There might be some transition going on here. I'm worried if I'm having the right hunch or is jus' me overthinking something.
But regardless, the old man is making gyeol the new candidate for his muse and that'll be too much to take if that were to happen and they're both forced to model for his new art.
Beauty standards really sucks but I do believe that the author is not trying to say that being tan or having freckles is an ugly thing. More like, it's how society really portrays that being called "beautiful" must've mean flawless, clean, pale, and pristine without them coz I believe that really in any royal au, they considered freckles as a dirt permanent on your face or if you're tan, you're not different from commoners since you're supposed to be pale due to not working directly under the sun. Their twisted beliefs are pretty much similar to other plots that talks about "ugly" female leads.










MAMA HYESUNG AND PAPA DOJIN DIDN'T RAISE YOU LIKE A FAILURE! THAT MF GREMLIN IS! BOYYYY YOU WAS RAISED WITH LOVE AND HAPPINESS FROM YO PARENTS!
FACTS!!