Nerej's family is cheerful and large. The pater familias is her grandfather Thaddeus Noctivagantur known as "the enchanter", a skilled merchant with a long eye who manages to put the buyer at ease and to give him more goods than he actually needs. Follows a variety of uncles scattered throughout Europe and employed in various trades, for a total of eight men; all powerless in front of the only woman in the family, Ella, the adoptive mother of Nerej. "Adoptive" since Nerej was literally found among the rocks during a night of rough sea and thus welcomed into the family, which was mourning the death of Ella's young husband.

Being a modest family of itinerant merchants, Nerej was raised around Northern Europe and educated in the fashion of the time in the manners of elegance, courtesy - and cunning. Being the little jewel of the family, she has never been made to want for anything and she is treated with enough respect; however she is not granted any freedom in terms of movements and decisions. Her mother's exaggeratedly protective attitude towards her and her grandfather's constant decline of marriage proposals earned her the nickname of "pearl" and, subsequently, of "untouchable". Hence the combined nomination that precedes her name and that precludes easy friendships and acquaintances. She would like to travel and get to know the world as it is told to her by her uncle Aisley, an amanuensis belonging to a brotherhood of the Kingdom of Italy. But unfortunately this desire is to be set aside for her...