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 different occasions, the readers catch the protagonist feeling remorse and regretting his actions. Striking is that the first time, we could only detect it through the narration of a witness. And this happened in the chapter 13.
Even the narrator is quite unsure how to interpret the master’s action because of the expression “it seems”. Why is he so uncertain? First, the master’s behavior is unusual. Like Jihwa said, he is someone who doesn’t go back on his word. However, the servant is well aware that he has no idea what motivated the master. He might have good reasons because he is someone very cunning and has a secretive nature. Besides, no servant really understands the lord, he is just a mystery to them. He is harsh, has mood swings and leads such a decadent life without paying attention to his bad reputation and gossips. He stands out so much from the other nobles. He is just an oddity hence the spy hired by Jihwa can’t explain Seungho’s change of heart because he is so different from the other aristocrats.
Striking is that Byeonduck chose to reveal the outcome of the incident through a flashback from a spy. Besides we only see the lord from far away and what caught my attention is that we don’t get to see the lord’s gaze. As you know, his eyes are the mirror of his soul. Hence even the readers are left in the dark and it is left to the beholders to find an interpretation. But since we know the whole story for the first season, I believe that the lord’s change of heart represents his first visible guilty conscience.
We have two different clues for this. The master personally went there to stop the punishment. It is not just because he wanted to ensure that his order would be followed. He could have sent his loyal valet Kim. No, he regretted his action for slapping and for the punishment. His appearance there signalized that he felt responsible. And now this is my own interpretation. He had calmed down and realized that he had been too harsh and violent. He got aware that he had just jumped to the conclusion that he had ruined the painting but he must have remembered the painter’s surprised face and he only took liability because someone was accusing Jung In-Hun indirectly. I have the impression that he must have remembered the incident with the poem, where Baek Na-Kyum was so bold to criticize the master and even tried to take back the poem. 
He knows the painter’s daring attitude, when it comes to Jung In-Hun. The other clue is that he asked his servant Kim to attend the artist personally and take care of the wound on his lip. Striking is that he knew where the innocent man had been injured: the cut on the lip. So he must have paid attention to the artist’s face. 
From my point of view, the lord is someone self-reflecting a lot. How do I come to this conclusion?
Notice that there is a certain pattern in his attitude. He did the same thing after the rape but this time, the beholder had many occasions to witness his remorse. 
In the bathroom, he is recalling what led to the rape and the fact that he is remembering shows that he is not denying what happened. He wants to know how this could happen since he had never planned the rape. A person without remorse or regret wouldn’t even give a thought and would never attempt to remember like that because bad memories are quite painful. In the bathroom, he cools down and is no longer angry, rather remorseful. Therefore he makes the decision to bring the injured painter his own clothes. 
The deadly gaze he gives to Kim on his way back is a defense mechanism in my opinion. He doesn’t want to be confronted by a critical and reproachful gaze. We all know that he is truly sensitive, when it comes to gaze. And notice that he even attends the poor low-born himself. He stands by the bathtub and looks at him and even wipes the tears from his eyes.
However, the noble doesn’t truly realize the real impact of his action. He thought that even if he coerced him to sex, the painter would no longer resist him and accept him as his partner. He is a lord after all. That’s why he shows a certain lack of understanding first.
The lord believes that if he brings himself new clothes and wipes himself the tears from his face, it will be enough to smooth the pain. He makes the assumption that this will be enough to compensate for his wrongdoing. In his eyes, he has already lowered himself and taken over the job of an assistant. He never expected that the painter would reject his gentle gesture and push his hand away.
The rejection and the reproachful gaze ignite a fire in Seungho. He becomes furious.
We have to imagine that he never had to face admonition, until he met the commoner. The lord might have felt remorse but he doesn’t want to take the whole blame and tries to make the uke feel guilty. He never expected such a reply from Baek Na-Kyum. The climax of the reprimand is when the commoner puts the blame on him for the whole situation. 
