[Ah, she got mad. Even though she seems genuinely offended by the sentiment, Ryuu laughs it off, giving a gentle wave of his hand to show that he meant no harm by it. Of course, he can appreciate a strong girl as well, but that won't release his natural instinct to want to protect them.]

What do you mean stupid? I said it because I mean it, after all. It's not a matter of needing it or not; if I see a girl in trouble, I'm going to protect them without hesitation.

[No exceptions. Whether or not that's any less of a fickle sort of promise is up to her to decide, but for what it's worth, he seems absolutely genuine in conveying it.]