Ben was a menotogo (the daughter of a menoto, a wet nurse to a high born baby) of the late Kashiwagi (a son of Tono Chujo - the first secretary's captain) (The Tale of Genji), and was Hachi no Miya's maid at that time.
弁は故柏木(源氏物語)の乳母子（めのとご、乳母の娘）で、今は八の宮の侍女である。