. Yet before starting with the topic, it is important to remember how the protagonist convinced him to accept his sponsorship. During the chapter 6, Yoon Seungho ensured to stroke the arrogant man’s ego by letting him believe that he was a talented man full of potentials. The powerful noble even faked his admiration for the poem discovered through the low-born Baek Na-Kyum. Because of these words, Jung In-Hun even came to the belief that the compliments coming from the main lead were genuine and the latter was not aware that the low noble had in fact plagiarized the poem from a famous author.

Therefore he couldn’t help himself smirking because his cheap trick was even able to impress a rich but frivolous aristocrat. At the end of their conversation, the latter even emphasized the importance of a wealthy and powerful support. Without any sponsorship, Jung In-Hun wouldn’t be able to advance his career.

These words are quite important because it outlines that intelligence and skills mean nothing compared to fortune and connection. So for the teacher, this means that as long as the aristocrat supports him, then he has nothing to fear. He doesn’t even need to use his “great character” and his “wisdom” because he has now the help of a rich backer who is on the other hand convinced of the low noble’s talents and intelligence. Besides, encouraged by the constant compliments, the low noble is even more persuaded that with his knowledge and brain he will be able to get a higher position. Since he has the aptitude and now a backer, he can only become successful. He is so blinded by his conceit that he doesn’t even grasp that he is walking into his own trap. The plagiarism truly reveals the teacher’s lack of knowledge and smartness, yet blinded by Yoon Seungho’s false admiration, he is convinced of his own brilliance, unaware that capacity is in reality more significant than a backer because of the exam. In other words, the words in the image above illustrates the power of Yoon Seungho’s manipulation. He is capable to deceive the teacher by making him believe that the sponsorship has more importance than skills.

Therefore the teacher fails to grasp that he is played by the so-called frivolous noble. For the teacher, there is no reason to refuse such a tempting offer. He thinks that the right time has finally arrived like he always dreamed of. Imagine what this scene represents to him. He has finally caught the attention of a strong backer through a trick and now he can to leave the shady place he was living in and live like a real noble. He can finally distinguish himself from the commoners he despises so much. Yet, he judges himself as smart enough to think that this proposition isn’t for free. So the offer sounds so good because the only request Yoon Seungho has is that the poor noble returns the favor, once he has become an official.

This is perfect for an upstart, however if you pay attention to the noble’s words, you’ll note that his words “some government post” are quite ambiguous. The main character’s dangling the low noble the idea that he’s going to get a high function as official, yet the expression “some” makes it sound like an empty promise because for that, he needs to pass the civil service examination. This is implied by the expression “when you begin working”. If the readers are on guard, they will note that at no moment Yoon Seungho promises the teacher that he will get him a position as official, he just says that he will support him because he has a bright future.

Notice that in all these pictures, Yoon Seungho never appears as subject displaying that in reality he is only supporting him financially and nothing more. Everything is revolving around the low noble: “when you begin”; “a scholar with a bright future”. In order to create the illusion that Jung In-Hun has nothing to lose with this offer, Seungho asks for a favor, the moment the low noble has become an important official. On the surface, it looks like the wealthy noble will become dependent of Jung In-Hun’s good will once in position, hence Jung In-Hun can not refuse. He is already anticipating that once an official, he can even use his function in order to get more advantages from Yoon Seungho. Moreover, this return of favor sounds so vague and distant that it looks like the teacher can act later as if he wasn’t bound by this promise.

There is no specific request expressed by the lord therefore this looks so promising for the low noble. The deal is in fact based on two empty promises. Yoon Seungho was never concrete with the support, he never said that he would give him a specific government post. The main character just insinuated to the counterpart that he considered himself not talented enough to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps.

While the one was downplaying his own brilliance, the other was so comforted in his delusion of his own brightness. This validates the judgement I made about our main lead: he is the master of deception. Jung In-Hun is more than willing to take the bait because on the surface, it looks like he has already won the lottery jackpot without doing anything. This outlines the teacher’s laziness since he never really worked hard in his life. He considered his job as teacher a diversion and we can clearly see how bad he was as a teacher. Baek Na-Kyum still can’t read. This reinforces his preconception that he doesn’t need to work hard in the future thanks to the wealthy noble’s help. As a conclusion, the tempting offer was just a bait and Jung In-Hun falls into the trap. He is already imaging himself living in luxury while being powerful.

Now, we need to analyse his arrival (chapter 7) at the mansion in order to understand how he could start having worries. Striking is that he arrives on his own following the loyal valet Kim. He is dressed simply, he actually wears the same robe than the day where Yoon Seungho visited him.

Like I mentioned in another analysis, he wants to maintain the image of a humble but poor scholar hoping that the lord would even give him new clothes. He has already anticipated that he has impressed Yoon Seungho so much that he can get any favor. When the valet announces his arrival to Yoon Seungho in the presence of Baek Na-Kyum, the powerful noble lies to the painter declaring that the teacher came to visit him personally.

This catches the artist by surprise because he never expected this. The seme knew the artist’s admiration for the low noble and decided to use for his own benefit. We are all well aware that he wants to pressure the painter to paint for him by using Jung In-Hun as a leverage, yet the main character is unaware that the teacher was the reason why Baek Na-Kyum quit his job so that he is putting the artist into a dilemma. Therefore this won’t work entirely like he had envisaged.

But why does the main character lie to the painter in the first place? In my opinion, I speculate that Yoon Seungho does this for two reasons. First he wants to humiliate the teacher by reminding him that he could only get his attention thanks to Baek Na-Kyum, a commoner, whom he despises so much. He likes making fun of people. The poem might have triggered something in the noble, yet it only happened because the artist had kept his poem. The second reason is that he can’t propose the deal to Baek Na-Kyum right away because the latter could refuse. He has already anticipated the low noble’s reactions towards the low-born. He would express his gratitude and tell him that he can now achieve his goal and advance in his career. In other words, the protagonist needed to set up a trap and the lie was the bait for the trap.

Due to his naivety, Baek Na-Kyum believes the deception quite easily hence he runs outside to meet his former teacher. He is so happy that the low noble decided to call on him and can’t restrain himself to ask for a confirmation.

The teacher can not tell the truth because this would expose the master’s lie. He can’t offend his benefactor. Striking is that his initial reaction reveals the contempt for the low-born. There is no mutual admiration and respect. The poor aristocrat abhors the idea of being touched by a commoner. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that his ego has been so amplified by the aristocrat’s fake praises the day before so that his arrogance and his disdain for low-borns has deeply increased. At the same time, he is reminded through the hard way that this is all thanks to the low-born that he could get such a good offer. So his self-pride takes a hit. Fact is that Yoon Seungho is toying with the poor aristocrat’s feelings. The other reason to send the painter first is to let the teacher know that Baek Na-Kyum is also favored. In the chapter 6, he just told him that the low-born was a servant, yet the artist comes from the mansion and the master only joins him after. So the order of appearance reflects that the artist is more than just a servant. Kim was the one who welcome him first. Baek Na-Kyum could even run without being criticized. The powerful protagonist is rubbing under the teacher’s nose that the commoner is also sponsored, just like him. The irony is that he, a noble, is put on the same than the commoner. Moreover, notice the noble’s gesture towards Baek Na-Kyum in the drawing above, it was as if the painter was pushed away and is already considered as a rival. His arrival represents a huge letdown for the upstart, he thought that he had already won the jackpot only to discover that he is not the only one sponsored. Furthermore, he observes that the master doesn’t follow him to the library but remains by the painter’s side. The loyal valet Kim is the one who leads him to his quarter and to the library. Right from the start, the teacher understands that Baek Na-Kyum is a hindrance for his own interest as he knows about the painter’s talent. If he remains at the mansion, then the other will be forced to work hard too. And he had thought, he just needed to rely on the noble’s generosity without working hard. However, he can’t expose his true thoughts right away, he needs to play the game, hence he stays courteous and even thanks the painter personally for the great opportunity.

