A romantic story from the time of King Matthias. Hungarian soldier Peter Agárdi falls in love with the beautiful Italian widow Zilia Duca. The virtuous lady accepts the stranger only through the persuasion of her friends and the wiles of the soldier's henchman, Beppo. The noble lady rejects Péter Agárdi's declaration of love. He then asks her to kiss him, invoking an old Piedmontese folk custom. Zilia demands three years of silence for her single kiss.