President Baby's Bride

Chapter 9: The Royal Physician

The flamboyant voice was followed by the entrance of an extraordinary figure that made Leona blink several times to ensure she wasn't hallucinating. Long curled hair cascaded over slim shoulders, perfectly styled to frame a face with artful makeup. A decorative fan fluttered delicately, and an ultra-short skirt revealed endless pale legs. The overall effect was... striking, to say the least.

The newcomer first acknowledged Butler Chen with a graceful nod. "Uncle Chen!"

As someone who had served multiple presidents and three generations of palace elders, Butler Chen's status warranted such respect, and he returned the gesture with a slight nod of his own.

The beautiful person then turned to Leona, eyes sparkling with interest. "So you're our little prince's chosen bride?"

Leona raised an eyebrow—palace gossip certainly traveled at light speed. The stranger sashayed closer, circling her with an appraising look that made her feel like a horse at auction.

"Hmm! Not bad at all. Bright eyes, good bone structure, and your chest..." They reached out as if to touch, causing Leona to jump back reflexively. The stranger withdrew their hand with a musical laugh. "Quite impressive actually!"

"However..." They paused dramatically, touching their own cheek with exaggerated coyness. "Not as beautiful as me!"

"My dear," they cooed in an oddly antiquated manner, "don't you think I'm absolutely divine?"

"More like bewitching," Leona said dryly. Something about this person seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place them.

The stranger giggled, hiding their crimson lips behind the fan. "The more bewitching the better, darling! Should I bewitch you too?"

A chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning ran down Leona's spine. "Are you... male or female?"

The ambiguity was rather disconcerting.

"Whichever you prefer, my sweet!" They leaned closer, their perfumed curls brushing against Leona's shoulder. "Which would you like me to be?"

Leona quickly backpedaled, pointing firmly to the other side of the room. "Please maintain some distance!"

The stranger pouted prettily, somehow making even that look seductive. "So cruel to poor little me!"

Butler Chen shook his head with an indulgent smile. "This is Doctor Cici, our royal physician."

Recognition finally dawned. Leona stared at the flamboyant figure with new understanding. "Wait—THE Doctor Cici? The youngest royal physician in history who cured that incurable plague? That genius doctor?"

"The very same!" They curtsied with a flourish before claiming a seat on the leather sofa and helping themselves to the pastries.

Leona shuddered slightly. The rumors were true—Doctor Cici was indeed a mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one knew their true gender, and their personality seemed to exist somewhere between ancient court manners and modern flirtatiousness.

Most people defaulted to masculine pronouns, but who would dare verify? Everyone needs medical care eventually, and no one was foolish enough to offend a genius physician, especially one held in such high regard by the nation.

Particularly since this physician was also rumored to be a martial arts expert.

Leona could only think one thing: Was the palace specifically collecting eccentric geniuses? o(╯□╰)o~

Butler Chen excused himself shortly after, leaving Leona alone with the mysterious doctor, who had decimated half the pastries with elegant efficiency.

"My dear, such intense staring will make me blush!" Doctor Cici suddenly said, fanning themselves coyly. "Though I don't mind if it's you!"

Leona suppressed another shudder. "Why are you here?"

"For our little prince's check-up, of course!" They popped another pastry into their mouth before continuing. "Did you know? He was an extremely sickly child. Would have died without my intervention."

Their playful manner faded slightly as they described a tiny one-year-old who could barely breathe, who grew into a determined toddler refusing help to walk despite constant falls, developing into a driven child who studied through the night.

"Such willpower in one so young..." Doctor Cici's voice held genuine admiration. "He said: 'I, Lucian, will never yield!' And he never did."

Leona listened with mixed feelings. It explained a lot about the little demon's old soul in a young body. Still...

Weak? That ice-cold tyrant? If he was weak, then the word had lost all meaning! o(╯□╰)o~

"It's rude to discuss someone behind their back," a crisp voice announced from the doorway. "Especially when that someone signs your research grants."

Doctor Cici's face lit up. "My darling prince!"

Lucian stood in the doorway, looking even smaller than usual next to Year's towering form, yet somehow managing to dominate the room through sheer force of presence.

"Doctor," he said coolly, "are you terrorizing my future bride?"

