The word "scoundrel" is deployed in literature as a versatile term that encapsulates both vilification and a kind of roguish charm. Authors use it to label characters whose behavior defies conventional morality—sometimes with biting indictment, as when a character is portrayed as dangerous or contemptible [1], or when a law-abiding world is disrupted by cunning miscreants [2]. At other times it conveys ironic self-awareness or playful reproach, as evidenced when someone affirms, "Yes, I am a scoundrel, a thorough scoundrel!" [3] or is teasingly addressed by another [4]. Its application spans a broad spectrum, from highlighting moral decay and criminality [5], [6] to offering a nuanced view of human imperfection and even affable, if irreverent, defiance [7], [8].