Christel, the daughter of the imperial forest master, arrests a young hunter in the forest, who cannot be identified and only lets him pull back after paying a fine. Shortly afterwards Christel learns that her secret lover, Földessy, a hot-blooded Hungarian officer, was involved in a rebellion against the emperor. Christel takes a heart and wants to ask the emperor personally for a pardon. When she stands before Emperor Franz Joseph after overcoming some obstacles, she does not trust her eyes: before her stands the hunter, whom she has arrested in the forest. But until she can close her lover in the arms, she still has to remove some difficulties from the way.