If he hadn’t acted as Jung In-Hun, then none of this would have ever happened. Striking is that painter is more angry at him because of their first night than the forced sex at the pavilion. That’s why the beholder sees a shock on the master’s face. No one has ever reprimanded him like that, confronting with such harsh words and putting all the responsibility on him. He can’t accept criticism so well as he has never been used to it. We shouldn’t forget that he has never been in a relationship and all his “acquaintances” are just sex partners. He has been a loner for a long time.
His inability to accept criticism has been revealed all along. It started with the condemnation with the words “a man consumed by lust”. It annoyed him so much that he wanted to be left alone. He literally ran away.
Just after the rape, he does the same. He had already felt remorse, when the uke whispered Jung In-Hun hence he left the pavilion.
This terrible and somehow empty gaze serves as a shield, he is so lost in his thoughts and he doesn’t even want to see or hear anything that could resemble a disapproval or reprimand. In other words, the regret or remorse are always connected to a certain cowardice. He doesn’t want to face any admonishment and wants to seclude himself. However, as time passes on, I believe that he reflects on his behavior and has some pangs of conscience. Hence he went himself to release the painter from the straw mat beating and he personally fetched the horse and brought back his own clothes to the commoner. He has a certain self-awareness. And let’s not forget that he personally confirmed that the wound on his lip was healing. 
This gesture illustrates that the lord is definitely taking the blame for the injury.
If we compare the two situations (the straw mat beating and the scene in the bathroom), we can notice a progression in the involvement. First, he let the valet Kim attend the wound, this time he is willing to do it himself. He has started to devalue himself. Hence I come to the conclusion that after the straw mat beating, he did feel some regret but not to the point to feel so guilty. However by each wrongdoing, the pangs of conscience are getting bigger. Nevertheless his position as master represents a hindrance in my opinion. That’s why he wasn’t willing to take the whole blame for the rape in the bathroom.
And now, we come to the situation where the lord will feel remorse again. This happens right after the sex marathon. Striking is that this time, Byeonduck let the beholder witness how little by little the lord takes his responsibility for his action and bad decisions. He never imagined that his sex stamina would exhaust the artist so much. First, he drinks water and notice that the uke is immobile.
Here we can observe the worries in his eyes hence he puts the bowl next to the commoner believing that this would be enough.
The three dots in the speech bubble are interesting because this shows that the lack of reaction from the painter leaves the master speechless. We don’t see his face but yet we hear his shock, the sudden realization dawns on him that there is something really wrong with the artist. That’s why this time, the noble gives himself the water with his own mouth. 
Here, he can’t blame anyone like in the past (see the straw mat beating, the rape and the fellatio due to the way Baek Na-Kyum is dressed: half-naked and touching his body). He can’t run away either because if he did, the artist could die. He has to face his wrongdoing. Yet we can detect a progression in his change of behavior: he has lowered himself even more than before. When he recognizes that his simple gesture didn’t work, he gets even more concerned.
The pangs of conscience are in this chapter not only visible but palpable. He sends for a doctor and Kim is by the uke’s side. What caught my attention here are the following pictures.
The doctor is actually criticizing the valet and the lord indirectly. This time, a third person is expressing a reprimand which incites the valet Kim to warn the physician.
He knows his master’s personality pretty well. He can’t accept any criticism, he actually expects a violent outburst. Only then we discover Yoon Seungho’s presence and he has a deadly gaze again. However, he shows no other reaction, although he did hear the diagnosis and the admonishment from the doctor. Like I had mentioned it above, the cold and mortal gaze is a defense mechanism. But his lack of violent outburst indicates that he does accept the reprimand. Little by little, Seungho is changing, is willing to face any criticism. He has no other choice. Then he remains at the door until the doctor has given his full diagnosis and prescription. Even plagued by remorse, he assumes the responsibility for his wrongdoings by his presence while remaining silence. Striking is that as soon as the physician has finished his speech, the lord leaves the room.
Here again, he is running away again in order to reflect on himself and the valet had even anticipated this behavior. He needs “seclusion” in order to think deeply and he can only get it outside the mansion. Hence he goes to sex parties, where his body might be present but his mind elsewhere. Besides I suspect that just like Baek Na-Kyum, he wants to ease the pain with sex so that he can’t think of anything else, yet from my point of view, Seungho couldn’t stop thinking while having sex… and I am sure that Min’s words triggered his possessiveness that’s why he returned to the mansion at the end.
