Other than Kaoru himself, five people, Hikaru Genji, Kashiwagi who was the real father, Onna Sannomiya who was his mother, Kojiju (Onna Sannomiya's waiting maid), and Ben (court lady for Hachinomiya, cousin of Kojiju) knew the secret of Kaoru's birth, and Yugiri also knew the situation to a certain extent.
なお薫の出生の秘密を知るのは本人以外では光源氏、実父柏木、母女三宮、小侍従（女三宮の女房）、弁（八の宮の女房、小侍従の従姉妹）の5人で、この他夕霧も薄々事情を察している。