This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
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1. Laziness or not?
When the final episode of the main story was released, many Manhwa-philes were laughing about Yoon Seungho’s work attitude as governor. The latter had left his seat in order to return to his lover’s side.
(chapter 131) Hence the police officers found the governor’s seat deserted.
(chapter 131) By contrasting the statement from the governor and the panel, the readers could easily catch his lie. He was a lazy governor, preferring to keep his lover company rather than attend to his official duties. On the one hand, it exposes the main lead’s true mind-set. He is not longing for power or glory. To conclude, he has no ambition. This implies that he is not determined to gain attention either. One might add that he selected this region on purpose. No one would willingly go to that place. The norm was that officials would go there, because they were demoted.
(episode 129) Thus I deduce that Yoon Seungho made the opposite choice to his father. The latter longed for a high position at the government so that the family’s reputation would become famous and powerful again.
(chapter 86) It is because Yoon Chang-Hyeon was thinking of getting the attention or support from noble families. What he truly wanted was to get recognition from people among his own social class. But with such a decision (join the painter’s side), Yoon Seungho seems to have turned the former patriarch’s nightmare into a reality. Yoon Seungho is about to ruin the family. The name “Yoon” is destined to become forgotten, right? However, I believe that this interpretation is not correct. How so? Let me ask you this.
Why is this region regarded as “backwater”? It is because there are no powerful families like in the town, where the Yoons used to live. There are no huge store or doctor either. The new governor is surrounded by “peasants”, commoners. In other words, it is not a place you can earn a lot of money or gain power, especially for an official. This signifies that buying the governor, like Yoon Chang-Hyeon did, won’t happen.
(chapter 127) No one has such a wealth! That’s the reason why no official would select such a place. Yes, Jung In-Hun’s words from chapter 6
(chapter 6)
(chapter 131) are reflected in the final episode. Peasants are poor und uneducated, and this will not change overnight. Hence they represent ignorance and naivety. This raises the following question. Why did the officers bring these two men? What was their crime? One might reply that it is impossible to figure it out. Nevertheless, I think, Byeonduck left clues in her story. Painter Of The Night is composed of reflections. In each season, certain scenes or elements resurface with slight changes.. Thus I developed the following theory concerning these two commoners.
My hypothesis is that these two men were innocent. In season 1, we have a similar scene:
(chapter 37). It is about a crime, treason. In season 4, we know that the plot was true and there was an evidence, the paper with the signatures from lord Yoon and lord Song. Since in season 1 the wrongdoing was true and heavy, I deduce that it is not the case in the final chapter. Because there is an evidence of the crime in the past, I can’t help myself thinking that in the final chapter, there was no evidence. Additionally, I feel the need to expose my other interpretation about this man:
(chapter 37) I have always stated that this man couldn’t be a servant, for he was smoking a pipe and we saw a glimpse of his memory. No commoner would be allowed to enter the courtyard, when three noblemen are tortured and interrogated. Moreover, notice that in both scenes (37 and 131), the magistrate is absent. That’s how it dawned on me that this nameless man could have been a former “governor” who lost his position.
But if the two commoners are rather innocent, why did the officers bring them to Yoon Seungho then? My idea is that they imagined that the new governor wanted to make a statement so that he wouldn’t be looked down by the locals. Or even worse. The guards desired to get protection money from them!! Yes, because this region is not well perceived, the guards thought that the governor would act like his predecessor. Since it is a poor region, it signifies that the officials are not well recognized and well paid.
(chapter 131) First evidence that the last image is not symbolizing justice, but corruption, is the behavior from the guards. They are caught by surprise, when they arrive in front of the empty stool. Yet, they are not gesticulating or panicked. If a real crime had taken place, they would be looking for their superior. And this observation leads me to this image.
(chapter 131) In this picture, we can detect the governor’s office in the background. It is the yellow building with the multicolor decorations. That’s where the empty stool is!! In other words, if they truly needed him, they just had to go to the other side of the wall. Third evidence for this hypothesis was left in season 3:
(chapter 94) Here, the officers went to the mansion before visiting him at the gibang.
(chapter 97) Back then, it was about the death of a commoner, a servant. If there’s an urgency, they would look for him. The comparison exposes that the “wrongdoing” from the peasants in the final chapter was no huge deal. Yet, many readers already condemned them due to the guards and the protagonist’s behavior. Funny is that the lord was portrayed as a huge liar, but not “the officers”.
(chapter 131) But it could have been the reverse. Officers could have abused their authority. Furthermore, let’s not forget that Min indicated that guards could be bribed easily.
(chapter 101) His statement displays another aspect: the governor and the guards are not working together. Jihwa would have been sent to jail without being able to talk to the superior, similar to this scene:
(chapter 126) The guards’ own interests are not necessarily aligned with the governor’s. And now, take a closer look at this scene:
(chapter 127) The official received the patriarch in his office alone. The reason is simple. That way, he wouldn’t have to share the money with others.
But since the guards never went to the lord’s mansion, they must have realized that this man was not like his predecessor. He was not frustrated or demoted. He was indeed not after power or money. They couldn’t rely on his protection either. In fact, they could get blamed for disturbing his privacy. I would even add that since Yoon Seungho comes from a wealthy family, he doesn’t need to rely on bribe at all. In other words, the guards can only come to the conclusion that treating him well can only benefit them. His wealth was already implied with his arrival:
(chapter 129). He was not sitting on a horse with a few musicians contrary to Jung In-Hun. He was carried by four men, and other people were announcing his arrival with flags and music.
(chapter 111) Moreover, Yoon Seungho had a inauguration banquet organized, where the local inhabitants could join.
(chapter 129) There was no social exclusion at all. This stands in such opposition to the lord’s statement in season 1, where he distinguished between nobles and commoners.
But let’s return our attention to the two suspects. What happened to them then?
(chapter 131) In my opinion, they were released. Why? For the simple reason that in this place, Yoon Seungho expected no huge duty! Yes, his words were not just exposing a lie, but also the truth. Nothing was supposed to happen. People are peaceful and helpful to each other.
(chapter 129) This signifies that the arrest could lead to trouble to the guards too. So was the lord lazy in the end?
(chapter 131) Yes and no… By acting that way, he put an end to the abuse of authority in that place!! Thus I deduce that the governor is destined to gain recognition and admiration from the local inhabitants. He is generous (inauguration banquet where anyone could join), humble, loyal (he is not forgetting his lover)
(chapter 131), but also well organized! He had planned to join this place a long time ago. The peach trees were planted about 3 years ago. He is no longer making any distinction between nobles and commoners, and that’s how he will get the respect from the peasants. As a conclusion, we should envision that the lord will become famous. Therefore the son didn’t turn the father’s nightmare into a reality. He didn’t contribute to the family’s ruin at all. Yet, there exists a huge divergence. Yoon Seungho is about to make a name on his own. It is not about the Yoons. On the one hand, the father’s dream was illusory and superficial, especially due to the treason
(chapter 86). Since Lord Song had been forced to resign, there’s no doubt that the man would resent the Yoons to become successful again. This explicates why lord Song saw Yoon Seungwon as a problem
(chapter 107) and tried to tarnish the younger son’s reputation. But let’s return our attention to the patriarch. His vision was based on Confucianism. However, he had a very narrow-minded perception of it.
