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 the analysis called “A man consumed by lust”, I not only compared Yoon Seungho to a head-kisaeng, but also described that all the characters, including Baek Na-Kyum, would perceive the main lead as a man obsessed with sex. Striking is that with the entrance of Baek Na-Kyum in the main lead’s life, the lord got to discover this reflection about him which took him by surprise. Moreover, he realized gradually, how disrespectful the nobles and the servants were towards him. Therefore I came to the conclusion that the artist was not only associated to a mirror and love, but also to respect. And this observation led me to the following conclusion: Baek Na-Kyum is carrying in himself all the virtues which are necessary for a good social life:
- love,
- respect,
- justice,
- honesty,
- equity,
- responsibility,
- loyalty,
- freedom,
- tolerance,
- and peace.
That’s why I decided to examine the behavior of the characters under the aspect of respect and love, as all the other values like justice or tolerance are strongly linked to these two values.
But the problem is that although the commoner embodies these values, this doesn’t mean that he is truly tolerant, honest, just and respectful himself. If the manhwaphiles recall the first season, they will surely remember that Baek Na-Kyum wasn’t actually honest towards the main character, since his mind had been influenced by the scholar’s doctrines and Heena noona’s prejudices. Right from the start, he lied to the noble due to his preconceptions and his belief in rumors. What caught my attention is that in reality the painter’s honesty was only reflected in his body (his tears and his blushing) and in his unconscious. It was something that the low-born couldn’t control, but these honest facial expressions attracted the aristocrat so much to the point that he wanted the artist to see them in the paintings, therefore he utilized the mirror during the first sex marathon.
Right from the start, the artist was sexually attracted by the main lead, especially by his huge phallus, which was implied in this panel: 
and only displayed with the second episode from the Alternative Universe: 
. This explicates why he desired to have replaced the second lead (chapter 2) and got aroused during the threesome. The brush was focused on the lord’s hand touching the butt (chapter 9).
He deeply desired to have sex with Yoon Seungho, but his conscious kept denying the obvious. And his lack of honesty is still present in the second season, hence he still perceives Yoon Seungho as man consumed by lust which is visible in the paintings.
The artist legitimates his wish to stay at the mansion, because it is for the teacher’s sake, then later for the protagonist, who is in love with him. At no moment, he wants to become responsible for his feelings. He keeps resisting his affection and attraction towards the main lead. Why?
From my point of view, it is related to the painter’s huge libido. First, the readers shouldn’t forget that the low-born started erotic paintings of sodomy at a very young age, indicating that he discovered his sexual orientation very early on. Moreover, there’s no doubt that the commoner is quite kinky: his different wet dreams (chapter 2
, chapter 6: sex with a stranger 
, chapter 56 
) expose his deepest sexual desires, the main lead should pleasure him. This explains why Baek Na-Kyum is never facing the lord and always passive in his wet dreams. This shows his reluctance to admit his kinky side. Imagine that he ejaculates, when he hears “you’ve made a wreck of me”, but not when the lover whispers “I adore you”. He even got erected again, when he saw the butler in front of the barn, which was noticed by the aristocrat, and he even had a climax in the courtyard.
His reluctance to admit his affection is strongly intertwined with his strong sexuality. There’s this fear that he might get perceived as a man consumed by lust himself. If he accepts his love and as such his huge libido, he might get looked down and excluded. This is understandable, because he has abandonment issues. I believe, the readers should remember that the artist was scared of people’s opinion during the first season. From my perspective, although he has come to accept his homosexuality, he is still under the influence of the social norms: a man shouldn’t love another man. Besides, let’s not forget that Jihwa, as a reflection of the painter, has a similar mindset. He uses sex in order to disguise his emotions. As long as the painter is not honest to himself and as such doesn’t respect himself, he can’t be genuine with the noble. In my eyes, Baek Na-Kuym continued viewing the lord as a man obsessed with sex for many reasons. First he was too hurt by the teacher’s words. He never paid attention to the lord’s words and gestures. However, as time passed on, he never reviewed his perception out of convenience. With such an image, the noble was responsible for the sexual intercourses, and this attitude was even reinforced by the maid’s comments.
But now, he is facing a dilemma, because his noona offers him the possibility to leave the mansion, but he refuses her proposition for futile different reasons: the scholar, his living conditions, the painting, the lord’s love… Only once cornered, he finally admits his love, but he describes it as something negative 
(he is scared, it is against his will). And this interpretation made me wonder about its origin. I have the impression that it is not only related to the brainwashing perpetrated by the scholar. I think that Heena noona could be the other explanation. Since sexuality played a huge role in the head-kisaeng’s life, it is possible that she has a negative perception of sex. Since she wanted the painter to remain quite innocent and pure, she sent him away. Her desire was to protect him too, but deep down she hoped that he wouldn’t outlive truly his homosexuality. If he was painting erotic pictures by the scholar’s side, she imagined that he would get happy. She had the impression that this would be sufficient for the artist’s life, because he would get “loved” and supported by the man the artist admired. 
Since Jung In-Hun gave her the impression, he was caring and selfless, she imagined that the learned sir would take care of the artist. And this leads me to the conclusion that she has a very romantic and pure image of love, because in her world there is a strong connection between sexuality, power and violence. However, she never asked for the painter’s opinion, she just sent him away, thinking that she was doing it for the boy’s best interest. For her, the boy would keep outliving his sexuality through art. On the one hand, this would explicate why Baek Na-Kyum is scared to accept his sexual appetite, on the other hand it also shows that love is strongly connected to respect. And for the first time, the artist is not blindly following Heena noona’s actions and decisions. So this scene exposes Baek Na-Kyum’s growth, he is transforming slowly into an adult, making his own decision, although his words ooze a certain fear and hesitation.
That’s exactly when Yoon Seungho comes into the picture. He will continue playing the role of the painter’s liberator. The aristocrat forced Baek Na-Kyum not only to admit his sexuality, but also his homosexuality. But now, it is time for the painter to accept his love and as such his strong libido. That’s why the moment the lord tells him that he can leave the mansion, the former will set the commoner entirely free. That way, the low-born can no longer use the excuse that the main character was living together with a man obsessed with sex. Let’s not forget that during season one, the main lead helped the commoner to not only recognize his own sexual orientation, but also to use his own mind. Therefore I predict that the aristocrat will be the cause for the painter to eliminate all the prejudices he had about people, to no longer care about people’s impression. As you can see, Yoon Seungho also embodies honesty, but a different kind: a free spirit. And this comes from his education, the main lead reads a lot and ponders a lot 
(chapter 61) 
(chapter 62). He questions things and people’s behavior , that’s why he is so obsessed with the “why”. He desires to understand the motivation behind the painter’s words and actions. In other words, he is looking beyond the appearance and surface. However, Baek Na-Kyum was surrounded by Heena noona and Jung In-Hun, people who value appearances very much. That’s why the head-kisaeng said that she saw everything.
But what did she see and hear? She discovered through the town gossips that the painter had caused a commotion by running away. Then she saw the artist tied up and breathing heavily, and the noble’s lie could only contribute to reinforce her negative perception she had about Yoon Seungho. Besides, when she claimed that she recognized the artist’s painting
, we have to wonder which drawing she saw. So far, when she opened the door, she only viewed a blank sheet of paper.
And thanks to @shoei’s comment, I realized that the butler could have played a role here. Remember that the butler was asked in chapter 44 to throw away the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration. And since we have a scene where Kim gave the ruined painting to Yoon Seungwon, I believe that in chapter 65, we had a repetition of this scene, but the readers were not able to witness it. The valet showed her the painting in order to confirm the painter’s identity. The other evidence for this theory is the absence of Kim’s eyes, when the head-kisaeng states that she recognized the artist’s painting. Therefore Heena noona jumped to the wrong conclusions. She had the impression that Baek Na-Kyum was still in love with his learned sir, and the hell-raiser was just abusing his power and position. But like I have already written many times, reality is far more complex and appearances should always be queried. From my point of view, the noble will help him to get stronger to the point that he won’t care about people’s gaze and gossip.
For me, the painter serves as a carthasis to bring out the virtues hidden in both protagonists due to the reflection. In other words, while the aristocrat purifies the painter by emancipating him from any prejudice and social norms, the artist cleans the lord by unveiling his caring and sensitive side so that the latter is forced to accept the existence of his heart and drop his fathers’ principles. The master of deception is in reality a person who treasures love and honesty above anything, but since he was surrounded by selfish and hypocrite people, he had no occasion to show his true self. We shouldn’t forget that Jihwa never showed his true emotions: his smile and cheerful gaze were masking his own insecurities. From my point, the second lead never allowed Yoon Seungho to see his blushing and, when he cried in front of his childhood friend for the first time
(chapte 18), Yoon Seungho had already been moved by the painter’s tears.
What caught my attention is that although Baek Na-Kyum helped the aristocrat to see how disregarded he was by his peers and even Jihwa, the artist didn’t show any respect towards the main lead either. One might argue that Yoon Seungho treated the painter poorly, and even described him as plaything. 
Therefore the painter was not obliged to respect Yoon Seungho. However, the truth is that the main lead had other intentions in the beginning, if you examine the first two chapters carefully.
First, we shouldn’t forget that the story doesn’t start with Yoon Seungho speaking with the domestic investigating the creator’s identity. The real story begins with the main lead getting fascinated by the publications. 
Furthermore, the painter hadn’t worked for almost one year after vowing to never paint again. Hence it took Yoon Seungho some time, until the absence of new works made the lord realize that he could no longer live without them. He needed new erotic drawings. Besides, in the first chapter, we shouldn’t forget that Yoon Seungho even visits the painter to the tavern, which is really unusual for him. Let’s not forget that the noble only went to the tavern in chapter 57 after receiving the fake letter from lord Song. This is not a place the lord usually visits, rather Jihwa. This outlines the huge respect the lord showed towards the low-born. A high noble goes to a tavern, even talks directly to Baek Na-Kyum. In the lord’s mind, the artist should have felt flattered. And then we shouldn’t forget that when the artist was sitting in the study, he noticed the expensive paper and the different brushes at his disposal.
This shows that the protagonist had made preparations for his arrival. Therefore I come to the conclusion that the noble had intended to invite the artist to work for him. He was his admirer and fan, hence he treasured the artist’s hands so much. 
However, the painter couldn’t recognize the respect and admiration the main lead was showing, because it was directly connected to sex. Since the lord had been brainwashed to accept sex as a normality (he lets the low-born touch his loins!!), the artist could only feel repulsed and scared due to the scholar’s indoctrination. Sex and physical touch are dirty, that’s why Baek Na-Kyum lied to the noble in the end. He disregarded the noble’s genuine compliments and effort. Since the noble had been hurt and disrespected, he retaliated and showed his anger. Striking is that the lord stopped talking after the second lie, though he was very talkative before. He is left speechless.
In my eyes, there’s a strong connection between the master’s violence and his silence. Studies indicate that persons in jail with a violent temper have often less vocabulary, which exposes the importance of words and voicing his emotions. It is also proven that the less you are allowed to express yourself, the higher the risk you get violent. I could add another example. It is well known, that a baby will scream and become agitated, when he is frustrated. Since he can’t express his thoughts and emotions, the only way to show his discomfort and anger is to scream. Since the painter denied his identity, the lord had no other possibility to continue a conversation. On the surface, in that scene, the aristocrat looked like a violent child killing the domestic, the truth was different. The situation triggered a flashback. And that’s the moment, Yoon Seungho started treating the commoner as a plaything. He dragged him to his mansion and kept him in the barn, until he achieved his goal. During the second season, I pointed out the ambiguity about Baek Na-Kyum’s status at the mansion: who was he really? A wife, a concubine, a fiance, a favored servant or a prostitute? Since there’s a reflection in this story, it came to my mind that the painter’s status was also ambiguous in the first season. However, back then it was different: 
was he a guest, a servant, a plaything or a prostitute? We have diverse clues showing that Baek Na-Kyum was truly treated like a honored guest:
- Yoon Seungho goes to the tavern like mentioned above in order to invite the low-born personally.
- He has already prepared the room for the painter and his study is next to the lord’s chamber, a huge sign of respect. The manhwaphiles should remember that the teacher’s room was further away.
- Furthermore, I believe that he is the one who took care of the painter, when the latter was sleeping on the floor. Remember that in my analysis “Who is this Baek Na-Kyum?”, I had assumed that the servants had to clean up the mess left by the low-born. However, since we have two episodes in the season 2 indicating that the lord cleaned himself the painter (chapter 45 and 59) and brought him to the bed (chapter 62 and 65), I came to the realization that in episode 2, the noble already washed himself the artist,
and even organized the bed. 
Imagine this: a noble is taking care of a commoner. Yet at no moment the painter wondered who took care of him. - We have two invitations
(chapter 8) and 
(chapter 23). - When the painter arrives in the lord’s chamber in chapter 8, he is the last to enter the room. It gives the impression that he was the guest of honor. The lord kept waiting for him. He must have felt restless, because he started painting something. And observe how he welcomes the artist. He is full of joy and smiling.
And when the noble with the mole requests from him to send away the artist, his guest of honor, he evicts the arrogant aristocrat. - In chapter 11, the noble even desires to eat his lunch with the painter. If the butler had not mentioned the study, then we have to wonder if the noble in his good mood would have invited the painter to his bedchamber.
One thing is sure: the lord did care a lot for the artist right from the start, but he made two huge mistakes: he never anticipated a rejection from the low-born, because in his mind he had everything what people would like to have. Secondly, he never envisioned that he would expose Baek Na-Kyum to danger, because for him the latter didn’t represent a thread to anyone. He was just a commoner.
Striking is that despite his care, the painter refused to remain at his mansion, hence he tried to flee in chapter 4. And in order to convince him, Yoon Seungho proposed the deal: 
if he paints for him, then the lord will help his learned sir in his career. With this new approach, the lord thought that he had finally been able to achieve his goal. But note that with this proposition, the lord was actually selling himself. He was in fact the one asking for a favor, in exchange he would offer his connection. Sure, we shouldn’t forget that the noble had not truly promised anything to the scholar (just an empty promise), but Baek Na-Kyum was not aware of this. At the same time, it revealed the lord’s mentality. This was his way to achieve his goal: prostitution. Sure, sex was not directly involved first, but since the artist was supposed to create erotic pictures, the boundaries were already dilued. And this is not surprising that the moment Jung In-Hun realized that Yoon Seungho was not impressed by his skills, he decided to use the painter as prostitute. However, in my eyes, the lord had already become one, the moment he offered that deal to the painter. And this shows that the lord was showing himself disrespect in the end, just to get the painter working for him. As you can observe, both protagonists didn’t respect themselves in truth, consequently they were not able to respect each other.