Yet from my perspective his little speech to the painter must be infuriating for the low noble. He has to lower himself, to do lip service because he can’t offend the artist right away. This would mean like insulting the lord of the mansion. He has a competitor and it is all about to get to win the noble’s favor.

The first lie engenders another lie.

That’s how Baek Na-Kyum realizes the main character’s deception but can not expose him because this would hurt the teacher’s pride. The reality is that the artist never spoke about the learned sir so highly. Truth is that Yoon Seungho criticized the value of the poem and as such the author. The contradiction signalizes that he has been deceived by the lord. The low noble didn’t come for him but for his own career and benefit. Striking is that here Yoon Seungho is misleading the painter.

He offers a fake deal to the artist too, making him believe that the teacher needs a strong backer if he wants to realize his ambition and propel his progress. In other words, the protagonist is misleading both people. Admittedly he claims that he will help the low noble directly by giving him a post, yet the condition for the low noble’s promotion is his success at the civil service examination which the low-born is well aware of. However, the protagonist is deceiving the poor painter turning the low noble into a hard working man which is definitely not the case. He manipulates the painter to think that money and power are necessary in order to become successful. Sure, now the manipulative man has an access to a bigger library but no matter what he needs to work in order to achieve greatness. That’s why the painter accepts the deal. Furthermore thanks to this situation, he gets to meet his admired sir.

Now, it becomes quite clear why Jung In-Hun will worry and have issues. First, it looks like he has a rival who represents a thread to his own career because he knows that the painter is a hard worker. The second problem is that Jung In-Hun did believe in Yoon Seungho’s deceit:

1. Jung In-Hun is a talented and bright man
2. Wealth and connection matter more than skills

Therefore he really thinks that his success and fortune are guaranteed, if he gets rid of the competitor. That’s why in the chapter 10, the teacher meets the painter and convinces him to stop painting. He uses his dogma in order to appeal to the artist’s guilt. If he is able to persuade the artist one more time to give up on painting, then his problem is solved. The powerful noble will only focus on him and he can enjoy the privileges linked to the favoritism.

Pay attention that we never see the low noble appearing from the chapter 11 to 19. Why? Because the punishment served his cause. When the painter is submitted to the straw mat beating, his hands can get injured so that he can no longer paint. The scholar never showed any care for the low-born during that time as he thought that he had achieved his goal. For him, the painter had lost the noble’s favor. So the manhwaphiles have to envision him gloating over the artist’s misfortune. That’s why we see him admiring the mansion in the chapter 19. This scene illustrates that the low noble is already thinking that he has won the lord’s favor for good. I don’t think, he ever paid attention to the fact that the lord had personally stopped the straw mat beating or he even sent Kim to treat the wound. He is already too self-centered and too haughty. Moreover let’s not forget that he is literally too short-sighted (see my explanation in the analysis The significance of clothes, part 4).

The other important observation is that he is never shown at the library after the chapter 7. He walks in the courtyard, when he meets the painter in the chapter 10. In the chapter 19, we see him strolling through Yoon Seungho’s property full of jealousy and envy. He is not learning and preparing for the future exam because he envisions himself to have already succeeded. He is full of envy because he has the impression that he will get what the powerful noble has once he gets his function. He bought the master’s lie that he is enough talented to achieve greatness. This scene is quite important since it unveils the huge delusion the low noble has about himself. His laziness and his ego are the reasons why he could never become successful before, he was just too passive thinking that he was entitled to get admiration because of his title. The higher his spirits were, the harder the fall is.

While dreaming, he is confronted by reality so suddenly. The painter never lost the master’s favor, quite the opposite. In fact, Yoon Seungho is even willing to cut ties with another aristocrat because of him. This shows the real value Baek Na-Kyum has in the lord’s mind. Furthermore, the learned sir witnesses how Yoon Seungho even caresses the painter’s cheek while complimenting him. He discovers that the painter disobeyed his order and kept painting for Yoon Seungho. But for that, Baek Na-Kyum has to justify his disobedience. The low-born defends his action that he did it for the low noble’s sake.

Jung In-Hun can’t accept this argument for two reasons. First, this would be too much for the self-conceited man. He, as a noble, has to receive the help from a commoner. Secondly, this would mean that Yoon Seungho’s words were all lies which Jung In-Hun can’t really digest. He thought, he had fooled the man and here, he glimpses that he might have been the one manipulated. Consequently, he replies this: He implies that the painter earned the lord’s favor through immoral means (seduction, sex). He describes the artist as a man consumed by lust, whereas the former embodies honesty and purity. That way, he can reject the painter’s words. Based on his words, he is a honorable man, as he belongs to the nobility, while Baek Na-Kyum as a low-born is so perverted that he will do anything in order to get what he wants and to improve his situation. What the low noble is doing here is called projection. He is projecting his own mindset into the commoner’s. His criticism displays his true self: he is dishonest, lazy, corrupted and ruthless. Through his accusations, it becomes clear that for him and the readers, the end justifies the means. We already witnessed his scheming nature in the chapter 10. However, he failed and he is now attempting to put the blame on Baek Na-Kyum. He gained the lord’s benevolence through dishonesty and not hard work. Imagine the irony. Jung In-Hun wasn’t even working really hard until now which was shown in the beginning of the chapter 19.

But for the first time Baek Na-Kyum has to refute the learned sir’s accusations and that’s how the existence of the deal is unveiled. Due to his arrogance, the teacher can’t accept the truth. He doubts the words from the low-born. He is skilled and intelligent in his eyes hence he doesn’t need the help from a commoner. Therefore he pushes the painter away. He doesn’t want to be associated with such a person, he needs to think things through. Now, he has some doubt about the frivolous and uneducated Yoon Seungho. He might have discovered the plagiarism, fact is that he needs to confront the lord in order to show him his superiority, if necessary. Since he is a scholar, he has more knowledge and skills than the hell-raiser and sodomite noble.

To summarize: Until that moment in the chapter 19 the scholar had always believed he had won the jackpot with his plot and now, his dream to be able to grasp power and fortune seems to be in danger. If the noble knew right from the start that he had copied the poem, then he was never admired and favored. The proposition was fake and the sponsorship is actually limited in time because there is the civil service examination. Moreover, the lord never promised him that he would give him a high position directly. The learned sir starts worrying again. He thought that once the rival loses the lord’s privileges, he is safe and can enjoy the master’s favors. Now with the new revelation, he is uncertain. That’s why he needs to investigate the matter and wants to discern the noble’s personality and intentions during the hunt.

First, he observes the favoritism shown to Baek Na-Kyum by the master. The latter invited the low-born to the hunt and even prevents him from falling. So Jung In-Hun’s jealousy is growing and making him even more suspicious of the commoner’s words. He might have told the truth. Hence the moment the low noble hears praises about his hunting skills from Yoon Seungho, the scholar detects the sarcasm in his words for the first time.

Furthermore, the question from the master if he is preparing well for the exam increases his wariness. We have to understand that this is in fact a rhetorical question. The powerful aristocrat is well aware that the learned sir didn’t work hard during his stay at the mansion or he might have heard that the learned sir did some digging at the library. Remember that he witnessed the quarrel between the painter and his admired sir. So he has already figured out that the existence of the deal has been revealed to the low noble. That’s why he is no longer determined to keep his pretense.

Since Jung In-Hun is getting warier, he has to confirm the painter’s words. Therefore he needs to discover if the lord has already perceived his mischief, the plagiarism. The readers have to imagine that after the scholar heard about the existence of the deal, he had to find out if the book published by that famous Joseon poet was at the lord’s library. He must have discovered it there but he could never be 100% certain if the lord had ever opened the book. Therefore he has to know if the lord has ever read the poem he copied.