“There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son.”- The Analects, Book XII, Yen Yuan, Chapt XI Quoted from https://www.chinausfocus.com/society-culture/confucius-more-individualistic-than-you-think
He expected not only blind obedience from his son, but also absolute devotion for the family. The individual steps aside for the community, and as such for the Yoons. This explicates why the main lead’s relative has no name in episode 6, he is simply reduced to a grandfather.
(chapter 7) This shows that the tradition was to “vanish behind the family name, the Yoons”. Under this new light, my avid readers can grasp why the main lead was destined to suffer immensely
(chapter 57). His reputation was already outshining his father’s. Secondly, by being stigmatized as a homosexual, he was endangering this principle. His role was to continue the lineage and as such produce a heir.
As you can see, Yoon Seungho is breaking the tradition and even dropping Confucianism, as the latter rejects homosexuality. The main lead embodies other values: Modernity, Individualism, true Love and Humbleness. Yoon Seungho is no longer judging people based on their social status and relationship. This signifies that at the end of the story, the new governor symbolizes true justice. He put an end to corruption and malpractice. He is not influenced by people’s opinions and prejudices either. He is only listening to his heart and conscious. He makes sure to keep all his promises and not to say any empty words. He is a reformed man through and through.
However, we shouldn’t forget that the protagonist did kill many people before. Hence my other interpretation is that Yoon Seungho as a sinner is not “allowed” to become a judge himself.
(chapter 131) How could he condemn others, when his hands had been soiled with blood? Thus I deduce that through her work, Byeonduck exposed the corruption of human justice in Joseon. It was impossible to get true and fair justice from anyone, let alone from the authorities. The latter were ruled by greedy and arrogant nobles who used law enforcements for their own needs. That’s why the patriarch
(chapter 116) or even Min could commit crimes in the open. They felt safe, for they knew that the authorities belonged to the same social class than them. However, this could only work, as long as the nobles would cover for each other. Should a yanbang denunciate a noble family, it was a different story. Therefore I assume that lord Lee was the one who reported the treason to the authorities (the painting in the bedroom was the evidence). But such a painting couldn’t represent a proof. However, since human justice was corrupted, the gods decided to give justice to the protagonists. That’s how Yoon Seungho became the hand of justice. Everyone involved in the protagonists’ suffering had to pay for their crimes.
(chapter 102) That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum’s martyrdom was strongly intertwined with the young master’s. Yoon Seungho only received this power through Baek Na-Kyum, the character embodying fairness, sincerity, hard work, home and equity. This was particularly perceptible in this scene:
(chapter 27) The lord couldn’t kill anyone randomly.
Yet, considering the scene in the shrine as a trial from the “gods”, can appear weird, for the main lead attacked Min and his friend under the influence of his unconscious past.
(chapter 102) However, I consider it as a first step to the lord’s emancipation and life lesson. The latter is indirectly learning not to pay attention to status and power. That’s why the author portrayed him as blind and deaf to their plea and special status. While his behavior in the shrine was rather impulsive and influenced by deeply rooted fears, we should consider lord Song’s execution as a true act of justice.
(chapter 123)
(chapter 123) The latter had confessed all his crimes: the ones from the past (the lies in order to fool the father)
(chapter 123) and the painter’s murder. Funny is that lord Song didn’t feel threatened by the young master at all despite the sword.
(chapter 123) Why? It is because he feels, he is the one with the upper hand. First, he has the petition, hence he is already projecting himself in the future (he can get a high position again). Secondly, he thinks, Yoon Seungho is outnumbered. He is surrounded by 4 guards. But more importantly, he views himself superior to the main character due to his age. He is an elder. That’s the reason why he calls “my dear boy”. This implies that he is underestimating the main figure. The latter would never dare to raise his hand against a senior!! However, true justice is also blind to age.
(chapter 123) His smile at the end of the episode should be perceived as a reflection from Min’s vanishing.
(chapter 103) One might even add that the lord’s action could have been seen as self-defense. However, don’t forget that we are here in Joseon, where a commoner’s life means nothing. Because of this new association, I came to the following deduction: lord Song was the one behind lord Shin’s death.
(chapter 103) The latter couldn’t imagine that an elderly yanbang, an official, would raise the sword against another noble. After this new realization, it dawned on me why Yoon Seungho had to get separated from his loved one.
(chapter 126) This humiliation made Yoon Seungho realize that he needed to have his power on his own. He learned through the hard way that he was not just a Yoon, but Seungho. Yes, this helped him to differentiate himself from his father and to become stronger mentally. His religion was now his lover, Baek Na-Kyum, whom he needed to protect. But he could only do it, if he had himself a powerful position. But he needed to witness the corruption of the authorities to realize that in Joseon, there exists no justice.
(chapter 127) That’s the reason why I deduce that Yoon Seungho is not destined to become a lazy or unfair governor. He learned through the hard way how important it is to give proper justice.
(chapter 131) Should these two men know the artist, the latter could encourage his lover to listen to their testimonies and not judge them based on their status.
Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why I don’t perceive the main lead as a lazy governor. Just because he appears as one in this scene
(chapter 131), we shouldn’t generalize such a behavior. By paying no attention to power and fame, the protagonist learned what true justice is. Moreover, he realized the true source of happiness: love and simplicity. He made sure to keep all his promises to his loved one. Moreover, the artist is there to remind Yoon Seungho of his duties:
(chapter 131) Hence I can’t help myself imagining the couple strolling through the village and listening to the people. Thanks to the artist, Yoon Seungho can only get recognition and acceptance from the autochtones. Besides, Baek Na-Kyum is even giving painting lessons to children, so I doubt that he will drop everything for his lover’s sake. We should envision the opposite behavior from the scholar:
(chapter 6): neglect and indifference towards the commoners. And this new observation brings me to my other topic, Jung In-Hun.
2. The real sinners: the hidden hustlers and workhorses
In the first part of this essay, I compared the arrival of the lord in his new jurisdiction with the scholar’s Jung In-Hun.
| YoOn Seungho | Jung In-Hun |
|---|---|
![]() | ![]() |
Through this comparison. I had a huge revelation. Manhwaphiles can notice not only the absence of flags and the palaquin, but also the absence of uniforms. The two men in black leading the horse were simply wearing black hanboks and not blue and white costumes. Then it dawned on me that after this cortege on the street, there was no banquet after his success. Hence I deduce that he had not really succeeded at the civil service examination. First, he had not finished top place
(chapter 129), therefore he couldn’t select one position contrary to the main lead. This means that when he celebrated his “victory” in episode 111, it was not official. He had no post. I would even add, his name had not been announced on the official board, like we could witness it in this scene.
(chapter 121) Here, he is informed that he didn’t pass the exam, for his name was not written there. We can detect this, because people are congratulating each other. His name was left out due to the intervention from lord Song. This means that when Yoon Seungho made him this offer
(chapter 7), these were not empty words. He did help the learned sir to pass the civil service exam. But the scholar didn’t succeed like anticipated. The absence of his success explicates why Jung In-Hun received such an offer from lord Song later.
