1911 A graduate of the Institute of Noble Maidens, Sasha Meshcherskaya returns to a small provincial town. The well-being of her family is based on her relationship with her loving uncle, the owner of the arms factory Nikolai Shumilov. Sashenka's parents, Prince Ivan Sergeevich Meshchersky and Maria Ilyinichna, dream of their daughter getting married as soon as possible, and she herself dreams of a career as an architect. Wanting to please her parents, Sasha makes new acquaintances and plunges into a whirlpool of intrigue, where political interests are at stake. Cold-blooded murders, blackmail, intricacies of conspiracies and daring provocateurs eluding detection - all this captivates the enthusiastic schoolgirl. Without noticing it, Sasha becomes an ideal subject for terrorist hypnosis.