He might take the blame financially but admitting himself to be responsible is another thing. Like I mentioned it in another analysis, Seungho wants to know the reason behind his actions. Why did he want to sleep with the painter so much? Was it because he had focused too much on the artist? Maybe if he had other sex partners, he would feel less aroused by the commoner? Why does it feel so different with the others? Moreover, he fears the painter’s reaction. That’s why he never comes back for many days. It is a mixture of a guilty conscience and introspection. Since he has always been rejected and criticized by the painter before, he has already imagined that the uke would behave like in the past. He only comes back, when he hears that the painter recovered from his fever. Deep down, he hopes that the uke won’t react so violently because so many days have passed and he is in a much better condition. He is definitely hoping that he won’t be confronted with harsh words and hatred. That’s why when he returns to his chamber, he has this indifferent faze and impenetrable gaze in order to protect himself. 
He observes a different reaction: there is no resent or hatred like in the bathroom, although what he did, was far worse in his eyes. Therefore he lets the painter leave his bedroom. The low-born could have died and the master is well aware of this fact but he is content enough that there is no hatred from the painter. The pangs of conscience are the reason why he broods the whole night. Besides, he has to find a way to get closer to Baek Na-Kyum.
From the chapter 36 on, Seungho is willing to become the servant in their relationship. This represents the climax of his transformation. However, the transformation is not complete. Why? First, he never apologized to the painter personally. Even when the painter was slapped by Jihwa and the identity of the culprit was revealed, Seungho only caressed the artist’s face saying that with him, his life was more colorful. 
That’s why there is this slap in the chapter 41. He still views himself as a master. We have to imagine that he has internalized his role as master so this shouldn’t wonder us that there are some remains. From my point of view, Seungho is now able to digest criticism but he needs to learn to communicate with the painter hence he wouldn’t need to seclude himself in order to reflect. An apology is needed too in my opinion. When the lord does that, their relationship will improve and the gap between them will really disappear.
The first season illustrates a gradual metamorphosis. He is able to face disapproval which explains why he is much calmer than before, he acts more and more like a servant, although he has not dropped entirely his role. He needs to learn to express himself more but after so many years in solitude and loneliness, this can’t happen so suddenly. He has to learn to be in a relationship and communication is the key. The eagle has almost been tamed.
Feel free to comment or to give any suggestion for an analysis (topic, manhwas). If you enjoyed reading it, either retweet it or push the button “like” so that this writing doesn’t become pointless. Thanks for the support.
A guided tour of Yoon Seungho’s domain 🏡 (second version) (only accessible with a password) Use the second password 
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he wipes his weapon. The beholder senses the dangerousity and the lack of mercy exuding from the noble. Yet as time passes on, we discover that this is just a facade and in different situations, the readers can detect his insecurities and fears. 
First, his fist is clenched indicating that there is resent, frustration and even hatred. However, his hand and wrist are shaking revealing a certain fear. Seungho doesn’t want anyone to witness his vulnerability and weakness. 
Notice in the last drawing that the leg is hiding the main lead’s hand and wrist from Seung-Won’s view. So his words contrast so much to his actual disposition. He is not calm at all, nonetheless he is willing to let the painter to see his shaking fist. Here he is definitely acting in front of his brother. The image of the shaking fist actually represents Baek Na-Kyum’s perspective. The beholder is discovering through the uke’s eyes that Yoon Seungho is not superhuman like in the beginning. Yet, the brother never got to see this sensitive side. 
the moment they first met. Like I mentioned it in another analysis, their first encounter marks a change in the lord’s life. He is actually inviting the low-born to enter his personal space. From that moment, Yoon Seungho kept touching him. Either he wiped the tears on the artist’s face
(chapter 1) or he caressed the hand 
with his cheek (chapter 2) or pushed the low-born 
(chapter 11). Baek Na-Kyum intruded his personal space physically
. I also believe that the hypnotic gaze helped the commoner to come closer to the lord, just like it served to unleash the commoner’s unconscious. 
