Adapted from Lee Jung-myeong's novel of the same name, the film is set in the Joseon court painting department and tells the story of Shin Yoon-bok, a talented painter in the Joseon era. During the reign of King Jeongjo of Joseon, a painting of a woman was discovered in the student hall of the painting department of the royal painting department. Professor Kim Hong-do found out that the criminal was Shin Yoon-bok (Moon Geun-young), the son of Shin Han-pyeong, a court painter. Although he was surprised by his talent and talent, Yoon-bok inevitably faced the fate of being expelled from the painting department. Fortunately, Kim Hong-do (Park Shin-yang), who was both a teacher and a friend, appreciated and protected him. After many twists and turns, he became a formal painter in the painting department. Later, the two were entrusted by the king to investigate the serial murders ten years ago. Ten years ago, Shin Yoon-bok's parents were innocently killed, and he was adopted by Shin Han-pyeong. Yoon-bok fell in love with Jeonghyang (Moon Chae-won), the most beautiful geisha in Hanyang, but she was forced to marry the businessman Kim Jo-nyeon as a concubine. At the same time, Hong-do found that he had a special feeling for Shin Yoon-bok, who was also a man. As the plot unfolds, clues to the murder case many years ago gradually emerge, and Shin Yun-bok's secrets are gradually revealed...