A lovely countess has lost her husband and retreated from society. Quite strange for a young lady to “bury herself” in the wilderness, while high society in Turin is full of rumors. They say the count has some indecent disease. But what if his wife is also mortally ill? If that’s true, why hasn’t the king given the title to anyone, securing the lands, coat of arms, and title for the female line? Only questions remain. Who will give the answers? And why does the wife of the new emissary of the Steppe seem so familiar?