This explains why Jihwa and Min decided to have the painter killed. As a conclusion, the lord created a fake image of himself as a powerful and self-assured noble with a strong stamina which no one ever questioned. All this underlines how big his fear is to reveal his vulnerability and sensitivity. His strong stamina was the result of drinking a lot of replenishing medicine (aphrodisiacs), no one has been really suspecting that he was no homosexual right from the start, even the readers were fooled by Byeonduck. The lord is a master of deception hence he could only fall for someone who symbolizes the opposite: naturalness and unrestraint. You all know the saying: opposite attracts.
and favoritism, then his sexual charisma 
, 
, 
and finally his sexual experiences.
None of this worked. Only by giving up his position as a noble and lord, he is able to be accepted by the painter. With the fellatio, Yoon Seungho is willing to appear weaker in front of the low-born. 
This position reflects his change of mind. He had already noticed that Baek Na-Kyum was moved, when the latter saw him at his lowest point.
This explicates why the lord has no problem to reveal his vulnerability in front of the uke, when Seung-Won appears. Later the protagonist even requests to the commoner to share his bed with him. By hugging him so closely he showed his true personality. 
There is no disguise and deception from his part. He is literally naked in front of the artist. He had dawned to him that naturalness and sensitivity could be the only tool… That’s the reason why Seungho chose to reveal his weaknesses. However, we shouldn’t forget that Seungho is not manipulating here the low-born, his deep feelings were the cause for all of this. The kiss at the end of the sex marathon marked another pivotal moment in the noble’s life. 
Here, he wants to know if the low-born came back because of the low noble’s request, if he has been asked to sleep with the powerful lord in order to get some info. That’s why he keeps questioning the teacher’s words.
The sudden request accompanied with tears and a certain resignation leads the noble to think that Jung In-Hun has now asked him to have sex with him. Like I mentioned it before, Baek Na-Kyum had internalized the teacher’s words and come to believe that he was indeed a prostitute. All his actions contrast to the spontaneity and the naturalness Baek Na-Kyum exuded before. He was no longer fighting and his gestures were stripped of warmth and genuine sensuality. Yoon Seungho saw the behavior of a prostitute in front of him, resigned to his fate… selling his body which is not what the noble is looking for. At the end, he was convinced that despite the tears, Baek Na-Kyum was doing it on his own accord because the commoner has never been able to lie and hide any ulterior motives. There is a reason why Yoon Seungho fears so much this idea that the painter might sell his body and it is related to his own father. The latter sold his own son in order to save his own skin and as such treated his son as a prostitute, while he was himself the pimp. Now, you understand why he wasn’t willing to sleep with the artist. 
And let’s not forget that the returned poem in the chapter 7 could be a different poem but Baek Na-Kyum failed to notice it. Hence just like Baek Na-Kyum, the readers will discover a new side of our protagonist in the future, like f. ex. his refined sense of poetry which was just implied in the chapter 4.
Here, Seungho was reminding his brother that his father was the one who condemned him for sodomy, hence he was left behind. If you pay attention the brother’s reaction, you’ll notice his embarrassment and awkwardness. The man is sweating because he doesn’t want to be reminded of the past.
However, he blames the brother, when the father doesn’t leave his room in order to bid farewell. 
, because the illness is just an excuse. He is quite daring to ask his brother to pay a visit to their father. He knows the true signification of this request, which is the reason why Seungho laughs it off and refuses. 
The brother is willing to act as a messenger for the father, since in reality, Seungho’s support would help him as well. He expects from the powerful noble so much and has never done anything for him in return. 
He used his position as lord to mistreat Kim by threatening him and accusing him to lie, to ignore his words,
(chapter 33), forced the lord to realize that the artist was indeed a precious treasure, and he was not willing to share him. 
