In which a crafty nobleman manoeuvres to ingratiate himself with the provincial aristocracy by courting a distinguished lady whose salon promises entry into exalted society, while a young poet of humble origin is hailed as a rising star and ushered into this rarefied circle, beguiled by flattery and the allure of patronage. Amidst whispered scandal and the complex dance of favour and rivalry, youthful ambition grapples with social barriers and the seductive promise of worldly success, illuminating the painful compromises demanded by love and art in a stratified world.