The administrator of Schafen came from a cadet branch of the Viscount Neunil family.
How was I supposed to read that connection?
The Neunils were a court viscount house, once prestigious enough to enjoy the royal family's undivided favor. And the reason they were on such terrible terms with the Administrative Minister was that they had coveted his position.
Everyone is sensitive about their own seat. And in the coldhearted world of the nobility, a rival who tries to snatch away your livelihood is eliminated by any means necessary. Neunil lost, and their influence shrank dramatically.
Still, true to their reputation as the most trusted of families, they had produced Grand Duke's Guard commanders for generations. Many believed the Streit family had taken that position from them, but there was no question the Neunils remained a court power that couldn't be ignored.
