The December uprising failed and actually buried under its rubble the fate of many young people who were just entering life and, succumbing to a romantic impulse, supported the rebels. Overnight, brilliant princes and counts were expelled from the capital to the then “hot spots” (primarily the Caucasus), lost their fortunes, and were betrayed by relatives and fiancées. This novel is dedicated to the fate of a man who paid in full for his commitment to the dreams of rebuilding Russia. Returning from the Caucasus, where he was exiled for participating in the Decembrist conspiracy, Matvey Elagin unexpectedly receives an offer to marry a charming and rich girl, who is supposedly burdened by a family curse, the crown of celibacy. He begins to investigate the situation and unravels a whole tangle of intrigue. The heroes have a hard time, they initially do not trust each other, sort things out, and find themselves in mortal danger. The reader is provided with the most entertaining reading for several evenings; the book talks about love, honor, women's fashions, balls, and morals of the first half of the 19th century. But intrigue is above all!