There was no doubt that Ignis was proud of the young man that Noctis had grown into, but there were moments when he missed the open, cheery child he'd been once upon a time. That was the child that sought him out when he was sad or hurt. The same one that told him his fears and his dreams. This one was more distant than Ignis liked, but he knew he couldn't lean on him. Not now. Not when he had the weight of the world on his slim shoulders.

Normally, Ignis would goad him into an admission if he could but he honestly didn't have the heart for it right then. Instead, he watched him with heavy, tired eyes before he looked away. A flicker of self-doubt rose up in him and while it wasn't a new one, it was the strongest he'd felt it so far. His king couldn't bring himself to confide in the person that had been raised to be his adviser and now, after everything that had happened, he'd become a liability.

This time, it was easier for him to disconnect and probably quite clear that he was doing it.

"As you wish."