Throughout literature, the word "machinations" has often been employed to evoke complex, secretive schemes—ranging from personal vendettas to political conspiracies. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, for example, the term underscores the intricate and deadly plots of its narrator, as he admits responsibility for the demise of innocent lives ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]). Similarly, it appears in historical and political contexts, such as in The Last Man and The Three Musketeers, where it characterizes ambitious, sometimes subversive attempts to upend established orders ([7], [8]). The term is also used with a note of ironic wit and moral judgment in novels like The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and History of Tom Jones, suggesting that even noble efforts can be tainted by underhanded strategies ([9], [10]). Beyond fiction, its usage extends to treatises and historical accounts—from Sunzi's ancient Art of War to Fox's Book of Martyrs—demonstrating its enduring power as a descriptor of the elusive and often dark workings behind human affairs ([11], [12]).