Note the MO of Jung In-Hun. Each time he wants to get something, he praises the person thinking that the counterpart won’t notice his lip service and the true purpose of the compliments. From my point of view, the chapter 22 emphasizes the scholar’s conceit. He still believes that he is a great manipulator and schemer in order to dig info.

But the main character is already 2 steps ahead of him that’s why he is entirely honest. He doesn’t hide the fact that he has already read all the books at his library. He has already perceived the intention behind this innocent question but he acts as if there is nothing wrong and keeps praising the scholar for his shooting practice. But this is too much for the low noble and he needs to confront the lord with the deal between him and the painter. By accusing Yoon Seungho of dishonesty, the learned sir wants to prove his purity but the master is no fool and shows him his pettiness and scheming nature. He tried to impress him with a plagiarism but he never fell for it. The scholar doesn’t want to admit defeat and implies that because of the bad rumor about his reputation, he is not skilled and talented enough to judge his true talents. He refuses to acknowledge that such an aristocrat can judge him so poorly. He needs to prove his superiority in front of the lord, his ego can’t accept to be damaged like that by such a ruffian. However, the lord forces him to kneel in front of him proving him his strength and supremacy. He is not only educated but also athletic. He is much more than what the rumors describe him. And now compare this scene to the one in the chapter 7.

Notice that Yoon Seungho is actually demonstrating that the scholar is not full of wisdom and character like in the chapter 7. He even predicts the opposite, he can never achieve greatness. I feel that these words could foreshadow the scholar’s future. Besides, it was as if he was crushing the learned sir’s dream. The latter is reminded that as a person sponsored by a powerful noble, he should be careful with his words and thoughts. He can’t act as if he was superior and he should know his place. Just due to Yoon Seungho’s bad reputation, the scholar shouldn’t look down on him. First, the low noble is humiliated with the forced kneeling. Secondly, his dream of getting a high position as official seems to be much further than before. Yoon Seungho never admired him for his brilliance, quite the opposite. So the teacher’s future has become really uncertain. Furthermore, what did he get from this deal? Nothing real in reality because for that he needs to succeed with the civil service examination. I detect that in this scene, the low noble gets aware of the precariousness of his situation.

That’s why he is so desperate in the chapter 24 and starts acting like a prostitute towards the painter. He needs the latter to spy on the strong noble in order to blackmail him. Little by little, he is giving up on his dogma “sodomy is dirty and filthy” since he perceives that in such a short time, he has to use extreme measures. From my point of view, this is not just a matter of pride and humiliation. There is this sudden realization that he has been manipulated by Yoon Seungho and that if he fails the exam, the noble’s sponsor could end anyway. For the first time, he gets aware that he has to rely on his skills but the problem is that he never really worked hard in the first place. He thought that Yoon Seungho would deliver everything to him on a silver plate. This truly demonstrates that Jung In-Hun has somehow grasped that he might not be so smart and talented like he imagined, especially after getting a wake up call from the protagonist. So if the scholar fails, then the seme can decide to stop sponsoring him. That’s why the learned sir needs to dig some dirty secret so that he can blackmail the lord. Once he has found some info, he is sure that he has some leverage and can still benefit some privileges from Yoon Seungho.

That’s why from the chapter 24 to 38, we can observe a certain change in Jung In-Hun’s behavior. Notice that the events occurring from the chapters 24 to 29 are all happening during the same night and the following day. He becomes really proactive and explores every possibility as he is running out of time. That displays how worried and insecure he is about his future. First, he starts acting like a pimp and a prostitute because now he needs the painter’s help. Furthermore he even asked for some info about the library

We witness him how he can’t fall asleep due to worries. The very next morning, he pays a visit to the craftsman and even gives him some money so that the latter can ask around. Let us not forget that the man doesn’t possess much money and this proves how desperate and worried he is. He needs to discover some dirty secret about Yoon Seungho at any mean and as soon as possible to force the main lead to support him. In the best case, he could use it later against the wealthy aristocrat. Besides, he can not just rely on the painter’s trust. He even believes that if he uses Baek Na-Kyum as his whore, then he will get some info. That’s why he attempts to sell off the artist to the infamous sodomite. He witnessed the rape hence he knows that the lord is interested in the artist. Nevertheless he thinks that Baek Na-Kyum is just a plaything for the lord. So by telling him (chapter 30) that the painter only obeys the scholar, he finally believes that he has found a way to gain the noble’s support for real. Yet, due the painter’s intervention, this deal falls through. What the short-sighted noble fails to realize is that he would have been killed. He hadn’t internalized the warning during the hunt, he should know his place and never act as if he was on the same level than Yoon Seungho. We can feel the urgency of the low noble, he needs to find some leverage in order to get some privileges. That’s the reason why he resents the painter so much. For him, it seems like the artist has it easy. He just needs to sleep with the lord and that’s it.

Then I would like to add that there is an explication why the low noble never showed any concern for the painter during his illness. Sure, now he had to learn for the examination hence we see him twice in company of books, in his chamber in the chapter 27 (see the picture above) and at the library in the chapter 40. Now, he has not much time left before the day of the civil service examination. However, I sense another explanation. The scholar actually expected and hoped for the artist’s death. For him, this was even better because there would have been no more competition. I sense that in his mind, with the disappearance of the painter, the lord might avert his attention to him. That’s why he resents the painter so much and lashes out to him in the chapter 40. He has to witness the accumulation of privileges, whereas he only gets free lodging and free access to the huge library. He has to pass an exam, while the artist has no constrain. But since Baek Na-Kyum has recovered, the scholar reminds him of his request. He needs to pry into the master’s life. During this scene we can even feel the urgency of the teacher because he walks towards the door while talking to Baek Na-Kyum. He needs to meet the washer in order to know if he had found something. The caress on the cheek before closing the door illustrates that Jung In-Hun even values more the info coming from the washer and informer than the painter. First, he is jealous of him and secondly, he has never been helpful before.

The time pressure and the worries of the scholar are more obvious in the chapter 38. He can’t even wait for the appearance of the painter.For the first time, he looks for the artist and even visits his chamber. He needs to know what transpired between the two brothers. Maybe he can get some juicy info. And let’s not forget that the day before, he was finally able to discover some elements from Yoon Seungho’s past but this was not enough to blackmail the powerful aristocrat. But here he has to hear two lies. The low-born refuses to divulge anything.

The artist’s lies confirm the scholar that Baek Na-Kyum was always more a hindrance and a thread to his own interest. Besides, he is just a low-born hence he can never be trusted. In other words, the learned sir leaves the room empty-handed. He couldn’t gather any important info or secret about the lord so that he could blackmail him.

Now, you can better understand why the scholar vents all his negative feelings on the painter in the chapter 40. He is not just jealous and envious. Imagine that he is asked by the painter if he will be responsible for him in the future. Yet the teacher is not even sure if he can succeed with the examination. He was put under pressure the whole time. He is so uncertain about his own future and now he needs to be responsible for a low-born. That’s quite daring and insulting for the scholar. Simultaneously he had to witness how the commoner, whom he considers inferior to him, was able to gain the favor of the lord. So he acts on the moment, he feels that his big dream has more or less escaped from his hands so he abandons the painter. What he fails to realize is that the moment he abandons the painter, he will never be able to gain anything from Yoon Seungho.

The irony is that at the end of the first season, Jung In-Hun believes that he can still use Baek Na-Kyum as his tool because he gets aware of the lord’s affection for the painter. Yet he has just cut ties with him. But for him, this was nothing important. He is not even aware of the consequences of his past behavior. What caught my attention is that we only see two flashbacks from the second character in the first season. Jung In-Hun’s first flashback happens in the chapter 7 and the second in the final chapter of the first season. Striking is that all the flashbacks are revolving around him. First, he is thinking about the proposed deal and in the chapter 44, he is recalling the protagonist’s behavior towards the painter because he is so jealous. He even comments that Yoon Seungho only talks about Baek Na-Kyum. The flashbacks indicates the lack of conscience and remorse, the egoism of the scholar. He can’t see beyond his own interest and horizon.