And if you look at many drawings created by the painter, you’ll observe that they all show a main lead acting as a prostitute, trying to please the partner: each time he keeps looking at the lover, in order to confirm that he is pleasing his partner: 
Either Jihwa is moaning or the painter is blushing or moaning
, but the lord is always focused, starring at this partner. That’s why the moment the lord had sex with the painter, it affected the artist’s status. The latter could only be judged as a prostitute, because he was also doing it for a favor, for the scholar’s sake. Therefore the following pictures mirrors the prostitution, both protagonists act as whores in the end.
While in the drawings from the first season, the protagonists switched the role of the “whore”, in the following painting they are portrayed both as such. 
That’s why the painter was not paying attention to details. As a conclusion, the moment the noble proposed the deal, he not only lowered himself, but also affected the painter. That’s why the teacher’s words are so painful, because he is actually the one benefitting from this deal. The moment the painter has sex with the main lead, he is indeed a prostitute. Yet the irony is that he is not doing it for himself, but for the scholar: 
This is the height of hypocrisy. Simultaneously, with these words, he makes sure that the painter can’t even enjoy sex, making him feel terrible.
At the same time, Yoon Seungho did treat the painter as a servant. First, he dragged him to the mansion and kept him captive, until the artist accepted the offer. Then the aristocrat punished him after the second drawing was ruined. The huge contrast between being a guest or a servant exposes that the lord did treat the artist as a plaything. Everything depended on his mood. On the one hand the lord acts like a happy child showing off to his other guests: 
(chapter 8), on the other hand, when he claims this in front of Min, he is hiding the truth as well. Yoon Seungho had to make a deal with the painter, hence the latter wasn’t truly a plaything… but a person who was using the noble’s wealth and power for his loved one, the teacher. And by praising the painter’s talents, he contributed to expose the artist to danger, to make him the target of envious or jealous aristocrats. In these moments, the main lead showed an immaturity. However, we shouldn’t underestimate the role played by Kim here. The latter ensured that the artist would lose his title “honored guest”, when he suggested to his lord to visit him in the study in chapter 11.
However, if you pay attention to the chronology of the lord’s wrongdoings (the poem, the punishment in chapter 11…), you’ll notice that the artist didn’t respect the lord either. Yet this is not obvious, because Baek Na-Kyum doesn’t get physically violent. Yoon Seungho took the poem without asking, so did the painter with the expensive wine. 
He never wondered about the origin of the wine. When the lord criticizes the poem, the painter says that he is not allowed to make fun of it, because he is just a man consumed by lust. Nonetheless, Baek Na-Kyum has also no right to say this to Yoon Seungho either, because he is just a commoner. That’s why the master reminds him of his own social status, he is just a peasant. And we have a new version of this situation in chapter 41, when Baek Na-Kyum yells at the main lead, although the latter was caring and showed concern. He desired to know the origin of the painter’s sadness. However, the artist was unwilling to explain the cause for this. That’s why the lord slapped the artist, reminding of his place. He was a lord and the host here. 
When the lord gets angry with the painter in chapter 11 due to the ruined image, the painter apologizes to the noble, yet from my perspective his apology is not really genuine
, especially if you contrast this to the one in chapter 62: 
Furthermore, when the painter begged for the lord’s mercy, he was willing to do anything else, except to paint, 
, he was forgetting one important aspect: he was actually breaking his promise to the main lead. He was actually taking advantage of the main lead, because this meant that the latter would be the only one who didn’t get what he truly wanted. Baek Na-Kyum was here only loyal to the scholar, he was willing to sell his service for the main lead in exchange for his sponsor of the teacher, yet he was still refusing to create erotic pictures. Simultaneously this showed that the commoner started mistrusting the teacher, as he was suspecting his involvement. In other words, he was trying to call off the deal, while the scholar would benefit the most from him. And now, you can understand why the lord got upset and felt betrayed, leading the lord to threaten the artist: the low-born was trying to change the content of the deal, while Yoon Seungho was selling his wealth and connections for the artist. And since this story is build like a kaleidoscope, the new version of this incident was in chapter 38, when the artist chose to lie to his learned sir in order to protect Yoon Seungho. As you can see, both protagonists were disrespecting each other… sure, the master was more brutal, when he felt disrespected and hurt, but this doesn’t mean that the artist was totally blameless.
Then in chapter 30, the painter feels the need to pledge allegiance to the master in order to protect Yoon Seungho. From that moment on, Baek Na-Kyum swears that he will do everything the lord wants. This marks the painter’s official start as Yoon Seungho’s servant. He is no longer perceived as an artist “Will do anything”, explicating why the pictures started losing their importance in the noble’s eyes. So the moment both had sex with each other, the painter became “prostitute”, as he was doing it for the learned sir.
As you can see, the lord always did himself a disservice with his actions and decisions. Each time, he had the impression, he came closer to his goal, only to discover that this was an illusion. He even complicated the situation so that everything was so confusing for the artist. He was an artist, a servant and at the end a prostitute. Let’s not forget that right after swearing to follow Yoon Seungho’s order, the master removed the head-band from the painter, 
showing his desire that he never wanted him to be a servant. As you can observe the painter’s status was never clear, the lord had no real idea what he truly desired, as his unconscious and conscious stood in conflict. For me, he was already in loved, his heart and gaze had been moved by the painter’s talents. But since he was always rejected, he tried to find ways to achieve his goal, to keep the artist by his side, nonetheless he complicated more and more the situation and created walls between him and the low-born.
As you can observe, the disrespect is mutual affecting both. Yet, the one who is seeking desperately the artist’s attention and love is the noble, hence the painter has always had the upper hand, which he never realized. That’s why little by little, Yoon Seungho is always forced to give in. Therefore, the climax is reached in chapter 66: 
Yoon Seungho is unable to stop the artist so that he admits his submission and decides to choose the artist as his master: 
However, this time the commoner’s hand is not led to the loins, but to the master’s eyes and hand. That’s why I believe, the nature of their relationship will honestly change in the future. Now, they will start sharing what they have on their mind, the biggest wish Yoon Seungho ever had: 
But Yoon Seungho was also treated as a plaything by the painter. If you pay attention, Baek Na-Kyum is actually the one using Yoon Seungho as sex toy. Note that the commoner only expresses his satisfaction
(chapter 45) 
, but he never tries to please the lord… “he is always on the receiving end”, like Yoon Seungho observed in chapter 45. Finally, in chapter 49, the painter tells him that the noble is only there to procure pleasure to him: 
an affront and he shut his mouth with a kiss!! 
He is not allowed to protest, he has to accept his situation: he is there to procure pleasure. Yoon Seungho was definitely not pleased and even hurt, yet he let him have his ways, because he sensed the genuineness in the kiss. And now, the manhwaphiles can comprehend, why the lord treated the painter as a sex toy during the second marathon. He was following the words expressed by the painter to the letter, but he was switching the roles. Since he had been treated as a sex toy, then he was allowed to do the same. However, he refused to kiss the artist
, because as a sex toy he is only there for a sexual intercourse and nothing more. And this was reflected in the last painting: this explicates that Min has the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is craving for sex, while in truth the latter was just longing for love. As a conclusion, both protagonists were treating each other as tools, explaining why they kept hurting each other with their lack of respect.
When Kim criticized the artist for acting as a spoiled princess, 
he was telling the truth, but here he had another intention: he wants the painter to accept his status as “servant”, in order to stop the artist from gaining more power over the master. Observe that the valet didn’t tell him, he should love the noble. He just asked the artist to act like a servant. And the return of the head-band marked a new turning point, because it showed that Baek Na-Kyum was now accepting Yoon Seungho as his master, and he was no longer a prostitute, but he couldn’t treat the main lead like a sex toy either.
As a conclusion, there was a reason why Baek Na-Kyum kept this image “a man consumed by lust”. That way, he could maintain a certain integrity: the master was the one with a huge sex appetite, while the dream revealed the low-born’s true nature: a man with a strong libido. Furthermore, the words expressed in chapter 68 gives the impression that the artist is indeed using the main lead: the latter provides him a roof and his material… he can paint. Then who is using whom here? That’s why I come to the conclusion: the moment the lord decides to free the painter so that he can decide about his own fate, he shows him respect. But at the same time, the deal with Jung In-Hun is cancelled. They can make a clean start. Yoon Seungho can no longer be used, he is actually starting showing respect to himself (although he doesn’t realize it). As you can see, both characters were actually acting like “prostitutes” or “servants” and were used as playthings. And since each action the powerful aristocrat makes is reflected in the painter’s words and action, I am anticipating that the painter will be the one who 
so that this rumor will become a reality:
That’s why the moment the painter accepts his strong libido and his love for the rich main lead, this means he starts respecting himself. Consequently, when the master releases him and allows him to leave the mansion, he shows finally respect in its purest form. And with respect comes love! Thus, this will be reflected in the relationship between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum.: both won’t be a prostitute, a servant, a noble or a sex toy any longer: they will be two men in love with each other.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.
(chapter 68) to the situation in chapter 53, where the vicious domestic Deok-Jae got beaten for hurting Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 53) This made me realize that chapter 68 was a new version of chapter 53 and 54. Therefore I would like to compare these two scenes for two reasons. First, the contrast will help us to judge better the protagonists’ actions. 
(chapter 53)
(chapter 68) versus Yoon Seungho)
(chapter 54) 
(chapter 53) versus 
(chapter 53) This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t recognize the lord’s love in the end. The violence had blinded him, exactly like Heena noona had been blinded by her own prejudices. She was lumping the teenager Yoon Seungho under the same comb than the nobles. However, I would like to point out that her testimony represented a distorted memory. Why? It is because that way, she was justifying her inaction. Here, the person threatened and abused was not the noona, but the child Seungho recognizable with his hanbok. Under this approach, the manhwaphiles can grasp why she is not mentioning the helping hand in that scene, the black guard. 
(chapter 99) We don’t just see nobles frequenting the kisaeng house, but also commoners! Heena’s statement gives the impression that only nobles are going there. This exposes Heena’s biased perception. To sum up, the kisaeng and the painter were blinded, though the latter had been influenced by the noona’s doctrines. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum was in denial in the end and saw the lord’s love as a lie. Furthermore, this signifies that the artist experienced the opposite from what Heena noona is describing to Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 68). In truth, the artist mistook love for fear. Note that in each confession, the low-born expresses a certain fear, while in truth his heart is already racing for Yoon Seungho out of desire and affection. In chapter 41, he explains that his heart is pounding due to fear
and in chapter 49, he chose to reject the lord’s hug as a genuine embrace and decided to just admit his physical attraction. 
Since the lord had always been brutal, Baek Na-Kyum could never truly distinguish the cause for his heart pounding. And with this observation, it becomes obvious that the low-born was never in love with his teacher romantically, as he had never felt any heart racing for him. From my point of view, Heena noona was the one who mistook affection for fear. That’s the reason why she never saw the noble’s hypocrisy and cowardice. According to my latest theory, she is suffering from sex phobia [For more read the essay “Arrogant, filthy and lying nobles 🏯”]. But I am also suspecting that pride could have played a role as well. 
(chapter 53) He protected Deok-Jae from the noble’s violence (condition 1: Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need)), risked his own life (condition 3) and never receive any reward or gratefulness, in fact he never expected anything from the vicious man and the main lead. (condition 2: Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain). He even embraced the noble and his hug was totally genuine which the main lead sensed. 
(chapter 53) And with this new approach, I believe that when Min mocked the lord by calling Baek Na-Kyum a low-born 
(chapter 54), the main lead punched Black Heart, because he was actually protecting the painter’s name and honor. He no longer felt embarrassed to love such a person, Baek Na-Kyum was a true hero in his eyes. And now you understand why Yoon Seungho felt truly rejected, when Baek Na-Kyum called the lord’s love a lie. Sure, he asked for an explanation before
(chapter 54), yet since the lord was acting under the influence of his heart, he couldn’t voice his thoughts and feelings properly. Besides, before reaching the study, he had been denying his feelings too. 
(chapter 53) The painter’s question was pushing the lord to admit his affection. However, because he had been in denial, the painter mirrored his attitude. 
(chapter 68) When did the noble say that he adores Baek Na-Kyum? And remember that we have a flashback of that night from Yoon Seungho’s perspective: 
And this panel 
(chapter 62) made me realize that this could be the moment the lord chose to declare that he adores the painter. In this picture, the manhwaphiles have the impression that Baek Na-Kyum is whispering something to the lord, yet there’s no speech bulb and not even a moan. And since the painter is a reflection of the aristocrat, then this signifies that Yoon Seungho could have been whispering these words “I adore you”, especially after getting fully embraced by the low-born. Moreover, he experienced the heart pounding of Baek Na-Kyum 
(chapter 62) so that he felt compelled to reveal his adoration. However, despite the confession, Baek Na-Kyum was still in denial. And now, you can better grasp why Yoon Seungho was enraged afterwards and felt betrayed. He had confessed properly this time, and the commoner abandoned him for real, or better said, that’s what he envisioned. We have another evidence that Yoon Seungho declared not only his defeat, but his deep affection: 
(chapter 62) As you can observe, Yoon Seungho is also connecting love to fear, but in a different way. He was always afraid of admitting his love out of fear to be abandoned. And when he did it, the artist left him behind in his eyes. His nightmare came true, until he discovered that he had misjudged the whole situation. This repetition of misunderstanding proves me that chapter 68 is a reflection of the scene in the study from episode 53-54.
(chapter 68) First, he uses the scholar as his legitimation for his stay at the mansion. 
(chapter 68) Then when Heena noona pressures more the painter, the latter gives other justifications, like f. ex. the lord treats him well 
(chapter 68). Surprising is that he is actually mentioning others to legitimate his stay: the scholar, the master of the mansion 
(chapter 68) and “everyone” 
(chapter 68). But Heena noona can’t accept these excuses and forces him to confess his affection. However, even when he admits his feelings, he gives the impression that he is doing it against his will. 
(chapter 68) and observe that he is using the truth for his allegations. Yet, in my opinion, he is doing the same thing than Kim in the end. He is trying to put the whole responsibility on the lonely aristocrat. But what is the truth? Yoon Seungho might have dragged and mistreated the painter, but he also protected him and treated him with care, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum mentioned it first (“the lord is very good to me”). However, if the manhwaphiles look carefully at the artist’s second justification
(chapter 62) 
(chapter 61)
(chapter 63) 
(chapter 57), therefore Kim desired to push him to make the opposite decision. Since his father kept him captive, then Yoon Seungho should renounce on Baek Na-Kyum, because he doesn’t want to be like his own father. Kim knows Yoon Seungho’s good heart and wishes to utilize it to his own benefit. 
(chapter 68), but also to push Yoon Seungho to accept the painter’s departure. This explicates why Yoon Seungho didn’t enter the study and waited for the kisaeng’s departure. 
(chapter 69) Don’t forget that in episode 68, we have Yoon Seungho getting dragged against his will. 
