💡 Detailed Explanation
The male speaker, a subordinate, informs his manager that he cannot attend next week's meeting due to an unavoidable engagement. A manager's most natural and practical response would be to seek a solution or an alternative. Option 1, 'I see. Is there anyone who can attend in your place?', is a proactive managerial response aimed at solving the problem. Option 2, 'Is that so? That's a shame,' is too passive and doesn't address the issue from a managerial perspective. Option 3, 'You don't have to participate in the meeting,' is too dismissive of the meeting's importance and the subordinate's role without exploring alternatives or impact.