It was now or never. If Ash didn't say the right thing here, he would lose Ruby's trust forever.
"Yes," he admitted. "It has to do with how you make your money, right? I told you before that I didn't care what you did as long as it wasn't illegal. I knew from the start that you were capable of doing some sort of trick to get rich quick; why would knowing details about it change the way I think about you?"
Ruby was stunned. Her wrists were still hooked around his neck but her arms were straight so there was a bit of distance between their faces. She let go and flew back a little, rubbing her hands together in front of her chest a bit defensively.
"You…don't care?" she asked haltingly.
Ash nodded seriously. "Ruby, I set the terms of our deal and I meant them. Whatever power you have is yours to use how you wish. As soon as I have enough money to take my revenge, you're free to go and I'll owe you a blood barrier spell when you settle down, as promised."