(chapter 102) So was he acting like a hero here? 
(chapter 102) Black Heart had already stated this before: 
(chapter 102) Yoon Seungho had already stabbed lord Jang, therefore he could be punished for this action, even if he spared the aristocrats. In reality, there was only one solution for Yoon Seungho now: to kill them all. Why? Like mentioned above, Min would have backstabbed him. Moreover once arrested, the main lead wouldn’t have been able to protect Baek Na-Kyum. The latter would have ended in Min’s hands. Nonetheless, the lord was not acting rationally during this night. He was guided by his emotions exactly like in chapter 53/54. The only difference is that he was acting like a cold-blooded killer. The rage and pain were only palpable in his gaze. 
(chapter 102) The irony is that the Joker had reproached this to the main figure in chapter 53: 
(chapter 53) He had been a killjoy, for he had showed mercy! As you can see, Black Heart’s words came back to bite him. 
(chapter 102) He didn’t stop, because Min asked him to. The gods were showing to Min the cruel reality: violence is not a game! And the painter’s soul and heart got spared during that night. Since he was unconscious, he never saw the bloodbath. The goddess showed mercy to the pure artist. He was rewarded for his bravery and good heart. He had remained loyal to his lover. He never believed in the manipulations of the schemers or gave in to the perpetrators. He resisted till the end to the point that he risked his own life too. Just like his lover, he was a hero. 
(chapter 102) And this brings me to the following observation: Heena described the nobles as violent and arrogant liars, but she occulted the reasons why a lord would employ violence and deceptions. Yoon Seungho didn’t become ruthless, because he likes brutality. He was forced to, and it is the same with the lie! There is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will have to lie concerning the bloodbath. It will be a new version of this scene: 
(chapter 11) He lied in order to protect the learned sir! He took even responsibility for the crime. Both have to lie in order to protect each other. 
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 60) He was hoping for his arrival. He was already considering him as his lord and knight in shining armor. And at the end of season 3, the painter hoped the same! 
(chapter 99) Yoon Seungho was his hero and protector. It is because the painter had perceived the noble’s true personality. He was humble, generous, but more importantly, he was a man of honor. He would keep his promises! 
As you can detect, knowledge is linked to sight. That’s why when a person employs the following idiom “I see”, she or he indicates that the person knows and understands. However, we need to see the butler’s behavior with our mind’s eyes and not only our eyes. With this new perspective, it becomes important to examine the valet’s actions beyond the pictures Byeonduck presented to the readers in order to have a real insight about Kim. What is his true personality in reality? He appears kind and gentle, therefore the readers judged him as such. However, this is not the truth and the topic of this essay will be to destroy the myth about Kim as a hero. And in order to achieve this goal, it is important to review all his actions and words from the start.
That’s his first introduction. I doubt that this is a coincidence. As I have already described the scholar as a villain, this can be viewed a first evidence for this theory. Secondly, if we count the number of chapters (2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 44) where Jung In-Hun appears, you’ll notice that Kim has the exact same number: 20 (7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 44). One might argue that Kim has been developed to contrast to Jung In-Hun, yet this is not possible, as the valet often lies (f. ex. episode 11, 12, 29, 34, 35, 44, 67, 68), exactly like the teacher. Nevertheless, I am well aware that these exterior aspects might not be not convincing enough. 
At no moment, he gave a real advice to the protagonist, contributing to his lord’s growth and improving his behavior. But one might argue that everything is linked to the valet’s position. He is just a domestic. Yet, he had disobeyed his master’s order showing a certain confidence.
And his disregard for his master was already visible on different occasions, like in chapter 33
or chapter 56 
. He brought the artist to the physician without his master’s permission. Back then, many like myself overlooked his infraction, because it seemed like it was for the artist’s sake. However, the readers should remember that the physician was called to the lord’s property in the past. So why bring the painter to the doctor’s office? And let’s remember that in the past Yoon Seungho visited the doctor’s office in order to get drugged. Back then, the main lead became a victim of drug. As you can observe, Kim’s actions should be judged with the mind’s eye and not with just with the heart or the eye. Besides, the butler’s attitude towards the main lead revealed a certain confidence to use knowledge and lies to manipulate Yoon Seungho. So maybe Kim represents a certain hindrance to the two protagonists, but to describe him as a villain, some readers will question this interpretation. 
but decided to turn a blind eye and abandoned the young boy. 
He allowed the young master to get assaulted and chose not to intervene, because he dislikes the idea of trouble so much. His real desire is to lead a peaceful life. Arguing that he feared for his life can also be refuted. If the butler had intervened immediately, then father Yoon would have believed him. Father Yoon trusts the valet so much that he followed Kim who recommended him the physician. So he had the valet’s trust. However, it became a different story, if Yoon Seungho had revealed the truth and accused the butler for abandoning him. In my opinion, he didn’t want to get in the way of a noble hurting the main lead, therefore he became an accomplice. He had to hide his wrongdoings. And in order to ease his conscience, he justifies his passivity and inaction with the following motto: 
Since it doesn’t concern his life, then he doesn’t need to care. But one might refute my argumentation that Kim only made a mistake once. However, let’s not forget that there’s another main lead in this manhwa: Baek Na-Kyum. Kim betrayed him in chapter 11, by letting take the fall for the damaged painting. Like I had already exposed in a previous analysis, Kim lied to his master in chapter 11: 
In fact, Baek Na-Kyum had left the room for a stroll. And with his two lies in chapter 11
, he allowed the painter to get hurt and punished unfairly. In other words, he caused harm not only to Yoon Seungho, but also to Baek Na-Kyum. What caught my attention is the absence of the eye in the first picture. First, one might think that this aspect is an indication that the servant is trying to hide his true thoughts. However, I would even add another dimension. The absence of the valet’s eyes displays his leitmotiv: turning a blind eye. But there’s more to it. The absence of his eyes mirrors his desire to ignore the consequences of his actions. 
Therefore he keeps running away 
(chapter 64) 
(chapter 67) in order to avoid any confrontation. Furthermore he avoids peoples’ gaze 
and questions (see the picture from chapter 67) 
(chapter 63). Note that in this scene (last image), before leaving, he never answers to the maids’ question corresponding to the missing ears in the following picture: 
In chapter 57, even the doctor questioned the lord’s illness, yet he still gave him the medicine without a real diagnosis, because father Yoon would talk to him, until the latter gave in. 
Besides, Kim decided to continue feeding him after the abandonment, and it was never questioned by the doctor. The latter only heard through Kim that Yoon Seungho had started getting seriously sick.
The readers should recall that the doctor only examined the lord twice, the second time it happened many years later. The doctor has never been able to define the illness the main lead was suffering. And note that the doctor pointed out that before the lord wasn’t known as hot-tempered. 
That’s why I believe that the drug is the cause for Yoon Seungho’s mood swings and impulsive behavior. Sure, there exist other causes, the different traumas the lord experienced. And from my perspective, the connection between the violence and the drug is visible, if you think carefully about the return of the lord’s violent and impulsive attitude from chapter 61 on. 
It coincides with his stay at the physician’s. For me, there’s no coincidence in this story. Since the story is repeating itself, the author revealed that after the visitation, Yoon Seungho as a teen started receiving the medication affecting his mood. For he went to the doctor’s in chapter 57, it means that the physician must have given him some medicine after the disappearance of the painter. And let’s not forget his words in chapter 55: 
The man recommended Kim to give him the tea. Now, due to the physician’s words, which Baek Na-Kyum clearly heard
, Kim has a reason to feed him the drug again. He is just following the doctor’s prescription and note that Kim has the painter as a witness. This panel is relevant, as it exposes that the lord refused to take the tonic before. His reason was simple: he slept better. In my opinion, we have to envisage that Kim would use the doctor’s innocence to justify his action, if he was caught giving the drug. Furthermore, the master was at the doctor’s, hence the former would trust his recommendation and his tea. Hence I believe that the lord got drugged after that night explaining his relapse (violent temper). Since we know that this story is built as a kaleidoscope, it means that this medication was mentioned in season 1. It first appears in chapter 35, 
and the lord declined the “medicinal tea”, a reflection of chapter 55. But the readers have to envision that Yoon Seungho had already stopped drinking the potion even before chapter 35. Let’s not forget that the main lead was away for many days, hopping from one bedchamber to the next.
Consequently, he couldn’t take the drug. And after Baek Na-Kyum became the lord’s lover, the latter had no reason to drink the medicinal tea. First, thanks to the low-born, the noble had been able to get some sleep. Observe how refreshed he looks the next morning after spending a night with the painter. Later he was busy having sex with Baek Na-Kyum and could sleep better, like Kim described it in chapter 55. One might argue that Kim is doing for the lord’s sake, but then the manhwaphiles should question truly his intentions, as he gave an aphrodisiac to the painter against his will in chapter 36. The purpose for his action was simple: he intended to use the artist as the new sex toy for the master, so that Yoon Seungho would be busy with sex and forget the outside world. And the artist didn’t want to take it either. There’s no real legitimation to drug someone, the goal doesn’t justify the means. Besides, giving the wrong medication to someone who is not sick can never be good. It can definitely make someone sick, and the manhwaworms should recognize that the doctor could never truly diagnose the lord’s illness. He created the medicine based on the father’s desires and suggestions. Yet, at no moment, Kim stopped the treatment, although he knows that father Yoon was a cruel man, like he revealed in chapter 68.
Therefore I judge Kim as a real dangerous person, because he drugs people and uses people’s innocence. I doubt that the physician is aware that he has been used by father Yoon and later by Kim. The clue for his innocence is palpable because of his testimony to the painter. 
That way, the noble would discover the ruined painting. He anticipated that the noble would like to go to the painter with his suggestion, since he knows that the lord is a goodhearted man in reality. 
He orchestrated the whole situation, he knew that the lord would have a mood swing and his rage would target the painter. That’s why he hid behind the door 
, so that he wouldn’t be confronted with the consequences of his lie and manipulations. Like I demonstrated it before, there’s no doubt that Kim had seen Jihwa’s arrival and had chosen to close his eyes. From my point of view, the butler had already judged the painter as a source of trouble and desired to get rid of him. Why?
If I complete Kim’s sentence, we have this: Lord Song is not one to write to my master. Then to whom is lord Song supposed to write? I doubt that Kim is aware of lord Song’s mail contacts, since the valet lives in that mansion the whole time. The logical deduction is to say that the valet has been in touch with lord Song. Besides, another evidence for Kim’s hidden abilities is the painter. Remember how I described the artist as the positive reflection of Kim. Since Baek Na-Kyum was supposed to be literate and the lord discovered that it was not true, Kim as the low-born’s negative reflection is supposed to be illiterate, while in reality he can read and write. Moreover, if you pay attention to Kim’s reaction in chapter 56, when he hears that lord Song desires to meet the main lead at the tavern, Kim gets scared. 
Back then, many imagined that the butler’s fear was related to Yoon Seungho’s past and he felt concerned for the master. Yet, he got scared twice. The second time, the master was not present and Kim was definitely frightened. 
Finally, note how he tries to suggest to his master to postpone the meeting due to his illness. It sounds reasonable and legitimate, yet if you think that Kim is a spy, he has a motive to make sure that both don’t encounter. That’s why he abandoned Baek Na-Kyum at the physician’s and rushed to the lord’s side. He was scared that Yoon Seungho would discover the truth. Once he saw Jihwa there, he felt relieved and faked concern. That’s why he said this to the doctor: 
He definitely expressed relief here and notice, he hides his eyes again, a sign that he is hiding his true thoughts, but also avoiding to face the consequences of all his lies and manipulations. Besides, I couldn’t help myself thinking about Yoon Seungho’s comment in chapter 18: 
The amateur spy got discovered, because he showed true concern for Jihwa. So what if we had a professional spy, the reflection of the amateur spy? As such he is a puppet master who can deceive people due to his acting skills. Now, you can comprehend why for me, Kim is a villain, a traitor. He is always perceived as kind, gentle and genuine, yet the truth is different. His thoughts exposed his selfishness and dishonesty towards the painter and the master. 
something Kim abhors the most. 
And this was caused by the low-born’s presence. And we have to imagine that Kim must have been staying in the background and saw the scene, a repetition from chapter 33. 
So with such a humiliation, Kim could only object to the lord’s attitude and consider the painter as the source of trouble and danger. However, if my theory about Kim as a spy is correct, we shouldn’t forget that Jung In-Hun had just arrived at the mansion, and the scholar must have told Kim about the reasons for his stay here: the lord desires to sponsor him and give him a high position. Since Jung In-Hun is arrogant and likes admiration, I doubt that he hid it from the butler. So Kim has a bigger cause to get rid of the painter. If Yoon Seungho has connections to the government, he can become dangerous. Since the latter has an affection to the teacher, which Kim witnessed, he must have recognized that his sponsorship is related Baek Na-Kyum. So when he viewed Jihwa’s arrival in chapter 10, he knew what would happen, and saw it as an opportunity to get rid of the painter and indirectly the teacher. That’s why he tricked the main lead to pay a visit to the artist, by portraying the low-born as a hardworking painter. Besides, we also have to envision that he knew that Jihwa had hired one of the servants from his staff. Since his policy is to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear in the sake of his “peace”, he had no reason to intervene. At the same time, since he knew that the teacher was the artist’s alibi, the other possible outcome was that Jung In-Hun intervenes so that a quarrel between the two nobles begins leading to the end of the sponsorship. However, the artist chose to remain silent and the scholar didn’t show any interest for Baek Na-Kyum. Anyway, Kim could only win with such an action: either Jung In-Hun chose to cut ties with the main lead for mistreating the commoner or Baek Na-Kyum decides to leave the mansion after such a punishment. That’s why Kim allowed the amateur spy to leave the mansion and announced that the lord had chosen the straw mat beating as punishment. 
However, the manhwalovers have to envision that Kim never revealed his knowledge. He must have just given the servant the permission to leave the property without his master’s knowledge. Consequently, the hired spy had no idea that he had been used as a pawn by Kim. For the latter, it was important that no one would notice his manipulation. He only had to fake ignorance and kindness, while in reality he was utilizing his eyes and ears. By using the amateur spy, Jihwa had no idea about the butler’s involvement. That way, no one would realize that there was a puppet master behind them. At the same time, I also believe that the butler anticipated the childhood friend’s intervention. And let’s not forget that Kim is the only one who knows Jihwa since his childhood. He witnessed their separation, therefore he already envisaged that the red-haired noble would target the artist, like he did in the past. 
In other words, Kim has always utilized Jihwa in order to isolate the lord and hinder him to focus on someone else for too long. Kim had already imagined that the painter would get punished severely and the scholar who seemed so affectionate towards the artist, would decide to cut ties with the lord. Who would like to be seen with such a violent sodomite? 