(chapter 117) He had no post, he couldn’t choose it, for he was not the best. Thus I deduce that the scholar had just proven his mediocrity. He was just an average man. That’s how it dawned on me that the ceremony in the street was more a simulacre!
(chapter 111) Yes, it was fake, for there was no banquet, no sedan chair, no flag and just civilians were surrounding the former teacher. The painting from Baek Na-Kyum can even serve as another evidence that a palanquin and flags are attributes to a ceremony of inauguration.
(chapter 44) Only one thing was real: Jung In-Hun was wearing an official uniform, that way no one would doubt his “victory”. Moreover, observe that lord Song only approached the learned sir after the parade. So he was not behind the parade. Besides, keep in mind that the main couple was informed about the parade through the tailor
(chapter 111) and not from the official board. His reaction shows not only his displeasure, but also his ignorance. If he had known about the cortege, he would have avoided the place in the first place. Thus I suspect that the tailor had been encouraged to leak this information in front of the couple. Let’s not forget, as a tailor, he was definitely involved in the cortege. It is no coincidence that he informed Yoon Seungho about this “sudden parade”. At the same time, I come to the following deduction: someone must have paid for this spectacle, and it was not Yoon Seungho, for he had been kept in the dark until the last moment. I doubt that the learned sir had the connections and money for this. This new perception corroborates my previous interpretation: the show was sponsored by someone, and it was definitely inspired by the drawing (the hat and the green uniform).
(chapter 111). Yet this was just a cheap trick, for the person didn’t send a sedan chair with carriers. Under this new light, I realized why Jung In-Hun ended up stigmatized as a criminal.
(chapter 127) It was his karma, for he had deceived the painter with his lies. His success was not his own.
(chapter 111) He realized that even after passing the exam, he needed the assistance of people, a sponsor for the spectacle, a noble with connections. Besides, when in season 1, the painter was accused of a crime (ruining the picture), the learned sir did nothing at all. He didn’t protect his student, for he desired to keep his sponsor. When the latter was sick, he neglected him as well. He wouldn’t have sent a doctor for him. Hence in season 4, the sponsor Na-Kyum decides to end his “sponsorship” for the learned sir. We could say that the former teacher is confronted with a similar situation. He ends up being abandoned and framed for a crime, which he didn’t commit. Yet, contrary to his pupil, he is not entirely blameless, for he played a huge role in the death of the nobles lord Song, lord Shin, lord Min and others. Because Baek Na-Kyum embodies hard work, justice, equity, love and honesty, I deduce that his surrogate father embodies the negative notions: laziness, corruption, partiality, hierarchy, ambition and hypocrisy. That’s why his face ended up on the official board, while the painter’s accusation just remained rumors.
: (chapter 125) versus
(chapter 127) His fate reflects Joseon’ society and authorities, especially when the latter are closer to the capitale.
At the same time, the poster of the scholar exposes that the scholar’s dream had always been to see his name on the official board.
(chapter 121) However, the notice was not associated with glory and honor, but with the opposite value. He was an immoral and brutal man.
(chapter 127) which was actually reflecting his true personality. We should see the parade in episode 111 as an illusion due to the absence of an official document. And who had paid for this charade? One might think lord Song. However, don’t forget that he approached the man much later. I feel like someone else was involved as well. For me, it was Heena. She was seen with the tailor in season 2, and she had seen the painting from her brother. Finally, she had tried in season 2 and 3 to separate the couple. So she should have repeated the same action, because her resent towards nobles runs deeply, just like her admiration for Jung In-Hun is strong. She knew that her donsaeng was no longer listening to her and his new lover. He was determined to remain by his lover’s side. Thus she didn’t intervene here.
(chapter 105) IMO, she had to use another mean in order to achieve her goal: the scholar. Let’s not forget that the artist had confided to her this:
(chapter 68) He was simply waiting for the learned sir’s return. And she was present during the cortege.
(chapter 111)
Naturally, Jung In-Hun ended up being accused of murder, because not only he had lied, but also he had contributed to the death of lord Min and the others. By giving the spectacles, he was also responsible for their death. Finally, by hurting Baek Na-Kyum and giving him to lord Song
(chapter 121), he put the painter in a position which led him to take for the fall for his loved one. It was like framing an innocent. Exactly like in season 3
(chapter 99), Yoon Seungho had been forced to take the sword because of the scholar. And the trigger for the massacre
(chapter 124) was always Jung In-Hun. And now, you comprehend why Jung In-Hun became the scapegoat for the last incident. But there’s more to it.
The sexual and physical assault, playing a trick on multiple occasions and the lies are the reasons why the learned sir ended being labelled as a dangerous bandit.
(chapter 127) The paper reflects the transformation of the former teacher. He is no longer a honest man. He lost everything: his home, his name and even his life, killed by lord Song’s minions.
(chapter 121) His final lesson was to learn that he was exactly like the others: he is just a human despite his education. All humans are equal in front of death. In fact, during his confrontation with lord Song, he came to give up on his integrity. His true face came to the surface: he was just an opportunist, a lazy scholar who relied on fate and his arrogance.
(chapter 6) This brings me to my next interpretation. Jung In-Hun learned through the hard way that there is nothing like fate (“right time”), but life is the result of decisions. However, because the scholar always regretted all his past choices, he decided to blame others for his wrong choices. That’s the reason why he ends up to take the whole crime. We should see this paper
(chapter 127) as a reflection from the poem in episode 4:
The author from this sijo was the poet and official Wang Bang-Yeon who is said to have lived in the time of Joseon’s sixth king Danjong (1441-1457) and his successor king Sejo (1417-1468). As the official of the state tribunal, he followed the young king Danjong into his exile and gave him poison to drink by royal command. Yes, both are symbols of power, corruption, partiality and injustice. Yet, there exists one divergence. While Wang Bang-Yeon left a poem revealing his yearning for the king, the learned sir had no deep attachment towards the artist. Hence it is no wonder why the paper “Wanted” is not connected to affection. It really reflects the emotions and thoughts of Baek Na-Kyum. Due to the last incident, the latter no longer cares for this man.
Jung In-Hun should have realized much sooner that happiness is not a synonym for power and admiration. In reality, he was living quite well in the small village.
(chapter 6) He had a roof over his head, and he was surrounded by children, who liked him.
(chapter 121) But the problem is that he was consumed by entitlement and greed. How so? It is because of his education. He saw himself superior to others morally and mentally. Hence he didn’t feel the genuine admiration from the children.
(chapter 6) He couldn’t enjoy it at all. It is no coincidence that the synonyms for ambitious person are “busy person” and “workhorse”. Yes, this mirrors the expression “laziness”. A true ambitious person is actually proactive and not really relying on sponsors and bribes. So when we see the learned sir on the horse
(chapter 111), he is acting like a workhorse. The reality is that he is lazy, as he saw himself destined to achieve greatness. He had the impression that no one had recognized his true value. On the horse, he is just waving his hand and smiling. Later, he confesses this to the artist:
(chapter 111) As you can see, his success is not the result of his hard work, but rather of his connections!! Though he didn’t kill lord Song himself, Jung In-Hun had to receive his due punishment for all his lies and sins.
