[He looks up at the sudden, gentle touch, and then he swallows, squeezing his eyes shut, before coming back up with a wobbly attempt at a smile.]

I--I know. And in a situation like that, I would've just been in everyone else's way. But...

[Noct, lying lifelessly on that bed in the Leville because Leviathan took everything he had and then some, power that wasn't his, blazing through him because he had no choice but to win--and, winning, left scoured out and empty, not knowing what he lost. Noct, waking up to loneliness and a ring of death.

The wobbly smile falls away.]

But it's not fair. I, I'm glad you're okay, but Noct... Noct thinks you're dead. Everyone thinks you're dead. And Ardyn had no reason to hurt you.