Seeing the notification, Merlin was visibly surprised. He scratched his head and asked, 'System, why did Linda's affection for me increase?'

In his view, raising Linda's affection was far more difficult than raising Catrine's. Of course, he bore no ill will toward her.

After all, Linda was his teacher, and it was inappropriate for him to think of her in that way.

Besides, even if he did have such intentions, it would be pointless. In his current weakened state, he was definitely not worth it. At the very least, he needed to become much stronger before he could hope to earn Linda's admiration.

"[That's because your thoughtful gesture earlier touched her heart, Master,]" the system replied casually. "[By the way, I really admire you, Master. You should know that Linda is a tough and determined woman. Getting her affection to eighty points is a remarkable achievement!]"

The compliment left Merlin embarrassed. Still, the system was right. In the novel, Linda was one of the heroines.

And yet, even Abel had never managed to win her over. Suffice it to say, reaching eighty points of affection was something Merlin had never imagined.

"Merlin, why do you look so lost? Come on, eat now. You haven't eaten since you passed out, you know?"

Linda's worried voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Even her tone sounded softer than he remembered.

'Eighty points of affection… that's amazing,' he whispered with a small chuckle.

He turned to Linda and gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Master."

Without another word, he began eating the food on the table. As Linda had said, he hadn't eaten anything and was very hungry.

Watching him eat so heartily, Linda couldn't help but smile. She sat on the sofa to his left and reminded him, "Don't rush. Otherwise, you might choke and die, you know?"

"Ahem!" Merlin coughed, quickly grabbing a glass of water and gulping it down in one go.

"Ah…" Once finished, he let out a sigh of relief and looked at Linda with a dissatisfied expression. "Master, you're really cruel! How could you say something like that to me?"

His bitter tone finally made Linda laugh.

"Pfft! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was just worried—if you really choked, it could be dangerous for you."

Merlin chuckled and shook his head. "It's alright, Master. I was only joking. I know you didn't mean it like that."

At that, Linda's smile widened. They continued chatting, occasionally teasing each other. Their relationship hadn't been very close at first, but twelve days of training had brought them closer.

Moreover, Merlin didn't act like a typical child. His mature demeanor made Linda feel at ease when talking to him. At times, she even felt he wasn't an eight-year-old boy but an adult man.

Had she known the feeling was real, Linda might have been shocked to the point of fainting.

"By the way, I have something to ask you," Linda said, picking up a strawberry from her plate and eating it. "Can you explain what happened to you earlier? Was it because of your curse?"

Merlin froze for a moment. "Curse?"

Linda nodded slightly before explaining, "During training earlier, I saw you suddenly become much stronger. At first, I thought you had used a potion or something. But after looking more closely, that wasn't possible. Potions only work when you drink them on the spot, and I didn't see you do that. So I came to one conclusion—the curse is inside your body."

Curses are indeed harmful, but sometimes, they can also bring certain benefits. Take, for example, a curse called the Crown of Thorns.

It was a deadly curse that made the sufferer feel as if their body were being pierced by millions of thorns at once, with the unbearable pain often concentrated in the head.

That was why it was called the Crown of Thorns. Even so, it carried a twisted benefit: during the moments the curse was active, the sufferer would gain unnatural strength.

The issue remained controversial and unresolved, but it was real.

Linda suspected that the same thing had happened to Merlin that afternoon.

Merlin stayed quiet for a few moments before giving a small nod.

"Yes, it was all because of the curse," he replied without hesitation.

Of course, that was a lie. But since Linda believed it, he decided to let her.

Truth be told, he didn't know how to explain the matter to her. Fortunately, Linda had made her own guess, which left him feeling relieved.

Linda sighed softly and asked, "How did it feel when your body went through that? Did it hurt or something?"

"There was no pain or anything like that. The curse just activated all of a sudden, and I didn't know how to stop it. After it faded, I regained my consciousness, and then everything was gone," Merlin explained casually.

"I see," Linda muttered, nodding slowly. "Alright, I understand. For now, I don't have a way to study your curse any further. But I promise I'll find one. You don't have to worry."

With that, a gentle smile returned to her face. Merlin's curse had truly piqued her interest—especially one that could alter a person's nature for two years before returning them to normal.

To Linda, it was valuable new research material, and she vowed to find a solution, no matter what.

Merlin scratched his cheek awkwardly. He could feel Linda's sincerity and determination, and it made him feel guilty.

After all, he had just lied. But once a lie was told, there was no taking it back. Forcing the truth now would only damage his relationship with Linda—and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. Tomorrow, you should rest. I have a mission in the city. The day after, we'll start your magic training."

Merlin nodded, but his heart jolted at her last words.

"Magic training?" His chest tightened. "Are you serious? Isn't there still one last stage?"

The last stage of Linda's training involved facing dozens of artificial troops. Among all the stages, it was the most difficult to overcome. Even after twelve days of training, Merlin wasn't sure he could pass it.

"I meant what I said. If we followed the plan, you should indeed complete the last stage first. But my time is limited. By the end of the month, I have to return to the academy to finish my work," Linda explained with a small sigh.

It would be a lie to say she hadn't enjoyed this vacation. She was happy teaching Merlin—a genius and quick-witted student. Still, the academy needed her, and she had to return to her duties.

Hearing that, Merlin couldn't argue and only nodded weakly.

"Alright, I understand."

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