All Sebastian Blume has ever wanted is to escape the hardship of peasant life. When a mysterious man, Herr Schadenfreud, comes to claim him on his eighteenth birthday, the young man is frightened and confused. While the exotic and beautiful aristocrat is kind and indulgent toward Sebastian, he also subjects him to long periods of loneliness and isolation while he's away. Sebastian doesn't know whether his new life is a dream come true, or punishment for his wicked desires.