The Count of Nideck / adapted from the French of Erckmann-Chartrian

The narrator is summoned to a remote ancestral castle and becomes embroiled in household mysteries: eccentric retainers, a proud reclusive noble, and a young woman whose presence shapes several encounters. Episodes range from nights in the tower, hunting and feasting, and a creeping illness that spreads through the household, to searches that uncover hidden lineage and a strange dwarf’s explanation for the house’s past. Interwoven personal confessions, tales of vanished relatives, and the slow unravelling of long‑held grievances lead to revelations and loss that blend local superstition with intimate human tragedy.