She was taught by the major of the cavalry, Arthur Traenkel. Their friendship soon crossed the boundaries of an acceptable relationship, as marriages between people of unequal social status were forbidden, and Arthur was also married. To cover up the disgrace, Mathilda’s family sent her to Britain, where she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Kitty, in 1906.

The conditions in which she lived were not in keeping with the aristocratic lifestyle. In 1910, Mathilda therefore bought a castle on the edge of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in Sevnica. With the arrival of the countess, Sevnica Castle came to life in all its splendour as the seat of a huge estate. Mathilda furnished the castle with rich furniture and works of art that she had brought with her from Ebreichsdorf Castle. The countess was a tall and statuesque woman who was remembered by the common people as a kind-hearted and exceptionally beautiful lady.

Her life story did not end like a fairy tale, as she lost two loved ones — her husband and her daughter. Arthur fell ill with throat cancer in 1919 and Kitty died of meningitis in 1921 at the age of 15. The countess had both bodies embalmed and buried in an empty vault in the Lutrovski cellar below Sevnica Castle, which had been chosen by the Arco Treankel family as the family grave. The countess herself was not buried there, although it was her last wish. After the war, her wish could not be fulfilled due to the new authorities and nationalisation. In addition to the loss of her loved ones, the countess also found herself in financial difficulties. She was assisted in the management of the castle by Elizabeta Fleischer, who was employed there in 1920. In 1940, the countess travelled to Grado in Italy for treatment, where she died at the age of 72.