Just guessing, but she probably felt hurt and rejected. Doesn’t matter how kindly you phrase it, her hopes and wants were built on fragile insecurity in the temperament of turbulent emotions. The slightest breeze of sincerity, no matter how warm, was all it took to break down her shelter of dreams. It left her naked and exposed to the elements of loneliness, within the closed borders of her skull - what chance did your kindness have when the envoys find themselves crashing upon walls, and her ears herald that they must be under attack?
I mean maybe you just said something really wacky but elsewise nah you’re fine




This is great, sometimes you need to have those solid, clear boundaries.
If you want to be somewhat “diplomatic,” what I’ll do is give a response depending from whom it comes from.
Not my boss: “please check with my boss to see if he wants me to drop anything to help you.”
my boss: “I’m doing x, y, and z. Which do you want me to drop so I can do this new task?”