And now observe the parallels between the arrival and the departure of the scholar. First, the master is with the learned sir but he doesn’t follow him outside, whereas he welcome in the courtyard in the chapter 7. Now, there is no pretense and hypocrisy. The powerful master just sends him away with a servant. In the final chapter, we sense a certain despair in the scholar that’s why he asked the lord to accompany him to the capital. He wants him to pass the exam too so that he can be his companion or assistant, if the infamous hell-raiser succeeds. Notice that now Jung In-Hun is finally admitting that Yoon Seungho could be more smart than him. He even hopes that if the lord accompanies him, the scholar can attract the attention of other aristocrats and officials. However, the main lead refuses any suggestion from the teacher showing that the rich noble doesn’t care about him at all. Till the end, the low noble hopes that he can get some favor, yet he fails. Furthermore, he is warned that the officials might not be what the naive and scheming scholar imagines. Then when he is about to leave, he is reminded to take his leave from the artist. Nonetheless Jung In-Hun refuses to do so because he is just a low-born. So the scholar’s disdain for commoners from the chapter 7 is still intact, yet this time he doesn’t want to fake his admiration for the painter. He leaves without saying goodbye, although he realizes the master’s love for the artist. This outlines his arrogance and stupidity. He has the impression, he can still utilize the low-born, since the latter has always been loyal towards him despite the harsh beating and several betrayals. The scholar hasn’t comprehended yet that without biding goodbye and with his behavior at the library, Baek Na-Kyum can no longer be his tool in the long run. The moment he refused to assume responsibility for him, the painter is no longer obliged to listen to his requests. Jung In-Hun might come later to him asking for a request, and the low-born will reject him. He could even reply that as a prostitute, he has no power.

That’s why I believe that the scholar will have to find new ways in order to advance in his career because in the end, the offer proposed by Yoon Seungho, was just an empty promise. However, he had already dreamed that he would achieve greatness and he had to witness how everything he imagined fell apart.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoy reading it, retweet it or push the button like. Thanks for reading and the support.

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter ut be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. 

This time, I’m just going to make a list of all important elements I could dig up through my analyses so that when the second season starts, the readers can start interpreting on their own by using this handbook. Furthermore if you go through the list and pay attention to all the small details, then you’ll be able to savor each episode even more, since one chapter a week is not enough. They always seem to be too short, as Painter Of The Night is so addictive. So what did we discover? Based on my observations, I’ll give tips but at the same time develop theories for the second season.

1. The characters and their clothes

First, if there is a new character, it is important to observe his clothes and manners. We still have to see the face of Yoon Seungho’s father and his favorite color. Based on one cloth, it is not enough, furthermore the color is difficult to discern: grey or khaki. We discovered that Byeonduck is very particular about the colors and the kind of clothes her figures are wearing. We already know what yellow, orange, black, red, burgundy, pink, green and blue mean. The clothing can give us clues about the person’s true personality. Besides, we have to observe if the headband will resurface again or not and if yes, under which condition, though I doubt it. Furthermore, I was always able to associate the figures to animals (Baek Na-Kyum as a lamb, Yoon Seungho as eagle, Min as magpie/crow and snake, Jung In-Hun as a chameleon, a peacock and a snake, Jihwa as pheasant). Since we will see the younger brother and his father more often, we should try to find the fitting animals. We should do the same for any new character. It helps to discern the person more correctly.

2. The behavior of the characters and their interactions with others

We noticed Yoon Seungho’s passivity as recurrent behavior because even in the final episode, he continues smoking in front of the window at the end of the first season. His inaction was reflected in his refusal to meddle in politics as well therefore he refused to follow Jung In-Hun to the capital. However, I anticipate that Jung In-Hun’s “career”, his brother’s decision to take the civil service examination and the failed attempt of assassination on Baek Na-Kyum will provoke a change. He will be forced to take matters into his own hands. This means that at some point, we won’t view the protagonist smoking like before. My theory is that the lord will become Baek Na-Kyum’s teacher and he could become a real sponsor for the painter encouraging to paint something else too. As for Baek Na-Kyum, we could see a change in his behavior through his hands. First, he touched the main lead on the shoulder with his hand

on his own volition (chapter 16). Remember the protagonist’s reaction, when Jung In-Hun attempted to do the same, he would have been killed if the painter had not intervened hence the latter grabbed the noble’s hand to pledge allegiance. Then during the sex marathon, he brushed the man’s stomach.

Each time, the painter’s hand was used to stop or restrain the master. However, the level of intimacy kept growing. First, the robe separated the physical contact. Then it was just the hand where the uke’s skin could rub the noble’s skin. Finally, it was the aristocrat’s body. However, in the chapter 42,

the artist finally grabs the master’s hand to put it on his stomach in order to encourage the lord to thrust even harder. In other words, while the level of intimacy increased all along, the nature of the gesture has changed. He is taking the initiative, encouraging more intimacy and physical contact. Will the painter take the initiative again at some point? I believe so, then we could compare this scene to the one from the chapter 41-42, where he perceived himself as a prostitute and observe the progression. This will reflect how the painter’s feelings for the master have deepened.

I have to say that their positions during their sexual encounters always reflected the nature of their relationship. When it was from behind, sex mattered more than love or feelings, however during their last sexual encounter, they are facing each other indicating that they have come closer. This represents the climax of their relationship: But here, the noble is taking the initiative again, attempting to show his feelings for the painter.

Concerning Jung In-Hun, I also observed homosexuality had entered his world. First he acted like a pimp and a whore at the same time. Striking is that he not only leads the painter to return to the mansion and as such allows him to become a sodomite officially, but also passes through the door himself. So does this mean that this door marks a turning point in Jung In-Hun’s life as well? Will the readers see him selling himself to an official for his own interests? I am inclined to believe so. Therefore pay attention to his gestures and his “lip service”. Will we see another progression where the teacher’s first sexual encounter symbolizes the climax of this evolution?

Then the readers should pay attention to the behavior of the servants. Will their relationship to the painter improve? We saw that thanks to the lord’s intervention, the domestics stopped gossiping about the artist and their master. Baek Na-Kyum could play a huge role as mediator so that the relationship between Yoon Seungho and the other servants improves. They finally accept him as their true master. Before they showed no respect and loyalty towards their lord (gossiping, the opening of the door of his bedroom, the expressed criticism from the maid in front of his loyal valet). Right now, they just fear him hence they are no longer talking about him behind his back.

3. The locations and their meaning

The locations play a huge role. I pointed out that Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho always had consensual intercourse in Baek Na-Kyum’s chamber. The first time, both had the impression that it was like a dream had come true. The second time the painter was finally admitting his true sexual orientation but perceived himself as a prostitute. When they have sex again, where does it take place? In his chamber or in the master’s room? I am inclined to think that it will be in the commoner’s chamber. On the other hand, we know that Yoon Seungho would like to share his bed with the painter permanently, hence the appearance of the yellow and red bed is an indicator to see if their relationship has improved or not. My theory is that the place will change… at some point, the artist will be willing to do it in the master’s chamber. Besides, I am expecting that they will share a bed together again. Nevertheless, their position will be different. The climax would be that Yoon Seungho lays under the cover just like the painter so that there is no longer a master-servant relationship. In the picture above, there is still a gap between our protagonists. Consequently the cover as wall will disappear. Strictly speaking, look at the position of the cover.