From my perspective, that’s the reason why Byeonduck chose to introduce the butler in chapter 7. The teacher’s goal stands in opposition to Kim’s. As long as the lord is busy with sex and debauchery, Kim can lead a peaceful life and his misdeeds can never get discovered. And all the persons responsible for his misery in his youth, like lord Song, don’t need to fear any revenge. However, nothing worked like the valet had envisioned, because neither the painter nor the master reacted like he had anticipated. 
Since Kim knew about his true relationship with Jihwa, he knew that the red-aristocrat would question the domestic and vent his anger at him. Furthermore, Kim suggests the painter to make a walk 
which led the second lead to notice that his plan had failed. This also indicates that Kim witnessed the painter taking a walk with the teacher. And striking is that when Yoon Seungho saw the painter, he asked him, if he was trying to run away. 
We can definitely question if this was not the butler’s original plan, especially when the readers recall that Kim witnessed the painter’s behavior in chapter 11. He talked back to Yoon Seungho and even refused to submit to Yoon Seungho’s authority first. So maybe when Kim took care of the painter, Kim hoped that if he said that he would have to resign and accept his fate, these words would have the opposite effect, the artist would choose to leave the mansion after witnessing his mentality.
One thing is sure: Kim was in the background all the time and knew what was going on. And this is reflected in chapter 17. The valet refuses to intervene and has even allowed Jihwa to enter the mansion without any invitation. Let’s not forget that in chapter 17, we have the same constellation of characters than in chapter 12: the amateur spy following the second lead, Yoon Seungho in his bed, valet Kim in the background 
and the painter. The only change is the apparition of the head-maid of the kitchen. For me, he was definitely an silent accomplice, who tried to stop Yoon Seungho from intervening and causing another trouble. With this new perception, it would explain why Yoon Seungho and Jihwa maintained their relationship despite its toxicity. Kim could use the noble to get rid of any thread, without causing any big trouble. And if there was a huge incident (like Jihwa’s topknot incident), then this would be swayed under the rug, because Jihwa was always willing to overlook Yoon Seungho’s retaliation. 
Observe that despite the sex session with Jihwa, the latter had lost the fight against the painter. He was even sent away and the host didn’t pay attention to him at the end. However, during that same night, Kim got himself tricked by Deok-Jae, something he hadn’t expected. And that’s the moment the butler realized that he could use the guardian as his second pawn. That’s how Deok-Jae took over the role from the amateur spy and helped Kim in his attempt to separate the artist from the noble: chapter 29/30. But since the vicious servant got betrayed, because Kim abandoned him and let him suffer the most, Deok-Jae could only act on his own. He tried to steal the red dresser, he sabotaged the rice, and finally he even ransacked the study and hurt the artist causing so much trouble to Kim that he could only ask him to disappear. Nevertheless, I would like to remind that the moment when the amateur spy reveals his complicity in chapter 18, he doesn’t even deny or try to put the blame on the valet. This shows that he has no idea that Kim knew about his role. Kim has always been able to survive thanks to this philosophy: IGNORANCE IS A BLESSING.
For me, a sign that he saw what happened: the painter was the criminal. People would think that he was covering up for the painter, yet if you look at Min’s reaction after hearing the butler’s words, you’ll realize that Min is asking for blood. 
Striking is that in chapter 19, we have elements from chapter 11:
Then, when the artist wakes up, he discovers that he is in the lord’s bed. He assumes that the lord left him behind after the sex session, that’s why he remembers the sex marathon. However, Kim deceives the artist by portraying the lord in a good light: He brought himself to his bed, because it is the warmest room.
However, Kim announces him that the painter has been sick for 10 days 
and the lord has been hopping from one bedchamber to the next. 
So how can he have brought the painter to his bedchamber during these 10 days, if he was away? Besides, how is he supposed to have brought the painter to his bed, if he was already in the bed after the sex marathon? In my opinion, the valet had chosen to turn Baek Na-Kyum into a favored servant and placed the painter in the master’s bed. If the latter chose to become the master’s lover, then the lord would have no interest in keeping sponsoring Jung In-Hun. Now, he needed to separate the two. Besides, he knew that at some point, the lord would return. That’s why Yoon Seungho was surprised, when he arrived in his room. He tried to hide it by showing a rather indifferent expression. Yet, Kim’s machination failed. The butler never imagined that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the room and Yoon Seungho would agree to it. We have to imagine that the poor boy had just recovered, so if the main lead had ignored the painter’s condition, the new sex session could have led to the painter’s exhaustion and death. That’s why I can’t perceive Kim’s trick as a favor for the main lead. Yet, both protagonists in their innocence defeated the butler’s plan. And note that the valet lies again the next morning. He announces his arrival with the excuse, he is bringing his meal: 
But where is the meal? Read the chapter 35 again, you don’t see anything like that at all. 
Besides, pay attention to the valet’s reaction, when he opens the door: he is feeling uncomfortable, as if he was expecting something. 
He imagined to see the painter there with the lord, maybe dead… But no, his master is alone and didn’t sleep the whole night. He had reasons for that. He must have wondered why the painter was in his bed, but then he left him in order to let him rest. Then what caught my attention is that the valet opens the two windows,
although the lord is not even dressed. He doesn’t even hurry to bring him the hanbok and later he even comments, it is cold. 
Note that here again, the domestic is without eyes again. From my point of view, he saw the painter strolling in the courtyard and meeting the scholar, therefore he opened the two windows so that the lord would feel the need to come closer to the window and witness the scene. Since there’s no ambiguity that Kim witnessed how the lord took the sword during the night of the rape, and tried to kill the teacher, he recognized the lord’s jealousy. Therefore, he imagined if he saw the painter with the scholar, he would get so resentful that he would grab his sword and kill the painter in affect. 
Notice that at no moment Kim intervened, although he was by the lord’s side, when he saw this. He literally vanished and only reappeared, after the situation had called down. The lord had not killed the artist. He even brought the fake letter from father Yoon, an excuse for his disappearance and at the same time a diversion. That’s why the artist was given the aphrodisiac right after. The painter needed to become the lord’s favored servant. If he remained loyal to Yoon Seungho, the latter would have no longer any interest in the teacher’s support. And since I judged the incident with the sword in chapter 35 as an attempt on the painter’s life masterminded by Kim, there’s no ambiguity that his participation in the second murder attempt will surface. However, this time it will become visible, because the puppet master lost his pawns one by one (the amateur spy, Jihwa, Deok-Jae). He can only use the second lead through Min that’s why he was included. Under this different approach, Jihwa’s crimes are relativized and it becomes obvious that Nameless is not only Min’s nemesis, but also Kim’s. Nameless contrasts so much to the butler, if you compare their attitude. Nameless might be ruthless, yet he is compassionate and genuine. And he is not running away from any responsibility and from reality, he is not putting the blame on others. 
Yet we never saw him directly, we could only hear his footsteps. The manhwalovers only got clues about the identity of the “culprit” in the next chapter, yet there was still some mystery left. As for Jihwa, he heard about the late departure from the lord’s room the next morning through the guardian. 
However, at some point, I could recreate the incident. Like I had exposed it previously, Deok-Jae was responsible for this incident, which was also confirmed by the author herself (she liked my tweet). He had been spying on the painter’s moves, because he saw the artist as a rival. Nonetheless, the evidence for this theory was truly exposed in chapter 53. Deok-Jae had listened to the way Baek Na-Kyum sounded, when he was aroused.
So in chapter 16, out of jealousy, Deok-Jae sent the butler to the lord’s bedchamber telling him that the artist had already left. His true intention was to separate the low-born from Yoon Seungho and his move did succeed. Yet, I doubt that Kim was very happy, as he could have been in trouble. And this incident was repeated in the second half of the first season. Jihwa opened the door of the study in chapter 43. 
And here is the question? How could he know where Yoon Seungho was? Actually, he should have gone to the master’s bedroom. There’s no doubt that Deok-Jae played a huge role here. He tipped him off again, but this was caught by Kim. Deok-Jae wanted to use the aristocrat in order to bring apart the couple. He knew that the butler would no longer assist him. Yet he failed in the sense that Jihwa didn’t interrupt them. The former was just too shocked. 
However, in his mind, it was not a complete failure. He had already anticipated Jihwa’s jealousy and fury and its consequences. He already envisioned the painter’s murder. That’s why he knew the identity of the client hiring Nameless.
The vicious domestic had used the red-haired noble as a chess pawn. He desired to get rid of Baek Na-Kyum through an assassination. It was already palpable in chapter 51. He urged the joker to kill the low-born in a hurry. 
That way, he wouldn’t get his hands tainted, and if Jihwa got caught, the second lead would become his scapegoat and feel the lord’s wrath. We have to imagine that the jealous servant had no time and opportunity to tail Jihwa’s moves. Yet, he could control him, each time he entered the mansion. As a conclusion, Deok-Jae had been manipulating the second lead in the shadow too. Jihwa was in reality manipulated by The Joker and the commoner. Yet, there was a witness of the second incident: Kim. Why do I think like that? Note that in the next chapter, Deok-Jae is sent away to the capital.
He is the servant following the scholar. Kim made sure that the guardian would be sent away, so that there would be no longer any trouble. He had the same reaction than his master. But he was not doing it as a favor for his lord, far from it. His desire was to avoid any uproar or big incident. Deok-Jae had become a source of danger, a thread to his tranquility. For Kim, if his master often had sex with Baek Na-Kyum, then in his eyes he had achieved his goal. The lord would lead a quiet life, and he could act like the lord of the mansion. First, he could use the lord’s money, as he saw fit 
and he could give orders to other servants, especially the guardian after his return, although he never got the authorization.
Note, the butler is employing the imperative tense. Therefore I come to the following observation: in this scene, he used his power to force Deok-Jae to give up on his “dream”, becoming the master’s favored servant. This explicates why the butler kept asking Deok-Jae to bring the material for painting to the study. 
His real intention was to make him accept the new situation: Baek Na-Kyum was now the favored servant and not him. 
No wonder, why Deok-Jae called him a 
He was not only abusing his position, but also choosing the lord’s partner. This explicates why Kim described the painter as favored servant. This status was just temporary, and it was linked to Kim’s tranquility. As long as he was acting as the lord’s sex toy, everything was fine. And now the manhwaphiles can comprehend, why Kim never revealed the conversation at the library. He didn’t have any reason to. Furthermore, it could lead to another outburst, the lord could seek revenge on the teacher. While hiding his knowledge, the butler could do anything he wanted, leave the mansion without any permission. With this new approach, it becomes obvious that Kim never bought the ink and brushes, because he was kind to the painter or felt concerned for him. the painter had everything he needed. He used him as a justification in order to put the guardian in his right place, to make him give up. This was a new version of chapter 12: 
This time, Kim used his position to scold the servant. Yet he didn’t truly punish him, because he had no authority. He swept the incident under the carpet, because the lord could question his competency. For the butler, the rivalry and jealousy were not his business, it only became one, if he got into trouble. As you could see, each incident is repeated twice in each season, yet there’s an escalation and the painter becomes a victim of these incidents. At the same time, I would like to point out the following deduction. It becomes comprehensible, why the butler keeps feeding his lord the aphrodisiac. When the lord acts like a man obsessed with sex, Kim can have his hands free and enjoy quite a nice life. He leaves the mansion, gives orders and even buys things. That’s why he keeps telling others, that they shouldn’t worry about the permission from Yoon Seungho. The master never paid attention to it. 
The door was broken due to Min’s action and in the same chapter, Deok-Jae crawled past the Joker. It was, as if he was passing his torch to his successor. 
Kim got caught this time, exactly like Deok-Jae. He couldn’t run away like in the past. And now, all the culprits involved in the incidents with the door were discovered during the second season, which gives us a clue that Min will also be caught in the end. 
under a different perspective. It could definitely be seen as an evidence that Kim must have seen something, because he didn’t leave the hot water close by the door. Then later it had disappeared. Note the difference between this panel and the following one: 
That’s why I believe that he was acting like in chapter 29/30: feigning ignorance. But since the painter had returned, he needed to change his plan without revealing too much, hence he used the expression “I believe”, in order to mask his knowledge. 
That’s why in his eyes, the painter needs to leave the mansion. Deok-Jae was sent away and now Kim is attempting to do the same. This explicates why Kim confronted the lord with the truth. 
As a conclusion, Kim is trying his best to separate the couple. While he acts kind towards the painter making him believe that he is doing it for his interest, he acts the opposite towards his master. He utilizes the truth in order to hurt the main lead, since he can’t use his position, like he did with Deok-Jae. However, like I said before, this won’t work like Kim has envisioned it. Therefore he will be forced to act directly in the end, revealing his true personality: a coward who never wanted to take any responsibility and let others suffer so that he was never confronted himself with a terrible situation. His tranquility was paid with the suffering of others. 
This is the same door, the main character went through during that famous night, when he was walking under the influence of his unconscious: 
Back then, he went through the courtyard to the painter’s room and I believe, Yoon Seungho is following the same way. However, this time, it is a conscious choice. He feels the need to keep his distance from the commoner. He has definitely heard that he was considered as a bad omen for Baek Na-Kyum. 
The chapter 68 is definitely a new version of chapter 53, yet this time Yoon Seungho didn’t intervene. 
In other words, he is retreating and he will remain in his room in my opinion. Yet unlike the chapter 52, he won’t organize any orgy, he will remain hidden thinking that Baek Na-Kyum must have decided to leave him. He has no other reason to think otherwise, since he was portrayed in such a negative way by two people: Heena and Kim. In other words, I am expecting a new version of chapter 52, the lord is in his bedroom alone, hiding his wound and even skipping his meals. 
. So far, it was just mentioned in chapter 68 
, because he knows that the lord has feelings for him. However, he is keeping his distance from him, a similar situation than in episode 41-42. Furthermore, the manhwaworms should remember that the night in chapter 41-42 was a new version of the episode 20-21: the first Wedding night. In during both nights, the artist cried. 
In the chapter 41 and 42, his tears were the symbol of his agony. His heart started getting frozen. 
As a conclusion, the following episodes will contain elements from chapters 20-21 and 41-42. But let’s focus on the following elements contained in episodes 41-42:
Baek Na-Kyum was trying to hide his sorrow, and Yoon Seungho wanted to help, but had no idea how. They argued. Yoon Seungho refused the painter’s advances, which he felt half-hearted and not genuine. 
Furthermore, he is now intrigued by Yoon Seungho, he might resent him for his misdeeds, yet he can’t truly reject him. Therefore I am expecting a new version of this chapter, full of sadness, while the painter tries to discover the reason for his distance and isolation. 
And that’s how I believe that the topic of painting will resurface again. Yoon Seungho will finally reveal that he used to paint, which would infuriate father Yoon. And this will lead the painter to request from the lord to paint for him, a new version of: 
, the red box which corresponds to the painter’s item: 
And that’s how Yoon Seungho is invited to paint for the painter, so that we have a new version of chapter 36. 