3. The brother’s punishment
This brings me to the next interpretation: Yoon Seungwon and his success.
(chapter 107) Though he passed the civil service exam too, he is not able to fulfil his father’s wish either.
(chapter 86) They lack support now because of the treason. The families close to the Yoons got executed. But there’s more to it. The youngest son had first betrayed his father by giving the petition to Yoon Seungho,
(chapter 118) His intention was to protect not only his brother, but also their family. It was to ensure that lord Song would get blackmailed. That’s how this investigation
(chapter 37) got stopped in the end, and the Yoons escaped any punishment. However, by doing so, Yoon Seungwon turned his brother into a blackmailer. Thanks to him, Yoon Seungwon could keep his reputation intact. In fact he never lost his father’s trust. However, in season 4, we can witness a change of heart in the brother.
(chapter 118) It is because he knows that with the petition in his brother’s hands, lord Song represents a hindrance to his own career. The latter can only see the Yoons as a threat. Besides, he can only resent the family, if they are able to gain reputation and power, while he can not return to Hanyang and occupy a high position. As you can see, the young master’s success can only irritate lord Song. You can sense a rivalry between Seungwon and lord Song Haseon
(chapter 116) in this scene:
(chapter 116) The latter has already sensed that the traitor is sitting next to them, thus he raised this question. That’s why I come to the following conclusion that the young master must have realized that he also needed his brother’s assistance. First, if Yoon Seungho returns the petition to the father, the investigation about the traitor in the mansion would be no longer necessary. Secondly, Yoon Seungwon needs to create new connections in Hanyang, but he can only achieve it with his elder brother. Under this new light, you comprehend why Seungwon asked his relative to move on from the past and as such “forgive their father”
. (chapter 118) In other words, the young man embodies the notion of “fake forgiveness, fake promise, fake understanding”. He is an opportunist, exactly like the scholar. Yet, there exists a huge divergence between them. His affection for Yoon Seungho was not fake. He is feeling sympathy for his brother. But that’s it. This explains why he didn’t help his brother before. In my eyes, Seungwon represents a different notion of family: bloodline. In my eyes, he embodies traditions and Confucianism. His goal is to turn his father’s dream and life motto into a reality: glory and power for the Yoons. Besides, he must have experienced himself the downfall for the family. And this observation leads to my next interpretation. This means that Yoon Seungwon must have lied to his father by omission as well.
(chapter 86) In my opinion, he must have promised to fulfil the patriarch’s wish, but reality made him realize that this was not possible. He couldn’t do it alone. However, I doubt that he confronted the elder with reality.
Let’s not forget that he is only the second son. So he can not inherit the family’s properties. Remember that once the main lead succeeded the civil service exam, he received many marriage proposals.
(chapter 128) What about Yoon Seungwon then? Though he succeeded too, there is no mention about engagement or marriage proposals. However, it is clear that this achievement is connected with adulthood and marriage, therefore the elder Song Haseon brought up the topic sex!
(chapter 107) It is because Yoon Seungho is the first son who will inherit the title and properties. Yoon Seungwon’s success can only work with his brother’s presence. This means that thanks to the last episode, I could finally find the answer from Byeonduck’s question:
What was the reason for Yoon Seungwon’s embarrassment? First, it is because his brother selected the backward place, though he had passed the exam with flying colors. Yoon Seungwon imagined that once his brother had passed the exam, he would get married and establish new connections. That way, Seungwon would be able to get married with a properous and famous family. In other words, Yoon Seungho would turn the father’s dream into a reality: the return of the Yoons’ glory and power. And Seungwon would benefit a lot from this. So in the gibang, his advices might have sounded well meant,
(chapter 118), in verity he was also motivated by his own desires. He wanted to get the help from his older brother. This means that the moment the main lead lost his father, Seungwon’s words became true. Yoon Seungho followed his advice: he cut off ties with his past and as such with his family. He was no longer obliged to fulfil the family traditions and the father’s dream. This means that Yoon Seungwon is now on his own. I find it funny that he blamed his brother for his debauchery, but what did he do during this time? Nothing… he waited, until he received pressure from his own father. Moreover, since Yoon Seungwon didn’t help the artist and allowed him to take the fall for the massacre
(chapter 126), his karma is not only to end up alone, but also not to receive any support from his brother.
To conclude, Yoon Seungwon tried to convince his brother to change his behavior
(chapter 117), because his career was still insecure due to lord Song’s influence. He needed his brother’s help in the end. At the same time, Seungwon had already long internalized the values from his father: Yoons’ honor and reputation were top priorities. In other words, the younger brother stands for social norms and fake righteousness. He desires to maintain his perfect image (loyalty, filial piety),
(chapter 118), hence he left the document at the mansion. He wanted his brother to return the papers on his own so that his past action would remain undetected. Returning the paper was like an admission that he had stolen it in the first place. Yet he still barged in his brother’s house twice.
(chapter 117) Here, he exposed the existence of the “petition” to Baek Na-Kyum for one reason. The latter should be used as a way to pressure the main lead to give up on the paper. Notice that this topic was brought up in the gibang:
(chapter 119) However, the reality is that Seungwon is not just trying to fulfil his father’s dream, but also he has his own ambition. He wants to make a name on his own. That’s why he confessed this to his brother:
(chapter 119) He doesn’t associate himself with the father and his sins. In his eyes, he is blameless. The reality is that he is guilty like his father, for he failed to care for Yoon Seungho. He failed to listen to him and his suffering. He didn’t try to understand him. Like mentioned above, he only sympathized with him and that’s it. Thus he condemned him for his debauchery in the gibang, but this was no longer the case.
When the father confronted his own son with reality (he had no power without him), Yoon Seungwon was once again absent!! The latter is the evidence of his “neglect”. It is important, because when the main lead bowed in front of the patriarch,
(chapter 127)
(chapter 127) the former only made a promise to his father and not to the brother. With his death, Yoon Seungho is no longer bound by a promise. Since the main lead had been living properly for 3 years and even passed the civil service exam, it is clear that for the brother, Yoon Seungho must have forgotten his past lover. He must have judged his brother based on appearances, just like he was behaving himself. However, this was just a subterfuge. He was waiting for the right time too. He had no change of heart, he had just been copying his brother’s behavior.
To conclude, the main lead abandoned Yoon Seungwon in the end for his loved one. It happened, when he not only rejected the marriage proposals, but also moved to that “poor region”. The sibling received his punishment for his lack of loyalty and his dishonesty. Funny is that the main lead actually followed his brother’s advices:
8chapter 118) He cut off ties with the past and the family!! This means that his words in the lord’s bedchamber came true:
(chapter 78) Let’s not forget that at the gibang, Yoon Seungwon never revealed his true intentions towards his brother. The latter always said that his advices were for his best interests. He should become involved in the government. But everything was for the Yoons, or better said, for Yoon Seungwon’s sake. And there exists another reason why the sibling must have been embarrassed: This marriage!