Then the library became a terrible place for the artist who not only had to hear harsh words but also was abandoned there. I can imagine that the artist won’t connect this place with good memories. Besides, he was beaten and brainwashed in a similar place by the low noble Jung In-Hun hence I am quite sure that the low-born doesn’t connect books with good memories. This would explain why he dropped his lessons. However, I have already anticipated that Yoon Seungho will be the one who teaches the low-born how to read and write. So where will this happen? At the library or somewhere else?

The pavilion was important, because this is the location where Yoon Seungho liberated himself from his self-hatred and accepted his sexual orientation. There he saw himself in a different light that’s the reason why he asked the artist to meet him there after the hunt. Therefore the pavilion is linked to a bad memory for Baek Na-Kyum. Will this place appear again and have another symbolic meaning? I have the feeling that the pavilion could become the place where the master will teach the commoner. This would erase the event of the rape but at the same time, become the location of Baek Na-Kyum’s emancipation, just like it occurred to Yoon Seungho. The pavilion could symbolize the protagonists’ liberation in the end. And this would also help the servants to perceive their lord differently and even accept his relationship with the low-born. They would no longer judge him as a sodomite but as an open-minded and caring lord. Remember that he is a supporter for the education of commoners (chapter 6). This could be what he defends later, when he has to go to the capital…

Finally, we have to pay attention to the door and the window too because they are deeply connected to our main characters.

4. The drawings

Then the readers should analyze the images as they are quite important. Why do we see only Seungho’s mouth? If such a drawing appears more often, this indicates the opening up of our beloved seme. He is exteriorizing more and more his thoughts and feelings towards the artist. It is the same when Byeonduck focuses on the hand or Seungho’s gaze. What is the purpose of such images? By each zoom, the “manhwaphiles” should try to think about the meaning.

Then the “manhwaworms” have to pay attention to the chronology of the pictures. I can mention an example from the first season as illustration. At the tailor shop, we have the following sequence:

The author wanted to let the bibliophiles recognize the jealousy of the main lead. He doesn’t say anything but the zoom on the hand represented the lord’s vision. Hence for the second season, we have to question the chronology. Why is there a zoom on the hand in this moment? How about the gaze? Or will the focus on Baek Na-Kyum’s hand reveal another progression, like f. ex. he finally caresses the lord’s face or chest? So far, we never saw him caressing his face or his arms with such a tenderness, while we could observe the main lead kissing the low-born tenderly twice.

Let us not forget that Byeonduck paid attention to the perspective. That’s why we become a sort of voyeur in the chapter 28. We sometimes had the impression we had entered the character’s mind and were witnessing things through the character’s eyes. I could name the fellatio as example. Here we can understand the seme’s fascination for the painter’s gaze. He saw the acceptance in his eyes. But we also entered Jihwa’s mind too.

This is what Jihwa sees when he is awakened by his servant. This outlines how low Jihwa has become. The domestic has to look down on his master. The red-haired man is no longer acting like a noble, he is just a wreck and this could be another foreshadowing for Jihwa’s tragic outcome, the loss of his title as noble.

The use of flashbacks was also relevant. It indicated for example Seungho’s pangs of conscience and Baek Na-Kyum’s repressed memories (the physical abuse) and sexual desires. The painter’s flashback in the chapter 40 mirrored the progression of his critical thinking and the increasing influence of Yoon Seungho. Here, he did listen to the lord’s remark and questions.

Byeonduck uses colors like pink to show the sexual desires and phantasms. Will we see it again and what does it mean?

5. The presence of the mirror

In the first season, the mirror had different functions. It served to reveal Jihwa’s personality (his vanity, superficiality), to foreshadow the future of our protagonists or reflect the painter’s natural desires or to liberate the uke from the coercive persuasion done by the vicious teacher.

Remember that I described the lord as someone who feared people’s gaze until he saw the artist’s first painting. However, we never saw the noble looking at his own image in the mirror alone. Even during the sex marathon, he could only see his gaze but the uke was in the middle, as if he was used as a shield. It would be interesting to witness this because this would mean that Seungho is finally able to accept his own identity and he no longer needs to perceive his own reflection in the painter’s gaze, he is longing for love and acceptance there.

Notice that till the end, the master is looking at the painter’s eyes. Sure, he would like to recognize the satisfaction and desire in the painter’s gaze, yet I feel that our aristocrat is still looking at his own reflection in the artist’s eyes. It is important for him to see acceptance and love in the partner’s gaze.

6. Baek Na-Kyum’s paintings

They revealed a lot about the low-born’s state of mind and his relationship with the lord. The last drawings we saw in the chapter 41 revealed that there was no deep feelings for the lord, he only painted automatically, like a machine. They were not detail-oriented, especially the artist’s facial expressions were still missing. So we have to pay attention to his future creations. They will serve as an indicator of his feelings for the lord. Simultaneously, the drawings will reflect an improvement in his self-esteem. So far, Baek Na-Kyum has a low self-esteem created by the teacher. That’s why there is no facial expression on his face and he stands far away from Jung In-Hun in the painting of his inauguration. His erotic paintings should ooze love and warmth as time passes on and maybe the artist will be encouraged by Seungho to draw something else. In other words, the readers should look carefully to the future paintings.

7. The language and names

The manhwaphiles should pay attention to the choice of words of the characters, especially concerning Jung In-Hun and Yoon Seungho. Although both are masters of deception, the powerful noble distinguishes himself from the low noble by his expertise, when it comes to words. He can be sarcastic (chapter 6/37) but behind the irony, we can detect his true thoughts. Through his ironical remarks, we might even discover more clues about his traumatic past. Moreover he often uses metaphors, like when he compares Min to a mouse and in the final chapter he spoke about “lip service” which was quite ambiguous. He loves teasing the painter. Savor the noble’s intelligence, sarcasm and his jokes.

Besides, remember how Baek Na-Kyum is called by the other characters: a charlatan, an ill-bred curs, a vermin, etc. Only the main lead called him in a positive way, either “Na-Kyum” or “boy” (chapter 31). Even there he didn’t insult the low-born despite his jealousy and anger.

The manhwaworms have to pay attention to the way the lord addresses to our painter. This will reflect if their relationship has progressed. It is the same for the artist. Till the end, he calls Yoon Seungho “my lord”, even when he moans. It would be really great to witness how the lord asks Baek Na-Kyum to call him by his name or a “nickname”. At some point, I had even envisaged that Baek Na-Kyum would call him “learned sir”, yet I have some doubt about it because it would be a constant reminder of the former teacher. Calling him by a nickname or his name would represent another step in the transformation of their relationship. They would no longer be master and servant.

I hope, I didn’t forget anything. If I did, then you are more than welcome to point out the missing elements so that I have to update the manual. I hope that my readers and followers will appreciate this manual and help them to have a better understanding of the story. Just like the main lead, I am encouraging my readers to critical thinking. Remember that Yoon Seungho triggered the painter’s critical thinking through questions, he never told him what to think.

As you can observe, I’m still acting like a teacher, even if I am writing these analyses. That’s why I described myself on twitter “teacher till the end”.

Feel free to comment or to give any suggestion for an analysis (topic, manhwas). If you enjoyed reading it, either retweet it or push the button “like” so that this writing doesn’t become pointless. My twitter/tumblr/instagram account is @bebebisous33. Thanks for the support.

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. 

For the meaning of colors, I chose three different websites: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/ and https://www.colormatters.com/the-meanings-of-colors/ https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-orange/

This essay doesn’t represent the final part of the analysis about the clothes as I had initially anticipated it. In the first and second part, I examined the clothes of the following characters: Yoon Seung-Won, Min, Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum. Now, we have only two figures left: Jihwa and Jung In-Hun. However, I can only focus on Jihwa in this analysis because there is so much to explain.

I have already noticed that the analyses concerning Jung In-Hun and Jihwa are not so often read compared to the ones about Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum. However, it is important to pay attention to the second characters because their actions and words have a huge impact on the main characters and as such on the evolution of the story. We can better understand the motivation behind their behavior and even anticipate their move.