And he paints a plant again 
This time, the lord is the one struggling, because he hasn’t done it for a long time. However, the moment when the artist sees the lord’s work, the low-born can’t help himself smiling, surprised by the main lead’s talent. The painter will compliment the noble for his picture, a new version of this panel: 
The redness will be replaced with a smile. And that’s how Yoon Seungho starts crying. For the first time, he made someone smile again, a source of joy for him. 
And now you can imagine what I am expecting. This time, the lord is saying something similar to this: 
Just like in chapter 42, Yoon Seungho can’t stop weeping. Finally, it is important to recall that in chapter 20-21, the lord gave a false apology 
. Since he experienced a genuine apology in chapter 63
, but to a victory. Furthermore, the painting will force the aristocrat to rely on his own senses, so that he won’t any longer rely on the butler’s words. From that moment, Kim won’t be able to distort reality and make the lord doubt his judgement. He saw and felt the painter’s admiration through his painting. However, this doesn’t mean that the lord’s transformation is completed. He might be reborn during the next episodes, yet he has still a long way to go before truly shining. He needs to change people’s perception about him and it will start with the staff. From my point of view, the head-maid will approve the changes and can only encourage the artist to remain by Yoon Seungho’s side. Little by little, Kim will lose his privileged position among the domestics. And Min will become more and more impatient. His desires for the artist will make him go crazy, overlooking the presence of another shadow: the second Joker, Nameless, the one who ruined Deok-Jae and Min’s original plan. There’s no ambiguity that the buffoon will also be responsible for the failure of the second abduction.
(chapter 68) In her eyes, he was a hero, because he showed concern and care towards her tenderhearted brother. 
(chapter 18) Hence I come to the conclusion, the teacher used the school in order to manipulate the commoners and the gisaengs. While he portrayed himself as righteous and kind, he described the powerful nobles as violent and arrogant, so that he would get the admiration from the commoners. In truth, he was deceiving them, since he looked down on them. Yet he needed them in order to get some connections to the powerful and rich nobles visiting the gisaeng house. On the other hand, since he didn’t want to get too close to the gisaengs, he employed the innocent boy as a shield, misleading Heena noona to think that Jung In-Hun had feelings for her brother. That’s why he hugs the protagonist so tightly. 
(chapter 67) However, the second component (“Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain“) doesn’t apply, because he is not doing it for free. Let’s not forget Kim’s philosophy, which was exposed in chapter 65:
(chapter 67) He had never received the authorization from his master. However, the manhwalovers should recognize that he painted his master in a rather negative light, while leaving a good impression on her. 
(chapter 67) In his mind, the butler thought that Baek Na-Kyum would leave the place right away after the harsh treatment he had received. For him, there was no doubt that no one in his right mind would stay at such a place. He knew that Yoon Seungho would come back soon. In other words, he was not helping Heena or Baek Na-Kyum here. He was doing himself a favor: his desire was to lead a peaceful life. Therefore, this explanation contradicts the first point. 
(chapter 67) In my opinion, we have here a new version of the painter’s escape from the first season: Kim acting as a shadow helped the artist to run away (chapter 29-30). However, the problem is that he got caught by Yoon Seungho. 
(chapter 68) What should he do now? I would like to remind the manhwaphiles that Kim had not only disobeyed his master’s order, but he had acted, as if he was a lord. He had given the permission without Yoon Seungho’s consent. 
(chapter 68). Note that the protagonist doesn’t menace to kill the gisaeng. He just desires to send her away, but he is now determined to punish his butler for his disobedience. He usurped his position, and as a lord he is allowed to do so. And that’s the moment, when Kim starts speaking the truth, which many readers associate to something positive.
Note, that in that chapter, the lord had the sword in his hand, and strangely the valet came late. As you can imagine, this is no coincidence. In my opinion, butler knew that something bad had happened and in order to escape his lord’s bad mood, he arrived late on purpose (lie by commission), but at the same time he revealed his knowledge about the cause for Baek Na-Kyum’s depressed mood in order to divert his master’s attention. That way, he could put the blame on the absent noble, but also on the painter. The latter had disregarded him due to the scholar’s words. At the same time, he made the lord feel insecure, because it showed him that he had behaved exactly like a client, a man obsessed with sex. That’s why with the butler’s intervention, the master had a relapse. What mattered for Kim was a peaceful life, the rest is 
(chapter 68) Here, he is using the past in order to distort reality and memories while speaking truth. What Kim doesn’t mention here is his involvement in that incident. 
(chapter 68) Here, Kim is mentioning the past, where he played an active role between the father and son. In other words, he is reminding the master that he is acting like a mediator. However, this revelation exposes the servant’s manipulation. He was one of the causes for the falling apart between father Yoon and the eldest son. We have to imagine that he never revealed the real reason for Yoon Seungho’s rebellious nature to father Yoon. And here, he is behaving like in the past. He tries to intervene between Baek Na-Kyum, Heena noona and Yoon Seungho, as if he had the right to. 
(chapter 68)
He had been already prepared mentally by his butler. He was as wounded as Baek Na-Kyum, when the scholar had voiced his true thoughts about the painter. 
(chapter 68) For me, chapter 68 is the new version of chapter 40. That’s why I wasn’t rejoicing at all about Kim’s behavior. He was far from being honest with his truth. In reality, he used truth mixed with emotions as his ultimate tool in order to save his own skin. In other words, he functioned as the noble’s mirror. 
(chapter 57) His gaze is only focused on his valet, not realizing that the latter is not honest with him. From my point of view, there’s a reason why Byeonduck put Jung In-Hun’s so-called heroism
(chapter 68) He slowly takes the artist in his arms. He doesn’t rush to her side, remains silent and immobile. His passivity reflects his true personality, but Heena is too focused on her young brother to grasp the situation. 
(chapter 69) 
(chapter 72) From that moment on, Yoon Seungho was no longer viewing the valet as the unofficial lord. We could say that he had lost his status as “hero” in the main lead’s eyes. 
Due to his suggestion, he suffered a lot in the past, therefore he doesn’t want to make the same experience again: anxiety and remorse. Yet, at the end of the chapter 67, Jihwa is sitting like an obedient monkey and paying attention to Black Heart’s words. 
It was, as if the red-haired noble had given up on his “humanity” in the sense, he is no longer using his brain. How could this happen? The readers will blame Yoon Seungho for this. The moment he barged in his bedchamber, Jihwa ran away from his childhood friend and hid behind the windscreen. 
He was too scared and didn’t want to face Yoon Seungho’s wrath. But this attitude exposed simultaneously that he was not willing to assume his responsibilities. Remember that he relied on Nameless so much. Since the latter had become his hands, it signified that the criminal was accountable for the crime.
Note this panel outlines Jihwa’s escapism. “I know, he couldn’t have seen me”, the scared man imagined, because Baek Na-Kyum had his eyes covered, then he wouldn’t get caught. What he failed to realize is that first, he spoke so that the servant could have recognized his voice, Nameless was well aware of this. Then, he counted on Nameless’ promise. For me, this panel embodies Jihwa’s habit: avoiding any responsibility for a wrongdoing, which could be seen in the three wise monkeys: 
In reality, a perverted version, as for Jihwa, if no one sees, speaks or hears his misdeed, then it means, he has nothing to fear. He has the impression that nothing happened. Getting caught triggers his anxieties, as it is connected to the incident with the door and Yoon Seungho’s suffering. And now you understand why Jihwa was so scared after the scene Yoon Seungho made: he had been caught for the third time!! Chapter 18 
, chapter 57
and chapter 67 
And each time, Yoon Seungho’s anger increased. However, each time, the aristocrat with black eyes never expressed remorse and offered an apology. I would even add that he never saw these as misdeeds, as he always justified his misdeeds. In chapter 10/17, Baek Na-Kyum represented a source of temptation for his friend and he had even seduced him. Then when he sent lord Song’s fake letter to his friend, he justified his action by putting the blame on his friend for changing and cutting ties with him.
Finally, the painter was the reason why he got rejected. In all three cases, he never questioned, how his actions affected his victims. That’s why even when he got caught, he never changed his behavior. This explicates why Jihwa didn’t learn his lesson, as he didn’t see the wrongdoings and its impact on others. 
But it only looks like that on the surface, as from my point of view, the trigger for this switch are Min’s words. First he offered help. 
Then he predicted Yoon Seungho’s arrival, so that Jihwa was deceived. 
Black Heart had already prepared his move. He created the illusion that “To Help you” was genuine, as his prediction had become true. For me, “to help you” played a huge role, as Min is well aware of the red-haired noble’s personality. He knows that the neglected child has never been willing to take any responsibility, letting others take the blame. There’s a reason for that: Min was his teacher, The Joker who never got caught himself. For Jihwa, the idiom “to help you” is a synonym for reliability. Therefore he has the impression that thanks to Black Heart, he can keep avoiding any accountability. But Min, as The Joker, will be the one teaching him a lesson. The latter has already planned for Jihwa to take the fall, making him believe that the commoners (Heena, Kim and eventually Nameless) will be blamed for the painter’s second kidnapping. What Jihwa fails to realize is that since Black Heart revealed his secret twice, 
the latter needs to put a neat, clean ending, 
so that no one will realize the existence of a mastermind behind the second kidnapping. My prediction is that Min has already calculated Jihwa’s death. This is the devil talking, when he voices those words: 
He is tempting Jihwa. The Joker was there, when Yoon Seungho warned the former friend and used his sword against him. That’s why the Joker could only laugh, when he saw Jihwa trembling after seeing the weapon so closely. He had to contain his laugh and smile behind his hand. 
He saw it as a confirmation that the noble would retaliate, if Baek Na-Kyum got abducted a second time. The lord wouldn’t even question his childhood friend. That way, Min would be able to get away, while Yoon Seungho would have to face infuriated aristocrats who would despise him for killing one of their fellows for a low-born. Imagine the destruction he is preparing, just to taste the painter. 
That’s why he waited at Jihwa’s door the next morning. 
He could barely contain his impatience and his jealousy. The lord was far from being in a good mood. His smile is actually an expression of his anger and resent. As time passed on, his desire for the artist got so strong that at the end, he felt the need to approach Yoon Seungho’s mansion. But there, he had to see the painter’s smooth legs in the main lead’s arms. 
And now, imagine Min’s face, when he saw this: even the merchant, 
who never had sex with a man before was already bewitched by them. And now, you comprehend why Min has the sensation that he has been bewitched and can’t escape from this attraction. Therefore, it becomes comprehensible why Min wishes to have Jihwa killed in the end. He resents him for putting him in a misery. He had ordered his red-haired servant to bring him the painter, but the childish man had not only disobeyed him twice, but he had made it more difficult for Min to obtain the painter. Yoon Seungho would be on his guard now. That’s the other reason why Black Heart has already projected Jihwa’s death. 
Observe the presence of The Joker on the windscreen. Since the aristocrat is so paralyzed by his anxiety, his weakened condition explains why he falls for Black Heart’s manipulation so easily. At the same time, this drawing illustrates that Jihwa’s fear is more linked to getting caught than to Yoon Seungho’s wrath. Let’s not forget that in chapter 59, the readers heard about the protagonist’s rage shocking the noble with the mole.
Yet, Jihwa didn’t seem to upset and traumatized after that, which the friend noted. He was even surprised that the red-haired noble was able to maintain his relationship with his childhood friend. I see it as a proof that his angst is linked to apprehension and arrest. That’s why I believe that the advice given by Min before the appearance of the main lead played a huge role. Since Jihwa has internalized avoidance and escapism, assistance sounds like avoidance of responsibility. And now, you understand, Jihwa has been following his “teacher”‘s rules so faithfully: 
Secondly, he saw the uproar she caused at the entrance of the propriety.
Moreover, the Joker must have noticed how Kim was standing at the door, yet the latter never stopped him and allowed him to be pushed away. 
This gesture signalized that the valet was a pushover. Besides, I have to admit that I am suspecting Kim to have met Min during that night in chapter 52/53/54. Back then, I was wondering where the man was, when the door of Baek Na-Kyum’s study was destroyed and when Deok-Jae fled. Furthermore, between the time Yoon Seungho brought Baek Na-Kyum to his room and Black Heart’s return, minutes elapsed… yet Kim never intervened. I have the impression, he played a similar role than during the night of the rape. He acted in the shadow, following his favorite philosophy: 
and the physician acted, as though he saw nothing. In other words, we have 6 participants. Therefore, I believe that there will be another person involved in the second abduction beside Nameless, Min, Jihwa, Heena and Kim. This seems to corroborate my theory that Nameless has already planted a spy at Yoon Seungho’s mansion. But there’s another person who could play an important role in the second kidnapping: the head-maid of the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong: I am not saying that she will help them, but she will be involved, because she will help the noble and the painter. 
Besides, when he woke up, he imagined that he was seeing his lord, exposing his desire to have him by his side. That’s why I believe that Baek Na-Kyum won’t follow her suggestion. Besides, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the head-maid was heading to the painter’s chamber.
From my point of view, her words will have an influence on the low-born and his sister. Another evidence for this theory is the incident in Baek Na-Kyum’s study in chapter 53. The artist refused to leave the propriety, although he was hurt by Deok-Jae. In my opinion, the commoner will reject her offer so that Min is forced to wait. Imagine Min’s torments!! They will be so different from Jihwa’s. 
I have the feeling that unlike his disciple who drank to hide his anxieties, the lord Min will resort to opium. 
Min’s new hanbok in chapter 56 exposes his transformation: the pattern reminds the readers of the opium smoke. Furthermore, his return was announced with this picture: 
There’s no doubt for me that Min will get caught and will suffer the consequences of his manipulations. Since The Joker’s return, I have always predicted his death: he gets suffocated due to strangulation. First, Yoon Seungho broke the pheasant’s neck during the hunt with Min 
(chapter 41). The blood on his hands comes from the wounds caused by the arrows. But I also noticed a progression, how the lord used his hands during the second season: from this 
(chapter 67). His hands are getting closer to the throat, for me a clue that Yoon Seungho will eliminate his rival personally.
Yet, this time it will be the other way around. 
He was annoyed, as he feared people’s gaze and asked the painter to follow him to an isolated place. Since I am imagining a new version of chapter 29, I am expecting that Baek Na-Kyum’s walk through town will attract people’s attention. Let’s not forget that in chapter 64, his escape caused a huge uproar
, and I doubt that people will have already forgotten the artist. Since the low-born was seen many times in that town and no one paid attention to him before, Kim will imagine that no one will notice the artist. Remember that no one observed them, when they went to the doctor for the first time. And in the mean time, Baek Na-Kyum won’t leave the propriety for the time being. However, Kim is not expecting that people will witness him.