To conclude, Yoon Seungwon embodies the opposite values of Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho: ambition, corruption, forgetfulness, hierarchy/social norms, traditions and reality versus understanding, forgiveness, simplicity, closeness, modern family and happiness. Selfishness versus Selflessness. This explicates why the main lead gave up his success for the artist. However, though it looks like an exile, the reality is that he will gain popularity and admiration among the inhabitants. Why? It is because he is no longer making distinctions between nobles and commoners, he doesn’t see this place as a punishment, but as a heaven and as such he has a better perception of humans in general. In my eyes, he is bringing progress and change in the region. Baek Na-Kyum is already teaching the kids how to draw… so it is only a matter of time, until his lover takes care of the education for these children. This means that these words will become a reality:
(chapter 6) He will think of the futures of those children because of his lover.
PS: Tell me, if you are interested in another essay. The question would be: how did lord Yoon die? Was he poisoned or not?
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.



(chapter 122) represents their future, their reunion. Since I saw chapter 124 had references to episode 116
(chapter 116), I am expecting that the painter will be given new clothes, for the assassin switched clothes too and we should have a new scene near a pavilion
(chapter 116). Besides, don‘t forget that Yoon Seungho had ordered clothes for the painter which should have been delivered to the gibang.
(Chapter 106) 

(chapter 119), they got worried and nervous, as they considered the expression „as long as I live“ as a clue for a sad ending. Why? It is because the lord was referring to his own death. Under this light, it becomes comprehensible why I selected „heavenly“ in the title. I was naturally alluding to the afterlife. However, I perceived his words in a positive light. He expressed his desire to live. He is no longer suicidal, he wishes to live a long life next to the painter and treasure his moments with him. That’s the reason why the author included the refraction in the scene. A dream had come true, the lord was finally able to escape the darkness.
(Chapter 119) He is now truly alive. This explicates either why he smiled and laughed at the end. But why was he so happy? It is because Baek Na-Kyum had just confessed that he loved him not for his wealth or power, but for himself.
(Chapter 119) He even described him as a treasure. Yoon Seungho had finally achieved his goal: to win the painter’s heart. His presence and love bring happiness to Baek Na-Kyum which stands in opposition to his reputation as bird of misfortune. Moreover, this description contrasts so much to Jung In-Hun
(Chapter 119) and Yoon Seungwon’s.
(chapter 102) In episode 102, he was renouncing on everything (life, mansion, wealth and connection), because he imagined that the artist had died. Consequently, I deduce that in episode 119, the painter’s life is attached to the lord’s for good. If the artist got into trouble, Yoon Seungho would side with him and the reverse. Thereby, I come to the conclusion that this moment in the kitchen represents their union, as they are no longer tied to the mansion. They are now a family no matter where they are. Let’s not forget that the painter expressed his wish to run away with his lover.
(Chapter 119) It is important, because such a departure symbolizes that the bird “Yoon Seungho” is leaving the nest. He is now starting a family on his own. 
(chapter 85) and put a glass and that was it. This exposes the father’s hypocrisy, ignorance and greed. By acting on his own, he was exposing his true mindset. He views himself as the family. The sons are just the extension of himself, for they are his reflections.
(Chapter 45) On the other hand, Yoon Seungwon is his golden child, for he represents his positive reflection.
(chapter 86), whereas he put the other on a pedestal
Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the father could only reject the offer from lord Song in the gibang. Doubting Yoon Seungwon’s sexuality meant to question about the father’s sexual orientation. At the same time, it is not surprising why the elder master would blame Yoon Seungho for everything, for he couldn’t admit his responsibility for the purge. Consequently, the Manhwaphiles can grasp why Yoon Chang-Hyeon came alone to the shrine. If he had brought Yoon Seungwon, the father would have been reminded of the elder son, as both can not be separated. This explicates why the younger master asked his elder brother to submit to his father.
(Chapter 119) I couldn’t help myself smirking when the brother attempted to make him believe that.
(Chapter 119) the protagonist could ever gain the father’s favor. Yoon Seungwon was definitely playing with his brother’s feelings, as if he could hope that their father would change.
(Chapter 77)
(Chapter 119) First, by returning the petition to the father, Yoon Seungho would become the culprit. He was not only a traitor, but also a blackmailer of the Yoons and lord Song.
(Chapter 107), for he had stolen the petition. Yoon Seungwon would hide his wrongdoing, he betrayed their father.
(Chapter 116) The elder master would no longer seek the truth, similar to the kidnapping in season 2 which was turned into a desertion and later Lee Jihwa’s abduction occulting the instigator and the helping hands. Simultaneously, Yoon Seungwon needs his brother as scapegoat, because the pressure coming from the patriarch and lord Song must have definitely increased.
(Chapter 83) This shows that the young master wants to sacrifice his brother once again. Out of selfishness and cowardice, he is trying to convince Yoon Seungho that this is the right thing to do!
(Chapter 37) He is even implying that he needs to sacrifice himself in order to protect Baek Na-Kyum!! Moreover, he is distorting the reality, because he implies that his father is still powerful.
(Chapter 116) Thus I come to the conclusion that the meeting between the brothers in the gibang represents an offering. For the Yoons’ sake, Yoon Seungho should admit his wrongdoings
(Chapter 55) People had played with his hopes and longing for acceptance and recognition. Interesting is that offerings is a synonym for atonement and sacrifice. But why is Yoon Seungwon so sure that he can repeat the same action from the past? It is because Kim and Yoon Seungwon have known for a long time that Yoon Seungho was longing for acceptance and love from his family, just like the scholar knew about the painter’s love for him.
(Chapter 119) But everything changed, when the painter met the lord. So who is worse here? Jung In-Hun who tried to rape the painter or Yoon Seungwon who is sentencing his elder brother to death? Let’s say that the valet convinced the younger master to suggest this solution, this doesn’t diminish Seungwon’s responsibility at all. He knows that his father abused his elder brother. In my opinion, he is copying his father, like the former tried to diminish the responsibility of the patriarch.
(Chapter 119) Yoon Seungho got hurt because of lord Song and not because of Yoon Chang-Hyeon. This means that the younger master was denying the existence of the patriarch’s choice and the helping hands. And if the brother listened to his advise and the father hurt or killed the main lead afterwards, the younger master could put the blame on the elder master, for the decision and responsibility belonged to the patriarch. Moreover, he heard from lord Song that killing Yoon Seungho was just a matter of time.
(Chapter 119) So technically, this situation could have triggered the protagonist’s insecurities like in season 1
(chapter 28), 2
(chapter 60) and 3
(chapter 98). However, through these constant exposures, Yoon Seungho came to learn not to jump to conclusions and to have faith in Baek Na-Kyum. He knew that he would return to the mansion. Hence he ran to the bedchamber first.
(Chapter 119) Another important detail is that we don’t see any staff in the courtyard or in the kitchen. It was, as if the propriety had been deserted.
