Writer Dominique Valarcher has left his wife Laetitia a laconic note indicating that he needs to reflect. She is worried and does not know where he has taken refuge. A faithful husband and always in love, he is nevertheless troubled and even fascinated by the student Nora Nemeth, whom the Valarchers met shortly before in Hungary. He feels guilty: fidelity is for him the cardinal virtue. He cannot split himself between two women. By chance - but is it really chance? - Nora and Dominique meet in Nice during a conference on French literature.

Denis Emorine, of Russian origin on his father's side, is a French writer fascinated by Eastern Europe and its culture. His works have been translated in Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, South Africa, India and the United States. His books deal with the themes of identity, doubles and the passage of time.