What did Imeon have? *Heavy spoilers*

[magdalenez]

What did Imeon have that resulted in her eventual death? I tried to google based on a few things mentioned in the game as well as backstage,

1. Michel mentioned "And when I removed the mask, I was greeted with torn, wrinkled flesh and eyes so sunken it was disquieting. ... I couldn't tell where their nose ended and their cheeks began, and their lips had curled back into their mouth, turning it into a gaping gash. "

2. Michel touched her, also shared meals (?) yet he didn't catch it despite confirming it's contagious. But Imeon stopped him from coming near her when she started vomitting blood.

3. In backstage, Imeon mentioned her illness at this time and age will be perfectly managable.

4. Imeon mentioned she caught it when she was not 'outside', but at home. Since she also mentioned she 'sacrificed' everything for her family and had strict upbringing, perhaps it's not STD related?

I found a skin disorder called "Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome: a reaction to a staphylococcal skin infection in which the skin blisters and peels off as though burned.

In addition to the blistered, peeling skin, the person has fever, chills, and weakness. The diagnosis is based on the appearance of the skin, but sometimes a biopsy is done. With timely treatment, the prognosis is excellent. Treatment involves antibiotics given intravenously."


It doesn't seem like a fit though... Any thoughts, folks? =/ I'm really curious since she mentioned it's 'managable' nowadays, like how Michel talked about his albinism.

[danmaku]

Probably leprosy. Lepers had to wear bells, IIRC

[tsupertsundere]

I'd second leprosy. I did a quick google, and leprosy apparently is NOT contagious, as long as the healthy person doesn't come in excessive contact with nose or mouth droplets from the sick person. There's no mention of Michel and Imeon sharing cups or cutlery, and it'd make sense for Imeon to keep Michel away from the blood they coughed up.

I wonder, then, how they contracted it in the first place?

[magdalenez]

Yes, Leprosy looks like it based on Wiki. Thanks for clearing that up, I totally miss the part where she mentioned she have to carry a bell!

Wiki mentioned there repetitively that it IS contagious, but a low(er) chance of 5%+-. "It occurs during close contact with those who are infected and proposed to be from nasal droplets, but many questions remain about its mode of transmission." People with certain genetics are more susceptible.

So i'm guessing there probably is a passive carrier around in the house that could have transmitted it to her. Since it also mentioned it's more common in poverty, could it be possible she caught it from one of their servants?