Do you remember that a buffoon is a synonym for “joker”? From my point of view, Nameless has already placed a spy at Yoon Seungho’s mansion. I am still convinced that the new guardian is giving info to the criminal due to his explanations to Min.
He can’t imagine that the criminal was the one who convinced the red-haired noble not to commit the murder. However, this time the butcher will refuse. Even if Jihwa’s involvement has been revealed, I doubt that the criminal is not aware of Yoon Seungho’s visit to the family Lee. Since Yoon Seungho didn’t retaliate against Jihwa and only warned him, Nameless has no reason to intervene first. From my point of view, it looks like Yoon Seungho is still not looking too closely to the circumstances of the abduction and Deok-Jae’s servant. But it could change, forcing Nameless to intervene. Due to my previous analyses about Nameless, I came to the conclusion that he represents Jihwa’s conscience, hence he is his liberator. Consequently Nameless can eventually become Jihwa’s hands again, yet this time, Jihwa will never be able to escape his fate: he will be caught and be forced to become responsible. As you can sense, I am still unsure about Nameless’ actions. My instinct is to say that he will refuse to help the red-haired noble first, but could change his mind. One thing is sure: Nameless will confront Jihwa and let him see the consequences of his decisions. I am still hoping that he plays a huge role in the discovery of the mastermind, but there’s nothing sure, as Byeonduck prefers characters with flaws. In her story, there’s no hero, except the artist, if we overlook his lies in the beginning.
As you can anticipate it, my predictions are based on observations, therefore it can definitely turn out differently. Yet, I think the list I made could be helpful to envision the evolution of the story. In other words, you are more than welcome to imagine a different story about the second kidnapping. 
reminding me of the butler Kim in the original, implying that we have a fake affection. But if Jung In-Hun replaces Kim, it signifies that Baek Na-Kyum is now living the life of the noble Yoon Seungho in the original story. From that moment, I tried to verify this theory: We have an older sister who seems to be jealous of her younger brother, because she mocks him by calling him a baby. 
The source of her resent is simple: since Baek Na-Kyum is the only son of their family, he always gets the attention and admiration from the father, while she, as an older sister, is overlooked due to her gender. Hence I connected her to Yoon Seung-Won, the younger brother, for I had already pointed out in one of my former analyses that there existed a certain jealousy between them due to their father. 
This was truly palpable in this incident. Back then, I had imagined that it was related to the topknot incident. However, I think now that what we are witnessing is a straw mat beating. The younger master, who betrayed his older brother out of jealousy, never imagined that his father would retaliate like that. He had envisioned that his brother would get into trouble and loses the father’s admiration, yet not to this extent. Another allusion to jealousy was the words expressed by the main lead, when he confessed to his lover: 
(chapter 55) From my point of view, he was reliving his past, when he saw his brother getting the father’s attention. Let’s not forget that this story is based on the principle: history keeps repeating itself, therefore the jealousy resented towards the low noble was the present, while in the past, Yoon Seungho resented his brother in the past, it was the moment where jealousy reached his peak. That’s why I saw the roles played by the sister and Jung In-Hun as a confirmation that Byeonduck had chosen to reveal the protagonist’s past in the Alternative Universe by switching their places. Yet, this means that the readers will always see the uke suffering. She desires the readers to imagine the main lead’s traumatic past. While many readers are liking the Alternative Universe because of the humor and the lightness, I am convinced that we are actually headed to a huge tragedy, a repetition of the original story… as it represents Yoon Seungho’s past. On the other hand, it is important to remember that although this is just a repetition of the story, we shouldn’t forget that the story is not simply a pure repetition, as the elements and the chronology are changed. As a conclusion, Baek Na-Kyum will suffer a similar tragedy than the protagonist in the main story, yet it will also be a little different, maybe less painful. 
He showed the picture, while saying that it was signed Na-Min. However, if the readers pay attention to the painting, there’s no signature on it. Besides, I doubt that as a commoner, he is able to read, remember that the artist in the original story can’t read either. One might argue that the shopkeeper told him the name of the creator, when he showed him the painting. Yet, this argument is incorrect for three reasons. First, the merchant had no reason to mention him, because the former knows that Baek Na-Kyum is selling his pictures directly in order to keep his hobby a secret. Moreover, imagine, Baek Na-Kyum portrayed the famous sodomite Yoon Seungho who is a commoner. The merchant would have questioned him about the circumstances, how he got a painting from the noble. How could the innocent noble have painted the commoner as model? This would have shocked the merchant. From my point of view, the shopkeeper didn’t recognize the artist’s work at all, but he proposed him 5 coins due to his greed. He must have repeated the following remarks: 
In my perspective, the trader was just repeating the criticisms heard from someone else. 
Compare the two reviews, you will notice that the commoner is much more accurate in his review. And he is able to discern the origin of the flaws for such a drawing. 
That’s why I came to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho was a painter himself. In order to become an arts critic, you need to understand the subject, therefore many painting critics are artists themselves. My explanation is that he discovered the noble’s work by sleeping with nobles. His clients would buy the pictures, which the commoner couldn’t afford himself. What caught my attention is the following panel: 
Baek Na-Kyum questions his competence with his rhetorical question. In the main lead’s eyes, Yoon Seungho doesn’t have the eye to know… and to judge his paintings. But this question made me think the exact opposite. From my point of view, Yoon Seungho recognized the artist’s style, hence he could name it.
But unlike Baek Na-Kyum, the commoner is not famous due to his social status. And you understand why I came to this idea that the powerful noble Yoon Seungho in the original story could have been an artist in his youth, a painter and even a poet. From that moment, I started to search for clues in order to corroborate my theory. 
Note that he doesn’t say “write” but paint on their skin. This showed that the noble used to like painting. When I read chapter 36, I made the following mistake: Yoon Seungho was writing, hence I didn’t pay too much attention to his drawing on the painter’s body. However, I changed my mind, the moment I viewed his lines on Baek Na-Kyum’s body: 
then you’ll realize that it is a painting on Yoon Seungho’s body and the author is a painter. This could be judged as another evidence for my theory. A painter drew lines on the body of another artist. Therefore I come to the deduction that in chapter 36, Yoon Seungho started showing his passion to Baek Na-Kyum: he used to paint. The manhwaphiles should remember that in the previous chapter, the lord asked the commoner about his likes and dislikes. Such a conversation implies that the counterpart will also ask about the likes and dislikes of the partner. What does Yoon Seungho like in reality? My answer would be: he liked painting, but exactly like the low-born, he was forced to abandon his passion due to his father. 
someone attempted to draw a scene of men copulating. Since my hypothesis is Yoon Seungho was a painter in his youth, then it looks like he was the creator of his drawing. Then in chapter 23, the manhwaphiles certainly remember the book he showed to Baek Na-Kyum in order to revive his memory: 
Therefore Yoon Seungho could have been the author of this picture. Note the progression between the picture from chapter 8 and 23. This time, the artist included colors and the design is more precise, just like the lines are more firm. Then this would explain why Yoon Seungho knew what it meant, when an artist doesn’t practice for a long time. 
(chapter 2). In that same chapter, the artist noticed how well furnished his study was. He had such an expensive paper, and so many brushes revealing the aristocrat’s knowledge. And now it becomes comprehensible, why the lord could only laugh at the fake excuse given by Jung In-Hun in chapter 30: The low noble had brought the artist to the shop in order to buy him ink and brushes. The lord knew that the painter had everything he needed. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho was the one who took care of that room. That’s why the study is next to his bedchamber.
Note that the drawing behind the noble is not only torn, but it was made on an expensive paper indicating that this work was made by someone rich. Secondly, Baek Na-Kyum never created such a painting in the first season for the protagonist, yet the main lead painted a similar picture in his youth: 
. However, there exist small divergences: the uke in the purple drawing is embracing his lover exposing such a passion and strong love. And since I explained that Baek Na-Kyum was making the same experiences than the main lead, it looks like the author of this painting in this picture 
So in my opinion, Yoon Seungho used to paint in secret, exactly like the noble Baek Na-Kyum, as he knew that his father would never allow such a hobby. He had many reasons for that. First, since Father Yoon is portrayed as a controlling father, it means that he was paying attention to the main lead’s every move. While the father might have described painting or poetry as too feminine, the real reason for this interdiction was different. Father Yoon couldn’t allow that Yoon Seungho’s reputation outshines his own. 
Yoon Seungho liked paintings and even poetry, a thorn in the eye for Father Yoon, as it represented a source of threat for father Yoon. There’s no ambiguity that such an ambitious and greedy man would reject arts. Why? According to my theory, the main lead is the illegitimate son of a kisaeng and the grandfather, so seeing his half-brother getting more famous would definitely infuriate him. Moreover, it would be a constant reminder of Yoon Seungho’s true origins. Finally, if Yoon Seungho became famous as an artist, he could get close to power, like for example he becomes the personal painter of the king. However, when father Yoon discovered that his son had caught the king’s attention, he realized that he could use the protagonist differently. 
As the king’s courtesan or prostitute, Yoon Seungho would lose all his rights. He would never get recognition and power as well, while father Yoon as his pimp would benefit from it. That’s why when the father mentions “illness”, he could definitely be referring to painting. Yoon Seungho learnt that he had to paint during the night to outlive his passion, and now you understand why I saw the combination of this illustration 
(chapter 45) 
(chapter 50) 
(chapter 53) and 
(chapter 67) Even when he died in a figurative sense, the last hanbok indicates that his liking for drawings has not died yet. Nevertheless, all the pattern have something in common: the presence of nature. There are always animals or plants. And this observation led me to the next conclusion, Yoon Seungho was a painter, but unlike his lover, he loved painting nature. This explains why the main lead painted a plant on the low-born’s body in chapter 36.
and the latter used a plant to play with the animal. 
Moreover, the painter’s sexuality resurfaces the moment he witnesses sex between Jihwa and Yoon Seungho, a new version of voyeurism. Why do I think that Jihwa was the one who led the innocent noble to become a voyeur? Note that in the Alternative Universe, the cat is the one leading Baek Na-Kyum to the cabin and even strokes the artist’s butt, while the latter is beholding the scene: 
So the main lead was not alone, when he saw the commoner having a fellatio. Besides, the manhwalovers should recall how Baek Na-Kyum saw two nobles having sex at the gisaeng house.
The aristocrats hid their sexual orientation behind the gisaengs. On the surface, they would behave like normal men, while in reality they loved another man. I doubt that Yoon Seungho could leave his mansion like that, especially if he was monitored by the staff and especially by his butler and his brother. From my point of view, Jihwa and his friend must have witnessed it at the pavilion. 
Note that the pavilion played a huge role in the first season: emancipation for Yoon Seungho in chapter 3 and the same for Baek Na-Kyum, as the latter was forced to admit that he loved his teacher in chapter 25. Furthermore, I would like to outline that each scene at the pavilion was linked to painting. After witnessing how two nobles made love, Jihwa begged his friend to paint for him
That’s why Jihwa decided to visit him during the night, since no one noticed his absence from home. So while the innocent man, Yoon Seungho, was focused on the drawing requested by his friend, Jihwa said this: 
This interpretation would explain why Yoon Seungho couldn’t perceive Baek Na-Kyum’s preference and why Jihwa was an expert for recognizing virgins. However, during that night, the door opened 
That’s how Jihwa was separated from his friend, yet the latter chose to remain silent and let Yoon Seungho suffer the consequences from his request. Then he must have heard from the staff that a teacher was hired for a conversion therapy. This would explain why Yoon Seungho relived his second abandonment during that night of revelations: first, the friend who ran away because he had been able to escape 
and later the rape with Kim at the door: 
(chapter 37) to the younger master. This led to the straw mat beating. The scholar Jung In-Hun told his future sponsor this: 
We have to envision that the powerful main lead experienced a similar incident.
Furthermore, like my reader @Peperon21428670 pointed out, I had already associated the painter to nature. This explicates why Yoon Seungho chose to paint a plant on the artist’s body that night. He sensed the connection between nature and the artist.
(chapter 57), whereas he is only aware of the peak of the iceberg. 
(chapter 57) His keen eyes were revived and the light in them returned. 
Slowly the lord rediscovered his love for arts and paintings… inciting him to draw again. 
Since in the past his face was a source of inspiration, the symbol for innocence, youth, freedom, carefree, naturality, honesty, happiness for the painter Yoon Seungho, the latter can only associate his face to dishonesty, deception, pain and suffering now. Although Jihwa didn’t get scolded or caught with his lie, he felt guilty, but he never felt the courage to correct the truth. That’s how Jihwa started behaving like a coward and playing tricks. With this incident, he learnt a terrible lesson: he learnt how someone else could take responsibility for his actions and decisions. Since it was never revealed, the young aristocrat faked his smile and cheerfulness due to his guilt. However, with the separation from his friend, he got lost and found himself a new “friend”: The Joker who perverted his innocence and naturality in the end. That’s why when they reunited, Yoon Seungho sensed the transformation in his childhood friend. And once Jihwa discovered that his friend was interested again in painting, he looked for pictures hoping to catch Yoon Seungho’s interest. However, he was rather bored, 
when he looked at the picture (chapter 9). Then in chapter 12, he proposed to hire a painter from the Royal Academy 
(chapter 67) The face is no longer a source of inspiration, rather of suffocation, and this picture contrasts so much to the main lead’s reaction, when he looked at the artist’s face in the following drawing.
(chapter 25) He noticed the absence of facial expressions. Therefore he recommended him to use a mirror (chapter 28). As you can see, the muse’s face and facial expressions are very important for the powerful aristocrat. I believe that at some point, he will destroy the painting made with Jihwa 
Imagine how he must have felt. He tried so desperately to stop his son from being linked to arts and painting, and here he receives an erotic painting. He can only be reminded of the past incident. At the same time, he is also criticized for his hypocrisy. He forced his son to prostitution for his own goal, but acted as if he was proper and righteous. No wonder that he was so enraged and could barely contain his fury. He was confronted with his lies and wrongdoings, one could say that he was finally seeing his failure as father. Because of this new approach, I come to the conclusion that Kim was the one sending the painting, hoping that the eldest master would intervene, as he prefers father Yoon to his actual master who is always linked to scandal and uproar, which contrasts to Kim’s philosophy. The butler hoped for an intervention, but since father Yoon hates himself to be connected to sodomy and would like to keep his reputation intact, he chose not to intervene. 
(chapter 67) My first thought was: “Where were you all this time?”
(chapter 3) Their intercourse was noticeable, but at no moment father Lee interrupted them. And now, the erected phallus was switched to a sword, and unlike in chapter 3, where the second lead was eager to meet his sex partner
, the master chose to hide behind a windscreen. 
(chapter 41) He spent the whole night drinking and his father never asked about his whereabouts. He never showed any concern, as he has his staff to take care of him. In other words, he put the whole responsibility on the domestics. After confessing to Yoon Seungho in public, no servant shows up and takes care of him indicating that neither father Lee nor the staff heard about the scandal. Nameless was the one who was asked by the inn owner, if he could take care of the young noble. 