Let’s start with Jihwa’s clothes. If you look at all the clothes Jihwa is wearing during the first season, (chapter 3) (chapter 5) (chapter 12) (chapter 12) (chapter 18) (chapter 21) (chapter 36) (chapter 41)

you’ll note 4 observations.

1. He definitely prefers wearing an exterior robe with short sleeves, although he sometimes puts on the same type of robe than Yoon Seungho, robes with long sleeves (chapter 12 and 41). I had already mentioned that the people wearing such clothes were more superficial and vain (see essay about the significance of clothes, part 1).
2. Striking is that this character is only seen one time with his interior clothes. It was as if his true nature was unveiled here. Without his clothes, he is just an immature and spoiled child, while he acts as if he was reasonable and quite open-minded in front of his childhood friend with his apparel on.
3. The third remark is that he possesses a lot of different robes unlike the noble Min or his friend with the mole. And this leads me to the conclusion that Jihwa pays a lot of attention to his appearance which confirms the character’s vanity and superficiality.
4. Finally, what catches the beholder’s eye is the recurrence of the colors. His favorite colors are yellow and orange and even a combination of both like in the chapter 12 (yellow mustard) or 43. Therefore I need to focus on these two colors.

Nevertheless before starting with the colors, it is important to explain why Jihwa chose to wear a robe with long sleeves as they represent an exception. In my opinion, in the first case (chapter 12), he didn’t feel the need to attract attention and admiration because he had already succeeded with his plot. He was so happy that he didn’t pay attention to his image. However, he is still wearing his topknot therefore he is demonstrating his power to others: he is a noble. This is totally different in the chapter 36. Here, he was so devastated that he felt the need to look good in order not to fall into depression. He is trying to keep a certain appearance and maintain his image. But as time passed on, his sorrow was so big that at the end, he no longer paid attention to his apparel. Notice that this time, he has loose hair. He is actually clothed and acting like a rich commoner. Hence we can conclude that his image helped him to bear the pain of the end of their friendship, yet at some point it didn’t work any longer.

But now let’s go back to the colors. This is what I found about the color yellow:

Positive keywords include: optimism, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, fun, good-humored, confidence, originality, creativity, challenging, academic and analytical, wisdom and logic. (I underlined all the characteristics visible in this fictive person which I elucidate below)

If we look at Jihwa’s behavior, like for example in the chapter 12

, the reader often sees the red-haired noble laughing and smiling so that we can definitely say that he is cheerful and good-humored. He likes wearing different clothes, drinking, having sex with Yoon Seungho and he even buys erotic books hence all this reminds me of an epicurean, someone appreciating life and its pleasures which is also linked to yellow. He can be sometimes analytical for he observed his childhood friend’s gaze and behavior in the chapter 14/15 and remembered his friend’s words.

Negative keywords for yellow include: being critical and judgmental, being overly analytical, being impatient and impulsive, being egotistical, pessimistic, an inferiority complex, spiteful, cowardly, deceitful, non-emotional and lacking compassion.

On the other hand, the readers often sees his jealousy, his cowardice, his deception. Let us not forget that in the chapter 5, Jihwa is already showing some signs of annoyance and envy, when he meets the painter leaving the master’s room. He fears that the painter might become the protagonist’s new sex partner because his chamber is next to the master’s. He shows a certain creativity, when he plays a trick on Baek Na-Kyum by ruining the second painting. Simultaneously, this action revealed a negative side of Jihwa, he acted like a coward. I can even add that his cowardice is even confirmed, the moment he visits the artist’s room a second time without his friend’s knowledge. He never wanted Yoon Seungho to discover his presence. However, he can’t restrain himself when he sees the painting with the masturbation and slaps the poor painter. He is just too emotional that he admits his crime in front of the painter and his friend. His impulsivity and his jealousy were the reasons why he got caught in the end.

Now, let me explicate why this bright color has so many negative features. While in Asia, yellow is mostly associated to positive aspects, it is a little different in Europe. During the Middle-Age, this color was used in order to portray Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus-Christ, hence yellow is related to betrayal and cowardice. That’s the reason why Jews or treacherous knights had to wear a yellow sign during the Middle-Age.

Lurking in the background is the dark side of yellow: cowardice, betrayal, egoism, and madness. Furthermore, yellow is the color of caution and physical illness (jaundice, malaria, and pestilence). 

This justifies why in French (yellow=jaune) and in English there exist many negative expressions with yellow: “rire jaune” (two-faced laugh) or “jaune cocu” (cuckold yellow) or “yellow belly” (coward). Therefore yellow represents deception, betrayal, adultery, arrogance, vanity and jealousy. In other words, this color is often connected to danger and bad behavior. Now, you are no longer surprised why Jihwa is often see with yellow clothes as this color does truly reflect his personality.

Jihwa betrays his childhood friend three times. Besides, he keeps deceiving Yoon Seungho with his smiles and laughs as he is not sincere with him. The irony is that the latter is aware of his friend’s acting which explains why he can never fall for Jihwa. From my perspective, Yoon Seungho explicates his friend’s dishonesty as the typical behavior among the nobility hence he can never perceive Jihwa’s love. The latter can’t confess his love for him, too afraid of getting rejected… and here again a coward.

Furthermore he still believes that since they have known each other for so long, the protagonist will fall in love with him at some point due to his beautiful face and body. It is just a matter of time. Besides, Yoon Seungho is his only sexual partner hence the red-haired aristocrat hopes that his friend will notice this singularity. What Jihwa fails to recognize is that the main lead loves simplicity and naturalness which is reflected in his clothing, whereas the red-haired friend prefers showing off, also visible in his apparel. He is too self-absorbed to recognize his friend’s true personality and longing. That’s why he is seen looking at his reflection twice and especially, this picture reminds me of the myth of Narcissus who looked at his own image until his death. Here, Jihwa believes in the strength of his beauty. He can’t envisage that his friend is immune to his handsome face. Striking is that we have yellow and orange dominating in this drawing as if it was signalizing a danger, a bad omen for our second character.

But if you read again the negative and positive associations of yellow, you’ll note two aspects that seem to contradict each other: “optimist” and “pessimist”. However, there is no contradiction in reality because the beholder can observe these two features in Jihwa. The closer he believes to achieve his goal (becoming Seungho’s official lover), the more enthusiastic and optimist he is.

Since he was successful with his trick, he laughs very loudly at the inn. However, the moment the main character decides to cut ties with Jihwa because of his deception, the more depressed he becomes. That’s why he is seen at the same tavern drinking his sorrow. He can’t stop crying. He is also very depressed and pessimist.

This explicates why Min could manipulate the noble so easily. The latter switches from one mood to the other very quickly. The higher his spirits are, the harder the fall. Therefore he is weeping so much in the chapter 43.

He thought that he could reconnect with Yoon Seungho hence he put a very expensive robe with cranes on it. He thought that this would increase his chance to seduce the alpha. Striking is that cranes have a special meaning.

In many cultures cranes symbolize happiness, honor, longevity, and good fortune. In some areas they are even said to be mystical, magical, or holy creatures. Strictly speaking, the crane is a sign of good luck. And this is exactly how Jihwa perceives himself. He thought that if he could approach Seungho again, then he would bring him good fortune. Besides, he imagined that with such a robe, Seungho in his despair would recognize Jihwa as his only true friend, as the one who brings him comfort and as such good fortune. By choosing such a pattern on his clothes, he reveals his arrogance and vanity. In fact, Jihwa is not a crane but a pheasant that is about to get killed (chapter 41). So the choice of the robe for that fateful evening is no coincidence. He is over-estimating his beauty and he truly doesn’t understand his childhood friend due to his egoism and superficiality.

