Hilde has convinced Ernest Mecklinger, who is known in the Empire as the "artist admiral," to pay a visit to her cousin, Baron Kümmel. Prone to illness and forced to stay in bed, Kümmel is a man with a penchant for great historical figures, and he strongly admires Mecklinger's brilliant mind and great skills. While Hilde is delighted to see a spark of happiness finally shining in her cousin's tired eyes, her assignment as chief secretary is about to cause her much greater concerns.