(chapter 59) He even gave him a dry robe and a home for the night. Since the servant only showed up the next morning in chapter 41 and he didn’t even appear during the night in chapter 59, it illustrates that the staff is more attached to the mansion than to the impulsive noble himself in truth.
(chapter 50), he is even willing to risk his life 
(chapter 45) That’s how isolated the father is cut off from reality and world. This is not surprising that his son resembles him, he also lives in his own world. 
, which corresponds to the expression “sensory isolation”. Back then, I had imagined that he had been abused as well. I was wrong, since it was just neglect which I had already detected. However, the consequences of such a severe neglect are as terrible as abuse. Consequently, abuse and neglect are often considered the same. 
(chapter 13)
(chapter 13); aggression 
(chapter 17)
(chapter 51)
(chapter 59) In chapter 56, Jihwa sent a fake letter reminding Yoon Seungho of his trauma, yet he acts as if the other is to blame and shows no remorse. That’s why many children suffering from emotional neglect have problems with rules and laws. 
(chapter 67)
(chapter 50)
(red circle). Because of the character’s previous deafness and blindness, I immediately connected it to the wise 3 monkeys: 
(chapter 57) “wayward” is a synonym for rebellious indicating that Yoon Seungho had started questioning his father’s behavior and words. Simultaneously, I believe that the father judged his son’s behavior as too childish, thus he said that he had been suffering from an illness for a long time. The adolescence represents an important step in the child’s development. That’s the moment when a teenager decides to take his distance from his father in order to find his own identity. Since the main lead was described as intelligent, it was normal that the main character would decide to make his own decision and could sense his father’s flaws. Consequently father Yoon could only see the critical remarks as a sign of insubordination. This is not surprising that he blamed his son, when something happened due to Jihwa. 
(chapter 57) There’s no doubt that father Yoon put all his trust in Kim. This explicates why Kim acts, as if he had the authority to give orders.
(chapter 57) due to the hat and the robe. What caught my attention is that he acts behind his lord’s back, when the latter is absent. 
(chapter 57) By examining Kim again, I have to admit that I suddenly had this question: who gave the painting to Yoon Seung-Won? Did the valet act on the lord’s order? 
(chapter 37) Or did he decide to act on his own? Let’s not forget that during that evening, the valet had been reprimanded by Yoon Seung-Won for lying to him. It is possible that the valet chose to give the painting in order to put the blame on Yoon Seungho, as he feared that the young master could report his lie and behavior to father Yoon. The latter might not be present at the mansion, but there’s no doubt that he asked his trusted servant to keep an eye on his eldest son, whom he considered as a troublemaker. This would explain why the main lead keeps taking the medicine. And now, you can grasp why Kim is more loyal to father Yoon than his actual master. The latter gives him more freedom, yet he expects from him more responsibility. Under the ruling of father Yoon, the butler could avoid any trouble by tattling on the young master Yoon Seungho or by faking ignorance, when it was necessary. Since father Yoon put all his trust in the valet, he was not able to see evil or hear evil in the end. Kim framed innocents or he feigned ignorance. As a conclusion, Father Yoon was put in the same situation than father Lee due to Kim’s actions.
He used his knowledge to hurt Yoon Seungho in the hope that the latter would keep him by his side. This was in fact a reminder that the protagonist shouldn’t change.
(chapter 59), he has the impression, he knows Yoon Seungho’s true past. He projected his own past onto his childhood friend’s. Yet, their suffering was different: father Lee neglected his son, while father Yoon was an abusive father. Besides, though he must have heard what father Yoon used his son as prostitute in order to save his own skin, Jihwa came to the conclusion that he knew the past and as such the truth. 
I suspect that lord Song is the origin of this misinformation and manipulation, because this would explain why Jihwa is so sure about his intelligence. He thought, he got his insight from the original and sure source. But let’s return our attention to the chapters 56 and 57. At the inn, Jihwa got chastised and battered for using his knowledge. 
(chapter 56) 
, the main lead was definitely so hurt that he had to hide his gaze from Kim the moment he received the letter. 
This exposes how vulnerable and wounded Yoon Seungho was, but how misinformed Jihwa was in the end. That’s why the protagonist can only reproach his former friend that he understands nothing, because his “knowledge” has been transmitted by someone else, exactly like in the Greek story: Prometheus gave fire to humans. As a conclusion, each time someone reveals a secret related to the past, this person will get sentenced sooner or later, like the new added illustration proves it. 
But this list of Pandoras doesn’t end here. There’s no doubt that Kim will resent him for the scandal, as his reputation and tranquility were ruined by the shopkeeper’s revelation. It is definitely possible that Kim is the one who retaliates, as he was present at the tailor shop.
That way, he could “tarnish” the painter’s innocence in his master’s eyes, as the former represents a real source of uproar and ruckus in his life. Therefore I predict, Kim will change his mind about Baek Na-Kyum and decide to get rid of him: he caused him too much trouble. And my prediction came true: the butler tried to send away the artist through his noona, and he got punished for his action. The lord caught him usurping his position so that the valet ended up losing his master’s trust. Kim used his knowledge from the night of revelations.
As you can imagine, the opposite happened, exactly like I had foreseen. Observe that the moment he revealed his knowledge
(chapter 65), the butler punished him by threatening him, making him believe that he would get killed, if the lord were to discover the truth. As you can see, he opened the pandora box in front of the valet and the latter chose to retaliate. That’s why I come to the conclusion that the physician will play a huge role in the future again. I think that contrary to the butler’s behavior, the noble will have a different reaction, when he discovers the truth. Besides, since he knows about his past, the physician will open the pandora box again. That way, the noble could hear about his past and the existence of the drug so that he has a different perception about valet Kim. There’s no doubt that the physician represents a pandora box for the butler. During the second season, he could still control him, yet he is still unaware of the revelations he confided to the painter. 
, it backfires because of the painter. The latter brings up the topic about the lord’s illness in his youth and the medicine he has been receiving all this time. 
From my point of view, the incident in the first season will resurface, as it will be linked to the lord’s own medicine. It is possible that Kim and the physician tries to put the blame on each other. However, I believe that Baek Na-Kyum’s testimony will play a major role. The manhwaphiles should recollect that Baek Na-Kyum voiced his rejection of the infusion in front of the head-maid. He even described the effects of the medicine which also surprised the woman. 
As a conclusion, I believe, the head-maid will be the reason why Kim loses his master’s trust entirely. The medicine, the advice he gave to the physician and the fact that he kept giving a drug ordered by father Yoon, although he knew how the aristocrat treated him… there’s no doubt that Kim will lose his position as butler. 
The closer the painter gets to Yoon Seungho, the closer the maid got to her master. In fact, she served as a bridge and mediator. First, she confessed to the artist that the lord cared for him, and her words did leave a deep impression on Baek Na-Kyum, because the latter remembered her words after their second love night. Third, when the noble returned to his bad habits, she didn’t scold the artist like Kim, she implied that the commoner had such a good influence on the lord.
The readers can sense that the two servants had a different approach. While she was encouraging the painter in a positive way, Kim chose to put the whole blame on the artist. The most surprising that she changed so much, when we all remember her words in chapter 33: 
Furthermore, after the new episode, it becomes more obvious that the head-maid will play a major role. She caught Kim allowing Heena to enter the mansion and questioned his action
, while in chapter 17, she just asked for his advice. For me, there’s no doubt that her testimony will be used against the valet and the main lead will lose his faith in the butler’s loyalty. But if the latter loses his master’s trust, the servant won’t be able to live in peace. He will have now more reason to fear his lord. As you can detect, I am expecting that all the incidents in the past (rape, the aphrodisiac given to Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum) will be revealed.
hence the latter must have reported to her about the incident. Moreover, she had even planned to visit the artist, when she caught Kim. 
. Hence Kim thought that if he let her see the artist, she would stop causing a ruckus. At the same time, note that in that scene, Kim is portraying his lord in a negative way
There’s a reason for that, he is seeking for her cooperation so that she doesn’t keep yelling at the front of the mansion 
He was a gentle but strong hero, willing to protect and console his lover, when the latter feared for his life. At no moment, the main lead cared for his reputation and people’s gaze. Baek Na-Kyum’s well-being was what mattered the most to him. the irony is that his actions never caused an uproar. As you can see, Kim is in truth Yoon Seungho’s closest enemy, and it is only a question of time, until the protagonist realizes his butler’s first real betrayal, like Baek Na-Kyum experienced it in chapter 29: 
He has already discovered his disobedience, yet he will get shocked when he discovers all the lies Kim told him. At some point, he will recognize that Kim has always been a traitor. The pandora box will be used against the valet, the same tool he used to fool people.
The first one is, when Baek Na-Kyum remembers that night where he had a near-death experience and the second one would be, when he is lying in his study with Yoon Seungho next to his bed.
They would give such an answer, because they would use the black frame as reference. The latter represents a memory or a dream in Painter Of The Night. In other words, the manhwaphiles would invoke a literary phenomenon:
and walked randomly in the room. His survival instinct had kicked in. Because of the flashback, the protagonist had lost his sense of orientation and couldn’t see where he was going, as all his thoughts and emotions were revolving around the trauma. He had the feeling that he was reliving his past experience. This explains why the chapter 65 ended with the following panels: 
in chapter 65. And if you read the chapter again, you’ll notice a huge white space between the next following panel. 
Yoon Seungho is opening the door leaving the painter in his bedchamber (chapter 65). As a conclusion, the beginning of the episode 66 has to placed between the last words and the opening door. Hence we have a fourth flashback in episode 66. 
, then covering his mouth 
and finally putting him under the cover 
so that he could get rid of noona Heena easily. He recreated the situation Baek Na-Kyum was exposed to, when he had been abducted. And if the beholder pays attention to the way the painter is lying in the bed, they will realize another important aspect: the cover that the painter used as protection and comfort has become a prison or a trap now. 
Besides, in this chapter, his heart started racing with the main lead’s appearance.
In both chapters, the main lead was the cause for the heartbeat, yet the reasons for the racing heart are totally different. It is important, because it shows us that the kidnapping left a deep wound on the artist’s psyche. When the main character recreated the condition of the abduction, he triggered a flashback. Because Baek Na-Kyum couldn’t scream for help and his head was held under a bag 
and the knife in his mouth 
showed that Nameless knew how to scare the low-born. He triggered all the painter’s senses and aroused them to the maximum so that the artist wouldn’t be able to speak so easily. This explicates why the artist felt the abduction as a near-death experience. This is not surprising that when he woke up the next morning, he was trembling and felt scared. 
But if the manhwaworms looks at the criminal’s actions, they will conclude that Nameless was indeed ruthless. He knew how to terrify the painter. He tormented the painter psychologically. Nonetheless, since Nameless neither murdered nor atrophied the painter, in his eyes he was actually very kind and even merciful. He even felt pity for him, as he was well aware of the artist’s innocence. The latter was just a plaything caught in the middle of the fight between two nobles. 
Because of his words, I believe that Nameless stands in opposite to Kim’s philosophy. While the latter chose cowardice and indifference for his self-preservation, the “butcher” made the opposite choice. By becoming the dirty hands of the nobles, he was sure that the nobles would protect him, because if they didn’t, their crimes could threaten their position. He would always stand on the winning side. However, by acting like that, Nameless contributes to perpetuate injustice and reinforce the harsh treatment on commoners. As you can see, the flashbacks (memories of the painter) were used to explain why the low-born had a flashback (panik attack) at the end. By reproducing the condition of the entrapment, Yoon Seungho helped to unveil the truth unconsciously. The painter’s body revealed the terrible secret and the readers got a glimpse of Nameless’ true mindset too. 
This impression seems to be confirmed, as the moment he removes the cloth from the painter’s mouth, the lord criticizes him.
However, from my point of view, we need to differentiate between the actions made by Yoon Seungho’s mouth and hands again. While the latter are under the influence of his unconscious, the mouth represents the mind and as such conscious. Note that he removes the cloth, although he could have ignored it. By liberating Baek Na-Kyum’s mouth, he is actually endangering his situation.
The nature of the confession has changed: this is an admission for his silence. He lied and apologized in order to survive. These panels expose how deeply traumatized the painter is. He is still trapped in his flashback, reliving his near-death experience and doesn’t realize his lover’s presence. Therefore his gaze is directed elsewhere. I would even say, his gaze is lost in the flashback. What caught my attention is the protagonist’s reaction, when he hears the painter’s words and heavy breathing. He is not only surprised and shocked
, he is also paralyzed. For me, the last panel shows the main lead’s realization. He must have recognized the painter’s real condition: he is traumatized. And in my opinion, the painter’s confession and behavior triggered a flashback in Yoon Seungho too, which we don’t really see, but can sense more or less. Observe his discomfort and his fixe stare. 
He seems lost as well, very similar to the commoner’s gaze. Besides, the aristocrat doesn’t move one moment, although some time has already passed. The sister has already left the house and Min is now standing at the door. The last picture even shows us Min’s perspective. He senses the lord’s worry and pangs of conscience too. From my point of view, the lord is reminded of his own bad past experience due to the artist’s behavior and words. The other clue for this interpretation is the lord’s phobia of the cover.
, therefore he feels responsible and terrible. That’s the reason why he remains so passive and silent. He feels the need to console Baek Na-Kyum, but note that he doesn’t even attempt to dress the painter or to put him in a better position.
indicating that he heard Min’s confession: Lee Jihwa is behind the painter’s disappearance. And right after, the flashback starts so that it feels like a caesura. Therefore many readers felt confused. In order to comprehend its true nature, the manhwaphiles should remember the definition of the flashback in fiction. It is either a memory or a hazy dream. That’s why we need to question ourselves about the nature of this scene. Is it a dream or a memory? And who is the person having a flashback? 
The images are almost identical, yet in the second picture, there’s no black frame, therefore this means that it represents reality. And now, you can better grasp the nature of Baek Na-Kyum’s flashback. It is a mixture of dream and memory. The lord stayed by his side the whole night (a new version of chapter 55) 
and at some point, the artist opened his eyes briefly, just like the lord nodded to Baek Na-Kyum’s question unconsciously 
, as he felt his presence, but never realized it in the end. In other words, the painter also detected the lord’s presence by his side, even opened his eyes for a second, heard him even calling his name 
. The tragedy is that exactly like during their Wedding Night, the painter won’t be sure, if what he sensed and saw was reality or a dream. Therefore I come to the conclusion that this is a new version of chapter 58, where the roles are reversed. Back then, the lord thought that this night with Baek Na-Kyum was too beautiful to be true and it is the artist’s turn to feel the same way. This flashback shows his wish mixed with a memory. And now, during this night, the lord expressed his regrets and showed his tenderness, just like in chapter 58. He took the hand with delicacy
and touched the wrist and the wound with his finger carefully, 
,as though he wanted to heal himself the bruise. For me, this scene was so beautiful and moving, as it reflects the noble’s growth. He doesn’t just feel huge pangs of conscience, but he is determined to redeem himself in the end. When he touches the scar, he feel sorry for Baek Na-Kyum’s wounds which he hadn’t seen due to his self-hatred. At the end, he treats Baek Na-Kyum’s hand like a treasure. Yet, note that he is not kissing it. 