(Chapter 119) This implies that at no moment, he relied on the domestics’ testimonies which contrasts to the following scenes:
(chapter 104)
(chapter 107) and
(chapter 116) However, observe that in episode 116, Yoon Seungho had witnessed how his lover had taken care of him, while he was unconscious. Furthermore, the petition had been handed over to the painter and not Kim, a sign that the artist had become the protagonist‘s confident. As you can see, as time passed on, the main protagonist learned the following lessons: he should stop relying on servants, he should only trust his partner. I would even add that he was taught the following principle: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. In my eyes,
(Chapter 103) Here, they never expected the return of Yoon Seungho and the painter. The staff ‘s absence in episode 119 is the evidence of their desertion! Moreover, I consider Yoon Seungho’s search for his lover as a new version from episode 28/29/30:
(chapter 28) Back then, they feigned ignorance, but they never anticipated a punishment from Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 115) And now you are wondering how the painter’s gesture can be considered as an offering. It is because the kitchen hearth is considered as sacred due to the fire. First, in shamanism, there exists the god of fire named Jowangshin.
(Chapter 115)
(Chapter 59)
(Chapter 98)
(Chapter 115)
(Chapter 47)
(chapter 102) who was a traitor, for he had tattled on Black Heart and his friends to Yoon Seungho. And now, you comprehend why I connected the shrine to the kitchen hearth. Both places are considered as sacred, for they are connected to gods and spirits.
(Chapter 85) The absence of his sons and of food as offerings reveals that he was not showing true respect to his ancestors. He used religion and social norms to hide his true intentions. He wanted to take over the mansion. Hence the black guards were standing at the entrance of the sacred house. Their presence symbolizes violence. Therefore it is not surprising that the gods chose to punish the elder master through Yoon Seungho. The former was not received properly
(chapter 86): no bow, no food and no seat.
(Chapter 86) Let’s not forget that the elder master had entered the lord’s chambers without the permission of his owner. No wonder why he was left speechless. And now, you are wondering if I am not drifting away from the topic, as these chapters from season 3 don’t seem to be connected to episode 119. However, it is important to realize that these chapters have many common denominators
Here, we could detect the suicidal tendencies of the protagonist. He wouldn’t fight back.
The seat looks like a throne.
The courtyard is empty! No one is defending their master.















Baek Na-Kyum freed himself.
(Chapter 85) The study is even close to the gate.
(Chapter 51) He could have reached the study before the father entered the shrine. Finally, observe that the patriarch even arrived to the bedchamber before Yoon Seungho,
(Chapter 117) The painter wants to leave everything behind too.
(Chapter 119) Thus I am deducing that the authorities will be involved very soon.
(chapter 119) They are not expecting the lord‘s resistance, for he remained passive all this time (season 2 and 3). The scholar has now the means to do so, and the necessary motivation. Imagine that he got wounded and humiliated by the couple! Besides, we have this broken promise due to Yoon Seungwon
(Chapter 115) exposing the younger master’s lies and Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s delusions. Without the protagonist’s help, the younger brother would not be „successful“. Furthermore, the absence of food and fire in episode 86 indicates that this house was neglected and even not protected.
(Chapter 94) The gibang is connected to money, power, pleasure, artificiality, sensuality and lack of privacy.
(Chapter 96) I am sure that you can detect all the contrasts (night, door close, spies, confession outside and inside, no fire, only light). Thus I am deducing that the painter’s words in the kitchen were not heard by others. As you can see, this scene in the kitchen is full of symbolism. In my previous essay “The true face of family”, I had already pointed out that sharing meals represented a criteria to define a real family. Therefore I had demonstrated that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum were excluded from the mansion, for they wouldn’t eat their meals in the kitchen like the staff.
(Chapter 17) Moreover, the hearth doesn’t just provide warmth, but also light! The latter embodies knowledge and as such Enlightenment.
(Chapter 119) Hence they were clueless about the wrongdoings from the staff. Only in the kitchen, the lord could finally grasp the depth of Baek Na-Kyum’s love for him. It is an unconditional love contrary to Yoon Seungwon’s. The latter would only recognize him, if he listened to him. And he only seeks his assistance, when he needs him. It shows that Yoon Seungho is only approached, when he has power.
(Chapter 118)
(Chapter 119) I would like to outline that during their conversation, Yoon Seungwon remained calm and indifferent, when he talked about the assassination attempt from Yoon Chang-Hyeon.
(Chapter 116) But the biggest difference is the absence of fire in the kisaeng house.
(Chapter 104)
(chapter 105) Finally, we saw him in the courtyard standing next to a horse and a servant indicating that he had given him a task, and the latter needed to leave.
(Chapter 108) Hence you comprehend why I am full of optimism in the end. Yoon Seungho has already made some preparations in my opinion. On the other hand, I am quite certain that their love will be tested. Can they face together trouble? Yes, because through their pain, they learned their lessons and changed.
(Chapter 119) It is because in the past, he was never allowed to join the kitchen hearth. This place was either beneath him or he was not worthy of entering the place. Thus he employed the expression scullery boy to Yoon Seungho.
(Chapter 47) Here, I would like to outline that when the protagonist was held in the shed, someone brought him food .
(Chapter 83) That‘s how I realized that the shed is connected to the kitchen!
The maid had just brought water to the couple.
During that night, Baek Na-Kyum had been held captive in a shed.

(chapter 38) Yoon Seungho remained outside on the door step. Consequently, I started comparing scenes where the kitchen hearth appeared and that’s how I discovered a pattern:
(Chapter 46)
(chapter 47)
(Chapter 110) 
(Chapter 77)
(chapter 38) 
(chapter 59)
(chapter 119)
(chapter 38)
(chapter 47)
(chapter 77)
( Chapter 110)
(chapter 119)
(chapter 47)
(Chapter 77) For me, Kim must have looked down on the other domestics. I consider this scene as the best example what Kim should have done in the past.
(Chapter 119)
(Chapter 98) One door leads to the backyard and the other to the smaller courtyard. And this scene confirms my previous assumption
(Chapter 87) Baek Na-Kyum is there to prove him wrong. He had other opportunities, like giving him a good meal.
(Chapter 63) He should have sided with his master and even remained by his side. This signifies that this scene
(chapter 7) the artist is not only cleansing the kitchen, but also cutting off ties with the scholar. The latter is no longer protected. The spirits will intervene through chance. As a conclusion, the hearth has a spiritual and healing power, for it is connected to „Heaven“. Yoon Seungho‘s paradise is to have a family.
(chapter 106) How could he abandon his lover like that? For some readers, he acted like a fool. Nevertheless, his reaction was normal, because the man with the purple hanbok represents the cause for Yoon Seungho’s martyrdom. This means that the ghost with the purple hanbok symbolizes danger for the protagonist. And if he gets targeted, his lover will suffer too. Striking is that during the same day and night, there is another person wearing a purple hanbok: Yoon Seungho!
(chapter 107) Therefore it is no coincidence that in chapter 107, he was portrayed as a source of danger for the elder master Yoon and the mysterious “lord Song”.
(chapter 107) According to “lord Song”, him and Yoon Chang-Hyeon were forced to renounce their position because of Yoon Seungho. In this image, the villain implies that the main lead is a blackmailer.
(chapter 10) Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why the artist was wearing a purple hanbok after the bloodbath.