Another negative aspect of yellow is lack of empathy. His lack of compassion is visible on different occasions. He treats Baek Na-Kyum like a servant, hence he opens his clothes without asking. Then he insults him and he even shows no remorse for the unjust punishment (straw mat beating). He even laughs about it, not caring about the damage. For him, the painter is just a commoner hence he can do anything he wants. He has such a misconception about commoners, he is very prejudiced and judgmental. For him, all the low-born are uneducated, greedy and selfish. They would do anything in order to change their life and social status. Yet he he is totally wrong as he is generalizing. In reality, he just projects his own thoughts into Baek Na-Kyum. His entitlement leads him to believe that he can even mistreat any commoner, any servant. He is as ruthless and brutal as Yoon Seungho. Jihwa justifies every action. It is always for his friends’ best interest (revenge/Saving Seungho’s reputation), whereas in fact, it is for his own benefit. He is selfish but still shows a certain lack of confidence because he tries to get rid of a rival through tricks. As you can detect, he is a mixture of arrogance and lack of confidence. He uses others in order to hurt his rival (Seungho in the first case and the hired assassin in the second case). This is just another act of cowardice. Fact is that he feels threatened by the painter, he senses that his friend is attracted by the low-born.

As a first conclusion, we could already perceive that many attributes to yellow are indeed reflected in Jihwa’s personality like arrogance, deception, betrayal, cheerfulness, creativity, confidence, cowardice, lack of empathy, jealousy and judgmental.

Since Jihwa possesses orange clothes too, we need to pay attention to the connotations associated to this color.

Positive keywords include: sociable, optimistic, enthusiastic, cheerful, self-confident, independent, flamboyant, extroverted and uninhibited, adventurous, the risk-taker, creative flair, warm-hearted, agreeable and informal.

Negative keywords include: superficial and insincere, dependent, over-bearing, self-indulgent, the exhibitionist, pessimistic, inexpensive, unsociable, and overly proud.

Since some features are quite similar to yellow, I won’t focus on these.

Unlike Yoon Seungho, the red-haired aristocrat is often seen in company and talking to his friends, so he is indeed sociable. The red-haired noble is self-indulgent as he does whatever he wants, like he opens the shirt of Baek Na-Kyum without asking or barges at Yoon Seungho’s mansion uninvited. His flamboyance is visible, when he calls on the main lead after the straw mat beating. Another example for his boasting is when he dresses up to pay a visit to Yoon Seungho. He already imagined that the former would be hurting on his own because of Seung-Won’s call. That’s why he chose the robe with the crane. He definitely wanted to make a statement: “Without me, you’ll never be happy”. But the opposite happened. Once hurt, he can’t hide his pain and has to exteriorize it, hence he goes to his acquaintance, the man with the mole. He can’t hide his tears in front of the others…

He is definitely a risk-taker (challenging in yellow) because he entered his friend’s house without any appointment or without the seme’s knowledge in order to plot something against Baek Na-Kyum or to spy on his friend.

His arrogance and his self-centerness are the reasons why he doesn’t truly understand his friend. He knows his traumatic past, yet he can’t perceive how it affected the protagonist. He just views this as something tragic caused by a selfish father. He is too stupid to get aware that this is much more complicated, related to politics and the nobility. That’s why Jihwa should be judged as an immature and spoiled “child” who has never been confronted by the reality of life. He thinks that his title as noble is a given and he takes it as granted. However, it can definitely change if the king decides to purge the aristocracy in order to reinforce his position, if it is necessary.

Finally, I would like to examine the last clothes Jihwa is wearing in the chapter 43 and 44. What caught my attention is that he is wearing an exterior robe with short sleeves, has a red belt and a huge hat covered with a veil. On the one hand, with his apparel he is attracting the attention of people, especially at a place where there are many commoners. At the same time, he is attempting to hide his identity. This contradiction reflects the character’s true personality: he is arrogant and stupid enough to believe that he can walk just like that without his identity being discovered. I am quite sure that people will remember his appearance. Besides, he chose his favorite color… So the pheasant who perceives himself as a crane is about to experience the harshness of life. He has no idea that this impulsive decision marks his downfall. He is too foolish and blinded to realize that he has been played by Min.

As you can conclude, the clothing and the choice of colors for Jihwa are definitely no random and confirm one more time that Byeonduck must have thought very carefully about such details. No wonder if the author needs a lot of time in order to develop her story, each drawing has its importance and a special meaning, just like each cloth reveals the inner thoughts and emotions of the character wearing it.

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

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter

But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. I mostly used the following website for the colors: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/

Yesterday, I described Seung-Won, Min, Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho from the chapter 1 to 30. The only thing I would like to add is that I was finally able to find the name of the color corresponding to Baek Na-Kyum’s jacket: Pink Mountbatten. On certain websites, it is a little more brown and on others more pink. It was the closest I could come to. Now I would like to continue, where I stopped yesterday. We were still describing Yoon Seungho’s clothes.

First, it is important to start with the robe he wore, when he visited the low noble Jung In-Hun. He had a style of robe that he doesn’t usually put on. Furthermore, he always kept his hat on his head indicating that he couldn’t feel comfortable in such a shabby house. He gave a different impression about himself, as if he was concerned about his appearance and image. He was acting like a typical noble, vain, superficial and with an air of entitlement. That’s why he had chosen the exterior robe with short sleeves in order to demonstrate his wealth. Only rich and powerful lords wear that kind of robe. Now, you can understand why the low noble felt comfortable around Yoon Seungho and revealed his true thoughts about the commoners. Due to the clothes, the teacher thought to perceive the lord’s personality. Yet, Seungho did it in order to deceive the man. Nonetheless, I doubt that Jung In-Hun wasn’t just talking in order to impress the man. His contempt for commoners did represent his true thoughts, however I have the feeling that Jung In-Hun was particularly harsh in words because of Yoon Seungho as he believed that he would look down on the commoners. In other words, here these clothes should be perceived as a disguise from my point of view. Now, let’s pay attention to the color. First, Yoon Seungho was wearing green announcing a turning point in his life, then he wore blue as he wanted to impress the painter and was somehow irritated at the same time due to the negative description of himself, “a man consumed by lust”, and now for the teacher, he chose dark purple. And this is what I found about purple and dark purple:

Empathy: Compassion, kindness and a love of humanity are positive qualities of Violet. Controlled emotion: Violet is passionate, like red, but inclined to display it in private only. Respectable & distinguished: The darker shades of violet particularly are linked to the origins of purple where it was only available to royalty and the wealthy. […] Dignity: Violet exudes a quiet modest form of dignity which is often appealing to others. Cynical: This is a negative side of violet. […] Deep Purple: Dark purple is related to higher spiritual attainment. A powerful color, it can also indicate arrogance and ruthlessness.

One might argue that during their conversation, the lord doesn’t seem to show any empathy. However, the empathy could be understood differently. Yoon Seungho acts as if he showed empathy towards the young noble, feels sorry for his poor situation. No one has recognized his true talent. He fakes to display a certain concern for him. He asks about his profession and lets the teacher talk. During their entire conversation, he is very cynical here for example, he is mocking the low noble. But the latter is too arrogant to perceive the irony behind this comment. Due to the impressive dark purple color, Jung In-Hun thought, he needed to impress the noble and said things that the protagonist wanted to hear, while in reality it was the opposite. Seungho wanted to reveal the hypocrisy of this man and due to the disguise, he was able to hear what the low noble truly believed. Right from the start, Jung In-Hun was already kissing the man’s ass and the seme was well aware of it. The cloth and the color were used as a subterfuge and Jung In-Hun fell into that trap. While he thought, he was manipulating the powerful master, the opposite happened. The color and the robe left such a deep impact on the poor noble that he was manipulated to unveil his true mentality: arrogance, entitlement and a scheming nature. Due to his appearance, Jung In-Hun imagined that he was standing in front of a typical wealthy noble.

