The beautiful and cold Diana (Emma Suárez), Countess of Belflor, becomes desperately jealous when she learns that Teodoro (Carmelo Gomez), her secretary, is engaged to Marcela (Ana Duato), a lady-in-waiting. When Diana reveals her love, Teodoro entertains fantasies of passion and upward mobility — except that the lovers cannot satisfy their desire because of his lowly rank. Unable to have him for herself, Diana schemes to keep Teodoro and Marcela apart through deception and trickery.