He only valued them, as they helped him to have a better libido. And now, his gesture 
She symbolizes reality. Consequently, I believe that the following picture from the flashback illustrates the artist’s true wish. 
contrasting to the hug in the barn symbolizing fakeness and coldness. 
Another flashback from the past… 
However, it changed the moment, Yoon Seungho made love to the painter. Since he knew that he had acted as the scholar’s replacement, he needed to attract the painter’s attention and used his clothes in order to impress the commoner so that the latter would fall for him. 
In chapter 39/40, he selected a pink robe with a black hanbok. This represented his actual state of emotions. He had just shared his bed with the painter for the first time and felt pleased and refreshed, like a happy man in love. However, he was trying to hide his emotions, therefore the pink was covered by the black hanbok. And since he wore a hanbok with short sleeves, it is palpable that here again, he desired to seduce and impress the artist. In conclusion, the lord felt the need to become desirable in the artist’s eyes and used his hanboks for this purpose, indicating some insecurities. Simultaneously, his selection was influenced by his emotions and unconscious. Striking is that in chapter 39, he had not the valet by his side to dress him up. Therefore Kim had no influence in the selection of his hanbok for that romantic date. And it happened again in season 2. When the main lead chose the blue hanbok with short sleeves
, Kim was taking care of the painter. Therefore I come to the conclusion that Kim has some influence, in the way the main lead is dressed. This explains why we saw him helping the lord to get dressed in two occasions and each time, he chose the same hanbok: in chapter 11 
and chapter 47 
. And this is no coincidence. This outlines the importance of Kim in Yoon Seungho’s life. He is his right-hand, he is the only one allowed to see his hair down and comb it, a privilege that Baek Na-Kyum has never got to experience yet. However, little by little, the readers can perceive the painter’s increasing influence through the hanboks. 
But if we look at the hanbok again, we will notice that the addition of plants in the pattern illustrates the importance of nature for the noble. So it looks like nature is gaining the upper hand, it reached the climax with the beautiful hanbok where you see the phoenix among plants and herbs 
It looks like Yoon Seungho’s unconscious has finally been able to perceive his true identity. Therefore I come to the conclusion that his relationship with Baek Na-Kyum helped him to find his true self and the clothes reflected his transformation. He is indeed a phoenix, but he feels like dying due to his unrequired love. With this new approach, you can comprehend how the painter is represented in the hanboks. He is nature himself: the trees and the flowers making the main lead feel alive. That’s the reason why during the second season, the aristocrat wears hanboks with a design. The pattern is a metaphor for the low-born, which is not surprising, since he is himself a painter.
In chapter 52, he was staging himself as a king in order to mask his despair and vulnerability. The hanbok exposed his vulnerability, which didn’t escape Min’s notice. This contrasts to his clothes and behavior during the first season, he is masking his powerlessness with the robe. However, the beautiful hanbok left such an impression on the envious aristocrat that the next morning, Black Heart also picked up a hanbok with a design.
This final scene indicates that despite the rough treatment, the painter has become even more intimate with Yoon Seungho. The progression is even more palpable, when you compare it with the scene in chapter 47: 
But due to chapter 64, I questioned his loyalty towards Yoon Seungho and came to the deduction that he was just faithful to the mansion and as such to the Yoons. Now, if you examine the definition of loyalty, this is what you find:
Therefore I come to the conclusion that Kim isn’t in reality loyal to the Yoons, but to himself, the guardian of the mansion. Now, you understand why he abhors so much the idea of a scandal.
Imagine that the protagonist had succeeded with his suicide, then this means that father Yoon could have returned to the mansion. And with his return, there’s no ambiguity that father Yoon wouldn’t have let live him like before. He had definitely another reason for saving Yoon Seungho’s life. Hence the main lead mistook his gesture as a act of kindness. Note that the main lead kept living according to father Yoon’s principles and Kim knew it. So his bad reputation was not a real scandal, because he kept making deals with other nobles. 
I doubt that once his body is discovered, he will be recognized, since Nameless stated that he would make sure that no one could identify the victim. Besides, he already used the servant as a scapegoat in the past.
Note, that Deok-Jae was put in the front line, whereas the butler remained in the background. He had chosen the guardian as his scapegoat, hence the vicious man got punished the most and resented the valet so much afterwards.
, then he spoiled the artist’s rice and finally the incident with the hurt wrist will resurface. Yoon Seungho will recall, how the painter even stopped him from killing the man. Kim will use this to his advantage. Deok-Jae will become the scapegoat of the abduction. The maids will testify in his favor, as they saw how jealous Deok-Jae was. The servant will let the lord feel guilty and even put the blame on the doctor, saying that the latter remained silent and he could have intervened.
He recognized his wrongdoings, which is not the case with Kim and chapter 65 showed.
The butler will never become a man, responsible for his actions and decisions. My reasoning is the following: Kim plays a similar role than Jung In-Hun and we know that the scholar didn’t change his thinking and behavior. Even after abandoning him, he imagines that he can still use him. 
, a new version of chapter 1: “die like a dog”. However, this time, the main lead will have a reason for his execution. Kim betrayed him by not revealing what he knew and allowed his loved one to get hurt again. And in my opinion, Kim is the reason why Yoon Seungho was trapped in the end. He was never a good example for the main lead to grow up. He never taught him how to become a true master. His passivity, indifference and selfishness influenced the lord in a bad way, but the aristocrat never noticed it, because Kim took care of him. He relied on the butler one more time and imagined that he was still a good servant. That’s why they had this master-domestic relationship and this explains why the main lead is using it again against the painter, which doesn’t contradict Kim’s philosophy. The painter was just a favored servant. 
As a conclusion, Jihwa must have also hired spies among the Yoons’ staff, when he was a teenager, either directly or through his own servants.
the noble with the mole even repeats Jihwa’s expression (“You know”), indicating that Jihwa must have often said it in front of him, like in this scene. 
Although in chapter 59, the latter is not repeating this precise expression, his words imply the same. Because he was a witness of the protagonist’s terrible state, he knows Yoon Seungho the best, just like he is aware of the good relationship between Min and the noble with the mole. We could say that he is so sure about his insight. And now, if you combine both discoveries, you will come to the conclusion: Jihwa must have hired spies in the past and imagined that he had discovered what was happening in the Yoons’ mansion. But why would he do that? 
, we deduced that the main lead’s seclusion and separation from his childhood friend was definitely related to homosexuality. However, back then, I pointed out that the words from the physician about father Yoon made it pretty obvious that Jihwa was the cause for the protagonist’s seclusion. The father must have come to the conclusion that Jihwa was in love with his eldest son. Let’s not forget that Jung In-Hun is a character mirroring father Yoon. And we know for sure that the scholar used to abuse him physically due to the erotic paintings.
What if Seung-Won, who was jealous of his brother due to his good notoriety, decided to fake a letter from Jihwa containing a love confession? He came to this misdeed, after seeing how Jihwa would look at his elder brother. Then he delivered it to their father so that the latter would see him as a diligent and filial son and feels disappointed by his eldest son (new version of chapter 44). I had this idea, because both faked a letter and since they are both linked to a similar incident, I have the feeling that this could be a clue related to their past. Anyway, because of their young age and their innocence, their actions had a lot of bad repercussions, which they never anticipated. Out of disgust, jealousy and fear that father Yoon might lose his son, the terrible father started abusing the main lead physically and sexually. Yet the sexual assaults remained a secret, as Kim covered up for his master. I see now another evidence for this signification with the chapter 65.
The latter was able to get some insight through gossips, like Seung-Won’s visit for example. And it is definitely possible that Jihwa could have done the same in the past, therefore he must have noticed that something was going on at the mansion. Imagine that at the end, he chose to contact an adult asking for help which led to the discovery of the plot and the purge. Let’s not forget that Jihwa got info through Min who manipulated him. It is definitely possible that the second lead betrayed Yoon Seungho’s family, by revealing the gathered info he had and confided it to an adult, like for example lord Song, who took benefit from it. Although out of love, Jihwa desired to help his friend, he caused a purge leading to the death of many people and Yoon Seungho suffered even more, as he was sacrificed and abandoned by the father. Because he refused to abandon his childhood friend out of affection, he had the impression that he was responsible for this, thereby he felt so guilty that he repressed this. Why? Since the painter is the mirror of Jihwa, the manhwaworms can remember that Baek Na-Kyum also repressed the memories of the coercive persuasion.
And since I associated this manhwa to the Russian novel, Crime and punishment, I would like to remind that the main lead could only stop feeling remorse and regrets, the moment he admitted his crime. Let’s not forget that we have two confessions from Jihwa: 
(chapter 35) In this scene, the valet gives an order to his master and not an advice, since he employs the verb “must”. Why? Because he thinks, the letter was sent by the elder master. And Yoon Seung-Won knew that Kim was loyal to their father. Hence when he sent the letter, he used his father’s name and authority, but in order to maintain the illusion that father Yoon was the author, the brother also requested that valet Kim would bring back himself the reply. The deceitful brother used not only the butler’s fidelity to his advantage, but also gave the impression that father Yoon cared somehow for the black sheep. It was, as if the elder master was trying to rekindle with his older son. The readers can sense more his loyalty to the elder master, if they compare his reaction, when Yoon Seungho received the fake letter from lord Song.
Yet, observe how he hides his discomfort and fear to his master by suggesting to postpone the meeting which exposes that he is hiding his true emotions. He justifies his advice by faking concern for his lord. Hence the lord can only have the impression, he is protecting his interest. Striking is that since we saw him scared, we have the impression that he is brave enough to propose not to the follow the invitation. My initial impression was to think that he got afraid of the name lord Song due to the lord’s traumatic past and he feared for his master’s mental health condition. However, the moment the valet realizes that the noble is on his way to meet this aristocrat, he gets so scared that he leaves the mansion immediately. So he doesn’t want them to meet. 
the butler expresses his worries concerning father Yoon. He doesn’t want the elder master to hear the news about Jihwa’s public confession, as the servant is well aware of father Yoon’s mentality. 
(chapter 57) He barks like one, when he yells at Deok-Jae.
(chapter 24) But the most conclusive evidence for this association is his rapport to the door. He is always shown next to an opened door or even often stands on the door threshold. 
(chapter 45) Since dog owners often put the sign “beware of the dog” on their door, you understand why I see it as an evidence that the valet is more as a dog than anything else. The butler is the guardian of the mansion, watching out for the owner’s safety. However, here we should comprehend it in a figurative sense. On the surface, the butler is looking out for the reputation of the Yoons, while in truth he is just focused on living a peaceful life far from trouble.
(chapter 64) The dog is not only a symbol for loyalty, but also it represents obedience and secrecy. He knows what is happening in the mansion, but he won’t let it transpire to the outside world. Therefore I deduce that valet Kim is quite similar to Jihwa. He knows the main lead’s whole past and tragedy, but he doesn’t truly feel sorry for the main character, for if he revealed the truth, because it would expose his culpability.
(chapter 26)
(chapter 26) He is leaving the artist behind, as he doesn’t want to be confronted with his wrongdoing: his passivity and cowardice. Then when he meets the protagonist in the main way, he sees his cold and distant gaze. So he knows that his master is in a bad mental condition, yet out of fear, he still leaves the artist behind, well aware that something bad could happen. That’s why he chose to intervene in the shadow (like for example, sending a servant to the scholar) so that I am now convinced that he even witnessed what happened to Yoon Seungho, but chose to close the door. There’s a reason for this assumption. First, he is connected to an opened door. Secondly, there’s this incident with the door in chapter 16.
(chapter 64) He resented valet Kim for his betrayal and abandonment. That’s why I believe, in that scene, Yoon Seungho is using the same words than his rapist from back then. 
(chapter 64) In this scene he is reliving his own traumatic past, the first rape. And after it had occurred the first time, the valet must have told him this: 
(chapter 65) Baek Na-Kyum is now the lord’s companion, while in the past he used to plot against him. In that moment, the valet recognized that ignorance is not a blessing, because this doesn’t erase the event. Observe that Kim has a similar approach than Jihwa again. Since the painter returned to Yoon Seungho’s side, the noble has now the feeling that nothing happened. For the first time, Kim sees the true face of his master 
Kim hates uproars, as they represent a source of danger for his life. As you can detect, the butler is determined to protect the Yoons’ notoriety, but out of selfish reasons. The manhwaphiles should remember that in chapter 17, he asks the maids not to approach the study like that. He is determined to keep everything under cover. He disapproves the master’s actions, as they are going against social norms. As a noble, he shouldn’t have a sexual intercourse with a low-born. That’s why he let the boy desert the mansion after the rape. He didn’t do it for the artist, but for his master’s respectability, because if this was known, then the valet’s good life would be in danger. Kim has deeply internalized social norms, any deviation represent a threat to his peaceful live. Moreover, he would attract attention again. But when he witnessed the master’s despair and fury after the escape, where all the servants had to suffer the result of his decision, he chose a different strategy. Back then, I described him as his matchmaker. He tried to present his master in a better light so that the artist would have a change of heart and accept Yoon Seungho’s advances. However, now I have to admit that I have a different judgement. He was not a real matchmaker, he was trying to turn the painter into a favored servant so that the appearances would be maintained. He decided to use a similar strategy, the aphrodisiac as a first step. And with all these new discoveries, I come to the deduction that the butler was a real accomplice of father Yoon’s schemes. If they became close sexually, the painter would become a servant and take over his role as close assistant. That way, his presence in the lord’s bedchamber could be explained. That’s why he lets the painter attend the noble during his illness and even allows his presence, when the doctor is here. In other words, he would like to hide the scandalous relationship with the low-born under the pretense that he is just a favored servant. 
. (chapter 45) First, it symbolized that the painter was more than just a favored favor. But more importantly, he never cared about the item, since 
(chapter 50) This explicates why Yoon Seungho can’t trust Kim’s words in the end.
(chapter 62) In his eyes, he betrayed and abandoned him once, therefore it is definitely possible that he is lying. The longer the lord lives with the artist, the more he senses that Kim shouldn’t be trusted. This explicates why the lord’s relationship with the valet is deteriorating. In season 1, he never doubted Kim’s words, but now it has changed. The painter’s genuineness makes Yoon Seungho detect the butler’s fakeness and hypocrisy. And since the lord threatened him with the sword, I am envisaging that he will do it, the moment he feels that his loyal butler betrayed him. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 