tbh, i dont consider hee-ryang to be red flag (maybe beige at most?). he was just doing his job (and its not like he has a choice either) and his tactics to keep his subjects in line is also not done out of malice but simply a lord being strict and vigilant. he was also quite gentle and generous with yeonjo (given the circumstances). he is not overly cruel nor does he actively seek to torture or play with yeonjo's feelings/dignity despite the upper hand of his station. h
in here we can even see that despite his gut instinct telling him that something is going on, he still entertains the idea that his mistrust might hurt yeonjo and he wants to give him a chance to earn that trust.