(chapter 107) Therefore my theory that Baek Na-Kyum is related to the ruler gets reinforced. However, in episode 107, only the main lead and the new villain were seen with the purple hanbok, therefore in this essay, I will examine not only the new character “lord Song”, but also Yoon Seungho!
(chapter 107) They had the impression that he was abandoning the artist one more time. And that’s how the painter felt the situation either! That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum was upset.
(chapter 107) It was, as if the main lead was acting like the patriarch Yoon. This perception got reinforced, because the lord had a poker face and didn’t talk to his lover.
(chapter 107) Yoon Seungho didn’t side with the old bearded man in front of the painter. He thanked the man and sent away him with respect.
(chapter 107) So he gave the impression that he was listening to the painter. However, the reality was that at the end, he still listened to the doctor thinking that it was for the painter’s best interest. Since Baek Na-Kyum was traumatized from the sexual assault, the main lead thought that he was hiding his illness or he was in denial. What caught my attention is that Yoon Seungho followed the doctor leaving the artist in the bedchamber alone. On the one hand, this could be perceived as a prison, yet I judge his gesture as the opposite. It is to protect Baek Na-Kyum! In Yoon Seungho’s mind, behind the closed door, his lover won’t see or hear what is happening in the courtyard. He will be protected from cruel reality.
(chapter 107) He showed no real empathy for Baek Na-Kyum. It was, as if he was showing Schadenfreude. But this doesn’t end here. Kim brought a different doctor. It is not the same physician who assisted Baek Na-Kyum a month ago!!
(chapter 107) First, the clothes diverge. The belt is blue, his sleeves are covered with some white protections.
(chapter 107)
(chapter 103) Finally, the white hanbok is much longer, and his pants are blue, while the other had white trousers. In my essay
(chapter 107) How could he say that his health had deteriorated since a month ago? This is how the artist looked like a month ago:
(chapter 103)
(chapter 103) He was under the influence of the aphrodisiac, and he could have died of an overdose.
(chapter 103) His face and his body were covered with bruises. How could the doctor say that his condition had worsened? This means that he had not seen the patient a month ago. To sum up, the doctor was impersonating his fellow. Note that he claimed to have prescribed the drug himself.
(chapter 106) However, this image displays the betrayal from the physician, for I believe that this represents his view The latter had seen the artist in the restroom, but he had not intervened!! Besides, just because the artist had disgorged once, this doesn’t signify that he had done it all the time for one month. This is how the artist looked like, while he was walking through the street:
(chapter 104) He looked healthy and happy. The reason for his nervousness was the lord’s actions during that day. Moreover, the painter’s hand had been scratched… yet you see no bandage around his hand.
(Chapter 107) As you can see, the doctor was exaggerating, as he was generalizing the regurgitation!
(chapter 107) Yoon Seungho was slowly realizing that his butler has not been telling the truth. He was gritting his teeth exposing his discomfort! This gesture indicates that someone has to endure something unpleasant, has to control himself and persevere. However, he was telling the opposite to his master: he had nothing to worry!! He should do nothing and simply lie low. The authorities had no suspicion about him. That’s the reason why the main lead desired to talk to the valet
(chapter 107), and he got angry, for his servant was talking back and not answering him properly.
(chapter 107) It looks like valet Kim and the physician got away with their tricks, for neither the doctor nor the the butler got admonished in the bedchamber. But what caught my attention is that after hearing the words from his lover, he replied that way:
(chapter 107) This expression (“I see”) is important, because it could be the indication that the noble could discern the truth with his mind’s eye, like this
(chapter 107) or the opposite, though I am still optimistic. We will see in the next chapter.
(chapter 106), but we shouldn’t overlook that later the painter had yelled in order to voice his opinion which had caught his companion by surprise.
(chapter 57) The father was convinced that his son had been ill for a long time. And from the mysterious “lord Song”, the manhwalovers discovered that the main lead was fed with an aphrodisiac:
(chapter 107)
(chapter 57) Therefore the doctor’s statement in episode 57 appears in a different light: he knew what he was prescribing! He knew what Yoon Chang-Hyeon desired thanks to the idiom “the wayward yang energies”. It was to provoke an erection. I would like to expose that the physician deceived the painter,
(chapter 57) for at the end, the physician admitted that he had given the “solution” to the father. The father had received the medicine!! [For more read the essay “
(chapter 106) He was supposed to get a drink from the physician. So the lord could remember the artist’s words and perceive the doctor as a traitor and liar. He could jump to the conclusion that the man had given his lover a drug. Under this new light, it dawned on me that the artist could have been telling the truth to his lover there:
(chapter 106) That way, the “doctor” would not be suspected of a crime. Besides, according to me, the couple was actually sitting in the courtyard where the medicine store was!!
(chapter 33)
(chapter 65) Furthermore, in season 1, the artist had been forced to drink an aphrodisiac. So far, the main lead has never threatened or suspected a doctor. As you can see, there is a strong connection between the doctor and death! To sum up, we are witnessing the start of the storm… and when the painter was recovering, this represented the calm before the storm!!
(chapter 107) It is related to the rumors he heard in the street.
(chapter 106) The woman announced that the sacred tree had burned to the ground!! That’s the reason why it was gone… However, her words were just lies, for the tree is still standing there.
(chapter 107) But note that she connected the incident to misfortune! In other words, she was denying the intervention of humans!! However, the lord had visited the place of his crime before.
(chapter 104) This is what he had been told: the intervention of ghosts or spirits!! On the other hand, the unknown speaker had never mentioned the tree! Only the house had burned down. Nonetheless, even this statement was a lie, for the house was still standing too.
(chapter 106) Since the schemers are mixing a lie with the truth, the lord heard that lord Shin had been killed during that night! However, when the lord had assassinated Black Heart and his friends, the young noble had never met lord Shin! Hence the gossips in town made the lord recognize that something huge is about to happen: a manhunt, and he could get into trouble. Besides, the grapevines are revealing the existence of witnesses and the main lead is aware that the noona is an important « witness ». But the problem is that by mixing each time a lie with a fact, the schemers are not realizing that the truth is coming to the surface, as minus and minus make plus.
(chapter 50) Here, the butler had tattled on the painter so that the noble would distance himself from his sex partner. And in episode 104, we have a similar situation: through suggestions, the main lead was encouraged to send back the painter to the kisaeng house. Secondly, why would the lord think of the butler, when he saw the sacred tree?
(chapter 88) During that night, he discovered warmth, loyalty and tenderness! In the darkness, the lord could detect the presence of the light: the painter! During that night, they vowed fidelity to each other. And in the garden next to the shrine, Yoon Seungho made the opposite experience: it was dawning on him that people from his own family, Kim and Yoon Chang-Hyeon,
(chapter 88) are lying to him and even betraying him, especially if his life is threatened. Let’s not forget that this time, the lord did commit a crime and he is aware of this. In the bedchamber, the lord had criticized his own father, nonetheless he still thought that his father had just made a bad decision.
(Chapter 82) Preserving the continuity of the lineage and ensuring that the Yoons remain powerful and wealthy. However, in front of the tree, the lord is slowly recognizing that his father is about to ruin him for his own sake.
