humble reply; respectful response
Humble noun used to refer to one's own reply or response in a respectful manner. Often used in formal correspondence or announcements.
My humble reply to your question is as follows.
I apologize for the delay in giving my humble response.
Compound of 拝 (hai, 'humbly') and 答 (tō, 'answer'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with humble replies.