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I was worried about The 31st Consort when Yen Press first picked it up! It’s a “get this character” hitched manga! It’s setting up the idea of multiple rivals, since the heroine Felia is the 31st of 31 possible queens for King Macron! There were already hints of bullying from both palace officials and other love interests in the first few chapters! However, I’m delighted to report that the more heartwarming elements of the first volume weren’t a fluke and the second volume also seems to suggest the actual relationship between Felia and Macron is not only somewhat normal, but even loving and healthy.
Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for volume 2 of The 31st Consort below.
As a quick catch up, King Macron is single and, in order to find a bride and queen, the government and such basically dictated he needs to pick from a selection of consorts he’ll meet on a regular basis. These are women from the country’s noble families. 31 were chosen, and he’ll visit each one for one day each month. Sometimes there are special events at which they all gather, the first of which comes up in this second volume. Felia is from a smaller and more rural province, and as such ended up being made the 31st consort.
Naturally, she’s the one who he ended up actually liking, due to how genuine, hardworking, kind, and down-to-earth she is. She’s also become a favorite of many in the palace, in particular his guards, due to her making food, gardening, and other resourcefulness.
In the first volume, we see the two developing an interest in each other! It’s not love at first sight. Rather, he’s genuinely curious about her and comes to appreciate her personality and the way she interacts with folks. Through his visits, she also sees he’s not a typical noble or king and is as, well, normal as she is. There’s a real appreciation and fondness, and that leaves off with him deciding she might be the one who is right for him and her actually wanting to be there and be picked instead of waiting out the process until she can go home.
With the second volume, we’re seeing how that plays out further. As I mentioned, it marks the first instance in which a number of consorts will all appear at once together for an event. Macron knows he wants to take this as a chance to see Felia and spend time with her, especially since her being 31st means he might not even see her some months, so he gears it as a more casual affair involving tea. (Knowing she grows her own tea from herbs and brews it herself.) Seeing that consideration, to choose an event she’d be comfortable with and good at, is really heartwarming. So is his making a motion before it even starts to let authorities know she has his support and he has her back.
This comes up again fairly early in this book. A royal housekeeper has had it in for Felia since the process began due to her being more practical and personable. She’s attempted to make her life more difficult as a result. He steps in and shuts that housekeeper down for Felia making friends and helping his guardsmen, again showing his support, while also giving the two a chance to meet and flirt a bit. Likewise, in both this instance and the one with the consort-wide tea party, he gives her a chance to shine and she gets a chance to make him feel more comfortable.
However, while the actual relationship between Felia and Macron is good and we do see her winning over almost everyone she meets (even some former enemies), that doesn’t mean it’s a 100% wholesome and kind story. The concerns I had before about the array of rivals and bullying do return again in this installment. It also leads to a potentially dangerous situation that’s more threatening than ones in the first volume. I do appreciate King Macron’s response to it, as well as how others handle it, but it does show the series will continue using that for drama and plot points.
Still, I do appreciate that The 31st Consort is more heartwarming and healthy than dark or dramatic, with both King Macron and Felia seeing like a potentially ideal couple. We do see feelings gradually develop between them in a healthy way. There are no sudden fixations or decisions to jump into a marriage. There’s proper respect shown on each of their parts, not to mention admiration. It leaves the impression that, while there will be challenges, this is absolutely a power couple that will succeed and end up together.
Volume 2 of The 31st Consort is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 3 of the shojo manga on December 16, 2025.