(chapter 107), and abandon his own son. This
(chapter 107) This image is the negative reflection from the night of the revelation in season 2. Despite the betrayal and agony,
(chapter 62) the main lead chose not to punish his lover
(chapter 63), he even swore that he would never let him go.
(chapter 63) As the manhwalovers can detect, the main lead was always able not to get swallowed by the darkness, thanks to the artist, he could still see the light. However, his father is making the opposite decision, unaware that he is “doomed” to fail! Karma is already waiting for him. And because the patriarch is now living in the darkness, he can not recognize the manipulations, as he is forced to use others to guide him.
(chapter 107) the branch on the ground is the evidence that someone set fire to the shaman’s shrine and the tree! Secondly, the black guard deceived the patriarch:
(chapter 107) Lord Shin was murdered afterwards and not before Black Heart and his friend!! The word “later” is relevant, for it implies that the young yangban was killed close to the place where the nobles Min and his friends were sentenced. But his body is lying elsewhere!
(chapter 103) This signifies that Yoon Chang-Hyeon is innocent! He never murdered Lord Shin in the woods, for he relied on the assistance of the helping hands. He never visited himself the scene of the crime.
These two men are different, for their mask is white and not black. Besides, their clothes are black and not brown. Finally, the belt diverges as well: a huge purple strip with a different color in the middle, while the other guard is only wearing a simple ribbon. Thus I am inclined to think that the black guard is not only manipulating Yoon Chang-Hyeon, but he is also in truth working for someone else. Moreover, why would the man cover his face in the room, if he is truly working for the patriarch?
(chapter 102) From my point of view, it is related to Lee Jihwa. My theory is that the elder Lee can frame the main lead for assassinating his son, because during that night, Black Heart was dressed like Lee Jihwa. They needed the corpses to be decomposed so that father Lee could claim that Yoon Seungho had killed his son!! And the hanbok would serve to identify the corpse. In addition, he would use the incident with the sword as an evidence for his lunacy.
(Chapter 67) It is important that the red-haired master is not perceived as traitor, rather as a victim. Moreover, since some time passed on, people have already forgotten the friend’s confession in the inn. However, the elder master Lee will never report Yoon Seungho to the authorities, it has to come from the father himself. That way, his involvement will never be detected. From my point of view, the schemers are trying to turn father and son against each other so that the Yoons get destructed. One might reject my theory about the implication of father Lee, but let me ask you this… What are “Lord Song”
(chapter 107) and Lee Jihwa’s colors?
(chapter 12) Purple and yellow, right? Observe that the lord is wearing the same colors during that night: a purple hanbok with a yellow scarf!
(chapter 67) Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why I am suspecting that this guard
(chapter 107) Furthermore, he could be recognized with the purple hanbok.
(chapter 83) Besides, another divergence is that the faceless lord Song has a rebellious strand in the neck which is not the same with “lord Song” from episode 107. As you can see, I deduce that we are dealing with two different “lord Song”. But this doesn’t end here. Secondly, according to father Lee, the man lost his home!
(chapter 82) So how can he be wearing a purple hanbok, if he lost his position and home? This color is reserved for important people. In addition, when he entered the kisaeng house, the artist’s noona called him differently:
(chapter 107) She called him “lord Haseon” and not “lord Song”! Interesting is that neither the Korean nor the Spanish version utilizes such a name! I don’t think that the translator took the liberty to create a fictional name. Hence I am deducing that the author is trying to leave different clues in each version!! Naturally, Haseon could be his first name, yet there is no ambiguity that this man has a bad reputation among the kisaeng house. He was called “lecher” and in the Spanish version, he was described as sexual maniac.
(chapter 107) Hence I doubt that the noona would feel so close to such a man and address him with his “first name”. On the other hand, the kisaeng has a drop of sweat on her face, which is a sign for a lie and deception.
(Chapter 107) This signifies that « lord Haseon » is true, while « out of the blue » is the lie.
(chapter 107) Besides, Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s vision of the world is based on the words from lord Song and others. Who informed him about the whereabouts of « lord Song » in the gibang? The man had not come to the kisaeng house for a long time. Because of this information, the patriarch is led to think that he is meeting « lord Song ». His perception of the world and his eldest son is embossed by lord Song. Thus he repeats the same expression from his counterpart: “lowly beast”.
(Chapter 107)
(chapter 107) Finally, like outlined above, the main lead imagined that he was meeting the same doctor, while in truth it was not the case. So « old friend » could be deceiving:.
(Chapter 107) He could be one of the three men! The real « lord Song » who brought pain to Yoon Seungho is someone else. Let’s not forget that Kim fears the man,
(chapter 56) and his statement implies that Yoon Seungho is usually not allowed to ignore the man’s request:
(Chapter 56). « At this time » stands in opposition to « always » which means that he can reject the invitation only because he is sick. To conclude, for me, this is not the lord Song Yoon Seungho hates and fears!
(Chapter 107) Moreover, he didn’t visit the kisaeng house for a long time,
(Chapter 107) Hence they judge him as a pervert. And since the head-kisaeng received him at the gate, this signifies that this man has been in contact with the kisaeng house and in particular with the kisaeng leading him to the room.
(chapter 37) The fake servant NEVER mentioned the retirement of lord Song. As you already know, for me, No-Name is the real lord Song who took the blame for everything, for he let people use his “name”. The most terrible thing is that “lord Song” puts the blame on Yoon Chang-Hyeon, when he explains his failure about the sexual education.
(Chapter 33) Secondly, how does the lord know about the master’s illness, when his fever was only discovered after the straw mat beating?
(Chapter 77) Besides, no physician had been fetched back then. Finally, how can lord Song remember the lord’s condition so well after 10 years? It is because he is using the diagnosis on the painter from the previous doctor:
(chapter 103) Here, the man with the purple hanbok was utilizing the painter’s illness to hide his own crime. Under the pretense to help « Yoon Seungho » to become a man, the man abused him not only physically, but also sexually. There is no doubt that this reconversion was fake!
(chapter 107) However, the trick doesn’t work, exactly like No-Name’s prediction:
(chapter 76) But there is another reason why Yoon Chang-Hyeon doesn’t get fooled a second time.
(Chapter 77) Thus I come to the following deduction: Yoon Seungho was sentenced to the straw mat beating, because after 2 nights, he had not been able to « have an erection ». They mixed a truth with a lie:
(chapter 52) And what had Black Heart thought during that night? He had wished to taste the artist, while before he had desired his death. This is not random at all. There is a strong connection between death and sex which is also present in the conversation between lord Song and his « old friend ». The former reproached the elder master Yoon to have protected his son for too long.
(chapter 107) Hence I am now assuming that this night is a reflection from chapter 67 and 69!! Min’s plan!
(chapter 69) He had gone to the kisaeng house with the hope that the artist would return with his noona, and back then he had impersonated Lee Jihwa for the first time.
(chapter 69) As the manhwalovers can detect, the sudden return of lord Haseon is intentional. So who is he targeting here?
(Chapter 82) In fact, both schemers have one goal in common: the couple is the victim and witness of their « crimes ». 




(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 35) indicating a certain lack of sleep, then the shaking hand with the fist,