"Me? Never!" Doctor Cici fluttered their fan innocently. "I was just getting to know this delightful creature you've chosen! Though I must say," they added with a coy smile, "your taste has improved since that phase when you only wanted to marry your chemistry set."

A slight flush colored Lucian's cheeks. "That was years ago!"

"You were ten," Doctor Cici reminded him cheerfully. "It was very sweet! You even wrote it a love poem about molecular bonds."

Leona couldn't help but giggle, earning her a dark look from Lucian. "Not. Another. Word," he warned the doctor.

"But your bride should know these things! Like that time you tried to legally adopt a supercomputer—"

"ENOUGH!" Lucian's voice cracked slightly, making him sound his age for once. "Are you here for my check-up or not?"

"Always so serious!" Doctor Cici sighed dramatically. "Very well, let's see how our little prince is doing."

"I am NOT little!"

"Of course not, darling. Now take off your shirt."

Leona started to leave, but Lucian's voice stopped her. "Stay. You should know what you're getting into."

She turned back to see him removing his jacket and shirt with military precision, revealing a torso covered in old scars. Despite his small size, his body showed the results of intense training.

Doctor Cici's examination was surprisingly professional, their theatrical manner replaced by focused competence. They checked his pulse, listened to his breathing, and examined various points on his body with practiced efficiency.

"Your meridians are still stressed from overwork," they noted with a frown. "And you're not sleeping enough."

"Sleep is inefficient."

"Sleep is necessary, even for demon princes." They jabbed a point on his shoulder that made him wince. "Your body is still growing. Push it too hard and you'll collapse again."

"Again?" Leona asked before she could stop herself.

Doctor Cici nodded grimly. "Three months ago. Working seventy-two hours straight on some classified project. Ended up unconscious for two days."

"That was an acceptable risk for the results obtained," Lucian said stiffly.

"That was stupid and reckless," Doctor Cici corrected. "Though I suppose that's why you chose her." They glanced at Leona with a knowing smile. "Someone equally stubborn to keep you in check."

"I chose her for her strategic value," Lucian insisted, though his ears had turned slightly pink.

"Of course you did, darling. Just like you chose that chemistry set for its 'molecular compatibility.'"

"Doctor..."

"Yes, yes, I know. Classified information." They packed up their supplies with fluid grace. "Well, you'll live, though you might want to ease up on the death threats for a while. Your blood pressure spikes every time you get murderous."

"I do not get murderous," Lucian muttered. "I get... administratively severe."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" Leona asked innocently. "I'll remember that next time you threaten me with medieval torture devices."

"Those are merely traditional negotiation tools."

"Of course they are, dumpling."

Doctor Cici watched their exchange with obvious delight. "Oh, you two are going to be so much fun! Much better than the chemistry set—it never talked back."

"Doctor," Lucian said with deadly patience, "don't you have other patients to terrorize?"

"So eager to get rid of me! Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." They rose with fluid grace, then paused to pat Leona's cheek. "Take care of our little prince, dear. He needs someone to remind him he's human sometimes."

"I am not—" Lucian began, but they were already gone in a swirl of perfume and laughter.

A moment of silence followed their departure.

"Well," Leona said finally, "that was... interesting."

"Doctor Cici is an acquired taste," Lucian admitted, buttoning his shirt. "But they're the best at what they do."

"And what they do is...?"

"Everything from traditional medicine to cutting-edge biotech. Half the palace's medical wing is their private lab." He straightened his collar with precise movements. "They're also completely insane, but that seems to be a requirement for genius these days."

"Present company included?"

His lips twitched slightly. "I prefer to think of it as strategic eccentricity."

"Of course you do, sugar-plum."

"The dungeons are still available."

"Now, now, that's not good for your blood pressure!"

Their bickering was interrupted by Year clearing his throat. "Your Highness, the trade delegation is waiting."

"Duty calls," Lucian sighed. "Try not to cause too much chaos while I'm gone."

"No promises, sweetie-pie!"

His eye twitched, but he managed to leave without threatening bodily harm. Progress!

Leona watched him go, thinking about what Doctor Cici had said. A sickly child who refused to yield, who pushed himself beyond human limits...

No wonder he'd turned out like this—half demon, half child, all determination.

Still... "molecular compatibility"? She was never letting him live that down!