Kalia longed to make friends, yet the difference in their status made her peers cautious in their interactions. Eager to form close bonds and ideally recruit a workout buddy, Kalia couldn't help feeling a tinge of disappointment.
Their conversations usually revolved around external matters. Kalia, still confined to the palace, found stories from the outside world endlessly fascinating.
"Lately, gold earrings have become quite fashionable," they would say, or "There are many unique items in the goods coming from the south," and "The price of furniture made from satinwood has increased recently."
Sometimes, the knights shared tales of their training expeditions, which Kalia found more intriguing.
"What kind of training do knights undergo? What martial arts do they learn and how do they apply them?"
In the curriculum of imperial studies, strategy and tactics were key components. Consequently, nobles often regarded martial arts as a cultural pursuit. About half the noble men learned swordsmanship.
Though fewer in number, there were women who trained in martial arts as well, and Kalia planned to learn knightly combat once she had developed her physique sufficiently.
Despite the prevalence of magic, martial arts were not completely replaced by it. Close combat still required the use of spears and swords, especially when enemies closed in.
"Speaking of which, I heard that Your Highness has recently taken up physical exercise."
"Oh my, are you learning swordsmanship as part of your education?"
The new guests seemed well-informed about Kalia's interests, having conversed with previous visitors. This familiarity was comfortable but also underscored a certain distance.
"I do exercise, but not swordsmanship. Just running and gymnastics."
"Running? Gymnastics?"
"Yes, it's really refreshing for the body."
"Oh my, how unique your tastes are, Lady Kalia."
"I am interested in swordsmanship, but I plan to learn it when I'm older."
"That sounds like a good plan."
"Speaking of which, I've heard that in the capital, retired knights teaching martial arts to commoners is becoming popular. They call it self-defense."
"Indeed, for commoners without guards, learning to protect themselves must be essential."
Kalia found the discussions about personal martial arts training and self-defense quite intriguing. These conversations occasionally led to topics that sparked her interest.
"Look at the time. Until next time, Your Highness."
"See you again."
Usually, Kalia would have continued her exercise routine until dinner, but not today. Clan was waiting in the drawing room. She handed him the blueprint for the pull-up bar and requested its prompt construction.
"Hanging bars, Your Highness? What about these protruding handles on the sides?"
Those were the handles for dips, built into the middle of the bar. While she initially planned only to hang from it, later on, she intended to use it for pull-ups, dips, and hanging leg raises, hence the early preparation.
"The upper bar is for hanging with arms extended, and the lower protruding bar for hanging with arms downwards."
"You want to make hanging that versatile?"
Clan was fascinated by the mere idea of hanging somewhere. For most people, unless they were hanging from a rooftop or mountain peak to prevent slipping, there was rarely a need to hang from anywhere.
"The more variety, the better."
"I see. Everyone at the castle now knows Your Highness loves physical activities. I will make it quickly and bring it to you."
"Oh, and I have something a bit unusual for a blacksmith, but I'd like to ask for your help with this too."
Kalia handed Clan the designs for a jump rope and a step ladder next. Though these weren't items typically made of iron, 'someone who makes things' immediately brought to mind a blacksmith. The jump rope required wooden handles with an appropriate rope attached. The step ladder was made of thin planks connected by a string.
Clan immediately recognized these items were not typical for a forge. However, after looking at Kalia, he nodded and tucked the designs away. Blacksmiths also crafted parts like sword handles, so they had some woodworking skills. The rope could be sourced from the tailoring department.
The client was the duke's eldest daughter, who often called upon him for new ideas. He didn't want to say 'no' to such a valuable patron, especially for something not too difficult.
"These two won't be hard. I can make them by tomorrow if you wish."
"Thank you, as always."
"You flatter me, Your Highness."
Having placed her order, Kalia went to the garden, planning to practice ladder training before dinner. She didn't necessarily need a step ladder; chalk was enough to mark the sections, though it was a bit more cumbersome.
Kalia drew seven rectangles on the ground with white chalk. While erasing them was bothersome and she couldn't just scribble anywhere, the step ladder would be more convenient, but this was a suitable alternative for now.
"Oh? Lady Kalia, are you going to play hopscotch? But the lines are different."
Kalia's servant noticed the chalk lines and recognized the layout. Kalia was surprised by his comment.
Hopscotch. Kalia was familiar with this game; it was a folk play also present on Earth. In Korea, as well as around the world, similar games with slightly different patterns existed. She hadn't expected it to be here as well.
"Tyir, could you draw a hopscotch pattern for me?"
"It's not difficult at all."
Receiving the chalk from Kalia, her servant, Tyir, erased the lines she had drawn and sketched eight squares. It was different from the hopscotch Kalia knew, but like the one she remembered, each square was numbered.
Hopscotch, unlike the step ladder, didn't help with agility or speed, but it was great for developing a sense of balance. Traditionally, play and exercise were closely related. This world had physically engaging games like tag, though Kalia only knew one, but now she had discovered another.
Fortuitously, unlike Melan, who was more of a teacher and caretaker, Tyir was primarily a playmate for Kalia, younger and well-versed in 'play.'
'Play. Play. Play! That was a blind spot. Yes, that's good.'
Kalia smiled broadly, as if she had just thought of a great scheme. Tyir, not knowing why, simply smiled along with her.