Now, if we pay attention to the other exceptions where he didn’t wear a robe with long sleeves, we have the hunt and the visit at the tailor shop. He chose black for the exterior robe and burgundy for the interior clothing. You can imagine why we see these colors. Black is associated to death, [I know that in Asia in the past white was chosen for funeral but since then it changed due to the influence of the Occident.] which does fit to the hunt. Nevertheless, black is also associated to other notions:

Black means power and control, hanging on to information and things rather than giving out to others. […] Black is intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of the power it exudes.

And now, we know why he chose this color for the hunt, each time he knew that his guests would pry into his life and try to get some info hence the color serves as a shield. It creates a distance to his “guests”. Besides, he is also making a statement: he has power and is in control hence he can’t be manipulated and influenced by Min and Jung. The other color is burgundy which is related to red. We shouldn’t forget that blood is red too which fits to the situation. By putting these two colors together, it signalizes Yoon Seungho’s personality. He is strong-willed, fearless and in dangerous situations, he will be ruthless and determined to protect himself. He oozes energy and has no problem to dirty his own hands which is also shown each time. He is always the one killing the wild animals (deer, pheasant). So his clothing reflects his personality according to the situation. He mistrusts his guests and he needs to make a statement with his clothes and his behavior. He makes them see that he can be merciless and is not afraid of them. He is demonstrating his power and strength.

But what caught my attention is that each hunt always happened after his relationship with the painter had improved. In the chapter 22, he had just made love to the artist a few days before and in the chapter 41, he had just done a foreplay at the tailor shop. And we all know that red is connected to passion and sex. So from my point of view, the burgundy red on the sleeves are an indication about Seungho’s sexuality. It indicates an improvement in his life, he is coming back to life, since there is no life without blood. He is feeling much more positive emotions. But these are just small steps, especially during the chapter 22. This explains why at the end of the first season, his last robe with long sleeves is burgundy. This symbolizes that he has come back to life entirely. While at the beginning, the light green reflected the start of a new life and indicated as such growth and awakening linked to spring, now the flower is slowly blossoming. But burgundy has a specific signification:

Burgundy: a dark purplish red, it is more sophisticated and serious and less energetic than true red. It indicates controlled power, determined ambition and dignified action and is often favored by the wealthy.

This fits his personality and situation. He is still very serious and passive. He hasn’t given up his hobby looking through the window. It was as if he had just come back to life hence he is not entirely active. He needs time to adapt. His love for Baek Na-Kyum hasn’t reached its peak, he hasn’t opened up and he has never let him see his long hair. Therefore the gap between the painter and the lord hasn’t disappeared. From my point of view, he will have to leave the window and meddle in politics due to Baek Na-Kyum and his family. But he is ambitious and powerful despite the appearances of his hedonistic way of life. Remember my theory is that his bad reputation is just a diversion and in fact, he has built his own connection hence he could sent someone in order to dig info about Jung In-Hun very quickly. And this “disguise” as a huge sodomite is quite palpable during the sex orgy. Unlike the other nobles, his coiffure is still well kept. He hasn’t lowered his guard at any moment. Even Min has some fuses in his hairdressing.

Now, it is time to examine the clothes the protagonist was wearing from the chapter 33 to 40.

Here, we see him the burgundy robe which we saw in the last chapter. Now, you might argue that this would somehow contradict my interpretation above. Striking is that his robe is only seen when the lord leaves the sex party. He has decided to go back, especially after having heard from Min that Baek Na-Kyum should become a plaything for the nobles’ amusement. The noble Min even manipulated the other aristocrats due to his remark so that Min’s words triggered something in the protagonist. He became very possessive and this shows that his love for the uke was the reason why he returned to the mansion. Min’s words reminded him that by staying away, he wouldn’t get the painter’s affection. While sleeping with others, he attempted to ease the pain from a guilty conscience and even try not to think but Min’s words brought him back to reality. Furthermore, what caught my attention is that the beholder only views a part of the robe. So he has not fully come back to life and his love is strong enough to make him leave the party and to never return but it is still unstable as he has no idea how Baek Na-Kyum will react, when they face each other.

During the chapters 35 and 36, Yoon Seungho chose a dark green robe, the color symbolizing envy and jealousy. Here he had to witness how Jung In-Hun was flirting with his painter. He could imagine how the commoner would blush due to the stroke on his hair and the caress on the cheek. The exhausted man had done everything in his power to win the man’s heart but he had always failed: threads, his position as master, sex appeal, new clothes, a master’s bed, taking care of his health at any cost, giving up his chamber and his sexual expertise as a fine lover. None of this worked. That’s why he was so desperate at the end and even willing to kill the low-born out of jealousy. The cloth reflects his inner emotions and fragile state of mind. The irony is that at the end, he is no longer jealous or envious the moment he notices the uke’s erection. He literally gives up on these bad emotions which is somehow reflected with a simple gesture due to the brother’s visit. He gives up on his jealousy by covering the artist with his green robe. Simultaneously, by putting his own robe on the artist, he is making a statement. This is his trusted partner and lover hence he is sitting by the lord’s side. The noble is protecting him with his name and he makes it clear that he is taking his responsibility. That’s why after sharing the same bed, the aristocrat wants to make it official as soon as possible and sends him to his own tailor.

Now, the clothes Yoon Seungho is wearing at the tailor shop are totally different from the usual ones. They contrast by the colors and the form. He has for the second time an exterior robe with short sleeves. He chose black and pink as the interior robe. The reader is able to perceive the message here. He is in love and oozes a certain happiness therefore he can’t help teasing Baek Na-Kyum at the tailor shop.

Unconditional love: Pink relates to both unconditional love and romantic love. Hope: Pink inspires the possibility of a positive outcome. […] Caring: Sensitivity and tender loving care relate to pink’s feminine and intuitive energies.

He is expressing himself through the color pink. He hopes for a positive outcome, they haven’t had sex together since the sex marathon and this time, the master wants Baek Na-Kyum to take the initiative. He is willing to wait but sharing the same bed was a good first step. The noble is also bringing to light his caring side and would like the commoner to detect it. This explains why he is helping him later.

However, he chose a black robe indicating that he doesn’t want to make his new found love too obvious. At the same time, black is intimidating as if he wanted to scare people off so that they wouldn’t try to pry into his life. There is another reason why he chose such clothes. He wants to appear as a noble so that people will talk about him and his particular reason to the tailor shop. Remember that he is using his reputation for a purpose and he is in control of the situation like black suggests it. That’s why he is wearing a red belt again. He is definitely attracting attention, not only for people so that they can start gossiping, but also he truly would like to impress the painter, to seduce him. He knows from experience that being too direct in his seduction, like showing up naked in front of the painter (see the chapter 15), this will scare off the low-born. So for the first time, he wants to leave a good impression on the uke, unlike in the past.

At the end of the season, the lord is wearing warmer color like pink or burgundy displaying his transformation. Only at the end, he is no longer wearing any black clothes so that we can say that he has given up on protecting his feelings and creating a barrier between himself and the outside world. That’s why I conclude that he has started to live for real as he feels emotions. Green and blue are rather cold colors, especially blue which explicates why they were often seen in the beginning. It might be associated to royalty and power, yet the latter mean nothing, when there is no love and warmth. Now, you can imagine that there will be a third part about the clothes, since I haven’t been able to treat Jihwa and the low noble teacher.

Feel free to comment or to give any suggestion for an analysis (topic, manhwas). If you enjoyed reading it, either retweet it or push the button “like” so that this writing doesn’t become pointless. Thanks for the support.

I’ll update the analysis about Min because since April 2020, I discovered so many elements about him that I need to change many things in the essay. Besides, this is the analysis that people read the least which shows that there was something lacking.