Nick Gutlicht, who makes a living by illegally selling rare books, finds himself in debt to various criminals and must evade them. By a stroke of luck, he ends up at the estate of Curt Ledig, a renowned but now elderly philosopher. Despite his age-related forgetfulness and an irrational fear of kitchens, Curt refuses to move in with his daughter. The family hires Nick as a caretaker, allowing Curt to focus on preparing a presentation for an upcoming symposium, a task many doubt he can still handle. Nick sees this as the perfect place to lay low. Their initially pragmatic partnership soon takes on a life of its own. Curt views Nick as a fascinating subject for study and puts him through a bizarre form of therapy. Meanwhile, Nick sees an opportunity to improve his financial situation by accessing Curt’s extraordinary library. Together, this unlikely duo embarks on a journey filled with unpredictable challenges.