Did you find an alternative solution for your requirements?
You mention that you have done web dev stuff for some time. Prehaps you have noticed this discussion on a browser extension.
Now that I understand better how the SC APIs work, I think the possibility of inserting the Pali text into a second column (completely divorced from the translation)
If you have the hour to give, I’m happy to help you set up the very simple dev environment for the plugin and answer any questions I can on the API.
This isn’t a feature I would personally use so I don’t feel comfortable designing it. But I’m happy to do whatever else I can.