Movie Story : In 19th-century Saint Petersburg, the charming Yakovlev, a retired army officer returning from long exile, earns his living by fighting duels on behalf of others. A cold and highly skilled professional, he moves through high society leaving death in his wake. When he crosses paths with the naive Prince Tuchov and his lovely sister Martha, feelings he thought he had buried begin to surface, and the events that follow reveal truths about his past and his present self.