(chapter 33) At the same time, due to Black Heart’s words, the noble was reminded of the painter’s health conditions. Although the lord was talking about the artist, as though the latter was just an object, the reminder forced him to recall that Baek Na-Kyum was a human who could die. That’s why he returned in the end. His abandonment reflected his cowardice, he didn’t desire to be confronted with the consequences of his bad behavior. Consequently, just like in the Russian novel, the main lead was reminded that the low-born was just a human. As you can see, both characters had a similar disposition and also a change of heart.
(chapter 34) Kim’s remark was in fact insinuating that the lord had been very generous and caring for him. He gave the impression to the low-born that the noble was treating him like a noble, as the latter had sacrificed his bed for his recovery. However, this was not true, as the lord had brought the artist to the study before the doctor’s arrival. 
(chapter 33) At the same time, the butler was not entirely lying either. The lord had indeed shown generosity and care, since he had called for the physician. Yet, once he had heard about the doctor’s precription, the aristocrat had ran away from his responsibilities 
(chapter 33) and left everything in Kim’s hands. Remember my statement: Kim is always telling half-truths. Kim was in reality the one who brought him to the noble’s bed. 
(chapter 33) He needed to portray his master in a much more positive light in order to obtain the painter’s cooperation. The valet hoped that the artist would follow his order 
(chapter 34) and become the lord’s sex toy: 
The irony is that although the valet treated the painter as a honorable guest (bringing him to the lord’s chamber and taking care of him as if he was his master), in truth he was just viewing the low-born as an object and tool. was truly making sure that Baek Na-Kyum would get the best treatment, but the domestic used the opportunity to praise his master indirectly. 
(chapter 33) While he was at the sex orgy, he remembered the exhausted young face of the painter, while they were talking about him.
The lord was suffering, but unlike in the past he couldn’t keep his distance from his lover. He needed to sense his presence. He was no longer his sex partner, but he wasn’t treated like an object or a servant. During these two separations, Yoon Seungho was full of worries for Baek Na-Kyum which he was trying to forget, yet he couldn’t. At the same time, he was reflecting on his past actions:
(chapter 18) In my eyes, the butler’s cowardice is connected to the social norms. He had deeply internalized the social values from Joseon, hence he represents a reinforcement of authorities. As you can see, there are many explanations for his behavior: guilty conscience, out of concern, self-introspection… On the other hand, he is only partially running away from his responsibility, as he had asked the servant Kim to take care of the artist. This is why this “abandonment” stands in opposition to the scholar’s. The latter betrayed during the rape, as he didn’t intervene and acted as if nothing was happening. And the next day, he brought him back to the mansion and abandoned him by letting Yoon Seungho drag him to the bedchamber. At no moment, he tried to stop his sponsor. That’s why he remains invisible in chapter 32. 
(chapter 33) He was acting as a mediator between the master and the low-born which looks like a good thing. In reality, he was meddling in their relationship. Who was he to intervene? That’s why he acted like a father. With his words, the butler was implying that his lord had been affected by his illness, hence he remained away. However, I believe that in the valet’s mind, there existed a different explanation. For Kim, his master was just a coward. That’s why he said this comment in front of the physician: 
(chapter 33) He anticipated that his master was avoiding to face the consequences of his selfish behavior. For me, Kim doesn’t truly love his master. He views the Yoons as terrible, but he will never confront them. But for his own safety, he needed to deceive the painter. Let’s not forget that Kim had played a role in his escape and the low-born could reveal it to his master. That’s why he needed to fake his care and concern for the painter so that the artist wouldn’t mention the past. Thus he begged the young man not to wander around as a sign of care and gentleness.
(chapter 32) However, the valet Kim was not present, hence when he lied to Baek Na-Kyum, he had no idea that in reality his words were containing more truth than lies in reality. That’s why I chose the kiss as illustration for the analysis. The roles were switched. The master acted as a servant, and the low-born was now the lord. The male lead was acting like Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov from the Russian novel. Yoon Seungho was even willing to give water to the exhausted man. This situation was repeated in chapter 76: 
(chapter 76). The lord made sure that the painter would feel better with the water. But let’s return our attention to chapter 33. In the bedchamber, the main lead was to blame for Baek Na-Kyum sickness, as he hadn’t paid attention to the artist’s condition. He had acted selfishly, exactly like the protagonist from Master and man. Both realized their huge mistakes, came to regret and took some responsibility, although the chronology in the Russian story diverges. But this shows that both aristocrats came to realize that commoners were humans and no possessions. 
