Chapter 11: Rick's Vow — To Protect Her for Life
Peter Waterman was practically beside himself with joy.
Rick Astray was already the most promising talent he had discovered in recent years—but who could have imagined that Rick had a sister whose talent was even more explosive?
That ethereal, melodious, silk-smooth voice still echoed in his mind even now.
Forgive foreigners—being uncultured was terrifying. They didn't even have a vivid idiom like "lingering for three days."
"Rick, I think you two should…" Peter paused mid-sentence, then asked,
"What was the name of that song?"
Audrey answered promptly, "Picture to Burn."
"Picture to Burn!" Peter nodded repeatedly.
"You should rearrange it—make it a proper chorus version."
"Let's not record today. We'll talk once you're fully prepared."
Rick finally let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.
At least he had survived today.
Peter walked to the door, then suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"Rick—what kind of brother are you?" he scolded.
"Look at what Audrey is wearing!"
Last night, after Audrey came home, she had gone straight into Rick's room and borrowed his T-shirt and shorts as pyjamas.
Now, in Peter's eyes, it was painfully inappropriate.
The ill-fitting shorts and oversized shirt looked especially out of place on Audrey. If it weren't for her outstanding looks and refined temperament, she might have been mistaken for a refugee who'd fled from somewhere.
Rick scratched his head awkwardly.
"She only arrived last night… we haven't had time to buy anything yet."
Audrey shook her head gently.
"Mr Waterman, you know our family isn't very well-off…"
Her pure, doe-like eyes were devastatingly expressive, perfectly portraying a poor, pitiful girl struggling through hardship.
To be honest, possessing Audrey Hepburn's youthful face was already a foul in itself.
How could Peter Waterman possibly withstand that?
He hurriedly pulled out his wallet.
"Rick—honestly! If you're struggling, just say so. You can't let Audrey suffer like this!"
To Rick's utter shock, Peter handed Audrey a full one thousand pounds.
Peter Waterman—infamous for his stinginess!
Rick only earned £850 a month, even without producing new work!
How could the gap between people be this cruel?!
Even Rick, simple-minded as he was, felt a sharp stab of jealousy.
"Audrey, take this and buy yourself some nice clothes," Peter said warmly, a far cry from his stern first impression.
"I look forward to seeing you at the recording studio."
Then he turned to Rick. His smile vanished instantly.
"I'm very satisfied with Picture to Burn. Over the next few days, work hard on arranging a proper male–female duet version."
With that, he waved his hand, opened the door, and left.
Rick stood blankly by the doorway.
Meanwhile, Audrey had already dashed back into the kitchen—she hadn't finished her breakfast yet.
"Brother Rick! Let's go shopping after I finish eating!"
Rick nodded numbly and went upstairs to change.
His mind was still completely empty.
Last night, he had picked up a homeless girl suffering from amnesia.
The girl recognised him as her brother.
He gave her a name.
And, somewhere along the way, he truly accepted her as his younger sister.
This younger sister was a genius.
She casually produced a song that stunned Mr Waterman.
This younger sister was a genius.
Her singing talent surpassed even his own.
This younger sister was a genius.
She could squeeze a thousand pounds out of a miser!
But the key point—
Didn't my sister have amnesia?
Are these behaviours… reasonable?
Well, unreasonable or not—it didn't matter.
She had helped him out of a desperate situation and saved him, hadn't she?
And they were going to form a singing duo in the future anyway.
Even if she weren't truly his sister, being partners would be fine.
As long as she didn't try to swindle him.
…
…
Audrey changed into a black-and-white dress, finished with an elegant bow at the neckline.
If Peter Waterman were still here, he would have immediately recognised it as a high-end custom-made piece.
Unfortunately, Rick was utterly clueless and still thought his sister was a homeless girl.
Rick's house was near Manchester Square, and the nearest shopping centre was Marks & Spencer, about three blocks away.
As the two stepped outside, they noticed several strangely dressed men lingering in a normally quiet alley.
Their gazes were sharp and unfriendly.
Rick, being kind-hearted to a fault, worried that they might be criminals who could harm his neighbours.
He walked up to them and asked politely,
"Sir, what are you doing near my house?"
The man replied coldly,
"We're secret police. We're hunting a vicious criminal who murdered two people. Extremely dangerous."
Rick gasped.
"So—you're police?"
Trusting by nature—no, naïve—Rick immediately added,
"Is there anything I can help with? What does the criminal look like? Do you have a photo?"
The "secret policeman" snapped impatiently,
"He's extremely dangerous. This is none of your business. Get out of the way."
Rick retreated dejectedly and complained to Audrey,
"I was just trying to help! Why was he so rude? Does being secret police make him that great?"
Remembering how secret police were always portrayed in novels, Rick shuddered.
"Audrey, let's go! These people aren't to be trifled with!"
They really aren't, Audrey thought.
Those men were clearly Aurors.
The wand holsters at their waists were practically screaming it—only Muggles would be fooled.
The "vicious criminal" they were hunting was almost certainly the harmless, cute little girl standing right beside Rick.
The Aurors had actually noticed them the moment they stepped outside.
When they saw Audrey's clothes, they grew excited.
But once they saw her face clearly, they were deeply disappointed.
Wizards truly knew nothing about Muggle fashion.
They didn't realise that Muggle children would never dress like that in public.
And so, the Aurors missed their chance.
Perhaps forever.
—They would never capture Hydra again.
…
Marks & Spencer was a historic department store.
The moment Rick led Audrey inside, they became the centre of attention.
There was no helping it—Audrey Hepburn's face was simply too striking.
"Mother!" a little girl exclaimed.
"That lady looks just like Audrey Hepburn!"
"Hermione!" her mother scolded sharply.
"It's rude to comment on someone's appearance."
"Oh…" the girl muttered, lowering her head.
Audrey glanced over.
The girl looked six or seven years old, with thick, messy brown hair, bright brown eyes, and delicate features.
Only her prominent, beaver-like front teeth slightly marred her beauty.
…Could it really be such a coincidence?
Did I just run into Hermione Granger?
Sensing Audrey's gaze, the girl's mother nodded apologetically.
Audrey returned a bright smile, then immediately dragged Rick into a nearby clothing shop.
Absolutely not.
She was doing everything possible to stay away from Hogwarts.
Why would she voluntarily approach story characters?
Was living quietly no longer comfortable enough?
…
Half an hour later, Rick—carrying two sets of clothes—was pulled out of the store by Audrey.
"Audrey, we still have money. Why not buy a few more sets?"
Audrey stopped, turned around, and said solemnly,
"Brother! We have enough clothes. The biggest problem our family has right now is—"
"There's no food left in the fridge."
…
…
After returning home, Rick was deeply moved.
Audrey was so devoted to her family that she wouldn't even buy clothes for herself.
And yet, he had once suspected her background.
I'm not even human.
Audrey was an angel.
How could she possibly harm him?
The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.
She had nothing—what would she gain from lying to him?
Not only had she not taken a single penny from him, she had even bought groceries and daily necessities.
She had spent the money she earned from Mr Miser Waterman.
Such a wonderful sister!
I, Rick Astray, swear to protect her for the rest of my life!
God is my witness!
Rick originally wanted to swear to "take care of her," but then realised he knew nothing and that Audrey would probably end up taking care of him instead.
So he changed it to protect.
That way, he could at least demonstrate some value as a brother.
Yes.
Protect her—for life.
---
.