Alex did not say or he was not able to say anything, He just foolishly looked at her thinking about how she was able to dodge the beating making him proud of her just to dive head in the much bigger trouble than that one.
He did not care that she thought he was talking about literally eating them, The main focus was on the fact she called Helen aged meat, Aged is a focus here.
Someone like Helen before might not care about her age but with his experience with women, They do after meeting him all thanks to his world-breaking charm.
So, Rose, a normal mortal, At least not when Violet is in control pressed the painning nerve of an S-rank warrior, The one who can topple over the whole city just by one move.
He did not understand to praise her bravery or condemn her stupidity as both can be valid here. In any case, it might be Rose who has to deal with her angry mother, That is for sure.