[He recognizes the defensiveness in the question, not necessarily because of her tone, but because dealing with the fear of judgment by carelessly inviting it is something he's prone to himself. As if it would hurt less if he's braced for it.

Still he sees the irony in his observing this particular memory given their first meeting. He's almost amused by it, in a way. "Princess" ended up being an understatement, in spite of her protests. If her discomfort weren't so clear he might tease her a little, but it's obvious this is a role she was thrust into via circumstances he's still not entirely privvy to, not one she was born to.

But ignoring the elephant room is awkward, too. To just pretend be didn't see it or change the subject might feel condescending somehow, especially after she's invited him to speak.

So, he takes a breath, quirking an eyebrow.]

Well, I see now why you were so irritated when I told you to care less about what people think. Those in the public eye generally have to worry about that, whether they want to or not.

[Not a judgement, just an observation. That's why in his world and time celebrities and politicians hire PR teams. He figures Ravka doesn't have those.]