(chapter 35) and his preparations for the exam were more important than the painter’s life. 
(chapter 35) For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum could sense that Jung In-Hun was selfish and not kind. Moreover, he even reminded him that as a low-born the noble shouldn’t spend so much money for him. Indirectly, Jung In-Hun was telling him that if he had been Yoon Seungho, he would have done the opposite: not giving him the best room, not sending for the physician and not spending so much money for the medicine. In that chapter, Baek Na-Kyum could finally see glimpses of Jung In-Hun’s true personality. Therefore I think that the servant’s words did influence the young man, he didn’t blame and resent the noble for his condition. He saw the caring gestures, although he was absent… whereas Jung In-Hun was absent due to his own interest.
(chapter 35) No wonder that after his departure, the artist was disappointed and heartbroken. 
(chapter 36), until he saw the painter’s erection. He was willing to give up his position as master. That’s why he prioritizes the painter’s pleasure all the time. 
(chapter 36) So their relationship master-servant stopped at this moment, hence he lets him stay by his side, when the brother Seung-Won is in his chamber.
(chapter 38) He didn’t even send his loyal assistant. He had become the “servant” himself. In other words, we witnessed the lord’s slow conversion during the chapter 36 and the small changes from that moment. The nature of their relationship had changed, hence he claimed Baek Na-Kyum as his bride unconsciously. 
(chapter 40) So both characters, Yoon Seungho and Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov transformed into a different person, more selfless and caring. They were willing to sacrifice things for them: status and pride. On the other hand, the nature of Baek Na-Kyum’s relationship with the teacher changed for the worse: from a teacher to a student, it became a lord-servant relationship, and the painter sensed the change of their relationship. But let us not forget: Jung In-Hun never considered the young man as a student, for him he had always been a low-born. It is just that he was so good to deceive the commoner.
(chapter 71) Baek NA-Kyum was no longer a low-born, but a noble, while the main lead was his “servant”. This explicates why the noble was no longer asking for him in the evening 
(chapter 74) and visited him secretly during the night. But this switch of position didn’t remain a secret, the moment the lord embraced his panicked lover. 
(chapter 76) At the end of the second season, the lord’s true personality is more and more unveiled: he has a kind and generous heart, and he is able to reflect on his wrongdoings, which contrasts to Jung In-Hun. And now, you can comprehend why right from the start, I was fascinated by the infamous sodomite. The first season let us see glimpses of his warmth and selflessness. This means, the noble’s courage and strength will shine more and more.
(chapter 3). Fact is that he is so drawn to his face that he can’t help himself to caress the lips or cheek (e. g. chapter 12) 
(chapter 16)
(chapter 12)/
(chapter 35), his eyes are shining or if he is so angry, his gaze gets so dark. 
(chapter 30). The beholder is witnessing more and more expressions coming from the lord, while he was so detached in the beginning, when he was sitting in his room looking out of the window. Through Baek Na-Kyum, our seme learns to discover his inner emotions, that’s why we can say that the uke serves as a mirror unconsciously. The eyes were definitely working as a mirror. Baek Na-Kyum showed his sadness, true desires, anger, happiness and thankfulness… a full range of different emotions. But our seme needed to learn how to control them as he had not been used to feel anything for a long time.
(chapter 5) Hence he can’t even have sex with Jihwa the same day. Let us not forget that these words were told the day before and the noble had not taken these too seriously. However, this time the critic is not said because the uke is upset but because he is serious. During their exchange, the low-born is trying to say the opposite: he is not a man consumed by lust. So he is lying, yet as I mentioned before, the lies are so transparent that they are no real lies. In other words, the uke didn’t realize that he was in reality reproaching the man to be obsessed with sex. The innocent reminder did the trick. Seungho has now something to think deeply.
(chapter 3)
(chapter 1)
(chapter 37) 
(Chapter 37)
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 