In 1806, in the grand city of St. Petersburg, the cautious Captain Herman Suvorin moves among the officers with a wary eye on the gambling dens but keeps his own money safely tucked away, choosing to observe faro rather than tempt fate himself. He isn’t chasing luck so much as avoiding the ruin that often follows those who chase it, a stance that colors every quiet choice he makes and every wary glance he casts toward the gaming tables.
Herman overhears a murmur among his fellow officers about the aging Countess Ranevskaya, a woman who is rumored to possess a nearly supernatural knowledge of how to win at cards. The tale goes that she earned such power after a decades-old pact, selling her soul in exchange for wealth and influence. The rumor kindles a curiosity Herman cannot entirely suppress. He soon adds a new object to his shelves: a book titled The Strange Secrets of the Count de Saint Germain, which claims to reveal true stories of people who bartered their souls for power, wealth, or dominance. In one chapter, a "Countess R***" allegedly learned the secret from the count and then secured a fortune at gambling, with the price being a vow not to reveal the secret. The old legend he encounters appears to blur with the present, and Herman begins to suspect that the Countess Ranevskaya might hold the key.
The elderly countess nonetheless governs a quiet life under the care of a young ward, Lizaveta Ivanova. Into this household enters Andrei, a noble-born military officer who becomes her suitor. Andrei’s interest in Lizaveta grows as he senses that something delicate and dangerous is unfolding around the countess and her rumored secret. At the same time, Herman crafts a more intimate plan of his own, sending love letters to Lizaveta in a bid to win his way into the countess’s confidence—and, by extension, access to whatever truth or power may lie behind the old woman’s doors. Andrei becomes aware of Herman’s scheme, warns Lizaveta about the danger, and finds that his friendship with Herman is strained, for Lizaveta does not heed the warning.
With the aim of uncovering the secret, Herman secures entry to the countess’s house, where he confronts her with an ultimatum: reveal the secret or bear the cost of his fury. He presses her insistently, even threatening her with a pistol, and the old woman dies from fright. In a tense escape, Herman flees to Lizaveta’s apartment. There, he tries to justify his actions by insisting the pistol was not loaded, yet his confession reveals a uglier truth: his affections were a cover for greed. Lizaveta, revolted by what she learns, steps back, shaken by his ruthless calculation.
The funeral of the countess becomes a turning point. Herman discovers the living presence of the dead in a haunting moment when the deceased seemingly opens her eyes in the coffin, a sight that shakes him to his core. Later, he reads a chapter from his own book titled The Dead Will Give Up Their Secrets, a moment that foreshadows his encounter with the supernatural forces entwined with his ambition. Soon afterward, the Countess’s ghost visits his apartment, naming the long-sought secret of the three cards (three, seven, ace) while placing a grim condition: he must marry Lizaveta. The demand is both a lure and a trap, binding desire, fear, and a cryptic code of fate that he cannot easily ignore.
The very next day, Herman attempts to make amends with Lizaveta, but she resists once more. Facing mounting consequences, he stakes everything at a gaming salon, betting his entire savings on the promise of luck and fate. Andrei appears, challenging Herman to a duel that becomes a test of skill and nerve. The confrontation unfolds as a high-stakes sequence of hands: the first round sees Herman win with the three of spades; the second round seals victory on the seven of spades. A third round follows, and Herman spots the ace of spades in his hand only to realize, too late, that he has bet the queen of spades instead. The deception costs him everything, and Andrei steps in to escort the distraught gambler away, with Herman muttering a chilling mantra that repeats the very cards the ghost had named: "three, seven, ace … three, seven, queen."
In the wake of these losses, Lizaveta and Andrei find a glimmer of hopeful happiness. Their shared resolve is anchored in a gentler dream: Lizaveta’s wish to buy every bird in the market and set them free becomes a symbol of liberation from greed and a vow to let life take its natural, kindly course. The story closes on the note that love and compassion can outshine avarice, even in a world haunted by legends of souls sold for success.
> three, seven, ace … three, seven, queen
