Michel Melzer, a mirror maker from Mainz, goes to Constantinople to marry off his daughter, the young and lovely Edita. In Constantinople, Meltzer becomes the personal mirror of the emperor himself and masters the secrets of the “black art” - printing. Suddenly Edita runs away from her father. Searching for his daughter, Meltzer moves to Venice, where many adventures await him: meeting and parting with the love of his life, participating in a conspiracy against the Pope and an alliance with a mysterious stranger who hides his name and intentions. Will the mirror maker find his daughter? And will the “black art” that brought him to the center of political intrigue bring him luck?